Continental Divide #OBCDT23

[Kent R]

Continental Divide 2023
21 days on the CDT, eight rigs started and five rigs finished.
We had the best weather you could imagine, no rain or mud and that just made for some really great adventure. Two years ago it rained just about every day on us.
We started at the US/Mexico border and ended at the US/Canada Border and traveled 2600 miles+-. The ending was a little disappointing due to road construction that closed the road five miles from the border just north of Polebridge MT. We had to travel over a mountain range to the west to get right up to the border at Roosville MT. If you do the CDT make sure you try and get to the border above Polebridge, that way you are very close to the actual divide.

Some highlights
Saw some animals:
Black Bears, Grizzly Bear, Badger, Coyote’s, Elk, Deer, Antilope, Bison, lots of eagles and hawks, one member of the group saw some Moose.
Went over four major passes in CO:
Stony, Hurricane, California, & Engineer. CO is a destination by itself, the high mountain passes are unbelievable and deserve way more time than we had. If you need any info about CO, our Local Expert Neal A. Tew is the best resource we have for CO.
Wildfires:
Almost had to turn around due to the 26K acre Divide Fire in NM, but we were able to talk our way through by chatting up one of the HotShot crews that were lighting backfires. They radioed ahead that we were coming through and for the next 15 min we got a front row seat to active firing operations (brought back some memories from my previous career). A second wildfire on the track caused us to detour around and miss one of the great campsites north of Seeley Lake MT.
Perseid Meteor shower:
Got to watch a great show, no cloud cover and absolutely no light pollution.

There will be a youtube video produced by @socialpants, this should come out in about six months
I will be updating the GPX file from two years ago and it will be available to email by the end of next month. Email me if you are interested in the new file Kent@OverlandBound.com
I will also put the new track on the Overland Bound app.
#OBCDT23 for more pictures

 

[Kent R]

YouTube movie premier this Sunday

 

[Carl_5581fb]

Great video! Is there somewhere that I can download the gpx file?

 

[Kent R]

Great video! Is there somewhere that I can download the gpx file?

message me your email address and I will send it to you. Its to large to send here @Kent R

 

[Travelinjohnnie]

We just finished the WY and MT sections and again I have to send a huge THANK YOU to you and your crew Kent ! We took three years to complete the whole trail and loved every section... We did NM then CO and finished with WY/MT. We spent more time in CO than you guys did the first trip completing the Alpine Loop and spent a day in Aspen as well as a few days in the Tetons and Yellowstone. Primarily we camped at your locations but found on a few sections we were just slower so we improvised with many of your other marked sites. Although the road showed closed at the very end, we were able to sweet talk the crew into letting us go through to the Canadian border crossing and complete the trail as laid out.
For anyone wondering about this trip --- I say GO------ you can do it all or just sections and you won't be disappointed. We were blessed with great weather, beautiful Aspen trees in full yellow glory. Plenty of wildlife sightings to keep us excited not counting the COWS !!!!! Got to experience the wonderful MUD of New Mexico , the high alpine passed of CO and the wonderful BIG SKYS of WY and Montana. Thanks again Kent for sharing this wonderful route.

 

[Travelinjohnnie]

The Tetons did not disappoint

 

[Ron R.]

We just finished the WY and MT sections and again I have to send a huge THANK YOU to you and your crew Kent ! We took three years to complete the whole trail and loved every section... We did NM then CO and finished with WY/MT. We spent more time in CO than you guys did the first trip completing the Alpine Loop and spent a day in Aspen as well as a few days in the Tetons and Yellowstone. Primarily we camped at your locations but found on a few sections we were just slower so we improvised with many of your other marked sites. Although the road showed closed at the very end, we were able to sweet talk the crew into letting us go through to the Canadian border crossing and complete the trail as laid out.
For anyone wondering about this trip --- I say GO------ you can do it all or just sections and you won't be disappointed. We were blessed with great weather, beautiful Aspen trees in full yellow glory. Plenty of wildlife sightings to keep us excited not counting the COWS !!!!! Got to experience the wonderful MUD of New Mexico , the high alpine passed of CO and the wonderful BIG SKYS of WY and Montana. Thanks again Kent for sharing this wonderful route.

