CDT: Initial Planning of Alternate Routes and Resupply

 Continental Divide Alternative Routes and resupply points.

New Mexico

Starting at: Crazy Creek (Standard, the CDTC now has an official shuttle, picks you up in Lordsburg)

            Or Columbus- Gila, New Mexico.  38 miles shorter.  Skips two trail towns.

Mile 25.3 Hachita  Good resupply.

Lordsburg at Mile 84

Silver City at Mile 157.7

            Walnut Creek Alternative Silver City 157.8 to 169.3  Very pretty but no shoulder.  Goldberg did it.  He reports it as Not Safe.  Take Main Trail instead.

Gila River Alt 169.1 to Mile 344.6  The Alternative is 106 miles long.  Alternative route is 75 miles shorter, has water. 

Mile 169.1/173.1 has two alternatives available:

  •             Gila (the standard).  15 miles a day in the canyon, with multiple water crossings daily. Plan on 6-7 days.
  •             Gila High Route (has only one water crossing).

Doc Campbells is the resupply.  Mile 39.6 on the Alt. Maybe send a box, maybe not.

Mile 194 – Doc Campbells

Mile 198.6 Lake Roberts General Store

Mile 259.7 Winston

Mile 343.9 Gila River Alt North rejoins trail

Mile 366.3 Reserve  Great little town, solid resupply.  You go from Doc Campbells to Reserve for supply. About 94 miles.  Hitch where the trail crosses Highway 12.  No cell reception. At mile 367. 

Right at 12Hitch to Reserve for resupply.  Alternative to Pie Town starts about there.  It is about a little more than 22 miles after Gila rejoins the red line trail.

Mile 368.7 Pie Town Dirt Road Walk. To Mile 415.2 Pie Town.  Reserve to Pie Town is the resupply gap. Mail Box to Pie Town

Mile 401.6 Quemodo

Mile 411.2 Top of the World Store

Mile 414.2 Pie Town

Mile 443 Junction with Cebolla Alternative some dirt road, beautiful hiking.  To Highway 117 at Mile 503.2 Note 14 to 25 is highway rather than dirt.  But main train also is on 117 for 15 miles. Also has a ranger station and a museum.  Can go up the escarpment on trail and avoid road unless a lightning storm (Goldberg hit lightning and stayed on the road).

Mile 524.7 Grants Resupply

Mile 628.9 Cuba – has a great store

Mile 688.4 Ghost Ranch

Mile 688.4 Albiquiu and Sante Fe

Mile 776.4 Chama

Mile 685.9 to 701.8 Ghost Ranch Cut Off.  2.5 miles shorter.  More scenic.  On trail resupply.  Beautiful climb out of Ghost Ranch.  Mail Box to Ghost Ranch

Colorado

Mile 844.1 Pagosa Springs

Mile 920 Silverton

Mile 959 Lake City

Mile 858-973 Creede Cut Off.  Shorter.  Lower altitude.  Less snow.  Much less sketchy.

            Collegiate East – safter, less exposure, less snow.

Mile 1058.1 Monarch Crest Store/Monarch Mountain Lodge

Mile 1058.1 Salida

Mile 1098 Buena Vista

Mile 1139 Twin Lakes

Mile 1119 Breckenridge

Mile 1172.1 Leadville

Mile 1209 Breckenridge

Mile 1195.2 to 1272.1 Silverthorne Cutoff Route – Better resupply.  Better trail.  Less exposure.

Mile 1283 Winter Park

Mile 1283.8 Frazier

Mile 1337.6 Grand Lake

Mile 1435 Steamboat Springs

Wyoming

Mile 1516 Riverside Encampment

Mile 1571.6 to Rawlins: Rawlins Roadwalk (Wyoming).  Has water.  Long, boring, have to camp right off road.

Mile 1598.1 Rawlins

Mile 1711.2 Atlantic City

Mile 1716 South Pass City

Mile 1718 Lander

Mile 1760 Big Sandy Lodge

Mile 1795.1 or .5 Pinedale

Mile 1884.7 Bubois

Mile 1884 Togwotee Lodge

Mile 1960.1 Grant Village

Mile 1984.7 Old Faithful

Mile 2026 (Montana-Idaho border) Big Sky/Butte Super Cut off. Saves a couple hundred miles. To Butte at 2481.3/2518.2

https://caltopo.com/m/7QSQ

Mile 2036 West Yellowstone

Mile 2006 to 2076 Mack’s Inn Cutoff

Mile 2039 Mack’s Inn – for resupply.  Cuts short a meandering segment of the trail.

