Joanna On The Trail

Friday, July 17, 2026

I’d thought of this trip as a stepping stone on the way to the UK Coast to Coast – merely a way to test my physical and mental stamina and my gear for the longer trek. It accomplished those goals, but more importantly it was an amazing experience in its own right: a physically demanding trek with incredible scenery, made significantly more enjoyable by CME handling all the logistics.

Supported Hikes

While I’d dreamed about thru-hiking the AT or PCT in my younger years, it was never really more than just a fantasy, as I was too focused on my career to invest the time it would take. As I’ve gotten older I’m less interested in spending weeks on end feeling dirty, drinking from scarce and questionable water sources, and pooping outside. I have, however, become more interested in longer journeys on foot and now that I can afford it, from both a time and financial perspective, supported hikes feel like the way to go. 

For something like the CT, where there is limited access to supplies and accommodations, I was happy to do a fully guided trip. It was a real luxury to just show up and focus on hiking – I did almost zero planning, I was provided with everything I needed, and the crew were great hosts and hiking buddies. I felt like I connected with some of my fellow hikers and conversation was easy, but at times it felt more forced. I would have preferred a few hours of free time rather than waiting at the trailhead for the others to finish and the long drives to camp. I wish I’d thought about bringing a book or my journal to help pass the time.

I am looking forward to the C2C, where my bag will be transferred from inn to inn but I have chosen where to stay, I can hike at my own pace, and I can choose when/if I want to walk with people I meet along the way. Part of the goal for that trip is to have plenty of time for self-reflection to consider what retired life should look like. But I might also find myself longing for companions like I had on the CT.

Readiness for the C2C

The main goal of this trip was to be sure I am physically prepared for and will enjoy hiking many miles over many days. I’m happy to say that’s a resounding yes! I’d been freaking myself out about double digit mileage, often with 2k or more elevation gain, day after day. At home I’m rushing through my hikes so I can keep up with everyday life. I never take breaks, never take my pack off (except to pee), and never take my shoes off (except to treat blisters). On the CT, my whole day revolved around the hike and the guides built in lots of breaks which I learned to appreciate and I’m sure contributed to my stamina. I hope that I can maintain the discipline to take pack-off and shoes-off breaks during the C2C. 

Footwear

This trip also helped me finalize my footwear plan. I’ll primarily rely on Topo Vistas for the C2C, although I will go up another half size. For the CT my Vistas were size 7 (half-size larger than my usual 6.5 shoes) but at times I could feel my toes hitting the front so I’ll get size 7.5 when I get home. I’m also planning to bring my La Sportiva boots in case the wetness from rain, bogs, and stream crossings is too much. In terms of socks, the combination of Injinji liners and lightweight icebreaker hiking socks worked best. 

Gear Retrospective

Overall I’m fairly happy with how I packed, but there were a few lessons learned that I’ll incorporate for future trips. 

The biggest learning was that I need to be more ruthless about what goes in my daypack. To be honest, I already knew this, but I’d dismissed the concern since ‘it’s just a daypack’. After the first day on the CT it was abundantly clear that my daypack needed to go on a diet and I left a bunch of things in my tent for Day 2 and beyond.

• Foot care: reduced to just Leukotape, a small pack of Compeed, a couple of bandaids, and Neosporin (saving 1-2 lbs)
• Socks: reduced to 1 extra pair (never used, but still glad I had them)
• Post-hike footwear: swapped the Chacos for my Adidas slides (lighter and feel great after a long hike)
• Rain/weather protection: reduced to windbreaker, half buff, beanie, and gloves; added the rain jacket only on days rain was likely. The Thermoball was great for cooler evenings and early mornings at camp but stayed in the tent during the day.
• Electronics: iPhone and Apple Watch batteries held up well on low power and airplane modes, so I only brought the Anker slim battery pack on the last day
• Trekking poles: strapped to my daypack all 5 days but never used. Still planning to bring for the C2C, where bogs, steep descents, and stream crossings should actually put them to use.

I’d brought a bunch of Trader Joe’s Just a Handful of Rainbow’s End Trail Mix and various kinds of protein bars, which was completely unnecessary. CME provided an overwhelming selection: protein bars, trail mix, meat sticks (which I passed on of course), cheese, grapes, candy, and more. The cheese and grapes in particular were a revelation.

One small but useful thing CME provided: a dry bag for lunches, with your name written on it. It was great for keeping sandwiches intact and preventing any food mess inside the daypack. I’ve been using it on all my hikes since the CT, and will definitely bring it with me to England.

As far as other gear, I slept like a dream (after the first night) thanks to my tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, pillow, and long underwear which kept me the perfect temperature (sleep shirt went unused). I’ve narrowed down my preferred hiking attire to: Patagonia Capilene Cool Trail tank tops, Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily sun shirts, Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants, and Prana Stretch Zion shorts for hot days (or Patagonia Pack-Out Tights when the trail gets bushier). Changing into cozy camp clothes for dinner was a true luxury, especially the Vuori joggers. The hype is warranted. 

Final Thoughts

Every time I’m in Colorado I am reminded how much I love it, and the Colorado Trail was a great way to experience this amazing state. While I don’t think I could live there because of the winters, I do hope we spend lots of time there in the warmer months. And I hope to complete the rest of the Colorado Trail treks with CME over the next few summers. I’m excited and ready for the C2C, and already thinking about where else my feet should take me.