Month: November 2023

Gear: “biodegradable” wet wipes

There are three types of biodegradable wet wipes:

  • As defined by the marketing department. These degrade somewhere between 20 and a hundred years from when they are buried and are usually made of rayon.
  • “Flushable” wipes. A new category. Properly they should be 100% cellulose, short fibers and degrade within weeks. See above for long fiber part plastic labeled by marketing.
  • “Real” biodegradable wipes. Often found in hiker boxes. These start falling apart as soon as the seal is broken (which is why they are often dropped off in hiker boxes).

How can you tell which is which and not just a come on for affiliate marketing links or otherwise selling you a bill of goods?

There is a UK standard, “fine to flush” that is a good indicator. EDANA & INDA standards of compostability are also good indicators.

Note that all of these standards get abused by marketing departments. Also, what is appropriate for a cat hole (defined as biodegrading as fast or faster than toilet paper) is not always good to flush.

We still need a better standard out there.

CDT: Permits

Compared to the PCT there are a lot fewer permits you need to get and they are much easier to get. The only expensive/need to plan before you start permit, the New Mexico permit, you no longer need to get.

There is no master permit such as the one for the Pacific Crest Trail. A backpacker needs to have a permit for each of the National Parks and certain wilderness areas.

Permits are required for Glacier National Park,  the Blackfeet Nation land near East Glacier, Yellowstone National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park (if you choose that route), Indian Peaks Wilderness (if you choose the older CDTS route) and a self-signed permit for various wilderness areas.

It appears that the New Mexico permit is no longer required.

  • Glacier National Park:  permit as a walk-up or on the phone the day before 40-6-888-7801
  • Yellowstone National Park Backcountry Permit: obtain in person at the ranger station or visitor center by walk-up.
  • Blackfeet Nation on-line: https://blackfeet.nagfa.net/online/
  • But the big change, as of February 2023 “The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) New Mexico Office has acquired a right-of-way from the New Mexico State Land Office (NMSLO) to improve recreational access along the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDNST), the agencies announced today. The right-of-way will authorize and facilitate hiking through segments of state land located along the CDNST and will enable federal funds to be used for the administration, operation, and maintenance of the CDNST where it crosses state land. Today’s announcement follows years of collaboration between BLM New Mexico, the State Land Office, and nonprofit organization the Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC).”

That is really neat, all in all. Makes planning and hiking easier. Basically you get walk-up permits as needed, except for the Blackfeet Nation and that one you get online using your phone once you get about twenty-five hundred miles into your hike.

CDT: Alternative Routes: The Big Sky Alternative Route

The “big” alternative is the Big Sky/Super Butte Alternative. Big as in it saves a couple-three hundred miles and big as it is the biggest one. Taking the route is about three weeks rather than 5-6 weeks.

To quote about it.

Comment
by from discussion
inCDT

There are several different starting points for the Alternative route. This map of the Ocean Pass start is useful because it shows the highways and the cities. Most Big Sky Alternatives take off about 45 miles later at the top of the peak north of the [20] on the following map.


For comparison, this map shows shows all the cities:

Then this map shows the “best” route using a topo map.

This is a close up of where you start that route:

Then you head west. This is also a resupply. You hitch about six miles to Ennis for a resupply. Ennis also has a good restaraunt.

Continuing on:

Close up:

Then you turn north again.

Now headed further in on the green line..

Notice that the scale is down to a mile a virtual inch.

And into town:

That is the route. From here you can follow FarOut north and onward.

This is the complete route:

And one more overall map that focuses on the roads and doesn’t show the cut-off I expect to use. On the other hand, this approach goes through Big Sky rather than waiting until Ennis for resupply:

Links (note that a number or sources are no longer live links):

There is not a uniform or complete approach to this yet. I’ve talked with FarOut and they’ve debated adding it, but have not done so up to now.

While I’m hopeful they will, I’m not counting on it.

Resupply advice from the CDT Survey

Average CDT Resupply Plan

Based on survey responses we can piece together what an “average” Continental Divide Trail hiker’s resupply looked like for a 2022 thru-hike. Below is a list of all the CDT resupply stops where hikers stopped this year accompanied by the percentage of hikers who stopped at each location.

Resupply stops are listed in geographical order from Mexico to Canada (that’s south to north in case you’re unsure) and, again, I use the following colors to indicate each resupply stop’s popularity: over 75%, 50-75%, 25-50%, under 25%.

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%

*Stops where this year’s class suggests sending resupply boxes
⛺ Stops that can be reached without hitchhiking or road walking 

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Based on this information, how would our average Continental Divide Trail thru-hiker resupply? It would resemble the following. Note: names in bold indicate locations where hikers suggest mailing a resupply box.

New Mexico

  • Mile 84: Lordsburg
  • Mile 158: Silver City
  • Mile 38 of Gila Alternate: Doc Campbell’s
  • Mile 415: Pie Town
  • Mile 525: Grants
  • Mile 629: Cuba
  • Mile 689: Chama via Cumbres Pass

Colorado

  • Mile 847: Pagosa Springs via Wolf Creek Pass
  • Mile 961: Lake City via Spring Creek Pass
  • Mile 1061: Salida via Monarch Pass
  • Mile 1144: Twin Lakes
  • Mile 1181: Leadville
  • Mile 1216: Breckenridge
  • Mile 1290: Winter Park
  • Mile 1343: Grand Lake
  • Mile 1436: Steamboat Springs via Rabbit Ears Pass

Wyoming

  • Mile 1520: Encampment via Battle Pass
  • Mile 1602: Rawlins
  • Mile 1722: Lander
  • Mile 1799: Pinedale
  • Mile 16.1 of Old CDT Alt: Dubois via Togwotee Pass
  • Mile 1988: Old Faithful Village in Yellowstone

Idaho/Montana

  • Mile 15 of Macks Inn Alternate: Island Park / Mack’s Inn
  • Mile 2134: Lima
  • Mile 2236: Leadore via Bannock Pass
  • Mile 2358: Darby via Chief Joseph Pass
  • Mile 27 of Anaconda Cutoff: Anaconda
  • Mile 2618: Helena
  • Mile 2686: Lincoln
  • Mile 2744: Augusta
  • Mile 2877: East Glacier Village

NOTE: This is for educational purposes only and is not necessarily a good (or even decent) resupply strategy. Please do not blindly follow this; instead, use it as a guide.

https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/continental-divide-trail/cdt-resupply-guide-2022/

Off topic. Pecan Cobbler

https://www.anallievent.com/dixies-pecan-pie-cobbler/

Ingredients

  • 1 box refrigerated pie crusts (Pillsbury 14.1 oz.)
  • 2 and 1/2 cups light corn syrup
  • 2 and 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 4 tsp. vanilla
  • 6 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups chopped pecans
  • cooking spray
  • 2 cups pecan halves

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 425º F. Lightly grease a 13″ x 9″ glass baking dish. Remove one pie crust from package and roll out to fit the baking dish. Trim edges.
  2. In a large bowl, combine corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs. Whisk until well combined. Stir in chopped pecans.
  3. Spoon half of filling into crust.
  4. Remove the second crust from the package, and roll out to fit baking dish. Place the crust on top of the filling. Lightly spray with cooking spray.
  5. Bake 14-16 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven.
  6. Reduce oven temp. to 350º and carefully spoon remaining pecan filling over crust. Arrange the pecan halves over the top and bake 30 minutes or until the center is set. Let cool for 15-20 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.