[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. The Indian Peaks Wilderness is a wilderness area in north central Colorado managed jointly by the United States Forest Service and the National Park Service within the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and small parts of the southern section of Rocky Mountain National Park.It borders the James Peak Wilderness to the south, and straddles the Continental Divide. I was tired, hot, and fed up with the desert. 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 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. The hike was supposed to take them around 4 hours to complete and was approximately 4 kilometers long. There was a lot of snow. "Money wasn't important to him," Tom said. The Continental Divide which consists of the Rockies and several other mountain ranges splits the North American Continent into two watersheds. The average time to thru-hike the CDT is about six months and most people hike south to north. The Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail both stretch from Mexico to Canada, but the CDT offers up a far more diverse landscape than the PCT. M. Biggers, Ashley. "As parents you always worry, but we had a certain level of trust," Tom said. The Route covers 5 states: New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana and is a . You can drive north on it or south, its completely up to you. 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. A few hikers "flip-flop," hiking different sections of the trail when the weather is most favorable rather than sequentially. The Crazy Cook Monument in New Mexico's bootheel is the most commonly used starting or finishing point of the CDT, but due to its remote location lacks lodging and other services. Herman Gulch. "And not just a little bitty fire," Hannah said. It was called the Eagle Guest Ranch, and when we found that they raised and served their own beef, we decided to eat, shower, and sleep at the Eagle Guest Ranch. Long water carry out of Lincoln, Montana with eight days of food on ridges. by David Rosenfeld. ALSO SEE:10 Best Off-Road Tires and How to Pick the Right Ones. Traveling through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, hiking the CDT is not for the faint of heart. Usually most of the red route was about the same as the blue, with a small section of it being difficult. When the storm passed, the fire was still going. By 1995, only 15 people were recorded as having hiked the whole trail, still largely unfinished. 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. Fifteen miles (24 km) from the Southern Terminus, the trail was ill-defined and rocks were making me roll my ankle every other step. T he Triple Crown trails (the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail) offer nearly 8,000 miles of some of the best hiking in the world. Obviously, we had neither the time nor the funds to explore every alternative route along the divide, but we did sample several of them. The definition of a thru-hike is left to the judgment of the hikers. We recognize users regardless of sequence, direction, speed, or whether they carry a pack, or any variation of their hike. Some road walking is required. "He didn't need a lot of money to do what he did. The epic trail runs about 3,000 miles (4,800 km), but that is simply a rough estimate since there are so many alternates and detours that thru-hikers often take. Speaking of trailheads, because of various issueshealth and mechanicalwe completed the journey in three stages, much as you readers might do if youre as intrigued as I with exploring the Continental Divide: First stage: Mexican border to Interstate 40, second stage: I40 to I80, and third stage: I80 to the Canadian border. He didnt understand that the only thing I was afraid of at that moment was. I mentioned a couple of our favorite eateries early on but I would be sorely remiss if I didnt also mention the Caf Jax in Eureka, Montana (very near the Canadian border). A continental divide is a naturally occurring boundary or ridge separating a continent 's river systems.Each river system feeds into a distinct ocean basin, bay, or sea.. Continental divides are broad, continent-wide example of drainage divides, sometimes just called divides. Because of my experience with snow. Twice hail chased us off the first time, the second time it was just hard , Hiking a cross-country alternate in the Spanish peaks. A freezing rain and thunderstorm storm in the Winds made the trail entirely sludge. The CDT is now 95 percent complete. Wow, what a woman! 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. Here is a breakdown of what has caused them: 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 Californias Sierra Nevada of (unconfirmed) high altitude pulmonary edema or HAPE (source), FALL | Trevor Laher | March 27, 2020 | Twenty-two-year-old Trevor Laher slipped and fell on snow-covered ice near Apache Peak just outside Idyllwild, California (source), FALLING TREE | Finn Bastian | August 27, 2019 | In Stevenson (Washington), Finn Bastian, a hiker from Germany, died after being hit by a falling tree on the PCT. Myth #1: The CDT is 70% complete. Considerations When Planning A Hike: Continental Divide Trail CDT Life, CDT Survey, Hiker Problems. In 2021, the CDT was about 70 percent complete, with a combination of dedicated trails and dirt and paved roads. . One evening as they sat by the fire it started raining, "like, buckets and buckets.". CDTC policy is to operate on the honor system, assuming that those who submit a request for recognition have completed a journey between the Mexican and Canadian Border along the Continental Divide . This 13,916-foot peak sits just to the southeast of Longs Peak and can be prominently viewed along Colorado Highway 7. The park was voted second among favorite sections of the CDT by hikers in 2019. Minneapolis man died of unknown causes on Continental Divide Trail . Hikers don't get the luxury of dictating every aspect of their hikes. Her body was found on rocks at the base of a waterfall about 6 mi / 9.6 km northwest of Timberline Lodge (source), FALLING TREE | Phillip Crosby | December 11, 2014 | Camped off the PCT near Mt. 