Mile 2130 Lima

Idaho

Mile 2232 Ledore

Mile 2354 Darby

Mile 2354.9 Salmon/North Fork

Montana

Mile 2354.9 Wisdom/Sula

Mile 2427.5 to 2565.2 Anaconda Cut-off  Anaconda is at the midpoint

Mile 2443.2 or 2451.7 Anaconda

Mile 2481.3 Butte –where the Super Butte/Big Sky ends.

Mile 2618 Helena/Elliston

Mile 2687.6 Lincoln

Mile 2744.9 Benchmark

Mile 2878 East Glacier

Mile 2888.4 Two Medicine Campground

Mile 2974 Many Glacier Campground

Mile 2809.5

            “The Bob” Spotted Bear Pass – avoids blow downs.  Saves 15 miles.  Uses the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

            Kitchen – avoids blow downs.  A few miles shorter.  Has a very tame creek it shares the path with, and has water.

2976 or 2979.2 – the Chief Martin Junction. 

            This is the route to the Chief Martin Alternative Terminus – easy access for shuttles and traffic. On a paved highway.

The other terminus is Waterton Lake.  Both are officially recognized. Cross over into Canada after Waterton Lake to Waterton Park in Canada.

From the CDT Survey:

New Mexico Alternates

  • Columbus Alternate: 1.7%
  • Gila River Alternate: 87.4%
  • Gila River High Route Alternate: 33.7%
  • Pie Town Alternate via Mangas Mountain: 56.6%
  • Cebolla Wilderness Alternate: 54.9%
  • Bonita-Zuni Alternate: 29.7%
  • Mount Taylor Alternate: 45.1%
  • Ghost Ranch Alternate: 53.1%

Colorado Alternates

  • Great Divide Alternate: 10.8%
  • Elwood Pass 7.3%
  • Creede Cutoff: 22.5%
  • Mirror Lake Alternate: 10.8%
  • Collegiate East: 16.8%
  • Twin Lakes Cutoff: 40.4%
  • Mount Elbert: 25.3%
  • Silverthorne Alternate: 24.1%
  • Montezuma Alternate: 7.2%
  • Argentine Spine: 23.5%
  • Rocky Mountain National Park Shortcut: 51.2%

Wyoming Alternates

  • Ley Alternate south of Rawlins: 27.8%
  • Wind River High Route: 12.1%
  • Cirque of the Towers: 85.6%
  • Knapsack Col: 46.2%
  • Leeds Creek: 9.8%
  • Old CDT (near Dubois): 1.7%
  • Gros Ventre: 2.3%
  • Teton Crest Trail: 6.9%

Idaho/Montana Alternates

  • Mack’s Inn Alternate: 48.1%
  • Super Butte Cutoff: 32.9%
  • Anaconda Cutoff: 65.7%
  • Butte Connector: 1.7%
  • Spotted Bear Pass: 63.5%
  • Ptarmigan Tunnel: 0.6%
  • Chief Mountain: 46.1%

Suggest Mailing Resupply

  • Pie Town (New Mexico) 83.7%
  • Doc Campbell’s (New Mexico) 41.0%
  • Ghost Ranch (New Mexico) 35.5%
  • Lima (Idaho) 35.5%
  • Leadore via Bannock Pass (Idaho) 31.9%
  • Encampment via Battle Pass (Wyoming) 30.1%
  • East Glacier Village (Montana) 29.5%
  • South Pass City (Wyoming) 13.3%

