There are relatively few deaths on PCT thru-hikes, considering the number of hikers, and the main causes of death are heat exhaustion, falls . The Continental Divide in Southwest Montana. "He apparently died peacefully in his sleep on top of a mountain at over 12,000 feet. 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). The park was voted second among favorite sections of the CDT by hikers in 2019. 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. 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. 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 most common problems reported by thru-hikers are injury and snow. Which also means youll need the clearance and traction that off-road tires and low range will give you. Into the zone of death: 4 days spent deep in Idaho's remote Yellowstone backcountry. ", "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. Frequent forest fires in late summer often force closure of sections of the trail and early snowfalls in late September may make the trail in Glacier National Park impassable. 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. The pilot project will send out a professional for follow-ups after behavioral health crises. 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. Rocky Mountain National Park has the highest paved roads in any National Park in the United States. Anaconda cutoff. 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. They may also encounter adverse weather conditions. 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). In 2021, he cared for his 94-year-old grandmother five days a week until she died in December. Most of the CDT is located on National Forest System lands-, traveling 2,140 miles through 20 National Forests and 4 forest service regions. He was 32, fit and seemingly healthy, an experienced hiker. We were following a trail suitable for motorized travel, and, because of the routes length, we were towing camping trailers. 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. A freezing rain and thunderstorm storm in the Winds made the trail entirely sludge. Most thru-hikers take this alternate route, which is 60 miles (97km) shorter than the official CDT and passes through the town of. The thunder and lightning had continued from the previous day when I had slept (didnt sleep at all) trapped on a ridgeline. Lester Pass. For many, this allows them to just experience . Homer Young's Peak. 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. Although, at least one red road was a single track suitable for a motorcycle only. A thru-hike is a bucket list item for many people, but which trail is best? About halfway through my last state, New Mexico, I just wanted to quit. Progress in completing the trail was slow and interest in hiking the complete trail was minimal. Camping alone when Id flipped up to Idaho/Southern Montana away from the bubble because I was trying to finish to go back to school. The Continental Divide Trail in Colorado also has plenty of options for doing day or just short hikes: Berthoud Pass to Stanley MountainBerthoud Pass. Usually most of the red route was about the same as the blue, with a small section of it being difficult. ", 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.". Coming over a ridge to end what was my longest day so far on the trail (27mi / 43 km), only to see a new, active fire less than 10 mi / 16 km away and no way to escape but forward. As this trail follows the Continental Divide, there are parts that are very high in elevation and challenging. Katy Read writes for the Star Tribune's Inspired section. Her body was found on rocks at the base of a waterfall about 6 mi / 9.6 km northwest of Timberline Lodge (source), FALL | Emma Place | August 12, 2017 | Emma Place (19), died in a fall along the PCT near Mount Hood (Oregon). The Continental Divide which consists of the Rockies and several other mountain ranges splits the North American Continent into two watersheds. Keep in mind, that when looking at the map, only 70% of the actual trail routing is . If youre not into Patreon, thats cool, you can instead Venmo @halfwayanywhere, Cash app $halfwayanywhere, or PayPal [emailprotected]. Walking in super strong winds in a sandy desert, sandblaster. One of our side trips was Leadville, Colorado. It's also the most remote, and the highest - the lowest point on the entire trail is in New Mexico at 4,189ft above sea level. Clothing. MWA staff work to maintain the CDT in Montana and Idaho with the help of volunteers and agency partners. Drainage divides, regardless of . He put me in a position where I either had to tell the truth and admit that I had no way of protecting myself while I was completely alone or lie and say yes so that he would leave me alone. People used to describe Leadvilles climate as ten months of winter with two months of late, late fall. Read More. This page was last edited on 10 February 2023, at 23:37. This scenic trail runs . ", Alex's sister, Hannah Benson-Cahoy, traversed the Superior Hiking Trail with him. Only about 150 people per year are thought to complete the thru-hike, compared to about 750 on the Appalachian Trail. The Continental Divide Trail Coalition, P.O. " the road was still plain, I therefore did not dispair of shortly finding a passage . [35] The Montana Wilderness Association is the leading non-profit partner for the northern section of the CDT. The road is open to traffic and is extremely narrow in some sections. 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. It's also the most remote, and the highest - the lowest point on the entire trail is in New Mexico at 4,189ft . But also know that youll probably die out there. But Alex stood in the downpour, tending the fire, "having the best time in the rain." Resorted to drinking out of a disgusting cattle pond. The trail exits west to Idaho. The Oregon Trail developed from the discovery in 1812 of a wagon-safe route over the Continental Divide at South Pass in present-day Wyoming by Robert Stuart, a Pacific Fur Company man returning from Fort Astor. It traverses a multitude of biospheres, from tundra to high desert, with a vast variety of flora and fauna, including several . Sign-up to get our latest reviews and news before everybody else does. Reply. "And not just a little bitty fire," Hannah said. 