Applying the ancient Chinese proverb, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step,” Mystic native Hilary Sueoka and her boyfriend, Dan Stedman, should have taken three steps April 22 when they set out on their latest adventure: A hike of the fabled Continental Divide Trail that extends 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada.

“We've been on the trail 20 days and are in Grants, N.M. We’re trying to get in around 25 miles a day at this point,” Hilary wrote in an email earlier this week. “New Mexico has been great so far, much more scenic and varied than we had expected. Also much colder and wetter than expected. We got snowed on a couple days ago near Malpais National Monument. Since this trail isn’t completed, there's still a lot of road walking, though it's not all paved. There’s a good variety of jeep road, dirt road, cross country, paved and single track” she added.

I last wrote about Hilary and Dan two years ago, when they hiked the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, which also runs between Mexico and Canada, along the West Coast from southern California to northern Washington.

The Continental Divide Trail they’re now hiking on follows the Rocky Mountains along a geologic line that separates North America’s drainages – all waterways west of the divide flow toward the Pacific Ocean; those east of the divide run toward the Atlantic.

The trail traverses New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana before reaching the Canadian border. About 200 people a year hike the entire trail, typically taking about six months.

Hilary, 28, who now calls Boulder, Co. home, grew up in Mystic and graduated in 2005 from The Williams School in New London, where her mother, Nancy Spillane, was a chemistry teacher. Her grandfather, J. Niel Spillane of Mystic, is a former mayor of Groton.

After graduating from Colorado University in 2009 with a degree in ecology and evolutionary biology, she worked in various outdoor education jobs and met Dan, now 30, at Eldora Mountain Resort’s ski school outside Nederland, Colo. She and Dan, a Pittsburgh native who earned a degree in aerospace engineering from Penn State, quickly discovered their mutual passion for adventure and began planning their first major journey on the Pacific Crest Trail.

As was the case during that expedition the couple has been keeping in touch with friends and family by cellphone and on Facebook whenever they can get Internet service.

Here are some recent postings:

May 11:

“From backcountry hot springs to El Malpais lava fields, new Mexico is exceeding every expectation. We also got a few days without rain! Although one of them featured a high plains blizzard, instead.

Did we fail to mention we met a hermit living in the wilderness who just prays and gardens all day? Seriously, everything has been great except the weather.”

May 1, Pinos Altos, N.M.:

At Doc Campbells Post at Gila hot springs! Last 100 miles were great! Trees, coyotes, javelinas, and after 130 miles of walking, flowing water! Above ground and everything! We forded the Gila river 51 times today, apparently 100 more or so to go tomorrow after checking out some cliff dwellings. Land of Enchantment, indeed!

April 26:

After having to hike in 14 miles just to get to the start, the first 85 miles of CDT were great! No bad heat, only a couple rattlesnakes, friendly border patrol, only 1 of our caches got raided by immigrants (and there was still plenty for everyone). Brutal in ways we didn't expect: weathered a storm our second night, took down camp in the rain today, have followed a marked trail only about 60% of the time, and every plant has inch long spikes!

Overall, we are feeling grateful to be back on the trail and headed north, and grateful for all the support and help we got just to get here.

April 26, Lordsburg, N.M.:

Made it to Lordsburg, staying a night after being reminded this isn't always easy. It is fun, though, even when it’s miserable.”

Anyone who has ever backpacked in rain or snow understands that sentiment.

You can follow Hilary and Dan on Facebook through this link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/802002336543203/

I’ll also try to post updates from time to time.

Assuming Hilary and Dan complete their hike, sometime around September, they will be two thirds through the so-called Triple Crown of distance hiking in the United States. All that will remain is hiking the most celebrated of the three footpaths, the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine.

I have no doubt Hilary and Dan already are contemplating that 2,200-mile trek.

I extend to them now the same best wishes I offered two years ago when they set out on the Pacific Crest Trail: Good luck, good weather and above all, a good time.