Originally Posted by
indyfabz
What part of the NT will you be doing?
I'll be using the NT to connect the GD and SC... so Montana, Idaho, and Washington.
Originally Posted by
BlarneyHammer
I've been thinking of doing this too. Is there any advantage to going either direction? I've hiked the Appalachian Trail, and most people go south-to-north, to follow the warm weather as it moves northward. The Great Divide Trail seems to get more southbound travelers, and I don't know why. Any reason?
The S to N in hiking the PCT and AT is mostly because you're racing Winter since it takes about 6 months to finish whereas the GD takes 15-45 days. As for the GD, there is some debate. Some of the last major passes to open up are in Colorado so going N - S allows you to start earlier. Also, there is a notorious hill in, I believe, Montana that is damn near impossible to traverse going North. However, others believe going S - N is better because it allows you to cross the NM desert while it is cooler and be in the higher elevations during the warmer months. You just need to time the Colorado passes well. Other than that, the reason may be, in part, a tradition amongst the biking community.