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). The pilot project will send out a professional for follow-ups after behavioral health crises. Pacific Crest Trail Horror Stories (Class of 2022), Pacific Crest Trail Hiking Advice for 2023 (& Beyond), Hikers Lowest Moments on the Pacific Crest Trail (Class of 2022), 1 High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) (unconfirmed). [16] Andrew Skurka completed the trail as part of the 6,875-mile Great Western Loop in 2007. In 2021, he cared for his 94-year-old grandmother five days a week until she died in December. Rocky Mountain National Park has the highest paved roads in any National Park in the United States. As of the end of the application period in late 2021, 525 hikers have been designated Triple Crowners since 1994 by the American Long Distance Hiking AssociationWest. So if you have some mental block about hiking the PCT because of all the scary things that are waiting for you out there, then know that despite those things actually existing, they are unlikely to kill you. Hiking The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail . Four potential candidates to replace Whalen as Gophers coach, Ramstad: No, there aren't too many apartments being built in the Twin Cities, Here are the 15 best chocolate chip cookies in the Twin Cities, Yuen: When undocumented immigrants can drive, their kids can live in dignity, too, Deadline dash: Wild add Klingberg and Sundqvist, send Greenway to Sabres. Homer Young's Peak. 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. Search and rescue teams on Sept. 7 recovered the body of . In some places, the divide is obvious, like a high mountain pass clearly separating the watersheds. Map of North American showing the Continental Divide -- an invisible line that separates the major watersheds flowing to different oceans. Murder charges: 'Who else want it?' The Great Continental Divide Adventure Route is a motorized route that follows closely along the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. I felt, In the middle of Montana, I had one day that was. It was truly miserable. [6][7], Successfully thru-hiking the entire Continental Divide Trail takes an average of five months. The thunder and lightning had continued from the previous day when I had slept (didnt sleep at all) trapped on a ridgeline. This beautifully produced volume makes accessible the highest and most remote . Many will leave the trail due to injury, some due to weather, others for financial reasons, and, unfortunately, a very small percentage will die. Having thru-hiked the CDT twice herself, as well as numerous other long-distance . 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. The CDT is by far the most rugged of the three, being only 70% fully completed with a lot of portions of road walking and . [1] Frequent route changes and a large number of alternate routes result in an actual hiking distance of 2,700 miles (4,300km) to 3,150 miles (5,070km). ", Alex's sister, Hannah Benson-Cahoy, traversed the Superior Hiking Trail with him. Inside a 5,600-mile footrace on the country's hardest trail. 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 Continental Divide Trail Is Officially 3,100 Miles Long. The CDT achieves an elevation of 10,091 feet (3,076m), the most northerly place on the trail to reach an elevation of more than 10,000 feet (3,000m). From Aspen to the peak of the pass is about . In high school, Alex spent summers at Wilderness Canoe Base on the Gunflint Trail in Grand Marais. MWA staff work to maintain the CDT in Montana and Idaho with the help of volunteers and agency partners. Continental Divide Trail . In the yearly Continental Divide Trail Hiker Survey, hikers share both their lowest moments on the trail (physically, mentally, emotionally the literal lowest point of the CDT is Waterton Canyon, Montana at 2,972 ft / 906 m), as well as when, if ever, they found themselves in a situation where they felt they were in danger or where they were legitimately afraid. Luckily I found a friend. 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. Read More. [22] Timberline along this section of the trail is 8,500 feet (2,600m) to 9,000 feet (2,700m) in elevation. In the end, I didnt have the heart to finish so alone I was out there for the community and when I couldnt have that, In Colorado attempting to do five passes in a day. [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. Hikers sent sympathy notes to his parents praising Alex as easygoing, strong, cheerful, always willing to lend others a hand. Open full screen to view more. A man in a pickup blocked the road I was walking in Northern New Mexico. Much of the CDT follows high, grassy ridges with some walking on dirt roads required. [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. At an elevation of 11,315 feet (3,449m), the highest point reached by the CDT in Wyoming. Lester Pass. Horseback riding is permitted on the trail; mountain biking is only permitted on a few sections. 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). Wolf envisioned a similar trail running along the Continental Divide, and in 1978, he organized the Continental Divide Trail Society, which advocated for the newly designated National Scenic Trail and published several early guidebooks.