Cathie - Continental Divide Trail Journal - 2014

(Click image for full size)


Colin and Maia

Some thoughts on the flight home

There is something to be said for backcountry travel at a leisurely pace versus a through-hikers pace. On this trip I enjoyed the opportunities to allow time for exploration on a whim.
Often I thought about how grand it would be to bring Colin and Maia "out west" to the exciting topography I love so much. At this rate I don't know if I will ever complete the CDT and earn the Triple Crown. Randy seems to think we have time to make it happen. I do know that soon it will be time for this Nana to share the backcountry with some much loved grandchildren. We hiked just over 200 miles on this trip, only a third of our plan. To do such a difficult section of the CDT, I should have been better prepared physically, more focused, but competing priorities interfered. Our gear was just right and we are good navigators, never misplacing ourselves. Though I was eager, I was already exhausted when we arrived in Montana. This is the challenge of section hiking a trail 3000 miles long: trying to get back to it year after year. Another trouble with end-to-end hiking of a trail is that it does lock me into a general route, for better or worse. For example: we did take a look at the Great Divide Basin and realized that only a dedicated end-to-end CDT hiker would ever voluntarily hike the 100+ miles across that barren landscape. Do I want to give up time with my grandchildren to do that? For what? Bragging rights? Or do I share my knowledge and take my grandchildren backpacking in a variety of places. There are so many unspoiled magical places to explore when you learn to live with your home on your back.

Entry 29 of 29
First  :: Previous  :: Next :: Last