Today was the first steps on the Continental Divide Trail, aka CDT. I stayed at Swiftcurrent Lodge last night in one of the original sites built in 1936. Oh my goodness, I slept so soundly. I was pooped after the last couple of nights and needed a long winters nap!

Gaye & Gary just so happened to be in Glacier this week and provided me my Uber to the Canadian Border. I took a few shots at the monument and off I went into the woods. Gaye & Gary headed to Logan’s Pass for their days outing. I just can’t believe how God aligned all the stars and somehow had all my friends show up to Glacier the week I was hitting the trail. How can you say there’s no God?

As I took off, the skies were bluish but clouds were a coming. No worries, I brought my umbrella just in case this sort of nonsense happened. First things first, if you have never been to Glacier NP, you need to get over here. It is “knock your socks off” kind of beauty! I have been to many National sparks in the US but if you are fond of towering mountains, not just slabs of granite, this is your place. The mountains here are huge and surround you on all sides.

Today was the firsts of many. First day on foot of the CDT heading southbound. It was my first sighting of a black snake, quite harmless. I got to meet my first Ranger who lives in Backcountry Belly River Ranger Station for the summer. What a sweet gig she has. And I got to don my umbrella to save me from being pelleted by hail. Pretty great first day. Oh and how can I forget, I had the fortune to cross a suspension bridge that rocked and rolled and swayed from side to side. Nothing but sheer joy and happiness as I about lost my lunch!

So when I lucked out and was placed on the permit with Coyote and Radio, I had no idea that I would get the pleasure of their company. Coyote and Radio met while hiking the PCT in Julian. That is SoCal, basically the beginning of the trail. Then they hiked the AT and Radio proposed and their plan is to get married on the CDT somewhere in New Mexico! What a trail romance that is. Super cute couple and so honored to be with them this first week.

So to bed I go after day one. All is good. Tents are up, bags are hung and me & Norman are retiring for the night. This is the end to a perfect day one.

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Saying goodbye is the toughest part of getting to the trail. Especially on Father’s Day! But I think my Dad is smiling from ear to ear. He knew this was my hearts desire and I’m sure that both Mom and Dad are cheering me on from Heavens Gates.

After the most incredible send off, I have boarded the plane. Sitting at the window seat, I confirmed that sure enough my big heavy backpack has been placed in the belly of the plane. Gosh those attendants work hard loading everyone’s bag onto a conveyor belt. Just looking at their faces confirmed that nearly each bag was packed to the fifty pound limit. The guy was sweating bullets from his forehead, especially for a mild day. And the gal was looking like she wished she had paid more attention in school. Get an education so you don’t become a Baggage Handler!

The blue skies are clear with few clouds making it super smooth. My Flight Attendant is sweet as pie, checking on me, calling me by my first name. She doesn’t even know me but you’d think we were friends from years ago. I had some extra flight credits so they upgraded me to First Class. Never ever experienced this kind of luxury before.

Had a bit of a delay so in the Taxi I went. Next stop is Amtrak to East Glacier. My driver was from Pakistan and knew the shortcut to get around the traffic from all things World Cup Soccer. We arrived with plenty of time. All aboard!!! And here I am now sitting in Coach watching the sun go down. This will be a very relaxing evening.

After a not so relaxing night on the Amtrak, I arrived in East Glacier. It’s hard to sleep on a moving train. But the highlight’s included a guy name Stu who was a volunteer docent. He narrated our relationships from Seattle to Wenatchee. Wealth of info, historian and geologist. And my neighbor Tim. He lives in northern Washington, is on the heart transplant list and is bikepacking Glacier NP. He was such a fun partner to have in the train, because honestly, you never know who you’re gonna sit next to. But God knew! He’s not a Christian and we have a very long discussion about my faith and his lack of. Planting seeds…

The train pulled into East Glacier at 0930, right on time. I beat feet over to the outfitters, and purchased Bear Spray and a small canister of fuel. Check, now all I need to do is score the perfectly timed hiking permit. I landed at Looking Glass Hostel and found my people. Younger, youngest, older and elders. Just do happened that Radio and his fiancé Coyote were headed to Two Medicine to get a permit. After yakking for awhile, they headed out and planned to add me onto their potential permit. Two hours later they were back with a permit in hand, including yours truly. Yeah, this is all sorts of good news.

Once my friend Carl arrived, we drove to Two Medicine, I paid the add on fee, obtained a CDT Hang Tag and I am officially hiking the trail. That was perfectly executed. All I need to do is get my person to Chief Mountain, touch the monument and start hiking south. God had it all worked out before I even arrived.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”
‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29‬:‭11‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There’s a saying around the Long Distant Hiking community. As a Thru-Hiker, you may choose to hike one trail or all three. But no one hikes only two! This has been my dilemma for the past two years. PCT was finished over a five month period in 2015. The AT was a two- year period from April 2022 through September 2023, not by chose, but by circumstances.

So now I’m left with the CDT. The jewel of the Triple Crown. It has been the elusive one. The trail that takes a bit more planning and close to six months to complete. One foot in front of the other for days on end. That sounds miserable, many of my friends and acquaintances say. How or a better question, why on God’s green earth would you want to do that?

Sometimes the answer to a question isn’t that simple. Honestly, this has been the dream since I finished the PCT. Prior to that trek, I never even knew what or where the AT or CDT were. But once I knew, it was embedded in my soul. All I could think about was hiking from Point A to Point B, knowing that God was with me every step of the way.

