Tracing some 3000 miles along the Continental Divide, through sandy desert and towering mountains, high tundra and deep forests, there’s this trail. I didn’t even know it existed until a little over a year ago.

I was researching long hiking trails, and discovered there were three major ones in the United States: the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail. It was this last one which immediately captured my attention. Out of the three, it’s the least hiked and most challenging. The trail passes through five states – New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana – along the Continental Divide, the geographic feature where waters to the east end up in the Atlantic, and waters to the west end up in the Pacific. Raw and rugged, the trail has garnered the hiker slogan “Embrace the Brutality”. 

Exciting, right?

After I finished reading up on the Continental Divide Trail, aka the CDT, I called my sister. Our conversation went more or less like this.

Me: Hey! I’ve had an idea. There’s this 3000 mile trail, and I want to hike it. Want to come?

Sis: Um, YES.

Me: Fantastic.

And that was that. The thru-hiking bug was under our skin and there was no looking back. We researched and planned and researched some more, and the planning eventually coalesced into reality. Now, we leave in less than two weeks.

There’s a beautiful quote by the poet Mary Oliver, which asks, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

Me? I’ll be hiking across the country. I fully expect this hike to be incredibly challenging, rewarding, and the adventure of a lifetime. Can’t wait to share it all with you!