Why I picked the Continental Divide Trail over the PCT for my first long hike

Everyone in backpacking forums told me I was crazy to start with the CDT in New Mexico last year instead of the more popular PCT. But I wanted quieter trails and cheaper permits even if it meant tougher navigation. Has anyone else gone with an unpopular route and wound up happier for it?

3 comments

3 Comments

amy9753d ago

Were you still having to pull out the map and compass a lot by the end of the CDT, or did the route start feeling natural after a while? I've heard New Mexico is especially hard to follow with all the cow paths and faint tread. Just wondering if the navigation part ever got easier or if you were constantly second-guessing yourself.

maryh963d ago

Wait is this actually something people change their minds about? I used to think yeah you basically live on GPS and never need a map but totally flipped on that after New Mexico. That stretch especially taught me the hard way why people say it's confusing. Those cow paths blend together so bad and there's sections where you're just zigzagging between cattle fences. I had to pull my compass out almost daily down there even after months on trail. By the time I hit Colorado it got way more intuitive but New Mexico really humbled me on navigation.

jason5243d agoTop Commenter

Read somewhere New Mexico has more cows than people. Explains the maze.