PCT or CDT thru-hike in 2009?

imported
#1

Hey guys. I thru-hiked the PCT successfully and this year I want to hike again, but I can’t decide which trail. I have a few special conditions that make it a tough decision.

I originally was just going to hike the PCT again. I know that trail well now, I know what it would cost, I know when is perfect for me to start and I know lots of other people do it so I wouldn’t have to worry about meeting anyone to keep the loneliness away. I also, however, have already hiked it.

Then a few of my PCT 2008 buddies tried to talk me into the CDT. They brought made a good case, really, simply by passing me some resupply tables and just committing to doing it themselves. I had originally ruled out the CDT because I didn’t think I could do it without having a resupply person sending me boxes to half the places on the trail, but Yogi’s guide makes it seem as if you could do as I did on the PCT – send boxes to yourself at the places you need boxes from earlier towns. So that eliminates my one major issue and opens up the CDT for possibility. I then didn’t want to wait until June (not really interested in a northbound CDT hike, at least not in entirety), but a friend recommended starting northbound around May 1st, hiking New Mexico, then flipping up to Glacier in mid-June to finish the rest southbound and that sounded like a great idea to me. So there goes my second big issue.

So basically, it comes down to this for me: Is the CDT fun at all for someone who doesn’t mind being alone for periods of time but prefers to hike on and off with other people? Will there be at least a minimum of other thru-hikers to mix things up when the going gets lonely? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not requiring that I hike with someone the whole way – I did Paradise Cafe to Idyllwild, Ashland to Crater Lake, Cascade Locks to Whites Pass and Stehekin to the border and then back to Hart’s pass all alone on the PCT and was okay with it, although it was a bit lonely. I’m just wondering if I’ll be spending, say, week after week alone if I don’t start out with another thru-hiker.

And would any previous thru-hikers recommend the CDT to someone on a budget of about $4400, looking to complete a full thru-hike?

Anyway, any decision-making info at all is welcome, I’m so torn!

Joker

#2

I vote for the CDT!!!

Adventure, new vistas, new experiences are reasons that I hike. A different hike is more exciting. We started to hike the PCT a second time after the CDT, AT and ADT thrus and decided that a second hike is definitely not as exciting as the first time. That is true even for the PCT with its wonderful mountains and diversity. A new trail will always be preferable for me.

What’s undesirable about a NoBo CDT thru? Why flip? Why put a stellar, spectacular GNP in the middle of your hike rather than saving the best for the last? We had Glacier entirely to ourselves in the 3rd week of September after a NoBo hike and I wouldn’t trade that finish for anything!

If the reason for your flip is snow, watch noaa snotel. I think you might be trading southern patchy snow for northern solid snow travel. It depends on the year.

YMMV

…GottaWalk

Marcia

#3

What Marcia said, plus if you flip you probably won’t have much company at all. If you NOBO or SOBO, you’ll probably see others.

Postholer.com has the Snotel info on a CDT map with good graphics.

It should be a little cheaper than the PCT.

Get good at map reading and navigating if you aren’t already.

Garlic

#4

I vote for the CDT!!!

Adventure, new vistas, new experiences are reasons that I hike. A different hike is more exciting. We started to hike the PCT a second time after the CDT, AT and ADT thrus and decided that a second hike is definitely not as exciting as the first time. That is true even for the PCT with its wonderful mountains and diversity. A new trail will always be preferable for me.

What’s undesirable about a NoBo CDT thru? Why flip? Why put a stellar, spectacular GNP in the middle of your hike rather than saving the best for the last? We had Glacier entirely to ourselves in the 3rd week of September after a NoBo hike and I wouldn’t trade that finish for anything!

If the reason for your flip is snow, watch noaa snotel. I think you might be trading southern patchy snow for northern solid snow travel. It depends on the year.

YMMV

…GottaWalk

Marcia

#5

Well, as of right now, Postholer’s making a good case for southbounding. It’s only February and it’s already 150% in most of the southern sections of the trail, and not too bad in the northern. Granted, of course, it’s only february – snow in february and march is yet to come, or yet NOT to come.

Well, if I flip-flopped, Garlic, I’d be flipping up to start southbound at the same time that southbounders start. So I imagine I’d spend most of the trail with southbounders, if with anyone.

Well, GNP as the best is debatable, Marcia. Most people tell me the most scenic section is either the San Juans in Colorado or the Wind River range. With the flip, I’d be finishing in southern Colorado, which is hardly anti-climactic (as finishing in New Mexico might be). And that’s true, I wouldn’t necessarily have to flip, but I really want to do Colorado with little to no snow, so I can ridge-walk a lot of the optional sections without worries of cornices and requiring crampons. And from what people tell me, the really snowy sections in Montana, barring huge snowfall, are fairly short in duration, as compared to the extended snowy sections in Colorado.

