As I mentioned earlier, along this trail youll meet hikers, motorcycle riders, and mountain bikers (amazingly, the mountain bike record for the 2,700-mile border-to-border route is a mere two weeks!). That is readily available via the internet and that we know of. Thru-hikers of the Continental Divide Trail, the Appalachian Trail (AT) and the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) achieve what is known as the Triple Crown of Hiking. This page was last edited on 10 February 2023, at 23:37. Keep in mind, that when looking at the map, only 70% of the actual trail routing is . He kayaked in Wisconsin's Apostle Islands, backpacked on Michigan's Isle Royale. The Great Continental Divide Adventure Route is a scenic route that slices through several national parks, four or five states (depending on which route is chosen), crisscrosses the divide several times, and consists of pavement, gravel, dirt, and rocky roads. For the next 358 miles (576km) the trail closely follows the border of Idaho and Montana, which is also the Continental Divide. The most common problems reported by thru-hikers are injury and snow. Our sleeping bags and everything warm we owned was soaked. By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of data and cookies. If you cover a steady twenty miles a day, you will finish it . At Datil we found a combination general store, motel, gas station, restaurant, and butcher shop, which also raised its own beef. If youre not into Patreon, thats cool, you can instead Venmo @halfwayanywhere, Cash app $halfwayanywhere, or PayPal [emailprotected]. Thats why we treated the divide route like the trunk of a tree, with branches out both sides, but always returning to the basic route root. The CDT stretches 4989 km between Canada and Mexico, slicing the United States from top to bottom, crossing New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana. The Triple Crown of hiking is a thru-hike trifecta that includes the three most prominent long trails of the United States - the Appalachian Trail (AT), the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). But Alex stood in the downpour, tending the fire, "having the best time in the rain." Map of the Continental Divide in North America By Yellowstone Volcano Observatory March 2022 (approx.) The Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) is the 501(c)(3) national non-profit working in partnership with the US Forest Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management to complete, promote, and protect the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. Clothing. Caf Jax was our final breakfast while actually on the trail. Wed just camped for the final night on the trail and parked at the border for our completion photos, and were celebrating our victory. All we had left to do was to wend our way home on the wonderful and interesting US Highway 93. Called home crying about, Great Basin (Wyoming), no water at the water cache. The road climbs to the continental divide at the top of the Pass (12,095 ft.). "[2] Distances given are approximate as sections of the trail are uncompleted and the trail is sometimes re-routed. vaults I-94 overpass, tumbles to embankment, Who's next? 00:59 Alone/Remote04:49 The Trail Is Not Complete07:15 Exposure09:48 Lightning15:10 Dehydration17:41 Wildlife19:20 Snow Traverses (San Juans)22:40 Hypothermi. Pacific Crest Trail Hiker Deaths. The Continental Divide Trail blazes a path through some of the nation's most treasured scenic terrain. [], CDTC, New Mexico Land Office, BLM Announce Partnership to Improve & Protect CDT Access, CDTC Applauds Important Milestone for the Bipartisan CDT Completion Act. We use data about you for a number of purposes explained in the links below. After getting to and safely down from the Grays to Edwards Peak traverse. 22 hours and 51 minutes and was set in 2016 by Mike Hall (see Trail Notes for a full list of records). Stephen Olshansky was found in a campground building in the Carson National Forest in New . ", Alex's sister, Hannah Benson-Cahoy, traversed the Superior Hiking Trail with him. It was just going to keep getting colder and colder and I still had a long way to go. 1 / 8. In 2012, the Continental Divide Trail Coalition replaced the CDTA to coordinate the efforts of several regional partners engaged in constructing and maintaining the trail. 