Other Travelers
While in CO we met two mountain bikers riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, a fellow CDNST hiker and trail angels! Pictures below.
Other Hikers
We have met over 50 through-hikers that are attempting to hike the trail from the south. Hikers from the north usually start around June 15.
This is reportedly a banner year for hikers on the trail. One possible explanation for the increase in hikers is because Jerry Brown of Bear Creek Survery Service has posted waypoints for the entire trail on his website (in addition to selling maps). Since the CDNST is a cobble of visible dirt roads, barely visible dirt roads, trails, cross-country travel and paved roads - the waypoints can be extremely helpful in finding your way. To add to the navigational challenges, many times there are optional routes.
In addition to Jerry Brown's waypoints/maps, Jonathan Ley also provides maps and extremely helpful notes about water sources, squirrely dirt road intersections, optional routes, etc. In the past, Jonathan Ley's maps were the only ones available for the trail.
This is reportedly a banner year for hikers on the trail. One possible explanation for the increase in hikers is because Jerry Brown of Bear Creek Survery Service has posted waypoints for the entire trail on his website (in addition to selling maps). Since the CDNST is a cobble of visible dirt roads, barely visible dirt roads, trails, cross-country travel and paved roads - the waypoints can be extremely helpful in finding your way. To add to the navigational challenges, many times there are optional routes.
In addition to Jerry Brown's waypoints/maps, Jonathan Ley also provides maps and extremely helpful notes about water sources, squirrely dirt road intersections, optional routes, etc. In the past, Jonathan Ley's maps were the only ones available for the trail.
Nathan Doneen riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) about 25 miles from Chama, NM. The 2,745 mile route starts in Banff, Alberta, Canada and ends in Antelope Wells, New Mexico.
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We saw John Fodor on another day. John is from Boulder, CO and he was also riding the GDMBR.
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Trail angels, Steve and Judy Johnson. They were out exploring the area around Silverton, CO and kindly gave us a ride on a rough 4WD road back to our cars. The have enjoyed many adventures over the years, including backpacking the Wonderland Trail that encircles Mt. Rainier.
CDNST hiker we met not far from Elwood Pass, CO - his trail name is Maverick
Other CDNST hikers, Jim and Fred, that we met as walked from MT/ID into the west side of YNP. They are backpacking a 269 mile segment of the trail this summer.
We met Charlie, Chris and Greta on 6/14 just north of Rawlins, WY. The first southbound hikers we have met! They started at South Pass City, WY and plan to catch the northern part of the trail later in the season.
Beacon and Mike determining route in NM
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Father/daughter team, Balls & Sunshine. Sunshine just turned 13 and she and her Dad have already hiked the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail!
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Talking with Max Chill
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Rambler and Mike
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Shay. The wooden item on the left of his pack is a paddle, because you do NOT want to be up a creek without a paddle! Shay is also taking time-lapsed photograghs of the entire trail that he plans to make into a film.
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Bob using a nifty contraption to have a hands-free umbrella
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Skeeter, Steady, Beacon and Mike uncovering water source at Ojo Frio Spring in NM
A table of hikers enjoying all-you-can-eat cafeteria at Ghost Ranch in NM. Trail names of some of the hikers sitting with Mike are Drop and Roll, Wired, Puck, Ninja, Lovenote and Sweetfish.
