Passages Continental Divide Trail Coalition
Volume 18, Spring 2020
connecting the community that supports the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
Executive Director's Letter Dear CDTC Friends, Partners, Members, Volunteers, and Supporters, I have struggled over the past few weeks with how to write this letter. It felt unimportant and presumptive to celebrate the successes of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition when so many lives have been disrupted by COVID-19. Then, we heard from many of you that these celebrations are exactly what you want to hear. I was reminded that even in hardship, our mission to protect the Continental Divide Trail is vital, and I am proud to lead an organization that can be nimble and adaptive in life-changing circumstances, while still remaining true to our mission. From seamlessly adjusting to working remotely as a team, to enacting systems for providing rapid response to changing trail conditions, to making swift decisions about whether to host upcoming events and adapting our financial and spending strategies, our staff has quickly responded to the emerging challenges of COVID-19. Our team has demonstrated resilience and maintained a high level of professionalism, while also supporting one another and ensuring that all of us remain safe and healthy. We’ve also leaned on our incredible network of local and national partners and colleagues across the trails community, who have provided moral support as well as practical insight about how to untangle this new reality and its effect on the trails we love. With the support of this community, we’ve updated our procedures and guidelines to support all of CDTC’s operations, from field programs to finance, and helped people access the trail appropriately while protecting the communities along its length. So far, we have weathered this storm and remain committed to completing, promoting, and protecting the CDT. This is why, after a year of gathering thoughts, suggestions, feedback, and insights from all of you, I am incredibly excited to share the release of our 2020-2022 Strategic Plan. This new Strategic Plan envisions a regionalized organization truly representative of a diverse and engaged community, while it prepares us to adapt to the ever-changing and unpredictable world we live in. In creating the plan, we had no idea that all the work put into preparing CDTC for the future would also prepare us for today. The 2020 - 2022 Strategic Plan maintains a sound foundation in our core competencies and programs, while creating a resilience plan for CDTC. Even in its infancy, this plan sets the stage for CDTC to respond to COVID-19 and prepare for what an uncertain future holds. We identify the broad network of partners we work with today and those we want to deliberately work with tomorrow, including the tribal communities along the Continental Divide. One of our most important goals is the creation of a long-term endowment fund that will allow us to build a sustainable financial foundation that aids CDTC’s ability to weather future unknowns in this dynamic world. The time we dedicated to crafting the new Strategic Plan is already paying off, and we can’t wait to get to work achieving the goals and objectives we laid out for ourselves! Please let us know how we did and what you think of our new plan - we hope you’ll be as proud of it as we are. In the meantime, we remain eternally grateful for our community of supporters who continue to inspire us, support us, and remind us why we need to look toward our future. We are also grateful that our immediate team remains healthy and safe, and we wish the same for all of you. For those who have been affected by COVID-19, know that our thoughts are with you. Until we meet again on the CDT, Teresa Martinez Executive Director Continental Divide Trail Coalition
In This Issue 5
President's Letter
6
Trail Tidbits
8
Bringing the CDT to You
10
Walking the Line
14
Gateway Community Spotlight: Grants
18
Protecting America's Great Outdoors
25
Leaving the CDT in Good Hands
29
Armchair Exploring
32
Poems from the Trail
45
The Terminus
CDTC Staff
Morgan Anderson Field Programs Manager Dan Carter Trail and Lands Conservation Specialist Gabriel Etengoff Field Programs Coordinator Jackie Horne Administrative Assistant Nicole Karem Gateway Community Coordinator Slide Kelly GIS Program Manager Andrea Kurth Marketing, Communications, and Community Outreach Specialist Teresa Martinez Executive Director Lauren Murray Development Program Manager Steven Shattuck Director of Finance and HR Amanda Wheelock Policy and Communications Manager
CDTC Board
Greg Pierce, President Kathleen Lynch, Vice President Don Owen, Secretary Dean Myerson, Treasurer Tom Phillips Jo Pegrum Hazelett Arthur Foley Nick Martinez Barney Mann Amy McCormick Cover photos by Kate Bobal.