New Mexico Resupply

  • Hachita – 1.2%
  • ⛺ Lordsburg – 97.1%
  • Deming – 0.6%
  • ⛺ Silver City – 97.7%
  • ⛺ Doc Campbell’s – 90.2%*
  • Reserve – 14.9%
  • Davila Ranch – 1.2%
  • ⛺ Pie Town – 86.8%*
  • Quemado – 3.5%
  • ⛺ Grants – 90.8%
  • Albuquerque – 5.8%
  • Thoreau – 0.6%
  • Crownpoint – 0.6%
  • ⛺ Cuba – 78.7%
  • Española – 0.6%
  • Santa Fe – 10.3%
  • ⛺ Ghost Ranch – 33.3%*
  • Taos – 0.6%
  • Chama via Cumbres Pass – 78.2%

Colorado Resupply

  • Pagosa Springs via Wolf Creek Pass – 84.1%
  • South Fork via Wolf Creek Pass – 6.1%
  • Platoro – 4.9%
  • Del Norte – 3.7%
  • Creede – 21.5%
  • Silverton via Stony Pass – 26.4%
  • Durango – 3.9%
  • Lake City via Spring Creek Pass – 69.3%
  • Sargents – 0.6%
  • ⛺ Monarch Mountain Lodge – 13.5%
  • Monarch Spur RV Park – 1.2%
  • Salida via Monarch Pass – 85.9%
  • Gunnison – 1.2%
  • Buena Vista – 9.2%
  • ⛺ Twin Lakes – 68.7%
  • Leadville – 72.4%
  • ⛺ Copper Mountain – 6.8%
  • Breckenridge – 44.8%
  • Frisco – 16.6%
  • Silverthorne – 27.6%
  • Dillon – 13.5%
  • Winter Park – 45.4%
  • Fraser – 4.9%
  • Denver – 11.7%
  • ⛺ Grand Lake – 92.6%
  • Steamboat Springs via Rabbit Ears Pass – 95.7%

Wyoming Resupply

  • Encampment via Battle Pass – 59.3%*
  • Riverside via Battle Pass – 22.7%
  • ⛺ Rawlins – 98.3%
  • ⛺ Big Sandy Lodge – 5.3%
  • ⛺ South Pass City – 20.9%*
  • Atlantic City – 11.1%
  • Lander – 70.9%
  • Pinedale – 68.6%
  • Lava Mountain Lodge via Togwotee Pass – 7.0%
  • Dubois via Togwotee Pass – 71.5%
  • Jackson – 14.5%
  • Togwotee Mountain Lodge – 1.2%
  • ⛺ Brooks Lake Lodge – 4.7%
  • ⛺ Grant Village in Yellowstone – 36.6%
  • ⛺ Old Faithful Village in Yellowstone – 69.8%
  • Mammoth Village in Yellowstone – 1.6%

Idaho/Montana Resupply

  • West Yellowstone – 46.3%
  • ⛺ Island Park / Mack’s Inn – 48.3%
  • Big Sky – 5.4%
  • Ennis – 1.3%
  • Lima – 89.3%*
  • Leadore via Bannock Pass – 91.3%*
  • Salmon – 3.4%
  • Jackson – 4.0%
  • Darby via Chief Joseph Pass – 76.5%
  • Hamilton via Chief Joseph Pass – 2.0%
  • Camp Sula – 6.7%
  • Wisdom – 5.4%
  • Wise River – 1.1%
  • ⛺ Anaconda – 72.2%
  • Whitehall – 3.4%
  • Butte – 21.6%
  • Bozeman – 6.3%
  • Helena – 88.6%
  • Elliston – 2.3%
  • ⛺ High Divide Outfitters – 7.4%
  • ⛺ Lincoln – 32.4%
  • ⛺ Benchmark Wilderness Ranch – 10.2%
  • Augusta – 80.7%
  • ⛺ East Glacier Village – 94.3%*
  • Kalispell – 2%
  • ⛺ Two Medicine – 9.6%
  • Saint Mary – 2.3%
  • ⛺ Many Glacier – 23.3%

Gear: Tents—a survey of currently available lightweight tents for thru-hiking couples.

Just looking at tents again.

These are the leading contenders for lightweight tents for a thru-hiking couple:

  • Copper Spur….| 28 ^2 feet | 3lb 1 oz | $500*
  • Duplex…………..| 28 ^2 feet | 18.5 oz. | $669
  • X-Mid Pro 2 …| 30 ^2 feet | 19.6 oz. | $679*
  • Duo Off Set……| 31 ^2 feet | 19.7 oz | $769
  • Dipole li 2……..|32.25^2 feet|24.7 oz | $799
  • Triplex …………| 37.5 ^2 feet| 21.6 oz | $749*

For Triplex add weight of pole cups for .28 ounces for two. * for tents we own.

