Near the beginning of summer, Greg Lester set out on an adventure.
If all had gone according to a very meticulous plan, he would have recently completed a 3,028-mile hike of the Continental Divide Trail, which runs from Mexico to Canada through the Rocky Mountains and Yellowstone Park.
Upon finishing, Lester had targeted this month for his arrival at the Canadian border, the retired Appalachian State University college advisor would have completed the Triple Crown of hiking by knocking off all three of the big transnational trails: the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail on the West Coast and the Continental Divide
That long final leg didn’t go to plan, however.
Injury forced him off the Continental Divide near Missoula, Montana in early August. After landing what some backpackers call “the golden hitch” — getting a ride in a big rig within minutes of raising a thumb — Lester flew home with 25 pounds of gear determined to pick up where he left off.
Now that he’s recovered from his hip injury, Lester sat down at his Winston-Salem home and answered a six-pack of questions about the journey.
Of the 3 through-hike routes, which did you enjoy most?
Each of the Triple Crown trails is spectacular in its own way, but I enjoyed the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) the most. The Appalachian Trail (AT) is my first love, but the PCT stole my heart!
The five sections of the PCT (desert, Sierra, Northern California, Oregon and Washington) each have phenomenal vistas pretty much all day every day. The trail is graded for horse travel, so it is never too steep, and it is generally well-maintained. The towns along the way are interesting and the hikers are generally stoked to have the opportunity to traverse this terrain at walking pace.
Sure, any long hike is very hard, and the PCT is no exception, but I loved it from the bottom (the Mexican border near Campo, California) to the top (the Canadian border in Northern Washington).
What was the most spectacular/exhilarating moment?
Each trail has sections and memories that stand out in my mind.
For the Appalachian Trail it was walking through the mountains of Maine and New Hampshire during peak fall colors.
For the Pacific Coast Trail it was hiking through Oregon. From Mount Hood all the way down to Crater Lake, the trail runs along the flanks of so many dormant volcanoes. Seeing a massive volcano 40-60 miles in the distance, walking to it, and then to another and another and another was thrilling. For the Continental Divide Trail it was hiking above 10,000 feet elevation for such long stretches. I love camping up high, so getting to travel and camp up there for so many hundreds of miles was inspiring – and exhausting.
Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts
Did you ever feel you were in danger?
The PCT and CDT each have sections where the trail is relatively narrow and the exposure on one (or both) sides is considerable. Those sections didn’t really worry me since the footbed is usually at least a few feet wide.
Hiking in grizzly country, and not being at the top of the food chain, is a different story.
One day this summer, near Dubois, Wyoming, I saw a sow grizzly and two cubs as I was hiking along. Mama bear saw me first and, fortunately for me, was running away from me when I noticed her.
Then, within an hour, I saw another sow grizzly with another two cubs. They were in a meadow 100 or so yards from me as I crested a small hill. I stopped and was videoing for 15 seconds or so when mama bear noticed me and raised up on her hind legs. I kept filming as I reached for my bear spray. Luckily, they started moving away from me rather quickly.
It was thrilling and mildly terrifying to spot two mama grizzlies and their cubs on their turf.
Of the 3 hikes, what was the most disappointing moment?
Without a doubt, my most disappointing moment was summer when I realized that my injured hip was going to prevent me from finishing the CDT this year. I was so excited for the Bob Marshal Wilderness and Glacier National Park. I was also ready to complete the Triple Crown in 2025.
Things generally work out as they should, though. It looks like 2026 will be my year.
Which was the most difficult of the trails?
The AT is challenging because the trail tends to take hikers straight up mountains rather than employing switchbacks to ascend more gradually. This is especially notable in New Hampshire and Maine, where the trail frequently includes ladders and iron bars mounted into the rock to help hikers pass safely.
That being said, I think the CDT is the most difficult of the “Triple Crown” trails. Challenging water sources in the desert and in Wyoming, extensive travel above tree line – and potentially over snow – in Colorado, sustained challenging terrain in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, and trail that is not nearly as well built, marked, or maintained as the AT or PCT, combine to make the CDT, in my opinion, the most challenging of the three.
How much of the Continental Divide remains and when do you plan to finish it?
I’ll finish the last 550-ish miles of the CDT beginning in July 2026.
ssexton@wsjournal.com
336-727-7481
@scottsextonwsj
Love
0
Funny
0
Wow
0
Sad
0
Angry
0
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.
* I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
Scott Sexton
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
Your notification has been saved.
There was a problem saving your notification.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Followed notifications
Please log in to use this feature
Log In
Don’t have an account? Sign Up Today