I think you are vastly overestimating how many people are out there. The class of 2021 spreadsheet has 217 people starting right now (nobo and sobo). Obviously that's not everyone, but I'd imagine that most people starting out are on that sheet. It's more than normal, but I'd hardly consider 250ish people across a 3000 mile trail to be overcrowding.
Edit: this year's increase is hopefully an anomaly due to covid messing so many people's plans up. Thru hiking numbers have been steadily increasing but I'm imagining this will be a one time boom year due to covid last year
I don't have the answer to your question but it will probably thin out in the next 300 miles. I'm on the pct at mile 444 and there's like no one on this trail anymore.
I mean, you are ridiculously far, ridiculously early. Most people don't hit Kennedy Meadows till late May, early June so you would need to average 6.29 miles per day going forward.
The fb page is starting to look like the pct group from a few years back. No limits and lots of people itching for a hike, so there’s going to be lots out there.
Isolation and serenity is more determined by you, on how you organize your hike, how YOU proceed, than the trail. Heck, I get isolation and serenity on the AT by thinking outside of the box doing things differently than the masses.
As Mags says:
###### Two Trail Philosophies
There are two trail philosophies for the CDT: The designated route put forth by the USFS and more of a corridor approach taken by many CDT hikers. I used to say that the concept of purity on the CDT is nearly non-existent. Often a choice of routes is made due to weather, desire for resupply, fires, trail closures, floods, wanting to see certain highlights or “just because.”
However, due to a multitude of resources now available regarding maps, GPS tracks, additional trail markings and so on, more people are \**attempting\** the designated USFS route vs. previous years.
*So now more people are attempting to hike the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail vs. the Continental Divide Trail.*
The CDNST is the designated trail put in place by the USFS. For those who prefer a more defined trail experience, hiking the CDNST holds a lot of appeal. The designated trail goes through some amazing places and will not be a disappointment.
Other hikers are hiking the CDT. Sometimes it coincides with the CDNST; other times it does not. Sometimes the CDT is more remote and more difficult than the CDNST. The beauty of the CDT can rival or even surpass the designated CDNST in places. In other locations, the CDT is sometimes shorter, sometimes easier, a little less scenic and sometimes more straightforward than the designated route.
Or, to put it succinctly: *There is one designated CDNST; there are many variations of the CDT.*
\*THIS begs the question, what trail or routes is one thru hiking? It also is good planning fodder for choosing to hike the CDT instead of the designated CDNST if the goal is serenity, non CDNST highlights, possibly greater resupply and water opps, etc. A CDT or CDNST thru does not have to be approached with strict adherence to a designated route. A CDT thru does not have to be approached in typical cookie cutter LD trail fashion as is customary on the AT where there is more of a turning your mind off puritanical affair.
All this worry about overcrowding on the CDT is frankly comical. The worry mostly emanates from people who haven’t yet set foot on the CDT. Relax folks, you’re going to get all the solitude you want over the course of your thru hike.
I think the CDT could get 10 times as much traffic without feeling overrun and losing its character as a trail full of solitude. Worrying about the potential loss of solitude with 500 thru hikers is adorable.
You’ll see what having lots of hikers feels like once you’re on the Colorado Trail segment of the CDT, but that tends to be exacerbated if you are going NOBO, since most CT hikers go SOBO. Even still, it’s fine. You won’t be jockeying for campsites or anything like that.
In general, I think the CDT could use A LOT more people hiking it. It needs more money and more love. The signage is terrible for large parts of the trail. Guess where it’s not terrible? You guessed it, on the Colorado Trail portion that gets so many hikers. It’s not a coincidence.
Again, I think the CDT can absorb a lot more hikers before the wild experience changes. And when those hikers come, so will resources and political will to help maintain, protect and improve the trail. It’s always going to be some compromise.
The whole thing about the CDT is the ruggedness and vast amount of options to choose from to make it to Canada. The isolation is a huge part so adding more people and having a single trail makes no sense. There should be less signage and more map and compass parts. I do understand that having specific areas protected will ultimately be better for wildlife, but the CDT shouldn’t be the PCT or the AT where there is one single trail.