The reason for my flip is, basically, I want to do Colorado fairly snow-free, but I also want to start around May 1st or a little earlier. I also don’t want to finish later than about October 1st, so that means either Northbound it or do New Mexico first, then southbound it.

But thanks for the advice guys, I appreciate the advice to do the CDT. Seems that’s what most people are telling me! I get to pick the brain of Anish and Remy this coming weekend, triple-crowners who live near me in washington. If they give me similar advice, I may just have to do the CDT!

Joker

#6

Sorry for the double post.

May 1 is such a good start time!

Tell Anish K&M said hi. We met Anish late on the AT as we were finishing our triple crown. She had been chasing us, caught us and then walked our legs off…and she was “iamshoeless” with foot problems, too.

IMHO, the AT is not the trail to finish a TC on. Have you hiked it yet?

Marcia

#7

Haven’t done the AT yet, not terribly interested in it so far, either. Maybe in the future, we’ll see.

Thanks for the info, I’ll mention to her I heard from you.

Joker

#8

How many repeat hikers are there of the CDT? How many of the PCT? Maybe that is indicative of the trails. I’m going to be on the CDT this year for my second pseudo-thru attempt after a somewhat disastrous 450 miles back in 2005. I’m hiking for 3 months and stopping where ever that happens to be. If its in Mexico, fine. If in Colorado, fine.

$4400 should be lots, unless you want to hike for a long, long time and really like hotels and towns. I spent maybe $3000 on the PCT.

If I could skip GNP and take a different route outside the park from the border, I’d do it. I don’t like having to deal with the constraints that they place on you (you have to camp here). The scenery is good, but really is about equivalent to what you can get by taking a day hike up Mount Ellinor in the Olympics. But I’m also a scenery snob. I’m not on the CDT for views. I can get that at home. I want to be on it for the place as a whole: The empty places on the spine of the continent where so much of our national culture was forged.

One thing in favor of the CDT SOBO for you is transit: Just hop on a train in Seattle and the next morning you’re in East Glacier. A short shuttle gets you to the border.

Suge

#9

I actually enjoyed my 2nd PCT thru-hike more than my 1st.
If you go into any hike without pre-conceived expectations it seems to add to the adventure.

When I hiked the PCT a second time, I did not try to repeat the experience of the first hike - that would have been a mistake. I enjoyed both the familiarity of some of the wonderful sections and seeing some of the same terrain for the 1st time. (In '97 WA was almost completely socked in the clouds through September; whereas in '05 I only had a day or two of rain) I also enjoyed some spectacular new terrain on alternate routes.

My PCT hikes were 8 years apart, ('97 &'05) so a lot had changed at least in terms of the trail ‘culture’ - trail angels, water cache’s (none in '97 other than Meadow Ed’s random whisky bottles filled with water at a few road crossings), trail magic (almost none in '97); but the actual Trail itself was virtually identical.

I have hiked the Kalalau Trail in Hawaii probably 25 times over the last 15 years & every experience was different and beautiful. I think you could hike the PCT every year and have a different & wonderful experience. (just ask Billy Goat!)

This post is not intended to dissuade you from hiking the CDT, I’m just pointing out that multiple thru’s on a Trail can be awesome.

Obviously, the CDT would be a whole new experience - there’s a lot to be said for that.

If you end up hiking the CDT, I look forward to meeting you on the Trail at some point - I’m planning to hike the CDT NOBO this year.

Happy Trails!

freebird

#10

The CDT is gorgeous. You go through some of the best country in the lower US (Glacier, Bob Marshall, Anaconda-Pintlers, and that’s just Montana). If you did the PCT last year, break out of the familiar and go see this stuff. Though, it is like any other incomplete trail where there are some really outstanding sections connected by roadwalk. But, looking back, it was definitely worth doing.

