<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:16px"><div id="yiv0135115906" class="" style=""><div class="" style=""><div style="color:#000;background-color:#fff;font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">reconciled thoughts- </div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style=""><br style=""></div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">I would admit my statement was a bit bold in regards to taking it out as an option. Irrational to say the least.</div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">Options are key element of the whole cdt (corridor). And that's what makes this trail/passage unique onto
itself.</div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style=""><br class="" style=""></div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">Most will never "really" hike the whole proposed official anyways. With that said this leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Obviously there are highlights and sections that most will go for or wished they had.</div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style=""><br class="" style=""></div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">Personally I think, it was more about going against my gut and prior intentions. (Preference) </div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">Not hiking my own hike</div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style=""><br></div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">Buying into the hysteria
paradigm of running out of time. The math's not right, you won't be able to zero , you'll have to pull huge miles, the ID section is so far off course, beat the weather ect.........</div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">And this was moderately true, having taking a lot of the longer routes in the crux of a state, Colorado. And a handful zeroes.<br class="" style=""></div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">The same hysteria that's gathered around snow pack.</div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style=""><br class="" style=""></div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">The variant clung on to the hearts and minds of a lot of us out there. As a "viable short cut". Not necessarily rather it was interesting terrain. It was well spoken of though. The debate pursued.<br class="" style=""></div><div
id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style=""><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">I was sold on the chance to actually go through the heart of yellowstone. Being disappointed the cdt does not so much.</div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">So yes my friend, in that aspect was worth it. I'm sure rest was nice. Petrified forest, Spanish peaks, Tobacco Roots.</div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style=""><br></div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">I personally had never looked into the variant in all my pre hike planning. And then found myself setting out for it on a whim. Rearranging mail drops ect.. fusing with printing more maps. Needing "way more backcountry permits". Dealing with others who didn't give a crap about permits. Staging it right with the permits. Sitting in even more
tourist villages in yellowstone. Tourist telling they saw grizzly from there cars and here I sludge 200? mi through the back country with no sightings.<br></div></div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">Wasting multiple days doing this when I could have been well on my way otherwise. </div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style=""><br></div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">Bottom line is I regret getting off the trail early, much more than taking the variant itself. That was secondary and other dynamics played out as well in my result. My hiking partner and funding to name a few.</div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">I don't feel like a failure, rather incomplete.............</div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style=""><br></div><div
id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">Land is land and is all worth while</div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">Can we see possibly see it all</div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style=""><br></div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">Thanks for the post Brian</div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style=""><br class="" style=""></div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style="">vd</div><div id="yiv0135115906yui_3_16_0_1_1415832802412_3775" class="" style=""><br class="" style=""></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>