Continental divide trail travel guide at wikivoyage. Rocky mountain national park at the edge of rocky mountain national park, grand lake is the deepest natural lake in colorado, dipping to 265 feet. Walking the length of the continental divide trail was perhaps the most difficult of the trails ive hiked. Continental divide trail backpacking trails and thruhiking. To most regular folks, traveling that sort of distance on foot with your possessions on your back sounds like a. Continental divide trail backpacking packing list rei coop.
Let me know your thoughts and what else youd like to see. Snow conditions get the lastest snow conditions for your favorite trail. The continental divide trail will climb and descend the peaks of the rocky mountains from canada to mexico, traversing mountainside meadows, granite peaks and highdesert saddles. I love all the trail lingo and want to make a whole series of work that showcases our awesome termiolgy. Great divide trail is a gps and mapbased guide for your hiking trip on canadas majestic 1,120km 700mile great divide trail. The printable continental divide trail maps and segment guides are provided below as a free community service by trailsource. Pedaling the montanaidaho border on the continental divide trail. Min temp is minimum average low and high temp is maximum average high in section. Free online data books for your favorite trail, distances, elevation, climate, way. While the great divide trail is a recognized hiking trail, only portions of it are officially recognized by parks canada and therefore is often not signed and occasionally not even an actual trail merely a wilderness route. Continental divide trail in gift box wall map 18 x 48 the spirit of the trail. Tom cdr is the acronym for the continental divide ride. Day hikers, section hikers, and diehard thruhikers intent on trekking the entire trail from canada to mexico will find this guide equally helpful. Does not account for heat waves or cold spells, may alter temp by 1015 or more.
Please no books of maps or books of short hikes within the cdt. Todays episode features section hiker, chris burke. This series of guidebooks the wolf guides provides a milebymile description of the continental divide trail. At present, the great divide trail is about 75% singletrack, 10% wilderness route and 15% old roads and atv trails.
Sep 25, 2018 the continental divide trail explores this iconic crown jewel of americas trails with more than 250 spectacular contemporary images, historical photos and documents from the continental divide trail coalition archives, and detailed maps. Cdtc april 23 update on covid19 shuttle and water caching canceled until further notice 21. Longdistance hiking guidebooks for the pacific crest trail and continental divide trail, pct, cdt. We invite you to become a member of the society, lend us your assistance, and enjoy the trail. After guthook identified the steepest parts of the appalachian trail, pacific crest trail, and continental divide trail, i started wondering about the overall slope, or grade, of these trails. Precip is not snow, swe is snow water equivalence in. No single permit is available for the entire trail, and the few permits you do need will be primarily for trail sections that travel through national parks. Continental divide trail maps and data github pages.
Aug 15, 2016 in preparation for his hike, i had some long conversations with tom that ive edited a bit to form an informal interview. From which direction to travel, navigation and safety resources, and a comprehensive resupply chart, this guide provides a solid foundation for planning a cdt trip. The continental divide national scenic trail cdt is much more than just a line on a map. Thruhiking is possible, but mind paul mags magnantis warning. The continental divide trail coalition cdtc is the 501 c 3 national nonprofit. The data was gathered by walking the trail with extremely accurate professional grade gps receivers. Newly revised to include updated route information, elevation profiles, and fullcolor topographic maps, the ultimate guide to colorados spectacular portion of the continental divide national scenic trail is back and better than ever. The continental divide national scenic trail in short continental divide trail cdt is a united states national scenic trail running 3,100 miles 5,000 km between mexico and canada. Ill be leaving from the crazy cook monument at the southern terminus on the border of new mexico and mexico midapril, and walking about five months north to glacier national park. The continental divide trail, commonly known by backpackers as the cdt, is a popular 3,100 mile thruhike along the continental divide. Readers can experience the trail as if their boots were on the 3,100mile path. The continental divide trail coalition cdtc is the 501c3 national nonprofit 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. The continental divide trail is perfect for anyone interested in conservation, outdoor recreation, or american history, or for those who dream of one day becoming thruhikers themselves. As always, i welcome this transition, but each time i do so with a small dose of seemingly incurable apprehension.
The trail is primarily used for hiking, running, horses, and mountain biking and is accessible yearround. One womans journey is a fastpaced story of her six month adventure. Bike the great divide trail, multistate, best american. A number books, memoirs, web sites and fan organizations are dedicated to this pursuit. The main difference for the cdt book is that the on trail section is strictly a town guide. One womans journey is the story of their incredible summer and is filled with courage, humor, stunning scenery, local personalities and the simple joys of backpacking. Find walking maps and guidebooks, self guided walking holidays and hiking tours. Like the pct handbook, the cdt handbook has two distinct sections. If youre new to this blog, or to dual sport and adventure class motorcycling, the cdr is considered. The great divide trail traces the spine of the canadian rockies for 746 miles, but i only needed 18 to see how wild it can be after miles of sublime, airy ridge walking on jasper national parks skyline trail, i exited a tunnel of trees into a wide patch of tundra sweeping up to the fortress of 8,839foot mt. A journey to fulfillment along the continental divide.
