How to Hike the Continental Divide Trail
The Continental Divide Trail lives up to its name by running from Mexico through the United States to Canada. This hiking trail provides an arduous journey professional hikers from around the world by covering more than 3,000 miles. You need to get into good physical shape and map out your path before you hike the Continental Divide Trail.
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Instructions
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Store a rain coat, winter hat and extra clothing in your backpack before you hike the Continental Divide Trail. The high altitudes encountered throughout the trail make rain and snow storms likely throughout the year.
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Inform your boss and close friends that you will be away for 6 months if you plan on hiking the entire trail. The Continental Divide Trail takes nearly half of a year to complete at a pace of 17 miles per day.
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Practice recognition and defense techniques in dealing with wild animals along the Continental Divide Trail. Grizzly bears, rattle snakes and wild turkeys provide a formidable obstacle for hikers in low-traffic portions of the Trail.
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Map out every parcel of private property along your portion of the Continental Divide Trail. You need to deal with home and ranch owners along a few parts of the trail in gaining permission to hike on their property. You can find this information online at the Continental Divide Trail Alliance.
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Acquire permits for hiking and biking through national parks along the Continental Divide Trail. An investment in passes for national parks from New Mexico to Montana will help you pass through the Divide without accruing fines.
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Celebrate the history of the Continental Divide Trail while taking a hike during TrailFest. This annual event is held each spring and mixes an outdoor party and an educational program about trail ethics. You can get a permit and more at the TrailFest Informational Guide.
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Seek out isolation from large hiking groups by taking the Continental Divide Trail to the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. This large wilderness preserve in northern Montana features several lookout spots with great views of pristine forests and rivers.
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Cross off trips to Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain National Parks on your list of things to do when you hike the Continental Divide Trail. The Trail has more than 100 miles of walkway through these parks with several spots carved out for gorgeous mountain views.
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Tips & Warnings
Fill your canteens and water packs before you hike on the Continental Divide Trail. The trail runs through long expanses of arid land, mountains and grasslands without access to fresh water. You should carry between 2 and 3 liters of water per day to account for fluids lost during the long hike.
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Comments
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I was planning to do it with no water and a ham sandwich. Coats too heavy to take too.
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Pull out my ultra-light shotgun and regulate! I just like that it tells someone who is thinking about hiking the freaking CDT to carry a coat. And carry water.
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Tomato, do you know the correct defensive techniques if you encounter a turkey?
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Actually I think this is a really well written guide to hiking the Continental Divide Trail if I were to hike the Continental Divide Trail I would read this guide several times to make sure I was doing the right things to hike the Continental Divide Trail.
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I believe this how-to guide was written by a monkey. A monkey who has never hiked.
