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. "Money wasn't important to him," Tom said. Once known as Magic City and Cloud City, and situated nearly two miles in the sky, Leadville enjoyed two gold rushes with a major silver strike in-between. The award is acknowledged here . It was truly miserable. 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. Hopefully, none of this happens during your (or your loved ones) hike, but its possible. People used to describe Leadvilles climate as ten months of winter with two months of late, late fall. Elk Mountain. 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 . by David Rosenfeld. At the time we were unaware that wed be meeting hikers, mountain bikers, and dual-sport motorcyclists along the route, along with some fantastic folks living in the small mountain towns through which wed be driving. A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not connected to the open sea.Every continent on earth except Antarctica (which has no known significant, definable free-flowing surface rivers) has at least . It hit me hard but I knew that I was not hiking just to hike and if I didnt want to be out here I could go home. Parkview Mountain (2,913 feet vertical) - 10 miles round trip, with trailhead access from Willow Creek Pass on CO-125. 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. 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. In May/June of 2014 and 2015, we gathered two . A man in a pickup blocked the road I was walking in Northern New Mexico. Rocky Mountain National Park has the highest paved roads in any National Park in the United States. Nature's indifference, unexpected weather, or a badly timed road crossing can all result in hikers becoming quickly in over their heads. Cougar encounter in the Gila (New Mexico). 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. 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. 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. 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. Open full screen to view more. ", "Good time to take inventory on gear - and yourself", "Francis Tapon: The first person to yo-yo Americas wildest trail talks heating, eating and the philosophy of lightweight", "2007 Adventurer of the Year: The Walking Man", "Salem 13-Year-Old Youngest to Hike Triple Crown", "Ore. The Essential Off-Road Tools You Need for Safe Wheeling on the Trails, 10 Best Off-Road Tires and How to Pick the Right Ones. Which also means youll need the clearance and traction that off-road tires and low range will give you. Most deaths from disease occurred east of Fort Laramie. The establishment of the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail inspired proposals to create a Continental Divide trail. The lowest elevation of the trail on the Idaho/Montana border is 5,764 feet (1,757m) along the North Fork of Sheep Creek in Idaho and the highest elevation is 10,091 feet (3,076m) at the summit of Elk Mountain. So if you ever see a headline something like, Hiker deaths on the PCT jump 200% in the National Scenic Trails deadliest year ever!, know that this means ten people died doing something inherently dangerous (aka its clickbait). Outside of Winter Park, it caught up to me and I, Five days of Bob Marshall Wilderness (Montana) with. If you know of any sources for the below deaths or have any that may need to be added to the list, please let me know in the comments. This is the legendary Continental Divide, also known as the Great Divide. 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. A few hikers, especially those attempting to set speed records, are "supported," meaning they have helpers who meet or accompany them along the trail and perform non-hiking tasks, such as food preparation. Starting the Cirque of the Towers alternate in the Wind River Range in Wyoming. By using the many interstates that cross the divide, an intrepid explorer can take the trail in shorter segments. Targhee Peak. 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. Need to come up with some statistics to put to rest your familys fears that you will be dragged from your sleeping bag in the night by a bloodthirsty animal? From packing lists to recipes, the couple's social media pages and online blog contain preparation tips for hiking the CDT. [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. 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. This scenic trail runs from the USA/Mexico border into Canada and covers 2,767 miles of spectacular remote wilderness. Emergency personnel was unable to revive him (source), FALL | Ray No Way Ray Echols | May 15, 2006 | Near Deep Creek in the San Bernardino National Forest (California), Ray Echols lost his footing and fell approximately 200 feet to his death (source), UNKNOWN | John Donovan | May 2005 | John Donovan died after becoming lost on Southern Californias Mt. We took Mosquito Pass into Leadville and the 13,185-foot pass between Leadville and Fairplay required all the clearance our vehicles had and their transfer cases low ranges, but the history, the relics, the mine shafts, and scenery were well worth the effort. These trails travel through 22 states in the USA and cover around 7500 miles. Road biking on Independence Pass/Highway 82 is a popular route in the summer. 70% (2,170 miles) of the trail is along land managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The residents of Atlantic City, Wyoming, are just fine being off the grid. Founded in 2012 by a passionate group of volunteers and recreationists, CDTC is . 1. A continental divide is a ridge or natural boundary of elevated terrain that separates the drainage basins of a continent. Well, the day we drove through it was like early fall with a sunny day in the mid-70s. 