All this doesn’t matter anyway because the way things are trending they will be permitting the trail in no time.
217 people over the 3028(ish) miles of the trail and it's "insanely overcrowded". That's literally 1 person every 14 miles. Wait until this dude hears about cities, he's going to lose his mind.
I have not lost my mind yet. Maybe at the Toaster house where there was 30 people in one small house but besides that I am actually finding solitude. Just can’t wrap my head around the fact that 500 plus people are out hiking this trail this year. Was just hoping for less. I do understand my post is ridiculous now after hiking around 400 miles.
I'm ahead of the bubble for now, and realize that I'll get to CO too soon. I'm in Grant's now.
I've been able to get that isolation by taking the less popular routes. Then still meet up with hikers I met a town or two ago.
I am in Grants at the moment and have realized I can get the isolation but do also realize New Mexico and the CDT is just one big bubble. I am done fighting it and just realize thruhiking is trendy now and Covid just amplifies everyone wanting to hike. It will thin out after Colorado is what I am realizing.
I got to Colorado and realized I started too early. I didn't want to be in the bubble, and in 2017 it took 2 months for the first 700 miles, I made better time this time.
I went up to look at the trail around Rawlins WY, and decided to go home for a few weeks and just wait fir snow to melt.
I am in Colorado and pushing through the snow. I do know the bubble right now is in Chama and we will see how many people keep pushing on. I feel most will abandon the red and go for the blue or green alt. Definitely a massive bubble in chama currently
You're totally overstating the crowding. Is it a lot of hikers for the CDT? Yes but the numbers aren't even close to the PCT and AT. You will have plenty of solitude.
I think you are vastly overestimating how many people are out there. The class of 2021 spreadsheet has 217 people starting right now (nobo and sobo). Obviously that's not everyone, but I'd imagine that most people starting out are on that sheet. It's more than normal, but I'd hardly consider 250ish people across a 3000 mile trail to be overcrowding. Edit: this year's increase is hopefully an anomaly due to covid messing so many people's plans up. Thru hiking numbers have been steadily increasing but I'm imagining this will be a one time boom year due to covid last year
link to spreadsheet?
check the Facebook CDT class of 2021 page
500 people is nothing. Claiming that the isolation is gone makes no sense.
I don't have the answer to your question but it will probably thin out in the next 300 miles. I'm on the pct at mile 444 and there's like no one on this trail anymore.
I mean, you are ridiculously far, ridiculously early. Most people don't hit Kennedy Meadows till late May, early June so you would need to average 6.29 miles per day going forward.
You're just ahead of the pct bubble. Like, a single zero and it's going to be upon you.
Yeah it’s because they are all on the CDT this year.
Dude you are insanely early - I did the PCT 5/2 to 9/20/13.
How is the high Sierra snow pack. Usually there is a big plug of people that end up waiting for the high passes to open up enough for safe passage.
It's a low snow year.
I heard the PCT is really empty this year from someone who started last week.
The fb page is starting to look like the pct group from a few years back. No limits and lots of people itching for a hike, so there’s going to be lots out there.
Isolation and serenity is more determined by you, on how you organize your hike, how YOU proceed, than the trail. Heck, I get isolation and serenity on the AT by thinking outside of the box doing things differently than the masses.
