Currently hiking the Continental Divide Trail from Mexico to Canada. Live track my progress via gar...
I woke up this morning eager to get moving, while at the same time wanting to sleep just a little longer. Thankfully, it wasn't nearly as cold as the previous morning. As I lay there contemplating whether to get up, I heard Pudding drop my food bag in front of my tent. Greg's and my food bags had been hanging from a tree overnight using Pudding's paracord. That saved me from having to walk over…
It's crazy to think I've been doing this for more than 100 days now. Some days are harder than others, and some are absolutely spectacular. Today was one of those days I probably could have skipped and been perfectly fine with it. The morning started with a beautiful sunrise over Lake of the Woods. It was cold, with frost covering the ground. We spent the first part of the day hiking through the…
This morning, I woke up to another spectacular view, this time along the Green River, nestled between the mountains. Rising behind the river was a mountain that reminded me of Devils Tower. It was also another very cold morning, probably because we were camped down in the valley. Greg packed up and left before Pudding and I were even ready. He'd had a cold night and just wanted to get moving. The…
After the sun went down last night, we quickly realized it was going to be a cold night at Titcomb Lakes. Sure enough, when I woke up this morning, it was freezing. This was actually the first time since Colorado that I spent the first hour of the day hiking in my fleece and gloves. Today's hike took us over Knapsack Col, one of the sketchier sections I've encountered on the CDT. The climb up was…
This morning, I got to sleep in until 6:30 a.m. The bunk bed at the Jackalope Lodge was surprisingly comfortable, and the room stayed nice and dark. Pudding and I grabbed a couple of bikes provided by the lodge and rode down to the Wrangler Cafe for breakfast. As I cruised down Main Street, I had this sudden feeling of pure contentment. I could feel the town vortex pulling me in, trying to…
This morning we woke up above one of the Cook Lakes. It was a little chilly, and once again I was under attack from mosquitoes. I got ready inside my tent as quickly as possible, and the moment I stepped outside, I sprayed myself with bug repellent. Our plan for the day was to hike to the Seneca Lake junction and then follow the side trail 11 miles to the Elkhart Park Trailhead. Once we reached…
This morning we woke up to a spectacular view of the Cirque of the Towers from our campsite. We had camped beneath a giant tree that offered a few flat spots for our tents. Today's 25-mile hike took us through beautiful meadows, dense forests, and so many lakes that I eventually lost count. The climbing wasn't especially difficult, but it definitely wore us out by the end of the day. We also…
This morning I woke up overlooking Temple Lake at an absolutely magnificent campsite. It's easily one of my favorite campsites of all time. As the sun rose, the jagged granite peaks lit up with a beautiful orange glow. The morning was cool, but not cold—an incredible way to start the day. The hiking somehow became even more spectacular as we approached the Cirque of the Towers. The view from the…
Around 3:00 a.m., I woke up to the sound of something scratching at my tent. I immediately suspected it was a small rodent trying to get inside. I turned on my headlamp and spotted a tiny mouse running around outside. I could also hear another animal wandering nearby. Needless to say, I had a hard time falling back asleep. Every time I scared the mouse away, it came right back. I finally drifted…
After a great breakfast at OxBow, we packed up our gear at the Noble Hotel and headed out to hitch a ride back to the trail. We got our first ride out of town in about 20 minutes from a hay farmer. He drove us to Highway 28, where we quickly caught a second ride, this time with a mushroom farmer. As far as hitchhiking goes, this was one of the easiest towns to get in and out of, even though it was…