The Snow Beat Us at 13,000 Feet

One hundred days ago I started walking at the Canadian border. If you had shown me this morning back then, snow on my tent and a beard like this, still walking south, I am not sure I would have believed you. Day 100 turned out to be one of the hardest of the whole trail. This is day 98, 99 and 100 of my walk from Canada to Mexico. Twelve elk at a magic sunrise, a high point at 13,271 feet, moose in the valleys, rain and hail for three days straight, and a 100 day milestone I never pictured reaching. Then the weather turned on us in the San Juan Mountains, and at a bailout junction we made the call to drop off the ridge. More snow was coming and we would have needed crampons to carry on. A tough decision, but the right one. I am walking more than 3,000 miles (5,000 km) from Canada to Mexico, through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. It is my third of the Triple Crown after the Appalachian Trail and the PCT, and so far it is the toughest. Subscribe and come along for the rest of the walk. Subscribe to follow the whole journey:    / @jonatanbjorkman   I film and edit all of this myself out on trail. If it adds something to your day, you can superpower me with a trail snack here: https://buymeacoffee.com/the.ambassador TRAIL LOG Days 98-100 San Juan Mountains, southern Colorado Total: about 2,200 of 3,000 mi (3,540 of 5,000 km) State 4 of 5: Colorado, New Mexico next Hiking with: Spirit and Freestyle (Golf Ball off trail for a few days) Conditions: three days of rain, hail and the first real snow CHAPTERS 0:00 Looking back on 100 days 1:15 Day 98, goodbye to Golf Ball 2:47 Twelve elk and a magic sunrise 3:33 The high point, 13,271 feet 4:26 Elk, moose and lunch 5:11 Twenty-six miles in the cold 6:26 Day 99, rain all night 8:17 Leaving the Colorado Trail 10:30 Waiting on the sun for lunch 12:27 Camp, with a moose for a neighbour 13:18 Ramen bomb and hot chocolate 14:38 Day 100 on the trail 16:52 Free socks from the hunters 17:16 Ghost miles and a wrong turn 19:36 Too dangerous to stay up high 19:49 The call to drop off the San Juans FOLLOW ALONG Subscribe:    / @jonatanbjorkman   Instagram:   / johnny__mango   YOU MAY ALSO LIKE Previous episode:    • I Don't Know How Much Longer I Can Do This   Full CDT series:    • Canada🇨🇦 to Mexico 🇲🇽 | 🇺🇸 Continental Div...   The closest wildlife encounter of the CDT:    • The Closest Wildlife Encounter of the CDT ...   CDT gear list:    • You Don't Need Expensive Gear to Thru-Hike...   MY FAVORITE GEAR Backpack (Osprey Exos 58): https://geni.us/osprey-exos Sleeping pad (Thermarest NeoAir): https://geni.us/sleepingpad-thermarest Pillow (Sea to Summit): https://geni.us/sea2summitpillow Water filter (Sawyer Squeeze): https://geni.us/sawyersqueeze MORE My partner @suzannevanderveeken films her own hiking adventures, and ours together too. Planning your own first hike? She made a guide to help you get started: https://geni.us/yourfirsthike TRAIL TOWN Resupply target: Pagosa Springs, Colorado TRAIL RESOURCES Navigation (FarOut CDT guide): https://geni.us/FAROUT-CDT Permits and planning: Continental Divide Trail Coalition, continentaldividetrail.org #ContinentalDivideTrail #thruhiking #colorado #sanjuans continental divide trail, cdt 2026, cdt sobo, san juan mountains, southern colorado, pagosa springs, 100 days, day 100, thru hiking, thru hike, backpacking, triple crown, canada to mexico, solo hiking, first snow, elk, bailout, trail family, jonatan bjorkman, johnny mango