The Continental Divide Trail Coalition's mission is to complete, promote and protect the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. CDTC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and donatiions to CDTC are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Visit our website at www.continentaldividetrail.org. Continental Divide Trail Passages is published three times a year for the members of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition. Membership begins at $5 per year. Members are encouraged to submit story ideas and photographs for inclusion in ďťż Passages to the editor at communications@continentaldividetrail.org
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Spanning 3,100 miles from Canada to Mexico, the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail is a living museum of the American West. A place to reconnect with nature, and a unifying force that brings communities and people of all walks of life together – this is the Backbone of America.
Worth Joining. When You Give You Receive.
710 10th Street, Unit 200 Golden, Colorado 80401 ph: 303.996.2759
Make a gift of $250 or more you’ll receive a FREE Ursack Major and an annual CDTC Membership!* Plus, the first 10 donors to contribute $1000 or more will get a FREE Yeti Tundra 45 cooler! Your gift can be mailed to our office or made online at ContinentalDivideTrail.org/Donate. *Offer expires 04/30/20
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President's Letter Dear Friends, I am happy to introduce myself as the new President of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition Board of Directors. I inherit the good work of two very capable and respected board Presidents, Josh Shusko and Barney Scout Mann, who guided this organization from concept to leader in the National Trails community in just eight short years. My connection with the CDT began with a flyer posted on a board at REI in Colorado Springs in the early 2000s. It was an open call for volunteers to build new trail – part of a 3,100-mile corridor that ran from border to border along the Continental Divide. How could I resist this historic opportunity? I was immediately taken in by the work, the landscape of my native Colorado, and by the crew of volunteers and Forest Service employees who led the effort that weekend. I went back for more over the years. If you’ve been on the CDT in the Collegiate Peaks, or atop Cottonwood Pass, or aside Mt. Elbert, then you’ve experienced the result of my labor and that of many others who gave their time and energy to this noble effort. I am not a thru-hiker, though I love them. I don’t ride a bike or a horse, but I understand why others do. In my mind, the CDT is a corridor - a connector. Our individual experience on the trail, regardless of our conveyance, location, or companions, is defined by our community, our history, and the way that we interact with nature and each other. These days, we are practicing social distancing and can’t get out as freely as we could not so long ago. One positive outcome I have noticed is the way people are interacting with each other. People are treating each other gently, with awareness of how our behavior impacts others. We’ve collectively altered our perspective from “How is this affecting me?” to “How am I affecting you?” My hope is that this new perspective sticks around once we make it through this altered reality.
Greg building the CDT near Mount Massive, in the San Isabel National Forest, in 2008.
During that first trail-building project on the CDT, I became acutely aware of how my work would positively affect future trail users. I never thought it would lead me, almost 20 years later, to become the president of the board of the organization responsible for its stewardship. I am thrilled to continue to serve alongside CDTC’s excellent Board of Directors and talented staff as we launch our new 3-year Strategic Plan. Stay healthy and continue to be gentle with each other. We’ll get out on the trails again soon.
Greg Pierce President Continental Divide Trail Coalition Board of Directors
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Trail Tidbits Explore the CDT from Home Check out our newly-updated interactive map, which is fully integrated with trail closures and notices, so you can stay informed about how public health orders are affecting the CDT. Once you've mapped out what section you'll visit next, be sure to visit our newly-redesigned Gateway Community page and decide where you'll sleep, eat, and shop along the way! Wondering how you can support trailside towns while you wait to get back out on the trail? Our latest blog post tells how you can patronize small businesses in Gateway Communities from the comfort of your home.
G L AC I ER NATIO N A L PA R K , M ONTANA Photo by Dahn Pratt.
Mapping Our Path Ahead
KE YSTON E , CO LO R A D O Stakeholders gathered in September to envision CDTC's strategic direction. Photo by Don Owen. 6
ďťż
After a year of gathering feedback from partners, land managers, volunteers, CDTC members, and individuals like you, our 2020 - 2022 Strategic Plan is finalized! We invite you to read the goals we've set for ourselves in the next three years, and learn how we plan to continue building a diverse community of folks committed to completing, promoting, and protecting the Continental Divide Trail. How did we do? Submit a letter to the editor and let us know what you think!