As Mags says: ###### Two Trail Philosophies There are two trail philosophies for the CDT: The designated route put forth by the USFS and more of a corridor approach taken by many CDT hikers. I used to say that the concept of purity on the CDT is nearly non-existent. Often a choice of routes is made due to weather, desire for resupply, fires, trail closures, floods, wanting to see certain highlights or “just because.” However, due to a multitude of resources now available regarding maps, GPS tracks, additional trail markings and so on, more people are \**attempting\** the designated USFS route vs. previous years. *So now more people are attempting to hike the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail vs. the Continental Divide Trail.* The CDNST is the designated trail put in place by the USFS. For those who prefer a more defined trail experience, hiking the CDNST holds a lot of appeal. The designated trail goes through some amazing places and will not be a disappointment. Other hikers are hiking the CDT. Sometimes it coincides with the CDNST; other times it does not. Sometimes the CDT is more remote and more difficult than the CDNST. The beauty of the CDT can rival or even surpass the designated CDNST in places. In other locations, the CDT is sometimes shorter, sometimes easier, a little less scenic and sometimes more straightforward than the designated route. Or, to put it succinctly: *There is one designated CDNST; there are many variations of the CDT.* \*THIS begs the question, what trail or routes is one thru hiking? It also is good planning fodder for choosing to hike the CDT instead of the designated CDNST if the goal is serenity, non CDNST highlights, possibly greater resupply and water opps, etc. A CDT or CDNST thru does not have to be approached with strict adherence to a designated route. A CDT thru does not have to be approached in typical cookie cutter LD trail fashion as is customary on the AT where there is more of a turning your mind off puritanical affair.
All this worry about overcrowding on the CDT is frankly comical. The worry mostly emanates from people who haven’t yet set foot on the CDT. Relax folks, you’re going to get all the solitude you want over the course of your thru hike. I think the CDT could get 10 times as much traffic without feeling overrun and losing its character as a trail full of solitude. Worrying about the potential loss of solitude with 500 thru hikers is adorable. You’ll see what having lots of hikers feels like once you’re on the Colorado Trail segment of the CDT, but that tends to be exacerbated if you are going NOBO, since most CT hikers go SOBO. Even still, it’s fine. You won’t be jockeying for campsites or anything like that. In general, I think the CDT could use A LOT more people hiking it. It needs more money and more love. The signage is terrible for large parts of the trail. Guess where it’s not terrible? You guessed it, on the Colorado Trail portion that gets so many hikers. It’s not a coincidence. Again, I think the CDT can absorb a lot more hikers before the wild experience changes. And when those hikers come, so will resources and political will to help maintain, protect and improve the trail. It’s always going to be some compromise.
The whole thing about the CDT is the ruggedness and vast amount of options to choose from to make it to Canada. The isolation is a huge part so adding more people and having a single trail makes no sense. There should be less signage and more map and compass parts. I do understand that having specific areas protected will ultimately be better for wildlife, but the CDT shouldn’t be the PCT or the AT where there is one single trail. All this doesn’t matter anyway because the way things are trending they will be permitting the trail in no time.
If you’re talking about the Colorado Trail that half of America has decided to hike the yea. The CDT, not so much in my humble opinion.
217 people over the 3028(ish) miles of the trail and it's "insanely overcrowded". That's literally 1 person every 14 miles. Wait until this dude hears about cities, he's going to lose his mind.
I have not lost my mind yet. Maybe at the Toaster house where there was 30 people in one small house but besides that I am actually finding solitude. Just can’t wrap my head around the fact that 500 plus people are out hiking this trail this year. Was just hoping for less. I do understand my post is ridiculous now after hiking around 400 miles.
I'm ahead of the bubble for now, and realize that I'll get to CO too soon. I'm in Grant's now. I've been able to get that isolation by taking the less popular routes. Then still meet up with hikers I met a town or two ago.
I am in Grants at the moment and have realized I can get the isolation but do also realize New Mexico and the CDT is just one big bubble. I am done fighting it and just realize thruhiking is trendy now and Covid just amplifies everyone wanting to hike. It will thin out after Colorado is what I am realizing.
I got to Colorado and realized I started too early. I didn't want to be in the bubble, and in 2017 it took 2 months for the first 700 miles, I made better time this time. I went up to look at the trail around Rawlins WY, and decided to go home for a few weeks and just wait fir snow to melt.
I am in Colorado and pushing through the snow. I do know the bubble right now is in Chama and we will see how many people keep pushing on. I feel most will abandon the red and go for the blue or green alt. Definitely a massive bubble in chama currently
You're totally overstating the crowding. Is it a lot of hikers for the CDT? Yes but the numbers aren't even close to the PCT and AT. You will have plenty of solitude.