Trail Posse; Trailspace Blog; Trailspotting; Two Knobby Tires (Colorado) Two-Heel Drive; Waterton Scrambling; Yosemite Blog; books. One night in the Collegiates (Colorado), I had already gotten rained on all day and picked a suboptimal campsite just to get it over with. The road climbs to the continental divide at the top of the Pass (12,095 ft.). Beginning of the hike my shoes were too small and I had mad tendinitis and was afraid of having a, I packed out baby carrots from Ennis, Montana, and got. Congress established the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) in 1978. He didnt understand that the only thing I was afraid of at that moment was. Ninety-five percent of the trail is located on public land, including National Parks, National Forests, and land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. We were going fast because we thought a party member was ahead of us, but once we got there, they were nowhere to be found. It takes between five and six months to hike through the remote Continental Divide Trail, depending on how fit you are. Want to know how you can expect to meet your maker should this hike turn out to be your last? [25][1], Notable points from south to north on the CDT in Montana include:[25][1]. His body was not recovered until more than a year later. 1 mo. ", When fellow hiker Tim Brugman last saw Alex, a couple of days before he died, he was on "a really sketchy section" of snowy trail called Knife Edge, "walking along with ease.". Sign-up to get our latest reviews and news before everybody else does. I was night hiking along the road when a local pulled up. 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. Inside a 5,600-mile footrace on the country's hardest trail. This beautifully produced volume makes accessible the highest and most remote . Added to that, the thru-hiker carries up to a one week supply of food weighing about 2lb (0.91kg) per day and, in drier areas especially New Mexico, up to five liters of water. Grizzly encounter on day four in Glacier National Park (Montana). It traverses a multitude of biospheres, from tundra to high desert, with a vast variety of flora and fauna, including several . Accidents were the second most frequent cause of death on the trail . You being in the desert - not this high-altitude chaparral crap on the PCT - you're hiking for nearly 100 mi / 160 km through shadeless and waterless desert. Search and rescue teams on Sept. 7 recovered the body of . Hiking into Grants was a long, hot day. The Continental Divide Trail is a choose-your-own-adventure Thru-Hike that runs typically between 2500 miles and 3100 miles from the Mexico and New Mexico border to the Montana and Canadian border. The thunder and lightning had continued from the previous day when I had slept (didnt sleep at all) trapped on a ridgeline. Here is a detailed account of each of the deaths noted above (in chronological order from earliest to most recent): HAPE (UNCONFIRMED) | Maddie Magee | May 28, 2022 | Twenty-three-year-old Maddie Magee died near the top of Forester Pass (the high point of the PCT) in California's Sierra Nevada of (unconfirmed . Keep in mind, that when looking at the map, only 70% of the actual trail routing is . She fell approximately 300 ft / 91 m and did not survive the fall (source), FALL | Emily Lang | August 12, 2017 | Emily Lang (19), died in a fall along the PCT near Mount Hood (Oregon). Stretching for 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada, the Continental Divide Trail traverses some of North America's most scenic and remote terrains. Some people attempt to travel the entire 3,100 miles in a . It's not unrealistic to say that a Pacific Crest . Youll get access to exclusive posts, discount codes, live streams, and super extra cool stickers so that everyone will know how cool you are. Walking in super strong winds in a sandy desert, sandblaster. Resorted to drinking out of a disgusting cattle pond. And if youll be towing trailers, as we did, the tag-alongs will also require clearance and tough tires. Because if youre lucky, you may drive the entire length in sunny warm weather, but thats very unlikely. The establishment of the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail inspired proposals to create a Continental Divide trail. His body was found just below the summit (source), FALL | Laurie Choate | September 5, 2018 | Laurie Choate, died in a fall hiking the Kendall Katwalk (Washington). Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, NJ/PA. MWA staff work to maintain the CDT in Montana and Idaho with the help of volunteers and agency partners. This 13,916-foot peak sits just to the southeast of Longs Peak and can be prominently viewed along Colorado Highway 7. A lot of the trail can suck (and sometimes it sucks a lot). For those who decide to hike the Continental Divide Trail from North to South, then the best time to start is late April, generally finishing in September. It was, My first night at Two Medicine before getting my permit and starting the trail the next day. "Money wasn't important to him," Tom said. Twice hail chased us off the first time, the second time it was just hard , Hiking a cross-country alternate in the Spanish peaks. Avid Thru Hiker Dies on Third Continental Divide Trek. As GPS units have become both more powerful and easier to use, it has enabled anyone to be able to easily find their way along the trail. 