CDT Trail Correspondent Jared "Fisherman" Lampal - The Post-Hike Debrief

Hiker Trash Radio | Trail Correspondent Series · 2026 Jared "Fisherman" Lampal | CDT Post-Hike Interview Mexico to Canada — The Full Debrief Jared "Fisherman" Lampal set out from the southern terminus of the Continental Divide Trail on April 20th with a desk job on hold, a solar-powered Garmin watch, and a tattoo with two empty triangles on his arm. 141 days later, he touched the northern terminus monument at Waterton Lake in the pouring rain, surrounded by his finish-line crew, and holding a room-temperature IPA destined for a shoey. In this final episode of the 2026 CDT Trail Correspondent Series, Doc and Fisherman do the full debrief: every open loop, every answered question, and the final scorecard on one of the most documented CDT thru-hikes in HTR history. In this episode: The finish: Goat Haunt, Waterton Lake, pouring rain, and a shoey courtesy of an Australian named Hitch Master How Jared's parents ended up at the Canadian border — and why Sunny was not there No grizzlies — but a black bear in a Walmart parking lot in Steamboat Springs, Colorado Montana: Glacier vs. the Wind Rivers, the Beaverhead Range, and a lot of sagebrush The Hiker Trash moment Doc has been waiting two episodes for: a Goose concert near Missoula, secured entirely via digital panhandling in a Facebook fan group The JB Savreaux crossover that almost happened — and the yo-yo CDT skier who actually did cross paths Final stats: 141 days, ~2,850 miles, 11 zeroes, 5 states, 3 concerts, 4 fourteeners, 0 rodeos The five-state difficulty ranking — and why Jared still thinks the CDT is harder than the AT What the CDT taught him that the AT couldn't: water, weather, and respect Sunny's A+ resupply performance, homemade fudgy brownies, and why Jackrabbit always perked up when a box was coming The first meal back: not dim sum, not EB's burgers — it was a lasagna at Filomena in DC Post-trail depression, the inbox with thousands of unread emails, and the tactical beard shave plan The CDT tattoo triangle: appointment booked for this weekend PCT urgency level: low — "a life goal, not a today goal" Advice for anyone thinking about the CDT in 2027: do it, start in the bubble, and don't let the internet scare you off Mentioned in this episode: Goat Haunt, Glacier National Park (final campsite before the monument) Waterton Lake / Waterton, Alberta (northern terminus) Banff, Alberta (where Jared's parents were) Steamboat Springs, Colorado (black bear, Walmart parking lot) James Peak, Colorado (hardest day of the trail — already recapped in Check-In #2, referenced here) Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana (where the lasagna craving hit) Glacier National Park (up there with the Wind Rivers as a favorite section) Beaverhead Range, Idaho-Montana border Rogers Pass, Montana (jump-off point for Missoula) Missoula, Montana (Goose concert) Filomena restaurant, Washington, DC (the celebration lasagna) EB's Burgers, Washington, DC (still on the list) Goose (jam band; Jared has seen them approximately 30 times) "Hitch Master" (Australian Far Out commenter, alleged originator of the CDT shoey tradition) Jackrabbit (trail companion for more than two-thirds of the trail) CB, Snowbird, Arson, Ty, Tie-Dye (finish-line crew) Dana "Sniper" Wolf (HTR AT yo-yo correspondent, northbound complete, southbound in progress) JB Savreaux (HTR SOBO CDT correspondent — crossover did not happen) Gannett Peak, Wyoming (still unchecked; dedicated trip planned with CDT friends) Far Out app Capital Bikeshare (DC) NH 48 / US High Points (ongoing completionist side projects) Final CDT Scorecard: April 20 – September 7, 2026 141 days / 11 zeroes / 130 hiking days ~2,850 miles (official route ~3,040; alternates shortened it) 5 states: New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho (border), Montana 4 fourteeners: San Luis, Elbert, Grays, Torreys 3 concerts: Elks Lodge metal show (Grants, NM) · Denver · Goose (Missoula, MT) 1 black bear (Walmart, Steamboat Springs) 0 grizzlies 62.1 miles in 23 hours (Great Basin Challenge) 0 rodeos Sponsors: Far Out · Garage Grown Gear · Hilltop Packs · Jolly Gear · Off the Trail Recreation · Six Moon Designs · Triple Crown Coffee · Vaer Watches Follow Jared: Instagram @jl_onthe_trail Connect with HTR: Facebook · YouTube · Inst