PCT vs. CDT

In an earlier post I compared the Appalachian Trail vs. Pacific Crest Trail, (AT vs. PCT). That post is one of my most popular gets tons of traffic so I decided to do a comparison of the Pacific Crest Trail vs. Continental Divide Trail, (PCT vs. CDT). Like the AT and PCT, you can’t really compare the PCT to the CDT (though many love to), or any of the three with the others for that matter. Each is their own beast and it takes a different approach to complete them. There is no one best way to hike any one trail. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

In my opinion the CDT was the harder of the two. I might have joked while hiking the CDT that the PCT stood for Piece of Cake Trail, but the reality is both can be extreme.

The truth is everyone has a different experience while hiking. Many factors such as time of year, snow/water levels, general weather, fitness, directions of travel and more will effect which will be tougher. Below I broke down some of the most popular categories one might want to see the difference between.

Remember these are just my take on my experience. Your’s will be similar but different.

Popular Resources:

Bikepacking Resources

Planning Aids

Bikepacking Gear

Rider Survey's

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL-DATA-COLLAGES - HIKING - THRU-HIKING

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL-DATA-COLLAGES - HIKING - THRU-HIKING

Comparison

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

Length: 2650 miles

First explored in the late 1930’s

States: 3

5 Sections: Southern California (648 miles)
Central California (505 miles)
Northern California (567)
Oregon (430 miles) & Washington (500 miles).

Elevation Gain 489,000 ft

Highest point Forester Pass (13,153 ft)

Lowest point Cascade Locks, Oregon (140 ft)

The current self-supported speed record for thru-hiking the PCT was set by Heather “Anish” Anderson in 2013, at 60 days, 17 hours and 12 minutes (That’s 44 miles a day people! I averaged 21)

About 1500 people attempted to hike the entire Pacific Crest Trail in 2015.

The PCT passes the 3 deepest lakes in the nation:Lake Tahoe (1645′) Crater Laker (1932′)and Lake Chelan (1149′).

As the crow flies the distance is just over 1000 miles; the PCT is two and a half times that!

Passes through 33 federally mandated wilderness; 25 national forests; 7 national parks; and 3 national monuments.

The PCT climbs over 57 major mountain passes; plunges into 19 major canyons and passes more than a 1000 lakes and tarns.

The PCT includes six of North Americas seven eco-zones.

map

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL

Length: 2700-3100 miles

Trail started in 1978

States: 5

New Mexico 775 estimated miles, Colorado 800 estimated miles, Wyoming 550 estimated miles, Idaho/Montana 980 estimated miles.

Elevation Gain 457,000 ft

Highest point Gray’s Peak 14,278 ft

Lowest point Waterton Lake 4200 ft

There’s no speed record as the trail isn’t complete and no one hikes the same route.

The overall success rate is about 70%.

Travels from Canada to Mexico through 25 National Forests, 21 Wilderness Areas, 3 National Parks, 1 National Monument, 8 BLM Resource Areas

The CDT is routed on the actual Divide as much as possible making everything harder.

More fun facts.

map

TREAD

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

The PCT was designed and built so one could use pack animals on it. As a result the trail has a much easier grade and meanders up/around climbs. The actually tread is much smoother too but it has it rocky sections. The topography shares many features with the CDT but don’t let that fool you. They are not the same. The PCT contains six of the seven ecosystems we have.

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL

The CDT was designed to follow as close to the Divide as possible. This means you are much more exposed on the CDT than on the PCT. The average elevation of the state of Colorado is 11,000′! Combine that with the fact the sun’s UV rays are 40% stronger at 14,000′ and you can see why it’s probably the hardest state of any of the trails. The CDT is not a complete trail so there is hundreds of miles of road walking. The tread is much rougher and varied. Mud can be an issue too.

WEATHER*

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

Weather is never the same so it’s hard to say which has the better weather. I personally found the weather on the PCT to be tamer than the CDT. The PCT still gets rain, hail, snow, lightening and more. Just know it can vary from year to year. I found the temps to be higher on the PCT but this could be due to the lower elevations.

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL

My CDT hike had much more weather than the PCT. The wind and amount of rain was the biggest difference I noticed. The CDT also had much more lightening. Afternoon storms were more an issue for me. The one bonus is that the weather usually moves through an area fast on the CDT.

NAVIGATION*

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

The PCT was much easier to navigate. The is mainly due to the trail being more complete and more traveled. Signage was more frequent and consistent in its appearance.

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL

The CDT wasn’t as hard to navigate as I was lead to believe. As the CDT isn’t complete no one hikes the same route as someone else. It’s more a “choose your own adventure” hike. Navigation wasn’t a problem, though many resources will tell you that it’s really hard and you have to look at a map every 10 minutes. With apps like Guthook, I almost completely stopped looking at my maps. I did carry both the Bear Creek Survey and Ley Maps. In a perfect world I would have the BCS maps with Ley’s notes on them.

The signage on the CDT is not consistent in the spacing/frequency or its appearance. You’ll find many types of blazes (wood and metal signs), cairns, metal posts, wood posts and more. One thing to remember is the CDT is not always the most defined trail.

PLANNING

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

I found the PCT logistically easier than the CDT. For starters you have less options as the trail is complete. There is more information and generally it’s better for the PCT. I found planning easier for the PCT and could plan further ahead on the trail.

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL

I found it much harder to plan for the CDT. Like the trail most information out there is only partially complete. Just sorting the maps, town guides, water report and data book pages is a full day in of itself. The CDT also presents you with many options and this can make your planning more difficult. Having so many options can be a limiting factor while on the trail. The key is to plan for your hike like you hike it. Tackle one piece at a time and don’t get overwhelmed.