70% (2,170 miles) of the trail is along land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Map of the Continental Divide in North America By Yellowstone Volcano Observatory March 2022 (approx.) . If hikers begin too early they may encounter heavy and near impassable snow conditions in the southern San Juan and San Juan Mountains of Colorado, and if the hiker finishes too late they may also encounter heavy snow in Glacier National Park near the Canadian border. Starting the Cirque of the Towers alternate in the Wind River Range in Wyoming. "Trail angels" (volunteers) at locations along the trail assist hikers with food, water, and transportation to and from resupply points to trail heads. . Leave a Reply Cancel reply. Crazy Cook Monument. From packing lists to recipes, the couple's social media pages and online blog contain preparation tips for hiking the CDT. Bridger Peak. In 2018, 300 individuals attempted to hike the trail end-to-end. Share. It is a rare club of hikers that have hiked . In some places, the divide is obvious, like a high mountain pass clearly separating the watersheds. I was tired, hot, and fed up with the desert. 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. 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. The CDT crosses Interstate 15 again at an elevation of 6,299 feet (1,920m). Over the past few years, Yokohama (www.yokohamatire.com) introduced two wonderful off-road tire designsGeolandar MT G003 and Geolandar X-MT with the X-MT design being the more aggressive of the two tire designs. Sleeping Bag or Quilt. At various spots along the blue route, Kevin has added alternative green and red tracks. For elective surgeries, the death rate was 1.30% among Black men, compared with white men at 0.85%, white women at 0.82%, and Black women at 0.79%. In high school, Alex spent summers at Wilderness Canoe Base on the Gunflint Trail in Grand Marais. Thru-hiking the CDT is an adventure of a lifetime, but it's not for the faint of heart. Pacific Crest Trail Death, PCT Resources, Research, Statistics. There was a lot of snow. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (in short Continental Divide Trail, CDT) is a United States National Scenic Trail with a length measured by the Continental Divide Trail Coalition of 3,028 miles (4,873km) between the U.S. border with Chihuahua, Mexico and the border with Alberta, Canada. 1. 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. North Fork of Sheep Creek. "He didn't need a lot of money to do what he did. Hiker Kiana Van Zanten met Alex on the trail and admired the way he approached hiking "really taking the time to enjoy nature and the trail, leaving no trace, taking the time to befriend other hikers even if you're not sure you'll see them again, willing to go on fun side adventures and not just be so focused on staying the line.". As it turned out, we accrued almost 8,000 miles total on the expedition because of all the highway travel to and from the trailheads. 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. Ashland Ski Lodge (Oregon), Phillip Crosby was crushed by a tree that fell on his tent in strong wind (source), FALL | 20-year-old male | August 20, 2013 | A man free-climbing a rock face with friends near the PCT in Yakima County (Washington) fell to his death (source), HYPOTHERMIA | Karen Tellez | December 7, 1997 | A woman out hiking became separated from her group and died of suspected hypothermia near the PCT near Pine Canyon Road in Southern California (source), SUICIDE | Douglas Cracker | October 29, 1988 | A hiker on the PCT discovered the body of Douglas Cracker, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, half a mile north of Highway 62 in Crater Lake National Park (source). He cross-country skied as a small child, joining the Minnesota Youth Ski League when he was 6 or 7. ago. The CDT drops 3,000 feet (910m) from the Continental Divide to the lowest point on the Idaho/Montana trail, 5,764 feet (1,757m). Continental Divide Trail CDT Life, CDT Survey, Hiker Problems. [21], The official route of the CDT in New Mexico is 794.5 miles (1,278.6km) long,[1] although many alternate routes shorten or lengthen that distance. More than likely, youll hit rain or snow, which means mud and washouts. The free printable Continental Divide Trail maps and guides below are organized by state starting in the south at the Mexican border in New Mexico, and working the way north along the C.D.T. [22] and the highest elevation in Wyoming is 11,115 feet (3,388m) at Lester Pass in the Bridger Wilderness of the Wind River Range. When I finally set up camp and went to sleep, someone (a hiker?) Here are the number of fatalities that have occurred in each section. 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 . It turns out that the Pacific Crest Trail is a safe place to be (and when the zombies, robots, or aliens finally decide to make their move, Ill bet itll be even safer). Anaconda cutoff. Much of the CDT route in New Mexico traverses desert and dry mountains and a challenge to hikers is finding drinking water. The Continental Divide Trail Guide for Thru-Hikers. 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. The residents of Atlantic City, Wyoming, are just fine being off the grid. 