Finding My Way on the Continental Divide Trail
By Michelle Bentley, a 2025 FarOut Scout
Since I first discovered thru-hiking in 2020, I began dreaming of one day hiking from Mexico to Canada via the 3,100 mile Continental Divide Trail. Something about the CDT’s remote and rugged beauty called to me, stirring up my hunger for adventure in the wilderness. After several years of researching the trail, planning my route, and amassing gear, I finally had the opportunity to begin my CDT journey on May 1, 2025. After much debate, I decided I wanted to complete the CDT in three long sections over the next three years, giving me more time for side excursions (like tackling 14ers in Colorado and exploring a longer alternate trail through the Gros Venture Wilderness and along the Teton Crest Trail) and less continuous time I’d have to spend away from my husband and fur and feathered babies.
Photo provided by Michelle Bentley
While researching the CDT, I discovered that many sections of the trail are either unmarked, faint, or non-existent, requiring some x-country navigation. Additionally, trail conditions can vary greatly from year to year due to extreme weather events like flooding, forest fires, avalanches, and wind storms. Long segments of trail can be concealed by multiple blow downs (fallen trees), making following the trail a huge challenge. Well established game trails, side trails, and jeep roads frequently intersect the CDT, presenting a confusing network of potential routes. It can be difficult to navigate when the trail crosses natural terrain features that obscure the trail like sandy washes (arroyos), rivers, tundra, and boulder fields. Encountering large snow fields can make for especially tricky route finding early and late in the thru-hiking season. Lets not forget to mention my arch nemesis, the willow bush. In Colorado, I would frequently come across sections of trail that were completely overgrown by these dense, annoying bushes to the point that I could not see the ground at all!
Photo provided by Michelle Bentley
Photo provided by Michelle Bentley
For me, part of the allure of the CDT is the fact that it offers a more remote and challenging experience than either of the other long-distance hiking trails. As a solo hiker, I knew I’d likely face some unique challenges. Of all the challenges I anticipated potentially encountering on the CDT (extreme weather, long water carries, loneliness, wild animals), the one that created the most anxiety for me was the fear of getting lost in the wild. I can have a pretty vivid imagination. I’ve heard enough stories about people becoming disoriented and wandering off well established trails never to be heard from again that I questioned my ability to safely navigate a trail like the CDT alone! After all, the longest hike I had completed prior to beginning the CDT was a 140 mile well maintained section of the Colorado Trail, which I hiked with my husband in 2022. Other than that, I’d only completed two shorter 40-60 mile solo backpacking trips and four 1-2 night backpacking trips with my daughter or husband. I had minimal cross country navigation experience. I’m not one to let my fears keep me from missing out on an adventure or new experience, but my biggest goal is always to return home safely to my family.
Photo provided by Michelle Bentley
To help assuage my fears of becoming lost, I decided to make sure I was as prepared as possible. I bought a book on navigating in the backcountry and practiced my new skill of reading topographic maps and navigating with a map and compass. I bought paper “back up” maps for areas I knew the CDT crossed through. I upgraded my Garmin InReach subscription so I would have unlimited tracking and the ability to communicate with my family when I didn’t have cell service. Like a vast majority of thru-hikers, I elected to utilize the gps enabled FarOut app as my primary means for navigating the CDT. I love how the FarOut app not only shows the CDT route and alternate routes, but also denotes water sources and camping options. I especially appreciate the feature that allows other users to make comments about water, camping, cell service, trail conditions, hazards, etc. Just knowing I had this incredible tool at my disposal gave me more confidence.
Before I knew it, May 1st had arrived! I felt I was as prepared as I could be to set off on my journey. In the predawn hours, my husband drove me to the CDT southern terminus near the Crazy Cook monument. It’s difficult to explain the emotion I felt as I watched him drive away, leaving me alone in the middle of the Chihuahuan Desert, ready to embark on my adventure. As I took my first steps on the CDT, the sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon. The trail was deceivingly well established at first, but within the first mile it had all but vanished. Looking at the vastness of the desert surrounding me, I momentarily felt a wave of anxiety crash over me. Was I going to be able to do this? Resisting the urge to turn around, I remember whispering a quick prayer and opening my FarOut app. When my GPS dot appeared, I breathed a sigh of relief. I could see the direction the “trail” was supposed to be heading and where I was in relation to it. I headed in the direction of the colored line denoting the trail, frequently checking to ensure I was on track. Before long, I spotted a CDT marker in the distance. Phew!
Photo provided by Michelle Bentley
Photo provided by Michelle Bentley
A similar scenario was to play out literally hundreds of times as I hiked across deserts, climbed over mesas, navigated my way up the Gila River, worked my way through burn areas and blow down forests, bushwhacked through overgrown trail, scrambled up rocky peaks, and crossed open tundra on my journey from the Mexico – New Mexico border through the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Each time I “lost” the trail, my FarOut app helped me get back on track. I could feel my confidence growing. I might not know exactly where I was at times, but I knew I would be able to find my way again. Before long, instead of feeling anxious, I found myself almost looking forward to those sections of trail that were less than obvious to follow. It began to feel like a game of “find the route”. Each time I completed a particularly navigationally challenging section of trail, it felt rewarding. Thanks to the CDT and FarOut, I definitely feel more confident in my ability to navigate challenging terrain. I’m looking forward to the next stage of my CDT journey and whatever adventures await!