Speak Up for the Trail On March 10, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). The new bill would dedicate $900 million annually to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and provide funding to address the deferred maintenance backlog across federally-managed lands. Since 1964, LWCF has invested in public trails, parks, and playgrounds in all 50 states, and full, permanent funding of LWCF is critical to our work to complete the CDT. Speak up for the trail and let your elected representatives know that you support the Great American Outdoors Act today!
98 percentage of small business owners along the CDT who support full funding of LWCF
58 Senate cosponsors of the Great American Outdoors Act
$22 billion amount Congress has taken from public lands by not fully funding LWCF
3 calls you should make to let your Senators and Representative know that you support GAOA!
What will your legacy be?
“...Seven months of immersion in this diverse and stunning geography, surrounded by nature’s multitudinous life forms made the risks well worth the benefits. Hiking Mexico to Canada along the spine of the continent changed my life just as it has that of many other long and short stay visitors. When I see what the CDT Coalition and the women and men before them have done to make this amazing path accessible to lovers of wilderness travel, I want nothing more than to contribute to that effort in whatever way is possible for me. For this reason, I have chosen to include CDTC in my estate plan.” - Jean Ella, The first woman to thru-hike the CDT in 1978.
Help us protect the CDT for future generations to enjoy. Become a CDTC Legacy Member.
To learn more, contact Lauren Murray at lmurray@continentaldividetrail.org or call 720-378-0106.
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Bringing the
to
You
by Andrea Kurth
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VERY year, thousands of thru-hikers, National Park visitors, weekend warriors, and trail town locals travel to experience the unique recreational opportunities offered by the Continental Divide Trail. This spring, with travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders in place to help slow the spread of COVID-19, many would-be CDT visitors made the heart-wrenching decision to postpone or cancel their plans. And that's when we came in. Determined to bring the magic of the trail to kitchens and living rooms worldwide, CDTC decided to take our annual celebration of the CDT to the airwaves (or, erm, the WiFi waves) with Virtual Continental Divide Trail Days. The 6th annual Continental Divide Trail Days, scheduled to take place in Silver City, NM, the weekend of April 24-26, was canceled as the pandemic gained speed in the US. While we will miss gathering with supporters, recreationists, and Silver City locals to celebrate the CDT in person, we're so excited to be bringing the trail to you all month with an amazing lineup of speakers and musicians. All April, we've been live on Facebook every Wednesday night with exciting speakers from around the world telling about their experiences on the CDT. Virtual Trail Days continues through April 29, so be sure to tune in for three more nights of inspiring speakers and musicians!
Conversations Across a Continent Wednesday, April 22 - 7 PM MT While many people first hear of the CDT as part of the “Triple Crown of Thru-Hiking,” the trail belongs to everyone, not just those who want to walk for weeks at a time. Simon Sotelo, Amanda McGinnis, and Grecia Nuñez, hikers from southern New Mexico, will tell us about their own personal experiences with the CDT, and how they’ve seen the CDT connect people, often from wildly different backgrounds and life experiences, across a continent.
Living Room Concert with 3000 Miles Friday, April 24 - 7 PM MT Duo Anna Robinson and Emmalee Hill hiked the Continental Divide Trail in 2019, bringing their guitars and musical talents along with them to perform in trailside communities along the way. Now, they’re performing in a FREE virtual Trail Days concert streamed live to your living room! Check out 3,000 Miles at their Facebook page to preview some of their music and join us to dance to their musical offerings as we bring their music to you! 8
To Take the Risk: The First Women to Hike the Continental Divide Wednesday, April 29 - 7 PM MT In 1978, just months before Congress designated the Continental Divide Trail, Jean Ella Smith and Lynn Wisehart became the first women to hike border to border along the Continental Divide. Jean Ella will join Virtual Trail Days to speak about their journey, share photos and video from the historic expedition, and explain how they decided to pursue such a bold adventure in the first place. Part of the celebration also includes a weekly sweepstakes focused on our CDT Gateway Communities! Enter by submitting a photo from a previous trip to a CDT Gateway Community or a simple sentence about which community you'd like to visit in the future and why. Head to the Virtual Trail Days website to enter the contest for your chance to win gear from sponsors like Merrell, Osprey, and more! Miss the first few episodes of Virtual Trail Days? Don't worry! They're all recorded and available for playback on the Continental Divide Trail Coalition Facebook page. Head there now to watch as we talk with Akuna and Chardonnay, the first two African-Americans to complete the Triple Crown of Hiking, hear all about CDTC Ambassador Jodie Morton's horseback ride on the CDT, and learn how to get kids outdoors with long-distance hiking mama and llama packer, Cindy Ross. We hope you join the celebration! Andrea is CDTC's Marketing, Communications, and Community Outreach Specialist. When not exploring the amazing public lands near her home in Leadville, she enjoys exploring the intracacies of high-altitude baking.
