CDT Thru Hike 2018

Continental Divide Trail Thru Hike 2018

This page serves as a Table of Contents for each section of my 2018 CDT thru hike. My NOBO start date is April 21st from Crazy Cook. 

Continental Divide Trail Pre-Hike Ramblings

Travel to the CDT southern terminus

Crazy Cook to Lordsburg – 91 Miles

April 21-25, Trail Days 1-5. Total Trip Miles – 91

This section traverses the “Bootheel” of New Mexico. It’s dry, windy and hot! Like most desert hikes I’ve done, it has a very ancient and primitive feel to it that cannot be duplicated in any other environment. There’s a lot more wildlife here than you’d think. 

Lordsburg to Silver City – 55 Miles

April 26-29, Trail Days 6-9. Total Trip Miles – 146

The first part of this section, out of Lordsburg, was flat and hot. But, This is a good section because the landscape transitions from desert to rolling hills and lots of trees. It’s hard not to like that after 100+ miles of desert. Unique environment and a good sign of progress towards more interesting landscapes. 

Silver City to Doc Campbell’s Post – 65 Miles

April 30th – May 3rd, Trail Days 10-13. Total Trip Miles – 212

After leaving Silver City, it’s a road walk up Little Walnut Creek Rd into the hills. This is the beginning of a 300+ mile stretch of no cell phone service for us AT&T customers. This stretch begins the Gila National Forest, a much anticipated section of trail. No more open desert, more trees and hills, and lots more water, towards the end of this stretch. 

Doc Campbell’s Post to Pie Town – 145 Miles

May 4th – May 11th, Trail Days 14-21. Total Trip Miles – 357

After visiting the optional Gila Cliff Dwellings, it’s wet feet all day, hundreds of river crossings and remote country through the Middle Fork Gila River. Many deem this to be the highlight of New Mexico and a favorite section of the entire CDT. There are numerous hot springs, namely the Jordan Hot Springs. The Middle Fork Gila River ends at Snow Lake, after which the terrain resembles Wyoming briefly. The trail then wanders through what I called “The Sea of Gold”, a massive view of rolling hills and golden grasses. Then it’s a long and boring walk along Bursum Rd before climbing back up into the hills. A 40 mile road walk through seldom visited region of New Mexico finishes the final leg into Pie Town.  

Pie Town to Grants – 108 Miles

May 12th – May 17th, Trail Days 22-27. Total Trip Miles – 465

The hike out of Pie Town is a very long road walk. Hikers have route options after reaching El Malpais… hike a roughly 55 mile semi-circle route around the lava fields or the Cibola alternate. I Chose the alternate, due to water shortages along the official El Malpais route, as most other hikers did this year. This allows one to hike the Narrows, a trail high up on a mesa overlooking El Malpais. I then hiked the northern section of El Malpais, exploring underground lava tubes and walked the rim of an old caldera volcano. This was the highlight of this section. It’s then a long road walk into Grants through Zuni Canyon.