[cdt-l] starting the process

[chwillet at indiana.edu (Christopher Willett)]

Hi all, 

This is my first post to the list.  I hiked the PCT this summer and,
having been back for a few weeks now, am now feeling the bug to get 
out of town again.  Among several options is the CDT.  The CDT is
something I've wanted to do for a few years
and this upcoming summer may be my opportunity.  However, I can only
scrape together about 110 days over the summer to spend hiking.  I
finished the PCT in 105 days, but...A little birdie told
me that the CDT is generally a tougher trail to hike than the PCT, both 
in terms of route finding and route difficulty.  Average miles should be 
lower, and the total distance would probably be longer.  Although I 
averaged around 25 miles a day on the PCT, from Tahoe on (the last 
1500 miles), it was more like 30 a day.  I enjoyed just about everyday 
of hiking and never felt rushed or beaten down by the pace.  I just walked 
all day long.

In terms of trail difficulty (elevation gain/loss, route finding, etc),
how do the CDT and PCT compare?  I've thought about just hiking north 
to, say, Yellowstone. But, I'd really like to see Montana and Idaho.


Chris


----------------------
Christopher Willett
Department of Mathematics
Indiana University
831 East Third Street
Bloomington, IN. 47405-7106
(812)-855-1883
chwillet@indiana.edu
php.indiana.edu/~chwillet