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). Usually most of the red route was about the same as the blue, with a small section of it being difficult. According to a Google search, "The Great Continental Divide Adventure Route is a motorized route that follows closely along the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. UNKNOWN | Park Sun Chil (Happy Days) | April 13, 2018 | A hiker from South Korea is said to have passed away on the trail in Southern California. borders.] As a part of the thru-hiker survey, I also ask hikers, What (if anything) was your lowest moment on the trail? Yes, social media is filled with photos of sunrises, sunsets, and mountain vistas, but not of hikers pooping their pants, crying alone in their tents, or being swarmed by mosquitoes. Here are 10 intriguing facts you may not know about the Continental Divide Trail. Depending on any given year's snow-pack and a hiker's individual schedule, alternative routes are available. Road walking on a highway without a shoulder. Myth #4: The Idaho-Montana border is full of PUDs. Remember that between altitudes of 10,500 feet (3,200 km) and 13,000 feet (3,962 km) the air is thin, and some hikers may experience difficulty. In northernmost New Mexico, the CDT crosses into Colorado near Cumbres Pass at an elevation of 10,022 feet (3,055m). [12][13][14] This seven-month journey spanned over 5,600 miles. The ride starts on the border with Canada and finishes at the border with Baja Mexico. The hiker from Minneapolis had been out of contact for a few days when a search team found him June 9 at his campsite in the Colorado mountains. This map was created by a user. At one point in the Winds I had lost my tent, my wallet, and my flashlight and my phone was dying and I had to bushwack over 10 mi / 16 km of wet blowdowns just to get to a spot where I had a chance of hitching into Pinedale to buy a new tent, flashlight, and phone, and I only had $50 in my pocket. With the card in your GPS unit, youll see the route plainly delineated with a blue track (with arrows pointing southward). The award is acknowledged here . Alex also liked helping people when not hiking. I was, Giardia in Colorado Colorado was tough enough without having to, I got caught in a nighttime storm in the basin while cowboy camping. In 2021, the CDT was about 70 percent complete, with a combination of dedicated trails and dirt and paved roads. Continental Divide Trail . Myth #1: The CDT is 70% complete. The discovery this week in northern New Mexico of a 59-year-old known for extensive long distance hikes ends a monthslong search after going missing in December. If youre not into Patreon, thats cool, you can instead Venmo @halfwayanywhere, Cash app $halfwayanywhere, or PayPal [emailprotected]. "He had a bonfire going in the middle of that storm.". Kathryn Miles Jun 5, 2019 At the time this post is being updated (as I update it whenever news comes in), the number stands at 15. The Senator introduced The Continental Divide Trail Completion Act with Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). Jennifer Coleman, 34, of Richmond, Va., died hiking in the Logan Pass area of Glacier National Park on Aug. 30 or 31, 2021. Continental Divide Trail. . This blue track begins at the Mexican border where New Mexico SR 81 crosses it, and then flows northward through New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana (a green line bypasses Idaho and takes you through Yellowstone National Park, which is the route we chose). Not everyone who begins a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike will complete their mission of traversing the country-spanning 2,660 mi / 4,280 km trail. "By the time he was probably 10, we couldn't keep up with him," Julie Cahoy said. Fifteen miles (24 km) from the Southern Terminus, the trail was ill-defined and rocks were making me roll my ankle every other step. [20] There are few facilities along the trail itself, and it is usually necessary for the hiker to leave the trail to resupply or find lodging. With our group it was easy; wed all four wheeled together for years and had traveled with each other on a camping trip or two. Glacier National Park. We recognize users regardless of sequence, direction, speed, or whether they carry a pack, or any variation of their hike. 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. [36], The CDT trail goes east from the Idaho border, circles around the city of Butte, then turns north toward Glacier National Park via the Lewis and Clark National Forest and through three National Wilderness areas. By the end of Colorado, I was absolutely worn out and my mental state had deteriorated and I needed to reset and start hiking with other people. Alex Cahoy was 32 and a healthy and experienced hiker. A continental divide is a ridge or natural boundary of elevated terrain that separates the drainage basins of a continent. Later that night, she got a call from the coroner. [Authors note: If you dont wish to shoot your own photos at the border, or have bragging rights about doing the entire route, or meet the nice folks at the Hachita Food Mart, a ride down State Routes 146 and 81 from Interstate 10 to the border is pretty much just a cruise on a two-lane highway over rolling hills through cattle country.]. We want to hear from you about your journey. Officials reported that the tree had rotted at the base, causing it to become unstable (source), DROWNING | Wang Chaocui | Mid July, 2017 | In Yosemite National Park (California), Wang Chaocui was discovered in a river in Kerrick Canyon.

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