Welcome

We are currently on another long distance hike, and the third leg of our "triple crown", the Continental Divide Trail (the "CDT"). Come along with us if you can - if not in person then by following our grand adventure via our "posts from the trail".  Check out our Flickr Photos, which we'll update periodically, and see it through our eyes!

Our Credo...

"Success: To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!" ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Continental Divide Trail – 2008

Welcome to our Continental Divide Trail (CDT) adventure! Deb, aka the Walking Carrot (those “un-initiated” to trail names should check out the “Our Adventures” page on our website for an explanation) and I are taking off this summer to “recharge our spiritual batteries” on another long walking trip. We plan to spend July, August and Sept hiking the wilderness along the Continental Divide Trail, starting at the Canadian border at Glacier National Park and heading south. The spine of the northern Rockies is wild country and we will follow it all the way to Rawlins Wyoming. A bit over 1,300 miles of walking. Our intention is to walk an unbroken path which will cover roughly the “northern half” of the CDT. Long wilderness walks are the way that Deb and I find ourselves connected to each other, and to this planet. It’s an experience we seek out every 2 or 3 years. And we are overdue – our last trek was in 2004. So this summer we start on a two year project to hike the Continental Divide Trail.

CDT MapUnlike the Appalachian Trail with white blazes marking every step of the way or the Pacific Crest Trail where actual trail tread is present 99.9% of the time, the Continental Divide Trail is something more than a concept, but surely less than an actual trail. It’s perhaps best to call it a “route”. The CDT is a work in progress which, even when complete, will likely always involve high elevation cross country ridge walks and alternate routes due to extreme conditions. And that’s if it is ever completed. Much is under construction and continued debate. There is an imaginary line on the map somewhere in a desk bound office which marks an “official route” or “proposed route”. This line shifts and not every person, agency or organization agrees on the location of this line. Often there are temporary (or permanent) relocations or alternates. Not all of these proposed or alternate routes are constructed. Actual walking may be, at times, on trail tread, across open ridges or meadows, involve cross country bushwhacking or walking along roads to connect to trails. Sometimes there are signs or blazes, but often there are only posts or cairns or nothing at all. Alternate routes exist to connect with existing trail or to solve temporary, permanent or seasonal problems with elevation, snow, water (too much or too little) or other hazards. Often more than one alternate exists and their viability comes and goes with the season and year. In the end, planning and navigation are big challenges and route selection becomes a matter of personal choice. In short, no two CDT hikers walk the same route or plan the same trip. Although Deb and I hope not to stray too far apart. In many ways this is what appeals to most thru hikers – the freedom and challenge of individual choice and circumstances.

The CDT continues on through Colorado and New Mexico and ends at the Mexican border. Deb and I have decided to cover half now and save the other half for (hopefully) next year, so that our route choices can include sections of trail we might not cover if we were pressed by the season or the need to do higher mileage to cover the whole trail in one year.

More information on the CDT can be found by following the links on this site to the Continental Divide Trail Society as well as the Continental Divide Trail Alliance.

You will find a copy of our detailed itinerary for those who like to crunch numbers. Dwight Eisenhower, the mastermind of D-day once said: “the plan is useless, but planning is essential.” Like all good plans, ours will be out of sync from day 1 on, but the general guidance it provides will be essential to accomplishing our goals. So, this itinerary will be a roadmap, but don’t expect that we will be following it all the time. We hope you will come along and follow our progress by periodically checking back in on this website, or better yet by signing up for the RSS feed so you can receive all of our updates in a timely manner. We will submit progress reports every week to ten days. A daily journal will also be posted on an irregular basis. If you feel so inclined please leave us comments, or to contact us while we are on the trail. See the page on “Contacting Us On The CDT” for details.

We hope your summer is a filled with adventure and spirit as will be ours!

~ Phil Hough, aka Nowhere Man, June 2008

*** Read Our Daily Journals Here

*** Read the Weekly (or every other week) Trip Reports Here

*** View Photos of our trip on Flickr

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Clicking on any of these photos will take you to that specific photo on our Flickr Stream, where you can view these and many, many more photos from our latest adventure....or use this shortcut to all photos.....we hope you enjoy them!

People Shots

CDT20101_NMWCWMCDT2010_TheTrailCDT2010_NMWC-1Carrot After a Trail BathCarrot Stream Crossing #3,768Carrot on the Trail stillCarrot takes a Trail BathCarrot Stream Crossing #5.875Carrot on the TrailCliff Dwelling SignCarrot takes a PhotoCarrot Stream Crossing # 2,115

Scenic Shots

CDT2010-valleyCDT2010_yellowflowersCarrot on the Trail 3ScenicPotty BreakScenicCliff Dwelling Stream Vast DesertPrickly Pear 2Prickly PearPlateau at Sunset

Flora & Fauna

CDT2010_treesCDT2010_yellowflowersCDT2010-purpleflowersAngry MarmotFlora 3FloraBeaverButterfly 2FloraButterfly