The trail closely follows the great divide between alberta and british columbia, crossing the divide more than 30 times. The continental divide national scenic trail in short continental divide trail is a united states national scenic trail running 3,100 miles between mexico and canada. Using south to north elevation data at the tenthmile level, i evaluated percentage slope from point to point, then binned the data according to various. Yogis continental divide trail handbook guides the experienced hiker through planning a cdt thruhike. Hanson hiked the first portion with her husband and she does reveal moments of tenderness towards him, the book is her story. I loved the way she lets the reader into her mind as she struggles with finding herself on the trail. It makes a great planning tool or as reference to track progress on the 3,100 plus mile length. Continental divide trail backpacking packing list rei co.
I hope you enjoy it, and even more, i hope you enjoy reading about the third and final hike of his triple crown appalachian trail, pacific crest trail, continental divide trail the big three. Books about the continental divide trail, which runs 3,100 miles through montana, idaho, wyoming, colorado, and new mexico. I love reading adventure travel books and i am specifically fond of what i call long trail or hiking books. Media in category continental divide trail the following 80 files are in this category, out of 80 total. This is the first largeformat book published in conjunction with the continental divide trail coalition, and the breathtaking photographs make you feel as if you were on the trail. Dft is straight line distance from trail departure point. Great divide trail, 1126 km, 700 miles, about 80 days. Continental divide national scenic trail through the us new.
I have read quite a number of accounts written by individuals who have been through walkers on the appalachian trail and the pacific trail. I had used several sources for my files bear creek survey. Fed by high mountain runoff, the lake is clear and pristine. The cdt planning guide is a onestop resource for starting to plan a longdistance trip along the cdt. The great divide trail gdt is a wilderness hiking trail in the canadian rockies. Though you can reserve those ahead of time, the parks also. This beautiful map shows the entire length of the trail from mexico to canada through new mexico, colorado, wyoming, idaho, and montana. In addition to the seven basic volumes, two supplements have been published that reflect changes, largely as a result of new trail construction, since those books were originally issued. Fiction, memoirs, and guides are all welcome, but the cdt should be the focus of the book. The trail was designated by congress as a national scenic trail in 1978.
Continental divide trail backpacking trails and thru. More than just a trail, the continental divide is a natural feature that runs north and south across north america all of the rivers and streams on the east side of the divide flow into the atlantic ocean, while all the waterways on the west side flow into the pacific. Through five states, 25 national forests, 20 wilderness areas, 3 national parks, 1 national monument and 8 bureau of land management resource areas the continental divide trail travels 3,100 miles through americas most dramatic and wild backcountry. As of 2016, roughly 71% of the trail has been marked and routed by the continental divide trail association. Continental divide trail society continental divide trail. Continental divide national scenic trail through the us is a 3100 mile lightly trafficked pointtopoint trail located near animas, new mexico that features a lake and is only recommended for very experienced adventurers. Continental divide trail map national geographic maps. The continental divide trail is one of the longest and most demanding long distance hikes in the united states. Hiking the pct hiking the jmt best appalachian trail books. There are a few different access points for you to hop on the trail for a hike you will never forget. The continental divide trail explores this iconic crown jewel of americas trails with more than 250 spectacular contemporary images, historical photos and documents from the continental divide trail coalition archives, and detailed maps.
The remainder of the trail is currently located on dirt and paved roads. Today we will get to know better this third stunning us thruhike, which is not only one of the best thruhikes in the us, but also one of the most beautiful thruhikes in the world. Continental divide national scenic trail wilderness areas. This was the first i have read giving an account of the continental divide trail. A guide to hiking the continental divide howstuffworks. Of course, after talking about the appalachian trail and the pacific coast trail, it is time for the third one of the crew. The maps were made by hill shading and combining usgs quadrangles to produce stunning full color maps. The continental divide trail, appalachian trail, and the pacific crest trail form the triple crown of long distance hiking in the united states. Chris started his avid hiking career in 1984 by thruhiking the appalachian trail but soon realized that section hiking was more his cup of tea.
In addition, it is an invaluable resource for those planning their own section or thruhike of the cdt. If youd like to support my work and rep some trail swag click the link to my redbubble page for more designs. Sep 18, 2007 spanning from the canadian border down to mexico, the continental divide trail is one of the most incredible hikes in america. The continental divide national scenic trail is a 3,100mile 4,989kilometer hiking trail that passes from the border of mexico to canada through the rocky mountains. Because its still unfinished, there isnt one single route that all hikers follow. Continental divide national scenic trail through the us. Though you can reserve those ahead of time, the parks also set aside permits on a firstcome, firstserved basis. It follows the continental divide of the americas along the rocky mountains and traverses five u. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible yearround. I have been playing around with cdt data over the weekend, and figured out id share what i made so that other people can use and enjoy it. Many thruhikers attempt to hike the continental divide trail in a single season. This is a 98 page map atlas for the official route of the continental divide scenic trail in colorado.
The book includes maps and rarely seen archival images, as well as a written backstory of this great trail. Continental divide trail society continental divide. Spanning from the canadian border down to mexico, the continental divide trail is one of the most incredible hikes in america. Continental divide trail segment 7 new mexico alltrails. Through five states, 25 national forests, 20 wilderness areas, 3 national parks, 1 national monument and 8 bureau of land management resource areas the continental. Buy a cheap copy of hiking the continental divide trail.
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