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. Continental Divide Trail. 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. 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. Nobody knows why Alexander Cahoy died suddenly while hiking the Continental Divide Trail. 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]. The Continental Divide Trail blazes a path through some of the nation's most treasured scenic terrain. Courtesy photo. People usually hike from south to north. With the trails growing popularity, its important that people realize that a PCT thru-hike does not take place in a controlled environment and that death on the PCT is an entirely realistic possibility for the ill-prepared (or even the well-prepared). . And thats it! 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. A series of cold days in Colorado in October, especially the cold during the mornings. From Aspen to the peak of the pass is about . As you can see on Kevins website, Kevin provides one main route (the blue line), some more difficult alternative routes along the way (the red lines), and several easier routes as well (the green lines). You've made it this far, you're either into this site or you're still looking for something. The grand finale of the CDT in Wyoming is Yellowstone National Park. Amazon; Wilderness Press; hikers. The Continental Divide Trail Guide for Thru-Hikers. Readers can experience the trail as if their boots were on the 3,100-mile path. In 2021, the CDT was about 70 percent complete, with a combination of dedicated trails and dirt and paved roads. ALSO SEE:10 Best Off-Road Tires and How to Pick the Right Ones. After George Floyd's murder, he volunteered at a Minneapolis food shelf, eventually becoming a staffer. 800-715-HIKE (4453) (9-4:30 Every Day) . In high school, Alex spent summers at Wilderness Canoe Base on the Gunflint Trail in Grand Marais. Hiking the CDT means more than blindly wandering down a path filled with trail angels eager to help hikers on their journey to or from Mexico or Canada. The Continental Divide Trail Is Officially 3,100 Miles Long. Continental Divide Trail . One of the friendly small towns through which we drove was our third gas stop; Datil, New Mexico (on an alternate green route). 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. 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. At an elevation of 11,315 feet (3,449m), the highest point reached by the CDT in Wyoming. Consider all these things while assembling a group and planning your trip. Being the descendant of two Western iconsa cavalry scout on the plains and a member of Butch Cassidys Wild BunchI came by my fiddle-foot tendencies honestly and all the attractions of Mosquito Pass and Leadville called to me and my calling infected the others in my group. [9], In 2019, the respondents to a survey of CDT thru-hikers were two-thirds male with a median age of 31. The CDT is considered the most challenging of all the Scenic Trails in the US. Bowlin Travel Centers Inc. 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. 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? [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. The Triple Crown Hiking Trails are the Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail and the Appalachian Trail. Mountain bikes are allowed on parts of the Colorado 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. Continental Divide Trail Survey Collection, 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), All my gear was totally soaked through at 11,000 ft / 3,353 m in driving sleet after Hope Pass, set up, and wound up. Maybe trying to scare a moose away? 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. 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. It is a rare club of hikers that have hiked . [25], Notable points on the CDT from south to north along the Idaho/Montana border include:[25][1], Leaving the Idaho/Montana border, the Montana portion of the CDT is 627 miles (1,009km) in length although several alternate routes shorten or lengthen that distance. 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. Extra equipment carried might include an ice ax and bear spray. Got, Two different situations of people (non-thru hikers) with, I was on the Big Sky Cutoff and getting closer to Butte, Montana. When the storm passed, the fire was still going. Well, the day we drove through it was like early fall with a sunny day in the mid-70s. 2 min read. Elk Mountain. Most deaths from disease occurred east of Fort Laramie. One new and one renovated building will add about 65 apartments in the historic heart of the city. I get a lot of people asking every year how to support the surveys and beyond sharing them with your close-knit bubble of weird hiker friends, the best way to support the survey is to contribute via Patreon. Alex also liked helping people when not hiking. 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. It was, My first night at Two Medicine before getting my permit and starting the trail the next day. 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. He cross-country skied as a small child, joining the Minnesota Youth Ski League when he was 6 or 7. Join. He was 32, fit and seemingly healthy, an experienced hiker. By using the many interstates that cross the divide, an intrepid explorer can take the trail in shorter segments. Water can be scarce and grizzly bears are found near Yellowstone Park. Officially . Tent stakes didnt go in very well, but it stood up okay. 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. Each drainage basin contributes its water to river systems, which in turn flow into distinct larger bodies of water, such as oceans. Minneapolis program teaches kids cooking skills, emphasizes community. Road walking with no shoulder and semi-trucks passing by at 70 mph / 113 km/h less than 2 ft / 0.6 m away was sketchy. Trail Posse; Trailspace Blog; Trailspotting; Two Knobby Tires (Colorado) Two-Heel Drive; Waterton Scrambling; Yosemite Blog; books. Avid Thru Hiker Dies on Third Continental Divide Trek. The lowest elevation of the trail in Montana after leaving the Idaho/Montana border is 4,215 feet (1,285m) at Upper Waterton Lake which straddles the U.S./Canada border. (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. Alex's mother, Julie Cahoy, talked to him on June 4. Bridger Peak. Continental Divide Trail. We are very excited to offer this new adventure route down the entire length of the west coast of America. Three-fourths were from the United States and the remainder came from eleven other countries. The road walk into Rawlins (Wyoming) after the Basin. 