[4]. Prior to that, she was a reporter at the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, La., and the Duluth News-Tribune and spent 15 years as a freelance writer for national and regional magazines. [5] More than 1,000 thru-hikers completed either the AT or PCT in 2019 compared to 150 completing the CDT, a reflection of the isolation and difficulty in hiking the CDT. [], CDTC, New Mexico Land Office, BLM Announce Partnership to Improve & Protect CDT Access, CDTC Applauds Important Milestone for the Bipartisan CDT Completion Act. [10], Most thru-hikers begin the hike in April in New Mexico, hike northbound, and finish at the Canadian border in August or September. Next spring, she plans to hike the Arizona National Scenic Trail from the border with Mexico to . When Julie didn't hear from her son for a few days, she called the local sheriff's office, which sent out a search and rescue team. He. Targhee Peak. Self Guided Adventure. 15. 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. But Alex stood in the downpour, tending the fire, "having the best time in the rain." The 2017 hiking season was plagued by many dangerous river crossings because of the unusually high snowpack from the previous winter (source), HEATSTROKE (SUSPECTED) | Marvin Novo | May 29, 2017 | In the Mission Creek Preserve (California), Marvin Novos body was discovered along the West Fork Trail. When firefighters reached him, they were going over his symptoms when he suddenly went into arrest. One of our side trips was Leadville, Colorado. The trail then moves along the forested mountains of Idaho and Montana before ascending the tall, sharp, rocky peaks of Glacier National Park, with the Canadian border on the horizon. said man who shot 2 at St. Paul family memorial, Stolen Kia being chased by patrol in Mpls. It's the highest, most remote, and, in many ways, most challenging of our National Scenic Trails. The residents of Atlantic City, Wyoming, are just fine being off the grid. Continental Divide Trail National Logo Vinyl Decal Promote Sale price Affordable prices Tide flow fashion products hesgoal.name, US $7.76 use a razor to gently lift the decal up along with the transfer tape If the decal is not attached Prepare the sticker for application by firmly/carefully rubbing a squeegee or credit card across the clear . Pacific Crest Trail Death, PCT Resources, Research, Statistics. I almost camped under some dead trees but decided to keep going through intense blowdowns and got a cut on my leg. More than likely, youll hit rain or snow, which means mud and washouts. 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. We use data about you for a number of purposes explained in the links below. Much of the surface over which we traveled on the Great Continental Divide Adventure Route was macadam, but there was also plenty of dirt, rocks, and gravel, so we needed tough tires with strong sidewalls and high traction treads, which was well provided by the Yokohama Geolandar tiresboth designswithout a single flat tire for the entire trip. 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 . We are very excited to offer this new adventure route down the entire length of the west coast of America. That is readily available via the internet and that we know of. Myth #4: The Idaho-Montana border is full of PUDs. It was super windy and the heavy pack was a struggle. 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. Grizzly encounter on day four in Glacier National Park (Montana). Progress in completing the trail was slow and interest in hiking the complete trail was minimal. to the Canadian border in Montana, just as you would be thru-hiking. Amazon; Wilderness Press; hikers. The award is acknowledged here . 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. Most hikers typically hike the trail Northbound, from Mexico to Canada. 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. Youll get access to exclusive posts, discount codes, live streams, and super extra cool stickers so that everyone will know how cool you are. Box 552 Pine, CO 80470, +1 720 340-CDTC (2382), info@continentaldividetrail.org. North Fork of Sheep Creek. "I have to come to terms with the fact that I may never know," said his father, Tom Cahoy of Minneapolis. "He apparently died peacefully in his sleep on top of a mountain at over 12,000 feet. 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.". The vehicles ran the gamut from a 5-year-old Jeep to a 45-year-old Toyota FJ40, with two more Jeeps (a Cherokee and a Wrangler) in betweenquite an eclectic selection of four wheelersand four camping trailers. 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. There was one point I was going to start early in Northern Montana (before sunrise), started hiking, then just pitched camp again because of all the. 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). Gatewood endured so much trauma in her lifetimewhich may be where she found the fortitude, endurance, and will to be the first woman to hike the ATat 67 years of age! But also know that youll probably die out there. They meet at the actual continental divide at Flattop Mountain, an elevation of 12,324 feet (according to the National Park Service's website). 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 our group it was easy; wed all four wheeled together for years and had traveled with each other on a camping trip or two. [25], Notable points in Wyoming on the CDT from south to north include:[28][25][1], Northbounders leaving Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming enter the Centennial Mountains of Idaho. A series of cold days in Colorado in October, especially the cold during the mornings.