Archive for the ‘Continental Divide Trail’ Category

Thru-hiking: What does it really take?

Friday, April 20th, 2012
Everyone has seen videos and photos of hikers trekking on one the three great long-distance trails: the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail or Continental Divide Trail. Most of those images highlight the incredible beauty of the trails. But what is it really like to thru-hike a long-distance trail? What does it really take?

Here's a video from Brett, Nate, and Tyler as they discuss their thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. Most importantly, these guys are mere mortals, not uber adventurers like Andrew Skurka, or even Bear Grylls. Prior to their hike, none had a great deal of experience with backpacking. So, from this perspective, they provide their thoughts on what it's really like to thru-hike a long distance trail. This video was produced for The Clymb a few weeks back:




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Posted in Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, appalachian trail | Comments Off

The Initiative: Trekking 12,500 Miles

Saturday, January 1st, 2011
While many people are nursing hangovers this morning, Samuel Gardner has slightly more ambitious plans for the first day of the new year.

Today, the 25-year-old from Michigan will launch a 12,500-mile journey across the great trails of the United States.

Self-dubbed the “All-In Trek,” Gardner plans to establish a new record of unassisted ultra-light long-distance backpacking. This first ever attempt involves solo hiking the four longest hiking trails in the United States, back-to-back continuously, without any time off. He hopes to complete this trek in just one year!

The four trails Gardner plans to tackle are the North Country Trail, Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Pacific Crest Trail.

The journey will begin on the North Country Trail, hiking west from New York to North Dakota along the northern US border. This will be the second time in the history of the NCT that it will be through hiked during the winter. Next he'll hike the Pacific Crest Trail, starting at the U.S./Mexico border in California, and hiking north to the Canadian border in Washington. Next up is the the Continental Divide Trail from the U.S./Canada border, and then south through the Rockies to New Mexico. The final leg will be the Appalachian Trail, hiking it from Maine to Georgia.

What’s Gardner’s reason for tackling this trek?

“I am doing this for me. I am doing this for the people who wish they could but physically cannot. I am doing this for the people who are alone and unsupported. I am doing this for those who dream. I am doing this for those who have forgotten their dreams. I am doing this for those who have sacrificed dreams to support others. I am doing this to share with the ones who cannot be there. I am doing this for the story. I am doing this for the adventure. I am doing this to show what is possible.”

Sam will be providing updates via his website. You can also track him using the Google map application he's set-up on his site.

Good luck!!


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Posted in All-In Trek, Continental Divide Trail, North Country Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Samuel Gardner, The Initiative, appalachian trail | Comments Off

Planning a Thru-Hike

Thursday, December 10th, 2009
Trailspace.com has a pretty good four-part series on their website about planning for a thru-hike. Written by Barbara Egbert, a thru-hike veteran herself, The Lure of a Long Trail: Planning a Thru-Hike offers basic information for would-be long distance thru-hikers to help them tackle the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail or the Continental Divide Trail. Obviously, much of the advice provided would also benefit backpackers attempting much shorter distances as well.

This is probably a good starting point for someone in the consideration phase of planning a thru-hike to see if they really want to get serious about it:

Part 1: In the first of four articles, Pacific Crest Trail veteran Barbara Egbert talks to other thru-hikers about gear decisions, training, and preparation.

Part 2: Sorting through a deluge of advice and wondering which to pay attention to? Successful backpackers can tell you what really matters, including reasons to thru-hike a long trail, what to eat, and finding water.

Part 3: Triple Crowners — hikers who have completed the AT, PCT, and CDT (that’s nearly 8,000 miles of trail) — offer advice to first-timers on how to stay safe and have fun.

Part 4: Two trail angels offer advice based on the hundreds of thru-hikers they've befriended and assisted along the Pacific Crest Trail.




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

Posted in Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Planning a Thru-Hike, The Lure of a Long Trail, appalachian trail, long distance hiking, thru-hikers | Comments Off