2 min read. His Instagram photos reflect his appreciation for beauty along the trail. [2] The CDT follows the Continental Divide of the Americas along the Rocky Mountains and traverses five U.S. states Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico. At any point on the loop, you'll be on one of those two trails. . In other words, rain falling on the western-facing slopes eventually finds its way to the Pacific Ocean; while the eastern watershed drains into the Atlantic Ocean. Much of the CDT route in New Mexico traverses desert and dry mountains and a challenge to hikers is finding drinking water. Wow, what a woman! Some road walking is required. The highest elevation is 9,324 feet (2,842m) in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness. Each drainage basin contributes its water to river systems, which in turn flow into distinct larger bodies of water, such as oceans. The CDT crosses Interstate 15 again at an elevation of 6,299 feet (1,920m). This 13,916-foot peak sits just to the southeast of Longs Peak and can be prominently viewed along Colorado Highway 7. Road walking on a highway without a shoulder. An 11-year-old in the pickup suffered noncritical injuries. Continental Divide Trail. [12][13][14] This seven-month journey spanned over 5,600 miles. The lowest elevation of the trail in New Mexico is 4,189 feet (1,277m) in the town of Lordsburg[22] and the highest elevation in New Mexico is 11,301 feet (3,445m) at the summit of Mount Taylor. Hikers must decide on a route through the Great Divide Basin as the actual Continental Divide forks, forming an endorheic basin. They may also encounter adverse weather conditions. It was, Aside from the day I had to leave the trail due to my mothers death (certainly my worst day on or off the trail), I would say it was a day in the San Juans when a thunder blizzard forced me into an. To complete the trail in six months, hikers must average 17 miles per day. There was a 40% increase in deaths over normal among the 18-44 age group in the US among in Fall 2021, according to insurance companies, with Lincoln Life Insurance paying out in death benefits 163% more in 2021 than 2020. Usually most of the red route was about the same as the blue, with a small section of it being difficult. Original Thumbnail Medium. Continental Divide. I was night hiking along the road when a local pulled up. ALSO SEE: Yokohama Geolandar X-MT Tire Review. The 2017 hiking season was plagued by many dangerous river crossings because of the unusually high snowpack from the previous winter (source), DROWNING | Rika Morita | Mid July, 2017 | In Kings Canyon National Park (California), Rika Morita was discovered in the South Fork of the Kings River. He'd lost his glasses, so she mailed a spare pair and some cookies to Silverton, Colo. Lastly, I have also had some reports of deaths on the Pacific Crest Trail that I havent been able to find any source material for. Another recommendation: For most of us, driving through the high lonesome on the continental divide will be a one-time thing, in other words a trip of a lifetime. With the morning sun at his back on August 12,1805, Meriwether Lewis followed a well-worn Indian trail from southwest Montana's Horse Prairie Valley up Trail Creek, gradually topping out on a 7,373-foot pass. Girl, 13, Youngest to Claim Triple Crown", "Working Together, Continental Divide National Scenic Trail", "Horror & Heartbreak on the Continental Divide Trail (2018 Edition)", "What are the steepest climbs on the AT, PCT, and CDT? Be fully prepared for any weather, though, because even in July, some of the higher passes through the Rockies could be clogged with snow, or inundated with vicious storms (hail, rain, and/or snow). All hikers must replenish their food every few days, often hitchhiking from a road crossing of the trail into a town to buy food and supplies. Detailed Description. And thats it! Portions of the trail already existed and a few hikers claimed to have walked from Mexico to Canada on the informal trail,[3] among them Jim Wolf, A Baltimore lawyer who had hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1971, and whose account of that journey appears in the two-volume book, Hiking the Appalachian Trail. . You can even hike the entire length of the divide from the Mexican border to the Canadian border on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail if you have five months to spare. Over the years, there have been a number of deaths on the Pacific Crest Trail. I was exhausted and frankly traumatized. Hiking into Grants was a long, hot day. Jump in and jump out at the various interstates as your free time dictates. The data collected in the survey will always be free and accessible to everyone who wants/needs it. The cause of death is unknown, but hypothermia is suspected (source), FALL | John Lowder | June 1999 | Its thought John Lowder (69), a doctor from San Diego, slipped on some ice crossing New Army Pass in the Sierra and fell approximately 60 ft / 18 m off into a canyon in the Sierra Nevada. The Continental Divide Trail in Colorado also has plenty of options for doing day or just short hikes: Berthoud Pass to Stanley MountainBerthoud Pass. They meet at the actual continental divide at Flattop Mountain, an elevation of 12,324 feet (according to the National Park Service's website). [17] Olive "Raindance" McGloin, yo-yoed in 2020 becoming the first woman on her second attempt (McGloin also yo-yoed the PCT