** Would you mind ... what time of the year did you do your (3) adventures on the CDT? What time of the year would you recommend starting the CDT to complete in single trip?

 

[Kent R]

From the OB trips;
We started at the end of July both times, that way you statistcly miss the rain in the South and Snow in Colorado. Its all a guessing game in 21 we had rain 11 days on and off and in 23 no rain at all.

First trip was 17 days second 21 days.

 

[Travelinjohnnie]

** Would you mind ... what time of the year did you do your (3) adventures on the CDT? What time of the year would you recommend starting the CDT to complete in single trip?
[/QUOTE

** Would you mind ... what time of the year did you do your (3) adventures on the CDT? What time of the year would you recommend starting the CDT to complete in single trip?

Each of our trips were in mid September and we had 2 days of rain in New Mexico so we got to experience the FUN of that mud....But CO and then recently WY and MT we had no rain / snow at all. We did deal with colder temps ( 30's at night ) and shorter days so we weren't able to make as many miles daily but we stopped and saw more sights along the way.
Overall, if I were to take the CDT on in one trip, I would go earlier to allow for longer days and warmer temps.

 

[highboy4x4]

This is a bucket list trip for sure.

 

[Kent R]

June 15, 2025
Fire just north of Silver City near the CDT.
Download the app Watch Duty to get up to date fire information.

Watch Duty - Wildfire Maps & Alerts
Real-time information about wildfire and firefighting efforts nearby

app.watchduty.org
Trout Fire is a type of Incident | InciWeb
The is located in the state of . It is part of incident unit(s): Gila National Forest 3005 E. Camino del Bosque Silver City, New Mexico 88061 Agency Name: U.S. Forest Service Agency Abbreviation FS . The latitude and longitude is:32.4658°,108.5813°

inciweb.wildfire.gov

 

[Kent R]

Continental Divide Southern Terminus Permit Requirement

In order to get to the Crazy Cook monument at the southern terminus of the CDT, you now need to get a permit from US Army.
This is not something to mess with, please check out the attached web site to see if you want to through the huge hassle this seems to be.

New Mexico National Defense Area

This page provides basic access rules and information for the New Mexico National Defense Area.

home.army.mil

 

[OTH Overland]

Continental Divide Southern Terminus Permit Requirement

In order to get to the Crazy Cook monument at the southern terminus of the CDT, you now need to get a permit from US Army.
This is not something to mess with, please check out the attached web site to see if you want to through the huge hassle this seems to be.

New Mexico National Defense Area

This page provides basic access rules and information for the New Mexico National Defense Area.

home.army.mil

Thank you Kent, This is good information, Michelle and I were just talking about doing the full trip possibly next summer (depending on health and if we end up going to Alaska or not). Seems like a lot of hoops for a couple of miles ,but if you are a type A person like me you need to do the whole thing lol

 

[socialpants]

For anyone thinking about this trip, let me hit you with a few thoughts.

First off, if you’ve got the time, the money, and just enough insanity to make it work, do it. At least once. It’s the kind of thing that sticks in your bones, the kind of adventure you can’t shake off. That said, our version was a walk in the park compared to the horror show it could have been. We got the “light” edition. But still, 25 days of madness, give or take, if my brain hasn’t completely erased the details. That’s not counting travel time to the start and finish. I started in Phoenix, cruised four hours to the Mexico border, and boom. I was already knee-deep in this thing. After the 25 day adventure, I spent three days on the freeway, zoning out in “lawless freeway mode,” blasting through states like a maniac. And then I took a three-day pit stop in Park City with a lady friend, which was mostly sleeping between whiskey drinks.

Highlights? Colorado and Montana were the big winners. One was exactly what I expected, and the other was better than I’d ever imagined. Yellowstone? Meh. Just a checkbox on the "places to see checklist." But the Tetons? Jesus Christ. That place was otherworldly. As for New Mexico? Felt like I spent 90% of the trip just driving through that barren wasteland. Wyoming? Flat as hell. My brain turned to mush staring at the same damn horizon for hours.