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). In his 20s, he hiked several trails, including the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail along the West Coast. vaults I-94 overpass, tumbles to embankment, Who's next? Bowlin Travel Centers Inc. [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. We were not following the official Continental Divide Trail its for hikers only since we were in Jeeps. It is the second highest peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. They may also encounter adverse weather conditions. 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. Because of my experience with snow. "I have to come to terms with the fact that I may never know," said his father, Tom Cahoy of Minneapolis. [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. New Mexico; Continental Divide; I-40; . With strong winds, I could not set up my tarp and had to retrieve my sleeping pad which blew away 0.25 mile / 400 m. The only way to keep warm was to, I spent most of Colorado trying to keep up with a group, including a friend I started the trail with, who was faster than me, and I burned myself out badly. It was super windy and the heavy pack was a struggle. Considerations When Planning A Hike: Therefore, you can pretty much do it in or on just about anything with plenty of clearance, good off-road tires, and low gears, but I highly recommend a Jeep with strong off-road tires such as the Yokohama Geolandars. With the card in your GPS unit, youll see the route plainly delineated with a blue track (with arrows pointing southward). Pacific Crest Trail Death, PCT Resources, Research, Statistics. Our sleeping bags and everything warm we owned was soaked. About halfway through my last state, New Mexico, I just wanted to quit. One evening as they sat by the fire it started raining, "like, buckets and buckets.". In that same year, the Continental Divide Trail Alliance (CDTA) was created and with volunteers built or improved the route of the trail. 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. It was, My first night at Two Medicine before getting my permit and starting the trail the next day. [24], Notable points on the CDT in New Mexico from south to north include:[25], The official route of the CDT in Colorado is 735.5 miles (1,183.7km) long,[1] although several alternate routes shorten or lengthen that distance. "Everybody says there was no trauma, no distress," Tom said. It's the highest, most remote, and, in many ways, most challenging of our National Scenic Trails. 37. r/NationalPark. We want to hear from you about your journey. 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). These are from the non-parks within the NPS. The Continental Divide which consists of the Rockies and several other mountain ranges splits the North American Continent into two watersheds. . Lester Pass. The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) spans over 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada and is one of the most significant trail systems in the world. I almost camped under some dead trees but decided to keep going through intense blowdowns and got a cut on my leg. The youngest person to thru-hike the trail is Reed Gjonnes, who hiked the trail with her father Eric Gjonnes from April 15, 2013 to September 6, 2013 in one continuous northbound hike at age 13.[18][19]. Here are the number of fatalities that have occurred in each section. Having thru-hiked the CDT twice herself, as well as numerous other long-distance . I felt, In the middle of Montana, I had one day that was. to the Canadian border in Montana, just as you would be thru-hiking. ALSO SEE: Yokohama Geolandar X-MT Tire Review. This was an area near Baru volcano and the continental divide. ALSO SEE:The Essential Off-Road Tools You Need for Safe Wheeling on the Trails. Id had enough of hiking alone through Colorado storms and just wanted to hitch back into town, but I didnt because the weather was supposed to improve the next day. [22] Timberline along this section of the trail is 8,500 feet (2,600m) to 9,000 feet (2,700m) in elevation. The road walk into Rawlins (Wyoming) after the Basin. Much of the CDT follows high, grassy ridges with some walking on dirt roads required. Divides are boundaries that separate drainage basins or watersheds of all sizes. Continental Divide. Glacier National Park. 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. [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. Called home crying about, Great Basin (Wyoming), no water at the water cache. Sign-up to get our latest reviews and news before everybody else does. On April 1, 2014, Lisanne and Kris, along with their host family's dog, Azul, embarked on a hike along the Pianista Trail. The Continental Divide Trail explores this iconic crown jewel of America's trails with more than 250 spectacular contemporary images, historical photos and documents from the Continental Divide Trail Coalition archives, and detailed maps. borders.] Falken Wildpeak A/T3W All-Terrain Tire Review, Tire User Spends a Year Testing the Toyo Open Country A/T IIIs, Here Are His Thoughts. I had to get off the road and climb over blowdowns to get around him. Award-winning Hiking Tours: Continental Divide Trail Summits Day Hike Tour! Extra equipment carried might include an ice ax and bear spray. Trail Posse; Trailspace Blog; Trailspotting; Two Knobby Tires (Colorado) Two-Heel Drive; Waterton Scrambling; Yosemite Blog; books. I was exhausted and frankly traumatized. Maybe trying to scare a moose away? These people are in the . 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. "Trail angels" (volunteers) at locations along the trail assist hikers with food, water, and transportation to and from resupply points to trail heads. 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. We use data about you for a number of purposes explained in the links below. The average number of days (including "zeros") to complete the hike was 147.[9]. His body was not recovered until more than a year later. The peak is near the CDT and has an elevation of 10,300 feet (3,100m). For instance, turn north on the Continental Divide Trail near Albuquerque, New Mexico, drive the trail to I-70 near Vale, Colorado, and then head for home until youre ready to revisit the trail. 