Date: 11/7/20
Miles: 12.0
Total Miles: 2457.3
One final night came and went, and the stars that had thrust aside the evening clouds dissolved into the gray light of morning. I rolled over and lit the stove for coffee before closing my eyes for a few more minutes thinking how, in spite of this being our last day on trail, it felt no different than any of the others.
Packing up and setting out felt like pure muscle memory, the things you just do every day of your life without really taking notice of any of them. Everything creaks and aches—one thing that never seems to change no matter how many miles have come and gone—until enough time has elapsed for each complaining body part to get the memo that this is happening whether they like it or not.
The trail rose to a low crest in the Big Hatchet Mountains before cruising on a gentle decline towards the flat expanse of Mexico that beckoned only miles away. Trails of dust rose and fell far in the distance that had its color drained slightly as if bleached by the sun. Strolling down the gentle road, I started to wonder when we might get our first glimpse of the border obelisk that would mark the end of it all.
A few steps behind me, a sun-kissed Ace bopped her way down the trail and I thought of how lucky we've been to share this trail together, its highs and lows, its agonies and ecstasies. To think that this is her first multi-month trail also makes me so incredibly proud of her, not because it was easy but precisely because it was not. In a few short hours, she’ll find herself in some incredibly rare company.
How rare, exactly? Although the number grows each year, the CDTC estimates that approximately 150 people will attempt a thru-hike of the entire trail with only about a third succeeding. It’s hard to say how much the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the total number of attempts this year, but it's certainly been an exceedingly quiet experience. On multiple occasions, we hiked over 100 miles without seeing another day hiker let alone another hiker attempting to complete an entire thru-hike. All told, in over four and a half months and 2500 miles on the trail we met only 17 other poor souls similarly foolish enough to attempt a thru-hike this year. Each time we met one, we had to remind ourselves what a social interaction felt like.
There's a trite sounding expression that you often hear from those on and around long distance trails: “The people are the trail.” And, in a way, it still rings true even on a trail like this that had been further hushed by the crush of a pandemic. The people we met, who reached out to help of their own accord, who offered what they could to us at every opportunity are what restore your faith in basic humanity and decency, between perfect strangers at that.
And, of course, there are the people whose support, wisdom, and friendship propel your legs farther than what would otherwise seem possible. For that, I am in your debt. To Beardoh and Sweet Pea, our friends and hiking companions for embarking on this journey with us; to our friend Proton for handling all 17 (!) of our resupply packages and countless other last-minute requests; to Rebekka, Franz, and the entire team at Ulysses—without which I would've been crushed by a fear of writing long ago; to Chaco sandals—without which I never would have been able to hike the miles of the past 16 years; and most importantly to our friends, family, and co-workers who cheered us on, sent us goodies in far-off places, went out of their way to spend time with us and generally bent over backwards in ways that we one day hope to repay: Thank You. You're as much a part of our hike as any mountain ever could be.
For me, the border monument growing larger and larger was a bittersweet end to yet another incredible chapter in a lifetime of hiking. 18 years ago, my friend Ian and I did our first thru-hike together in the Green Mountains that had been our college playground. Those 275 miles of the Long Trail opened a door that could never be closed. Two years later, the Appalachian Trail reached out and plucked my heart strings for every one of its miles just as the Pacific Crest Trail would a dozen years later.
Hiking the Continental Divide Trail has been just another step in what feels like a life spent searching for what lies just around the next bend in the trail, what I might find there and what I might learn from it. And although it won't feel officially complete until Glacier National Park reopens its portion of the trail to hikers, this feels like the ceremonial end to my own Triple Crown, joining the other 440 “terranauts” who have done the same, a group of foolhardy souls even smaller than the 550 who have hurtled into space on a rocket ship. No one ever accused me of being smart.
What we have done says less about who we are than what we will do, and so the question is: What’s next? The Triple Crown may have come and gone, but there are many more trails to hike, more wild corners of the country and of the world to stand in awe of. The person I most wish to celebrate each of them with—my Dad—may not be there waiting at the end, but just as he carried me as a child I carry him now in my heart and in my memory. How much he would have loved this trail and all those still yet to come.
As for what happens now, it's time to give our feet a good long rest, sip the champagne that sits on ice, hold close the memories of the CDT, and dream of the next trail that will be beneath our feet...
Latitude/Longitude: 31.49699,-108.20857
Congratulations, Emily and Jeff!
I love your writing and pictures.
p(ee)s do as much overnight hiking as you can as a young man--before nocturia calls
Haha, thanks Harry!
Congrats Jeff and Ace! Pretty amazing. I've enjoyed following along these last few months! Look forward to chatting again soon.
Thanks Jesse! Really glad you enjoyed following along and thanks for all the comments along the way!
Congratulations Jeff!! What a fantastic accomplishment and thanks for sharing your entire journey with all of us!