in 2014). was banging a pot and spoon all night. In northernmost New Mexico, the CDT crosses into Colorado near Cumbres Pass at an elevation of 10,022 feet (3,055m). The Continental Divide Trail is meant to follow the Continental Divide through the United States between Mexico and Canada, or at least stay within 50 miles of it since it is not always practical to put the trail directly on the divide. San Jacinto in an unseasonal snowstorm. Continental Divide Trail. Horseback riding is permitted on the trail; mountain biking is only permitted on a few sections. But even with a chip from Kevin, our expedition still took us almost a year of planning, which included assembling a cast of characters, their vehicles, and a sponsor. A thru-hike is a bucket list item for many people, but which trail is best? Consider all these things while assembling a group and planning your trip. He wanted social justice. They have a variety of newsletters, forums, events and updates on . Bridger Peak. For four to six months of walking, CDT thru-hikers have a laundry list of concerns that outpace those of many other long trails: grizzly bears, lightning storms, avalanche danger, unmarked or non-existent . In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson proposed a national system of trails and in 1968 the U.S. Congress adopted the National Trails System Act. At an elevation of 11,315 feet (3,449m), the highest point reached by the CDT in Wyoming. A guy on a motorcycle offered me a ride and then said he didnt have helmets but it was fine because theres no helmet law in Montana, I happened upon a man and a woman digging in some dirt on the shoulder and they had their truck parked off the edge of a forest service road. Search and rescue teams on Sept. 7 recovered the body of . His body was not recovered until more than a year later. Only about 150 people per year are thought to complete the thru-hike, compared to about 750 on the Appalachian Trail. Hiking tips. I felt, In the middle of Montana, I had one day that was. We use cookies to improve your experience on this website and so that ads you see online can be tailored to your online browsing interests. A few thru-hikers hike southbound (SOBO) from the Canadian border beginning in June and finishing in October or November. It's the highest, most remote, and, in many ways, most challenging of our National Scenic Trails. He succame to his injuries (which included internal bleeding and head trauma) before being found in his sleeping bag by hikers the day after his fall (source), HIT BY CAR | Flicka Rodman | Nov. 19, 1995 | While taking a road walk detour down Highway 138 in Southern California, both he and Jane Rodman were struck and killed by a motorist who lost control of his vehicle after falling asleep at the wheel (he received a five-day jail sentence) (source), HIT BY CAR | Jane Rodman | Nov. 19, 1995 | While taking a road walk detour down Highway 138 in Southern California, both she and Flicka Rodman were struck and killed by a motorist who lost control of his vehicle after falling asleep at the wheel (he received a five-day jail sentence) (source), FALL | Jodi Zatchick | Winter 1983 | During a winter thru-hike attempt, Jodi Zatchick and her hiking partner Gerald Duran fell off a cliff face near Wrightwood, California after losing the trail and slipping on an icy slope (source), FALL | Gerald Duran | Winter 1983 | During a winter thru-hike attempt, Gerald Duran and his hiking partner Jodi Zatchick fell off a cliff face near Wrightwood, California after losing the trail and slipping on an icy slope (source). It traverses a multitude of biospheres, from tundra to high desert, with a vast variety of flora and fauna, including several . Because the Continental Divide Loop . Murder charges: 'Who else want it?' Death Valley; Eastern Sierras; Lassen Volcanic Nat'l Park; The Lost Coast; Sequoia - Kings Canyon; Joshua Tree National Park; Colorado. We were not following the official Continental Divide Trail its for hikers only since we were in Jeeps. The Montana/Idaho Border where you just walk a forest road, After three weeks of hiking and slowly coming to the realization that I was not having as much fun as I had expected. It was a long night. Share. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) extends 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada across a range of landscapes in New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. 1 mo. A man in a pickup blocked the road I was walking in Northern New Mexico. 15. In Montana near the Canadian border the trail crosses Triple Divide Pass (near Triple Divide Peak, from which waters may flow to either the Arctic Ocean (via Hudson Bay), Atlantic Ocean or Pacific Ocean). You might say we were emulating the explorers of the 1800s but we were in Jeeps towing trailers rather than riding horses tugging pack animals or riding Conestoga or Studebaker wagons.