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. The rest is on land managed by the Bureau of Land (12% or 372 miles), National Parks (10% or 310 miles), and state and private lands (8% or 248 miles). 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. "As parents you always worry, but we had a certain level of trust," Tom said. 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). [23], Three southern termini of the trail exist: 1) Crazy Cook Monument, the official CDT southern terminus, east of the Big Hatchet Mountains; 2) Antelope Wells, New Mexico; and 3) near Columbus, New Mexico. 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. 1 / 8. Detailed Description. The shortest route is through the middle where water availability is uncertain in most years. 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. Hikers don't get the luxury of dictating every aspect of their hikes. 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. The road climbs to the continental divide at the top of the Pass (12,095 ft.). 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. Not interested in any of this and dont know why youre still reading? The trail exits west to Idaho. He wanted social justice. . Rather than cooking over campfires, we used Coleman stoves; rather than reading by candlelight, we used electric lanterns; and rather than sleeping wrapped in buffalo robes, we snuggled into sleeping bags. Many will leave the trail due to injury, some due to weather, others for financial reasons, and, unfortunately, a very small percentage will die. Save the dates and stay tuned for more details! Over the years, there have been a number of deaths on the Pacific Crest Trail. The CDT is now 95 percent complete. The CDT, alongside the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail make up the triple crown of hiking. Another hazard to hikers is Colorado's 'monsoon season' with violent afternoon thunderstorms that are common in July and August on high mountain ridges [26][27], Notable points on the CDT in Colorado from south to north include:[28][25][1], The official route of the CDT in Wyoming is 513 miles (826km) long,[1] although several alternate routes shorten or lengthen that distance. (March 2008) "There & Back Again", Bastone, Kelly (August 2008) "Taking the High Way: Thru-hiking the Continental Divide Trail,", Last edited on 10 February 2023, at 23:37, "A Quick and Dirty Guide to the Continental Divide Trail", "The Continental Divide Trail Thru-Hiker Survey (2019)", "Cheating their Way to Fame: The Top 9 Adventure Travel Hoaxes", "The Onion vs. Mr. Magoo - On your mark, get set hike. Stretching for 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada, the Continental Divide Trail traverses some of North America's most scenic and remote terrains. This map was created by a user. Kevin has put years of personal effort into developing this route, along with several alternative routes along the way. So you are interested in hiking the Pacific Crest Trail but you dont know if youre quite ready to drag yourself across a continent for five months and probably die? It traverses a multitude of biospheres, from tundra to high desert, with a vast variety of flora and fauna, including several . ", Alex's sister, Hannah Benson-Cahoy, traversed the Superior Hiking Trail with him. A few thru-hikers hike southbound (SOBO) from the Canadian border beginning in June and finishing in October or November. The Continental Divide Trail in Colorado also has plenty of options for doing day or just short hikes: Berthoud Pass to Stanley MountainBerthoud Pass. I eventually did and believe I made the right choice, but it hurt and still hurts that, When I realized my foot was hurt and it would take. . Either way, best to sign up for my newsletter, yeah? 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). 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 (4,873 km) between the U.S. border with Chihuahua, Mexico and the border with Alberta, Canada. 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. Website Designed & Developed by ThompsonStenning, The town of Lordsburg, New Mexico, will be hosting a Trail Days festival April 14-15, 2023. He kayaked in Wisconsin's Apostle Islands, backpacked on Michigan's Isle Royale. 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. I experienced vertigo for six weeks from a dislodged crystal in my ear (BPPV) while postholing through snow and low temperatures in Colorado (October and November). Continental Divide Trail. M. Biggers, Ashley. ago. He cross-country skied as a small child, joining the Minnesota Youth Ski League when he was 6 or 7. He broke one arm, both legs, and suffered a head injury. . . The Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) recognizes anyone who reports completion of the entire Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. Inside a 5,600-mile footrace on the country's hardest trail. There are relatively few deaths on PCT thru-hikes, considering the number of hikers, and the main causes of death are heat exhaustion, falls . He was, North of Grays (Colorado) on a forest service road a man in a Jeep passed me twice and then stopped and asked if I had a gun or bear spray. [8][9] Permits are required to hike or camp along some sections of the trail and a passport is needed to cross the Canadian border. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene (source), FALL | Wayne Paul Pferdehirt | August 26, 2019 | Wayne Paul Pferdehirt (67), died in a fall near Mather Pass (Sierra). Caf Jax sounds like it serves those tiny meals known as nuevo cuisine; however, think lumberjack-size servings instead. Alex Cahoy was 32 and a healthy and experienced hiker. 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. 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. 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.