Sean and I will be thru-hiking the CDT. A thru-hike of the CDT is defined as a continuous and unbroken footpath between two points, in this case, Mexico and Canada. Thru-hiking entails carrying all of your food, water and supplies between resupply points. When thru-hiking it is ideal to replenish (resupply) food every few days but on the CDT, due to how remote the trail is, longer food and water carries are required in many sections, some up to ten days. Hitchhiking from a road crossing of the trail into a town to buy food and supplies is necessary to avoid road walking dozens of unnecessary miles. As remote as the CDT is, towns are often far from the trail so hikers like us rely on hitchhiking. 

Not every town has a grocery store so resupply options can be severely limited, especially north of Colorado. We have sent numerous prepared “resupply boxes” to post offices in towns off-trail so we can resupply on food and other necessities without worrying about getting too far off trail.

Most hikers occasionally take a “zero" meaning a day without hiking. A “nero” is a day with little hiking to rest and recuperate. It is a very rigorous trail so we will need a few zeros and neros along the way to let our bodies and minds recover - Sean and I usually take a rest day once every three weeks. These days usually coincide with staying in a town, where hikers have to go to resupply anyway.

“Trail angels" (volunteers) assist hikers with food, water, and transportation to and from resupply points to trail heads. Anyone who helps a hiker is a trail angel, whether they see themselves as such or not. In the southern part of the CDT trail angels literally keep hikers alive by cacheing water in the most desolate desert sections where it is scarce. 

Fresh running water is scarce along much of the CDT so hikers will often fill water bottles in cattle troughs. This stagnant, often old and mossy cow water has to be well filtered before drinking to avoid consumption of bacteria and parasites. Even after filtering it rarely tastes good.

Permits are required to hike or camp along some sections of the trail, especially through National Parks and Native American land. A passport is needed to cross the Canadian border.

We will be hiking southbound (SOBO) from the Canadian border to Mexico. This is the less popular way to hike the trail and can be precarious due to adverse weather conditions like snow and ice therefore, very few thru-hikers attempt hiking South. We have all the gear we need to stay safe however and with a bit of luck, the snow will slow us down minimally.