Thanks Morgan!
Your Dad would be so proud of you both, not just for this awesome achievement but for the amazing people you have become! Enjoy this sweet victory! Can’t wait to see you soon!
Love always,
Mountain Mama
Thanks Mountain Mama. Already enjoying the champagne celebration and not having to walk for a change! See you soon!
I have read each of your posts over the past months. What an enjoyable respite from the world around me. Thank you both so much for sharing.
Congratulations!!!!!
So kind of you, Gretchen. If it was even a small escape from the pandemic madness, I’ll consider that a success. Thanks for being a part of it the whole way!
Congratulations on completing the Triple Crown! I have really enjoyed following your posts and keeping track of your hiking journey. Also enjoyed meeting you and Ace in person and spending time with you at the beginning of your great hike. Who knew how you would be zigzagging the states when you started! Bonnie (Beardoh’s Mom)
Thanks Bonnie! It was certainly a lot of hopscotching all over the place to piece it all together. It was so great to finally meet you before the hike! Thanks for following us on this crazy adventure!
Way to go Jeff and Ace!!! Thanks for sharing every step you took. Can’t wait to see you both and listen to your stories. Keep me posted where life leads you. Love you!!
Love you Camille! We can’t wait to see you in person and catch up over a bottle of wine (or two).
Congratulations, that's an epic achievement to get the triple crown!!! Also very fun following you on your well written blog & love all the pictures.
Thanks so much Paul! I know that you—of all people—would appreciate the adventure, and I’m really happy that you found the blog so enjoyable!
Congratulations on completing an amazing feat! Really enjoyed the writing from all of you -- looking forward to the book!
Thanks Bart! I don’t know about the book, but I’m glad you enjoyed the writing on the blog and following along on the adventure.
Congratulations on your Triple Crown, and placing a period on the end of your magnum opus!
Thanks Steel!!
Congrats Jeff and Emily! I'm in awe of your accomplishment. Thank you for taking us on this journey with you and sharing your experience and reflections. Can't wait to see you soon - xoxo
Thanks so much, Lynn, for all of your support both from afar and in person. It was so wonderful to have seen your friendly faces at a time when we needed them most!
Congratulations Jeff! What a great achievement!
I've not checked in in a while and boom it's done. Always enjoyed reading your updates. Can I hope for an epilog?
Thanks Dr. Z! An epilogue is definitely in the making...
So that’s your hike, huh?
What an odd, wild , beautiful and glorious walk it has been. Just like each day on the trail.
To have spent so many hours walking with you over the last few years has been a blessing, It pains to not have had the last 1500 of it together.
Let’s be sure to catch those sneaky last 150 up north together. Mountain Man - I am probably going to make you wear the crown again at Waterton:)
Good luck on the next moves of life!
Oh, Beardoh...if only you could’ve embedded some audio with that quote of “So that’s your hike, huh?” 🤣
It was indeed an odd, wild, beautiful, and glorious walk, as has every mile on trail we’ve had the great fortunate to have spent with you and Sweet Pea these past several years. The only missing piece to this hike was not being together for every moment of it, but fret not—those pesky Glacier NP miles will be just the ticket for getting the band back together.
I'm a little late here I was just catching up on your posts ;). Congratulations Jeff on this awesome achievement and taking me through your journey with your words and pictures.
Thanks Rokesh! So glad you were a part of the adventure. I hope it was at least a small escape from the throes of the pandemic.
Congrats on a successful through hike - what an accomplishment! I especially appreciate your taking the time to share your trip blog and majestic photos. What a great year to be isolated. Glad you made it safe and healthy!
Thanks so much, Jeff. Knowing that so many people like you were following along certainly was motivation to write and snap photos on those days when it would otherwise have been easy to neglect. Thanks again!
Congrats on finishing your Triple Crown!
Thanks so much for sharing the stories and photos of your trip- it provided a great escape during a difficult year. It was fun to hear about your past as well- I'm also originally from the northeast and have climbed the NH4000 and the 46. 🙂
If you like meeting random people while on the road, look me up if you're ever in Fort Collins, CO. Beer (or coffee if that is more your thing) are on me.
--Rich
Hi Rich! Thanks for both the congratulatory note and for being such a loyal reader. I’m really glad you found your way to the site and for being a part of our CDT adventure. Anyone who knows and loves the mountains of the Northeast is most certainly a friend of mine. 🙂 The next time we’re making our way through Colorado—possibly in early 2021, it really would be great to meet you for a beer.
Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed reading your adventures and living the trail life vicariously through your writings. Hope your re-entry is going OK!
Jill! You’ve been there from the very beginning, and I so appreciate you following along throughout all the twists and turns. Thank you!! My only regret in Montana is that we were never able to coordinate a meet-up. 😭