Would I do it again? Maybe. The truth is, these long hauls burn memories into your soul, memories you’ll carry like a badge of honor. But the key thing? Who you’re with. You can be in the most breathtaking places, but if your crew’s a bunch of whiny assholes, it’s all for nothing. Choose wisely. Our group was awesome. And if you must do it in sections, by all means do it. But the whole damn trip from start to finish? That’s the real deal.

So, yeah. Get out there. Take this trip, or any other madness that calls to you. It’ll change you. Or maybe it’ll break you. Either way, it’s worth the ride.

 

[OkieDavid]

For anyone thinking about this trip, let me hit you with a few thoughts.

First off, if you’ve got the time, the money, and just enough insanity to make it work, do it. At least once. It’s the kind of thing that sticks in your bones, the kind of adventure you can’t shake off. That said, our version was a walk in the park compared to the horror show it could have been. We got the “light” edition. But still, 25 days of madness, give or take, if my brain hasn’t completely erased the details. That’s not counting travel time to the start and finish. I started in Phoenix, cruised four hours to the Mexico border, and boom. I was already knee-deep in this thing. After the 25 day adventure, I spent three days on the freeway, zoning out in “lawless freeway mode,” blasting through states like a maniac. And then I took a three-day pit stop in Park City with a lady friend, which was mostly sleeping between whiskey drinks.

Highlights? Colorado and Montana were the big winners. One was exactly what I expected, and the other was better than I’d ever imagined. Yellowstone? Meh. Just a checkbox on the "places to see checklist." But the Tetons? Jesus Christ. That place was otherworldly. As for New Mexico? Felt like I spent 90% of the trip just driving through that barren wasteland. Wyoming? Flat as hell. My brain turned to mush staring at the same damn horizon for hours.

Would I do it again? Maybe. The truth is, these long hauls burn memories into your soul, memories you’ll carry like a badge of honor. But the key thing? Who you’re with. You can be in the most breathtaking places, but if your crew’s a bunch of whiny assholes, it’s all for nothing. Choose wisely. Our group was awesome. And if you must do it in sections, by all means do it. But the whole damn trip from start to finish? That’s the real deal.

So, yeah. Get out there. Take this trip, or any other madness that calls to you. It’ll change you. Or maybe it’ll break you. Either way, it’s worth the ride.

As someone who has spent a lot of time in Colorado, and Montana I'll agree those are great states to visit, but I'm a little miffed that you that didn't like New Mexico. To me, it's truly the "Land of Enchantment" and the state, besides my own, that I spend the most time in. To each their own I guess P.S. the Grand Tetons are in "flat as hell" Wyoming.

 

[OkieDavid]

By the way, there's a group of us doing the NM section in May. Still room for a few more. I plan to wander a bit afterwards and end up spending Friday at Expo West before heading home Saturday. US Southwest - CDT NM | OVERLAND BOUND COMMUNITY

 

[socialpants]

As someone who has spent a lot of time in Colorado, and Montana I'll agree those are great states to visit, but I'm a little miffed that you that didn't like New Mexico. To me, it's truly the "Land of Enchantment" and the state, besides my own, that I spend the most time in. To each their own I guess P.S. the Grand Tetons are in "flat as hell" Wyoming.

@OkieDavid do not be miffed, my friend. There is no crime scene here. I liked the whole damn thing. Every bit of it. This was never about rejection or sour grapes, just the brutal math of preference. Something has to sit at the top and something has to sit just below it. I'll admit perhaps "barren wasteland" was a little much even for dramatic flare.

I have logged serious time in New Mexico, the kind that seeps into your bones. I nearly pitched my tent in Albuquerque for good before fate kicked the door open and dumped me in Phoenix instead. No regrets, just geography and timing doing their usual dirty work.

And yes, you are right about the Tetons. On the map they squat up there in the top left corner like they own the place. Fair enough. But do not confuse my list of favorites with some petty dismissal of everything else. That is a misunderstanding of intent. Liking one thing more does not mean I hated the rest.

 

[Kent R]

Someone asked if I would do the CDT again, and the answer is defiantly yes.
Each time we see something different, the weather is always different and the trail changes year to year.
The great movie that @socialpants did was a great overview of what you can see but by far not everything you can see.

The only problem with going again is getting the time to fit another one.
#OBCDT23