By Jamey Mossengren
This summer, I finished one of the hardest and most meaningful adventures of my life: the 3,100-mile Continental Divide Trail (CDT) — and I did half of it on one wheel.
In 2023, I hiked half of the CDT. This year, I went back to finish in a way no one ever has before: “uni-packing,” my twist on bikepacking where I strap all my gear to a mountain unicycle. It’s just like bikepacking… except you get only half a bike.
I started in Grants, New Mexico about two months ago and made my way north, finally finishing near Yellowstone National Park. That makes me the first person in the world to hike half and unicycle half of the CDT — not to be confused with the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, which follows easier dirt and paved roads.
But for me, this journey was never just about miles.
Earlier this year, I lost my beloved sister to suicide. Her passing left a hole in my heart that felt impossible to fill. I didn’t know where to turn, so I turned to the only place I’ve always found peace: the mountains. Out there, the grief came in waves, but so did the healing. Some days I cried as I rode. Other days I laughed at the absurdity of uni-packing through storms, mud, and endless climbs. Slowly, step by step, pedal by pedal, the weight I was carrying inside felt a little lighter.
The trail gave me space to process the loss, to scream into the wind, to sit quietly under the stars, and to remember my sister with love instead of just pain. I’ll never stop missing her, but I know she was with me on every ridge, every summit, every breathtaking sunrise. Nature has a way of mending the pieces of a broken heart, even if the cracks never fully disappear.
By the time I reached Yellowstone, I decided to honor her by donating $1,000 to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (afsp.org), and I encourage others to donate what they can.
More importantly, I want anyone struggling to know they are not alone. Please call 988 or even send me a DM if you need help.
The logistics of this trip were almost as wild as the unicycling. I used what I call a seven-wheel strategy: my Sprinter van, a moped, and of course, my unicycle. I’d park the van at a trailhead, scooter north with the unicycle strapped to the moped, ride the unicycle south back to the van, then leapfrog ahead — making sure I covered every mile.
This wasn’t my first rodeo. I’ve thru-hiked the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail, the 300-mile Superior Hiking Trail, and most of the 2,600-mile Pacific Crest Trail. I’ve also uni-packed the 500-mile Colorado Trail, the 800-mile Arizona Trail, and the 700-mile Oregon Timber Trail. Last year, I even set a Guinness World Record by riding a 44-foot-tall unicycle.
On the CDT, I had a few flat tires, some worn-out bearings, and plenty of UPDs (unplanned dismounts), but thankfully no serious injuries. Along the way, I shared daily video updates on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook — always giving a trigger warning before talking about sensitive topics like mental health and suicide, so people could engage at their own comfort level.
This journey wasn’t just about finishing a trail — it was about finding a way forward after unimaginable loss. And while I crossed the finish line on one wheel, I walked away with something much greater: a little more peace, a little more strength, and the reminder that even in our darkest moments, there’s still light on the horizon.
If you want to follow along or see more of my adventures, visit “The Unicycling Unicorn” online — this mystical creature is hard to miss.
Jamey Mossengren has been unicycling for over 33 years. He holds countless national and world championship titles for a variety of unicycling disciplines. He started competing in 1993 and has competed in almost every North American Championships & International Championships since then.