everything less matters™
From the weight of your pack to the scale of your endeavors, looking through the lens of less is how you get to more. More efficiency, comfort, and energy because you’ve carefully streamlined your kit down to lightweight, multi-purpose essentials. More opportunities to learn and hone your outdoor skillset by relishing the short little trips the same way you do the big ones. Every ounce and gram, every time outside – it all counts.
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WALKING THE LINE
An Interview with Dahn Pratt
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HE CDT is much more than just a line on a map, and constant changes due to reroutes, new construction, and closures of old sections quickly render data collected in years past obsolete. In 2019, CDTC partnered with Atlas Guides, makers of the popular Guthook Guides hiking apps, to create a new volunteer role and collect data about the CDT. Last June, Dahn Pratt set off on a southbound hike, capturing GPS data, photos, and waypoints along the way as the CDTC-Atlas Guides Data Fellow. We talked to him about his hike, data collection, and why maps are important for the longevity of trails. Andrea Kurth: How long have you been long-distance hiking? Dahn Pratt: I started hiking in 2014 - I did the Appalachian Trail with my then-girlfriend and her Alaskan Malamut. Then I did a bit of Dahn stopped along the trail to take jawinternational traveling for two years. I ended dropping photos, like this one of the Wind up in Japan and started working like a Japanese River Range in Wyoming. Photo by Dahn Pratt. salary man and got really sick of it. I daydreamed about what I would do if I wasn’t limited by 60 to 70-hour work weeks, so I started creating a bucket list of places I wanted to go like the Wind River Range in Wyoming or Patagonia. It wasn’t good enough to daydream about all the places I wanted to go, so I started planning fictitious hikes that connected all the places I was dreaming about. Then that wasn’t enough, so I decided just to go for it and do a 10,000-mile hike that connected all the places on my bucket list. I’ve been seriously hiking since the end of 2017, with the intended goal of doing 10,000 miles. AK:How did you get connected with Atlas Guides? DP: As I was planning this very ostentatious trip, I realized I couldn’t afford to do it. I started reaching out to different companies that might be interested in working with me to test gear or gather data. I was basically willing to work while I walked to live this dream. I reached out to Atlas Guides and told them about my crazy idea. I’m sure they get approached a lot by people who want to gather data, but they took a liking to my plan for some reason. They told me the apps for the trails in my plan were either in development or were going to be released soon, so it was a perfect opportunity to gather data for them. It was a good way to give back to the trail community while financing my trip in small part. AK: On which trails have you collected data? DP: The Continental Divide Trail, along with Te Araroa in New Zealand, the Pacific Crest Trail, and a trail in the Middle East comprised of the Jordan Trail and the Israel National Trail. 10
AK: How does the partnership between Atlas Guides and CDTC work? What happens after the data is collected? DP: When I was out hiking on the CDT, I thought I would collect this data in the field and then just pass it along to Atlas Guides, and that’s where my fellowship would end. In January, I was offered a position by Atlas Guides and have been cleaning some of the CDT data that I collected. It’s really fun to be on both ends of the geographical spectrum of creating this data – both in the field and back at home. I get to relive my hike and make the needed changes to the data. It’s the best office experience I could hope for - if I’m going to be looking at a computer all day, at least I get to look at data that I have a connection to. Atlas Guides and CDTC are trying to make the best possible on-the-ground reality of the trail come to life in a digital format. We worked with the CDTC to establish which alternates I’d be taking, based on the popularity of certain routes. The CDT is kind of like a “choose your own adventure.” I didn’t do the authoritative line – I did the alternate through the Wind River High Route and the Middle Fork of the Gila River. After the collection, we took all the data from Atlas Guides, CDTC, and the Forest Service, and tried to make the most accurate line for the trail. I collected about 4,500 waypoints, some new and some updated, which gives us a better image of what the trail looks like in digital format. AK: What does data collection entail? What kind of gear did you need? DP: Most people don’t know I’m collecting data while I’m hiking because it doesn’t affect my behavior too much. I look like a normal hiker, stopping and looking at my phone or taking a picture every once in a while. The data collection is all done automatically, which is very convenient. Atlas Guides created an Android app that I was using to capture data. Whenever there was a point of interest along the trail, I would take a picture of it and create a waypoint in the app. It wasn’t a lot of work, but it takes a lot of battery power for my phone to be constantly pinging 23 satellites. Normally, people carry 1 or 2 power banks with them, but I would carry 3 or 4, plus a solar charger. I had to be very cognizant about my battery consumption. I was only using my phone for data collection – I would hardly use it for anything else because collecting data drained so much battery.