Out of range are the Double Rainbow Li (28.6 oz and 30.6 ^2 feet at $724. Optional double wall). HMG’s tents are either too small/heavy or have the support pole in the middle. Fine for two people but not for a couple.

Copper Spur included because five years ago it was the baseline highest rated tent in several surveys. Picture is of ours set up on a platform.

Tents announced but not yet out are the XMid Pro 2p+ (a larger Dyneema XMid) and the Offset Triplex.

Too fragile is the Dyneema Big Agnes Tiger Wall at $1,799.95 —a perfect storm of too small (27 ^2 feet), too fragile and too expensive and at 1.7 pounds it is also close to too heavy. https://www.backcountry.com/big-agnes-tiger-wall-2-carbon-tent-2-person-3-season

I’ll note I’ve seen couples quite happy on long trails with the Copper Spur 3p (the size larger than we own with 41 square feet vs 28 square feet of space for the 2p) MSR tents (3p at 39 ^2 feet) and a huge variety of other tents. Comparison of 3p tents.

From the link

Space is very personal as to how much people need. There are couples who thru-hike with a single shared 1 person tent. 🤷‍♂️

Most find the standard 2p sizes ok for a weekend or maybe a week but too small for longer until you get past the 26 to 28 square foot range towards 30 to 32 square feet.

Update.

Offset Trio just released.

https://zpacks.com/products/offset-trio-tent

41.9 ^2 feet. 22.9 ounces. $869.00.

Useful CDT links

These are useful links for the CDT. Information is much less plentiful and books are sparse except for the free one from the CDTC.

Gear: Rain jackets.

There is a lot (and so little) to say about rain jackets.

In warm to hot weather, anything will do. Sweat or rain are your choices. Many people learn to just hike without rain gear at all.

Colder weather? Hypothermia will get you.

My Arc’tryx handled heavy cold rain very well.

But. It is heavy. I still love it, I just don’t backpack with it anymore.

Instead I use lighter gear. Which lighter gear depends on the trail.

So much of life is a “it depends” situation. Rain gear isn’t any different from anything else.

Pacific Crest Trail: useful links

So. On review I’m probably not going to spend more than $12 on gear before we do the Sierra section.

Gear: dry sacks

I generally have one for my toilet kit and one for electronics and medicine.

Toilet kit (in Lightheart gear bag):

  • Trowel
  • Toilet paper (in a zip lock)
  • Hand sanitizer
  • A disposal bag (just in case for carry out areas).

Other (in DKM bag):

  • Battery (x1 or x2 10mAmp depending on the area hiked).
  • Wall charger with folding plug (30 watt for fast charging)
  • Two cables (usb c to usb c and usb c to lightning)
  • Meds — vitamin D, ibuprofen and altitude sickness meds.
  • Multivitamin.

Additional bag; I’ve started carrying one more for water:

  • BeFree Katadyn filter (backup)
  • Platypus 3 liter bags —very light.
  • Chemical water treatment goes in a hip belt pocket. Moved from drops to tabs again.

I had started with it for carrying my shoes when I wore my water sandals but it has shifted to carrying water gear as I’ve left the sandals home and just gotten my shoes wet.

Sandals worked well on the Pinhoti Trail but they take time and for really swift water the shoes are better. I carry some bags I can put on after I cross so my socks (taken off before crossing) stay dry. Shoes dry out as I hike in them.

Having a dry bag for water stuff has worked out well to keep everything else dry.

For my sleeping bag I’ve gone to a $2.50 Nylofume bag. The ZPacks Dyneema bag liner wicked the water from the bottom of my pack into my sleeping bag. A dramatic fail for something that expensive.

I had used a special waterproof compression sack before but I lost faith in it after a lot of use. I think my pack loads better with things just stuffed into the Nylofume. Win uses Nylofume too.

We have 250 miles of the Sierra section left. Who knows what next year will bring. But I’d like to get that done and finish the PCT.