[cdt-l] New Thru-hiker Questions (roadwalking, maps, GPS, ice axes)

[Ginny & Jim Owen]

There are only a few places where you HAVE to walk the paved roads. Only a 
few are really bad.  If you are following the official route in Southern NM, 
there is about 15 miles south of Silver City that is paved highway and about 
five miles to the north.  The roads have a wide shoulder.  (Heading south, 
you will need to carry enough water to get from town to Mud Spring - but it 
is easy walking - first paved road then quiet gravel road.)  Jim Wolf's 
route has a few miles near Deming and the three miles between Columbus and 
the border.  Near Grants and Cuba you have some more paved road walking, but 
that wasn't that bad or that long.  A lot of hikers get into race for the 
border mode and walk the highway to end their hikes.  It isn't necessary and 
the non-paved routes are much better.

In Colorado there is a long stretch of pavement (10 miles or so) south of 
Steamboat Springs.  Again, it has a wide shoulder, so wasn't bad.  I think 
that was the only paved road walking in Colorado.

There is a paved roadwalk for several miles either side of Rawlins, Wyoming. 
The 15 miles north of town is a really bad stretch since it is a very busy 
highway with a lot of semis.  The 15 miles south wasn't so bad.

Part of Glacier may still be closed when you get there.  There was a bad 
fire this summer that destroyed two camp areas and a lot of trail.  We had 
to walk about 10 miles on pavement from Sun Point (near Reynolds Creek) 
through the Park  to St. Mary's (motels, grocery, restaurants) and then 14 
miles south on a busy highway with no shoulder to the Cut Bank road.  Many 
hikers just walked the hgihway all the way to East Glacier - about 40 miles. 
   I really recommend not doing that.  The 14 miles was bad enough.  And Cut 
Bank was a nice route and allows you to hike over Pitamakan and Scenic 
Point.

Yes, definitely bring your ice axe if you are starting in June.  In 1999 we 
carried our axe until early July and needed it.  Unlike the PCT, you are 
unlikely to find a well trodden trail to follow through Glacier and the Bob 
Marshall.  Many PCT hikers don't use their ice axes because they have a 
trench to follow.  You won't.  You'll be walking on solid snow.  Not all the 
time, but often enough.  Pay attention though - if it is a really warm 
spring in Glacier, you may not need it.

Jonathan's maps are great but we also carried the National Forest maps, BLM 
1:100,000 maps in NM and Wyoming, the Ntl. Geographic/Trails Illustrated 
maps in Colorado and the Earthwalk Press maps in the Wind River range.  It 
made for a heavy load sometimes.  The problem is Jonathan's maps don't show 
side roads and trails very well.  If you get off track (and you will) it is 
very nice to know which road/trail you are on and how it connects to the one 
you are looking for.  If you want or need to follow an alternate route (i.e. 
bail out because of weather or injury) they are a necessity.

Don't know about the antenna since we don't use a GPS.

Ginny


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>From: Karen Somers <kborski at yahoo.com>
>Reply-To: cdt-l at backcountry.net
>To: cdt-l at backcountry.net
>Subject: [cdt-l] New Thru-hiker Questions (roadwalking, maps, GPS, ice 
>axes)
>Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2006 13:21:49 -0800 (PST)
>
>I’m going to scratch an itch and ask some CDT
>questions:
>
>--  After studying maps, journals and guidebooks, it
>seems that the CDT is still a lot of road walking.
>How much blacktop roadwalking can a thru-hiker expect
>(an approximate percentage per state?)?  I’m not
>bothered as much by dirt roads, but the prospect of a
>large and numerous blacktop walks is a worry.
>
>--  What maps and guidebooks are thru-hikers carrying
>now (in the last one or two years)?  I want to be sure
>I’m planning on carrying as much as I need, but no
>more.  (I want to have all route options with me at
>all times.)
>
>--  Considering buying an extended antenna for my
>Garmin 60c GPS….necessary?
>
>--  As a southbounder, I’m planning to start with my
>ice axe in late June…..good idea or excess?
>
>Simple and quick answers would suit me fine.
>
>Thanks in advance,
>Nocona
>
>
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