MY GEAR

1 2 3 4 5

Links to “If I Hiked the…Again” Series:*

Appalachian Trail , Colorado Trail, Continental Divide Trail, Long Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail

*The “If I Hiked the…Again” series are a collection of gear lists that show what I would take if I went back and hiked a trail again.

1 2 3

Links to our Gear Lists:

Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, John Muir Trail, and Colorado Trail

TIPS

Pre-Hike:

Shakedown Hike: Be sure to do multiple shakedown hikes, not only will it make you stronger helping you avoid on trail injuries, it will help you build your confidence and get you more familiar with your gear.
Research: Do as much as you can. Knowing your options will make things easier when things don’t go as planned.
Cutting Pack Weight: Your shakedown hikes will help weed out gear you don’t need but if you want to know more, checkout my post about cutting pack weight.
Budget: Make yourself a budget. Cost can add up quick while on trail.
Planning: Have an itinerary. The chance you’ll stick to it are small but it will help you plan resupply and familiarize yourself with the trail.
Pre-Trip Considerations: There are a lot of things one might over look when planning a thru-hike. Things like a living will, power of attorney, healthcare proxy and more. I dive into these and others in my post Bikepacking Pre-trip Considerations. Many apply to thru-hiking as well.

On Trail:

Itinerary: As I just mentioned above, you probably won’t stick to your pre-hike plan but I strongly encourage you to stick to it for the first few weeks. Many hikers over do it and quit due to over use injuries.
Mistakes: Everyone makes them so don’t sweat it. To help you avoid the most common mistakes thru-hikers make, checkout this post.
Journaling: My of my fellow thru-hikers failed to either be consistent with keeping a daily journal or the format they used day to day. Now, years later as memories have faded they struggle to follow their journals. You can find some journaling tips here.
Decision Making: Many hikers form “Tramilies” as their called. As great as hiking with others is, don’t be afraid of going your own way. Some of my best hiking was solo.

PHSYICAL / MENTAL

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

The PCT was both physically and mentally challenging but compared to my personal experience on the CDT I would say both were less challenging. This is one of those categories that can be different for everyone. I would say the order for me goes: Physical: CDT, AT, and PCT. Mental: CDT, PCT, and AT.

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL

I found the CDT to be the hardest both physically and mentally. Like other aspects of the three Triple Crown trails there’s many factors that influence this answer. To mention a few: Your age at time of hiking, order you hiked the trails, weather, off trail influences (loved ones and friends), direction of travel, and more.

TIME OF YEAR*

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

April to late September is the normal window for a Northbound thru-hike. Southbounders start late June or July and finish in October/November.

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL

Typically it’s the same as the PCT for a Northbound thru-hike, April to late September. Southbounders generally start in mid June and go through to October.

COST

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL & CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL

Cost on both trails is about the same. I have heard of people doing any of the Triple Crown trails for anywhere from $3000-$8000. It all depends on the gear, food, number of hotels, mode of travel to and from the trail, amount of postage, and amount of money you spend in towns. It’s possible to do it for less but many sacrifices will be made.

COMMUNITY

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

The PCT has a much larger network and stronger hiking community. There are more Trail Angels and more maintained water caches. Due to the vast growing interest in hiking the PCT from books and movies of late numbers have soared. 1500 attempted to thru-hike in 2015. These numbers have put a lot of stress on the community and some Trail Angels have had to close their doors. Be respectful when you stay with them and support them if you can.

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL

There are less Trail Angels on the CDT than the PCT. Though the number is growing the CDT has the least amount of hikers attempting to thru-hike. In 2015 there was only about 250-300. The CDT community is one with a vast knowledge of hiking and help is easily found.

WATER*

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

Water varies from year to year. Typically water is an issue up to the Sierras then in a few places in Oregon. Where my next water was a concern on the PCT but not as much as on the CDT.

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL

Water can be an issue in any of the five states. It’s most scarce in New Mexico but you’ll find places high on the Divide in Colorado where you don’t come off the Divide for 20+ miles. In Wyoming the Great Basin has long stretches without water. Idaho/Montana also have some sections that poise a challenge. On the CDT you can’t assume they’ll be water, conditions are too varied. I constantly thought about water during my thru-hike.

RESUPPLY

PACIFIC CREST TRAIL

My average resupply was between 4-5 days. The longest stretch being in the High Sierra from Kennedy Meadows to Independence, CA.

CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL

My average resupply was 4 days. This equaled an average of 90 miles between resupplies. The longest being 155 miles.

*Note that every year these four items can be different as each effects the other. It’s never the same from one year to the next. Expect your experience to be your own and don’t try to compare it to others before you. Expect the unexpected.

PCT Sierras

Wind River Range Wyoming – CDT

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MY NUMBERS

	PCT	CDT
Zero Days	7	13
Nights alone	34	15
Tent	63	65
Tarp	7	13
Friend’s house	2	7
Cowboy Camped	34	8
Motel	10	20
Hostel	7	4
Shelter	1	2
Rain	12	44
Hail	?	19
Snow	1	9

	PCT	CDT
0 miles hiked	7	13
1-4 miles hiked	0	1
5-9 miles hiked	6	6
10-14 miles hiked	8	9
15-19 miles hiked	21	15
20-24 miles hiked	38	30
25-29 miles hiked	25	35
30-34 miles hiked	15	20
35-39 miles hiked	4	1
40+ miles hiked	0	1