Thinking back on the PCT, it was a wild idea. The book “Wild” had become a New York Times Best Seller. Then it became a movie in 2014, just as I chose to embark on this journey. Hikers came out in droves to retrace the steps of Cheryl Strayed and Reese Witherspoon.

I pulled my permit in 2015, the first year that the quota was initiated. Fifty hikers a day were allowed on trail, and for good reason. The strip of dirt was overpopulated and peace, tranquility and solitude was surely, long gone. With over 4600 permits issued that year, I secured my spot and made reservations at Scout and Frodo’s in San Diego.

Scout and Frodo were the model Trail Angels, as well as previous PCT hikers themselves. They dedicated their home to many thru hiker wanna-bees who came from near and far. They offered rides from the airport, dinner, breakfast and a one-way trip to the Southern Terminus at o’dark thirty.

Looking back on my first day, I was a nervous Nilly! I had no experience in long distant hiking besides JMT and other hundred mile treks. But 2650 miles was the goal. What an adventure that was and here I am again, getting ready to finish this up!

CDT is an interesting beast. It is the longest trail with over 3100 miles of high mountains ranges, ridge-lines, glaciers, National Parks, over 100 river crossings just on the Gila and countless bears, lions and larger than life mammals. No wonder my family is questioning my decision to hike this incredibly beautiful space.

So with some trepidation, I am heading south from Chief Mountain and aiming towards Crazy Cook Monument. God willing and the creek don’t rise, I should be kissing the Southern Terminus prior to Thanksgiving.

So in a nut shell, why do I have this burning desire to hike the CDT? Honestly, I believe it was preordained, planned before I was even born. The good Lord had given me a passion that can’t be extinguished, and a desire to live life as His servant. With every breath I take, He will be glorified! That is my reason, my purpose and my destiny. Now all I need to do is obey.

Here I go again… My family has been anticipating this day, my sojourn nature of getting antsy and needing to leave the confines of my warm abode. After many delays, it appears that the Continental Divide Trail is within reach. There were timing issues, the shuffling of life and all the responsibilities that it brings, and of course my dear hubby George and our faithful dog Zoey. These things and so much more are always on my mind when I dream up these schemes of wanderlust, of hitting the trail for my true peace and serenity. But now that I have the blessings of all parties concerned, I am gearing up.

No Hubby on Long Distant Hikes?

In the Baraga Household, we are doing a training regimen like no other. Italy, here we come. A little background to my madness. My hubby is not a backpacker. In our 30 years of marriage, he has graced me with his presence ONCE on trail. Yep, after that trip to Iceberg Lake, he was quick to state that never again was he going to sleep in a tent, affirming the fact that it was on the ground! So to remedy this fact, I introduced George to the Camino. He was absolutely hooked. Walking daily, eating and drinking along the way, and staying in very nice places with running water, flush toilets and comfortable beds. No, we do not stay in Albergues or Donativos, and I’ll leave that for another blog someday as to why we decided on private spaces. But I will mention it had something to do with wild things that happen when two or more unclothed people get together and share their inner most beings. Yep, in a hostel, right next to us for hours. We now stay in private rooms. 

Triple Crown of Camino’s

So for the month of May, George and I are walking our Triple Crown of the Camino. We completed the Portuguese Route in 2023, the Frances in 2024 and now embarking on the Via Francigena. This route originates in Canterbury, England and continues to Rome, a little over 2000 km or 1250 miles. We are walking the final section from Lucca to Rome, some 400 km which equates to about 250 miles. That is my unorthodox training program for the Continental Divide Trail. It checks off a few vital things off my list. First, it gives me time on my feet everyday for three weeks, in my trail runners. Secondly, it allows me to embrace the weight of my camino pack, which honestly is close to my base weight for CDT, about 15 pounds minus food and water. Thirdly, and most importantly, it allows me quality time with George, my partner in crime, before I leave him for months on end. 

Differing Camino’s

Each Camino we have walked are so uniquely different.  They have challenges of their own, including language barriers that make everyday conversations a bit difficult and finding a rhythm that fits two varying pilgrims styles. But this is what makes it so rewarding and exciting. Emerging yourself in the culture of the locals and living within their homes, if even for a night or two. And seriously, who can say no to daily gelato, Italian wine for the price of a soda, and overflowing bowls of pasta. I am all in and I can promise you that there will be nothing dehydrated that will touch my lips! This is a never-ending feast of culinary delight. Once I finish this so-called training program, my toughest battle will be wanting to still hike 3100 miles on a dusty dirty trail, in my single-walled tent with lions and bears nearby. I am not a gladiator, or maybe, just maybe I actually am. 

Spirituality Behind Camino’s

In a few days after a long flight ride over the big golden pond that separates United States from Europe, George and I will be walking towards the Basilica of St. Peter in Rome. There is a saying that when you walk The Frances towards Santiago, that as a pilgrim, you are letting go of your burdens along the way. People bring rocks or tokens that remind them of their previous life, being weighed down by all that they have faced. When they reach the final destination of the Cathedral, your new life is clear without the angst of worry and anxiety. Much like a thru-hike. The Via Francigena is a bit different in a spiritual sense. It is more of walking or journeying towards the light of God. Being you are walking southbound, you wake up to the sunshine in your face and you are constantly walking with the sun shining upon you. There is a warmth, a sense of communing with Jesus, knowing that He is with you on this pilgrimage. So as I venture out, I will be in the light, searching for the utmost part of my being, and realizing that I am only footsteps away. This is truly my happy place. 

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