wing it

#11

If I had $4,400 & was already a triple crowner; I would hike across Europe; there are numerous long distance trails & enough mountain towns that you don’t need (& posts don’t accept) drift boxes. I followed the Zentralalpenweg (O2-A) along the length of Austria: much like the AT, you follow the red-white-red blazes (colors of their flag) using maps… then Alpenpass across Switzerland using yellow trail signs… then Grande Randonee 5 south to Nice, also red & white stripes … there are english language guides for Switz & France… maybe only German guide written by Fritz Peterka for Austria. The Euro-alps can be done in 3 months more or less: best to start in June like a SBd CDT… I started in July & caught a huge snowstorm up on the last col, 2800 meters in October, almost in sight of Nice; so best to finish up in September while there’s still good beach to go to. Must join British Alpenverein for huge hut discount in Austria as well as great search & rescue insurance…about $60 or so probably. Also worth considering, Haute route Pyrennees (English guide avail) takes about 45days more or less… I made my own way using some Spanish trails as George Veron’s guide favors the french side; which ever, be sure to catch Montagnard music at one of the Pyr towns. Last but least, one could hike from Land’s End to John o groats in Britain using the SW coastal path… Wales Cambrian track… Pennine way… & various scottish paths… guides available, though I only did the Pennine part, 10-14 days. Europe is extremely civilized hiking, except for Kungsladen up in Scandinavia & such like things. In the 90’s, you could picnic for a couple bucks & camping switzerland was surprisingly cheap… you could camp at french huts free, but it’s only polite to buy a meal & some wine, also sometimes surprisingly cheap… I usually bought dinner, though could often afford only ‘erbsen suppe’ & beer at austrian huts… bon courage & viel gluck

gingerbreadman

#12

Well, I’m not a triple crowner, gingerbreadman, I’ve only hiked the PCT. But looking at plane tickets to Zurich (just an example), It seems it’d be around $1200 round trip if I bought now. That’s a third of my money spent just on airfare. And that’s in a day when the dollar is not exactly strong in Europe. Seems like I’d get more bang for my buck by staying in America.

but thanks for the info. One day I would definitely like to hike in Europe. After I’ve hiked America up and maybe found a more reliable way to make money. :stuck_out_tongue:

Joker

#13

gingerbreadman says “Europe is extremely civilized hiking”

After hiking the CDT on the way to a triple crown I think most hikers want wilderness, the challenge of hiking a route rather than a trail. I think Europe might be interesting but not an adventure.

There are many challenging, exciting US trails that are more routes than connected trail trampled by other hikers: Hayduke, AZT, GET, PNT.

Civilized hiking in the US is the ADT in the east. The reward for hiking that is the ADT west of Colorado’s Front Range.:wink:

Of course, YMMV
…GottaWalk

Marcia Powers

#14

First of all, you can fly into London, Paris or Amsterdam… a sneaky & cheap way to get across europe is to buy a cheap train ticket to the German border from Paris or Amsterdam (catch a cheap bus from london to one of the above( (don’t smuggle the drugs, please)… on sat & sun, 1-5 people can travel across Germany on the local (but quite fast) trains on 1 ticket called the schoenes wochenende or beautiful weekend pass… about 25 euros (less than $50)… we carried our bikes for a small fee & cycled down the Danube trail from Salzburg to Bratislava where the alps begin (but austria also has cheap local trains). I spent 4 months cycling around the 10000 km europe cycle circle following the mountain ranges & spent almost nothing stealth camping mostly & swimming & now & then getting a hostel or zimmer frei. They have supermarkets & most have health food & bulk food. Prosit und gemutlichkeit!

gingerbreadman

#15

Prosit und gemutlichkeit!

Which, translated, means: “Significant topic drift”

blisterfree

#16

Sorry for Eurocizing up the forum… but once you finish the Cdt et al, think of Gnp lasting all the way to the Wind rivers & you will have the beauty of the alps. 1000 miles above treeline, with less starving… I was about ready to eat bark on the CDt a few times, especially when I didn’t stop at the expensive resort in the Winds & instead sidetrailed North into the fabulous Cirque… luckily when I got close to the Lander highway, a mormon? family saved me with a pot of stew. Then from Atlantic, I took the beer tour following the Mormon 5th xing trail to Sweetwater gas station store/bar, Jeffrey town cafe/bar, & Baroil Grub/Pub having some good eats & fun route finding, now & then crossing Yogi & Dewey’s beerless tracks! (While I was having one last lunch beer at Atlantic city; they had started out into some heavy hail & had to hide under a bridge!) From grimy industrial Baroil town, where the tame antelope play, I headed arrow straight south along dirt roads across dry alkali lakebeds following my not so topo (red book of) Wyoming maps I’d copied & with alot of luck, found a wet windmill near a wild horse fence & soon rejoined all the CDT routes at the Rawlins highway. Needless to say, Y & D had beaten me to Rawlins; but I wouldn’t trade my pub crawl & semi-bushwhack for all the trail in china! I would recommend all of the above, most of which I did on dirt roads.

gingerbreadman