I spent the summer of 2007 hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). It follows the spine of the Sierras from Mexico to Northern California, then picks up the Cascades through Oregon and Washington, finishing at Manning Park near Vancouver. Almost 4000km of trail, it took me over 4 months to finish.

Now, I’m considering doing another one – the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). This time it starts in SW Alberta, goes south through the Rockies in Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, then finishes up in the San Pedros of New Mexico. Another 5000km long, it begs the question, why??? I barely had an answer for that when I set out on the PCT. The best I’ve ever been able to say was that I wanted to measure myself against a big challenge. I’ve already “proven” I can do this, what’s left?

Well, I really enjoyed it the first time. I loved the simplicity of waking up every day and hiking the day away. I rarely tired of being alone, my only companionship a map and an occasional paperback. I think I’m also drawn by having a goal, especially compared to my relatively unfocused day to day life.

What makes me think twice? My lovely girlfriend. Losing a summer of fun with my ultimate frisbee friends. Grizzly bears, black flies, and mosquitos.

If I want to do it in 2010, I probably have to start planning in the next couple months for a June/July start.