Dahn's phone took a GPS point of his location about every 15 feet, ensuring an accurate record of his path from Glacier National Park to the Southern Terminus. By Dahn Pratt.
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AK: What makes the CDT different from other trails you’ve collected data on? DP: It’s the longest trail I’ve ever done and longest trail I’ve ever collected data on. It’s a big project but it’s also one of the more remote backcountry experiences I’ve ever been on – this added a layer of excitement and a bit of dread in a positive way. The CDT was a litmus test of my backcountry skills and my mental capacity because it’s very challenging.
Walking by sun-up ensured a minimum of 12-14 hours of hiking time and offered the opportunity to catch a sunrise at the Wyoming-Colorado border. Photo by Dahn Pratt. AK: How did volunteering to collect data on the CDT make your thru-hike different from others you encountered on the trail? DP: One of the biggest things was that I took being a steward of the trail more seriously when I became a data fellow. I felt very connected to the CDTC and like more of a steward and an ambassador for trail communities and hikers. It made me more cognizant of how hikers are perceived, and I thought more about how we are guests not only in the wilderness but also in the communities we pass through. I thought overall, it made me a better person because it held me to a higher level of ethical obligation. I took Leave No Trace principles more seriously and I wasn’t as likely to cut corners – I had to elevate Leave No Trace because I was part of the team! AK: How will the data points you’ve collected be used by CDTC? DP: So far, we’ve sent a completely updated center line and alternates to Slide Kelly, the GIS specialist at CDTC. He wanted a clearer picture of where hikers are going. There’s a Forest Service line that goes from Mexico to Canada, but if everyone is hiking a different path, then in reality, the trail is much more nuanced than it is on the map. The data I sent to CDTC was an updated spreadsheet of all the waypoints that I gathered, water sources, points of interest, campsites, and other points. The trail is constantly changing – not just in its path but in what the topography does to the trail. One year, a water source might be a river, and another year it might be a dry creek bed. Or, that change can happen as quickly as in a month. Having the most current data points helps people to have the best experience possible on the trail. 12
AK: Why is it important to keep the data current? DP: Maps are so important because they give people the tools to access trails. If the data isn't up to date, then people are disincentivized to use trails and they fall into disrepair. It only takes 5-7 years for nature to reclaim a trail if it’s not maintained. If we don’t know where people are hiking, then we run the risk of losing what we worked so hard to create over the past 40 years. AK: What do you wish other trail users knew about what goes into making navigational aids? DP: Having worked on both sides of the screen – both collecting and processing the data – I want people to understand the sheer amount of work and hours that go into making navigational aids. There’s hardly any automation possible for Geographic Information Systems, so a lot of this work is done by hand or in a spreadsheet. It really is a labor of love and I’m so impressed by Atlas Guides and CDTC. The number of hours that go into bringing a map to life is really hard to comprehend. AK: How did you feel when finishing the CDT? We know you acheived the Triple Crown of Hiking (thru-hikes of the CDT, Pacific Crest Trail, and Appalachian Trail). Did the added component of data collection enhance your experience of finishing the trail? DP: I was relieved to finish because I had some serious doubts about whether I was capable of finishing - the trail was really good at testing my resolve. Having the data to gather helped keep me accountable to continuing. Having a mandate like that was helpful to motivate me and to make me think of it as an accomplishment that was larger than a selfish adventure. I was happy to benefit others than just myself. Wondering when you'll get to enjoy the fruits of Dahn's labor? Version 3 of the CDTC Map Set, which includes the data Dahn collected in 2019, is coming soon!