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. The CDT crosses Interstate 15 again at an elevation of 6,299 feet (1,920m). No AT reading list would be complete without Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail by Ben Montgomery. "By the time he was probably 10, we couldn't keep up with him," Julie Cahoy said. 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 . Twice hail chased us off the first time, the second time it was just hard , Hiking a cross-country alternate in the Spanish peaks. Youll get access to exclusive posts, discount codes, live streams, and super extra cool stickers so that everyone will know how cool you are. 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. David Odell was the first person to thru-hike the (still undefined) CDT in 1977, although there was an earlier claim. 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). [22] Timberline along this section of the trail is 8,500 feet (2,600m) to 9,000 feet (2,700m) in elevation. Traveling through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, hiking the CDT is not for the faint of heart. For hikers who have completed all three trails, ALDHA-West presents the official "Triple Crown of Hiking" (TC). Completing the Triple Crown is not an easy feat. It is concurrent with the Colorado Trail for approximately 200 miles (320km). So remote and inspiring is the route that Land Rover chose it as a challenge for the North American introduction of the Range Rover in 1989, when six Range Rovers became the first vehicles to complete the entire journey. We give equal recognition to thruhikers/equestrians and sectionhikers/equestrians. Jennifer Coleman, 34, of Richmond, Va., died hiking in the Logan Pass area of Glacier National Park on Aug. 30 or 31, 2021. Hiking The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail . The highest elevation is 9,324 feet (2,842m) in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness. The ride starts on the border with Canada and finishes at the border with Baja Mexico. Open full screen to view more. Over the years, there have been a number of deaths on the Pacific Crest Trail. In most areas the CDT is well marked. Interstate 15. In addition, memory chips are available through the website. Leave a comment below and warn future CDT classes of the awfulness that awaits them on their thru-hikes. The first section of the proposed trail was laid out in Colorado in 1962 by the Rocky Mountain Trails Association. [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. At various spots along the blue route, Kevin has added alternative green and red tracks. The total number of thru-hiker deaths on the Pacific Crest Trail? The hike was supposed to take them around 4 hours to complete and was approximately 4 kilometers long. 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. Myth #2: Thru-hiking is not a race. Trail Ridge Road crests at 3.721m (12,209ft) and climbs up Milner Pass, Trail Ridge , Fall River Pass and Iceberg Pass . ago. 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]. 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? Save the dates and stay tuned for more details! Read the following knowing that any one of these things could (and very well may) happen to you, should you find yourself on the Continental Divide Trail. Our first night on the trail, since we began our epic journey at the Mexican border, was in the mountains of New Mexico, a few miles north of Interstate 10. The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) is a long-distance trail that runs from the Canadian border to the Mexican border. The definition of a thru-hike is left to the judgment of the hikers. New Mexico; Continental Divide; I-40; . Original Thumbnail Medium. The Senator introduced The Continental Divide Trail Completion Act with Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.). 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 . Some road walking is required. Some people attempt to travel the entire 3,100 miles in a . In 2018, 300 individuals attempted to hike the trail end-to-end. Before jumping off on the Continental Divide Trailor celebrating its finish (depending on which direction youre traveling)have a great meal at Caf Jaxwe thoroughly enjoyed the huge serving of kielbasa hash and eggs. Myth #3: You can't go through Colorado's San Juans before June because there's too much snow. 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. (GPSKevin also offers two-week adventure tours for dual-sport motorcycle riders, and is considering adding adventure tours for four wheelers.) . 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. The Continental Divide stretches from Alaska down through Mexico . But in other locations, the divide is barely perceptible. 1. 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. 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. 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%. Depending on any given year's snow-pack and a hiker's individual schedule, alternative routes are available. Most hikers typically hike the trail Northbound, from Mexico to Canada. When youre assembling a group for an adventure like this one, you must make sure everyone is compatible. . If the weather warrants, enjoy its patio. Congress established the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) in 1978. The route follows the Continental Divide and is 90% off-pavement using high-quality dirt roads, gravel roads, trails, and a few short sections of unmaintained tracks. [17] Olive "Raindance" McGloin, yo-yoed in 2020 becoming the first woman on her second attempt (McGloin also yo-yoed the PCT in 2014). Crazy Cook Monument. Inside a 5,600-mile footrace on the country's hardest trail. 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. The data collected in the survey will always be free and accessible to everyone who wants/needs it.
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