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Gateway Community Spotlight: Grants, NM by Nicole Karem
I
first heard of Route 66 in 2006, when I was ten years old and the movie Cars came out. As a child who had grown up in the city and who frequently rode on the interstate to get around town, I genuinely had no idea what a highway was – at least, the kind that is talked about in the movie. I just thought that “highway” was another word for “expressway,” and I’m not sure I would have believed you at the time if you had told me that towns as small as Radiator Springs actually existed. The next time I thought about Route 66 was when I visited Grants, New Mexico, at the end of the summer of 2019. I drove down West Santa Fe Avenue, which I didn’t know at the time was Route 66 itself, and slowed down to make the turn that would bring me to the front of City Hall. On my right was an arch, big enough for a car to drive through and decorated with flames, proclaiming “Grants, New Mexico. Historic Route 66." I realized later that the idea behind the arch is for people to drive their cars through it and take pictures. Google “Route 66 Arch Grants, NM,” and you’ll see plenty of examples of people documenting their experience on the famous highway. 14
Cars never definitively tells us where Radiator Springs is (aside from “somewhere along Route 66), but with its seemingly endless desert and magnificent rock formations, it could easily be a small town in New Mexico. But of course, an animated feature, no matter how well done, can never hold a candle to the real thing. Like the other Gateway Communities in New Mexico, Grants sits in the middle of the desert, about an hour west of Albuquerque and right on the northern edge of El Malpais National Monument. This national monument highlights what makes Grants so unique among our Gateway Communities - namely, the fact that Grants is located on the El Malpais lava fields.
Visitors to Grants can explore the unique geological features of the area, like "La Ventana" natural arch, at El Malpais National Monument. Photo by Matt Berger. The lava tubes that sit in and around the town are nearly impossible to miss, but they are easy to disregard at first. I passed many of them on my drive into town, but beyond a simple “huh, those rocks look kind of weird," I didn’t give them much thought. Of course, considering that the youngest lava flow in the area, the McCartys lava flow, is likely between two and three thousand years old, the lava left behind technically is rock. But the lava tubes, which are left behind long after lava stops flowing through them, have a fascinating history and give Grants and the surrounding area its distinctive landscape, simultaneously stark and beautiful. With its location along Route 66 and on a lava field, Grants is an intersection of both ancient and recent history. The area's fascinating mining history adds yet another layer to its story and visitors can experience what life in the mines was like at the New Mexico Mining Museum. Like many CDT Gateway Communities, mining played an important role in Grants’ history, but the town is quickly embracing outdoor recreation as a way to diversify the economy. The mountains that surround the town – perfect for hiking, biking and hunting – attract visitors from all over the country. Within the bounds of the town, there is a system of newly renovated parks which offer an idyllic location for a summer picnic or an evening jog. Metal statues drink from the creek that runs through the park, introducing visitors to the animals that can be found in the area, and a large wooden shelter offers shade and a place to gather. With its small town charm, Grants offers visitors a lot to see and even more to learn, and those interested in exploring the area don’t have to look far for all the information that they may need. The town has its
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own app, “GrantsNM," which gathers everything in one place for potential visitors. Those searching for places to stay, shop, and eat will find all the information they'll need on the app, along with suggestions for things to do and see in the area. The app even offers a calendar of local events and information about roadside assistance. Those interested in exploring the Continental Divide Trail in the area will find the app useful for getting to know both the town and the natural wonders that surround it. In Grants, visitors get a chance to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of daily life and absorb the area's history, which stretches back thousands of years. Even a casual hike brings this history to life – the CDT runs along the base of Tsoodzil (Mount Taylor), a dormant volcano that is revered by the Diné (Navajo People) as the southern mountain of the Four Sacred Mountains. With these opportunities to view remnants of the area’s rich history paired with the town's myriad recreational opportunities, Grants will be beckoning new visitors to venture down Route 66 for years to come.
CDT hikers celebrate at the summit of Tsoodzil (Mount Taylor) outside of Grants. Photo by Whitney LaRuffa.
Nicole Karem is the CDTC Gateway Community Coordinator. She lives in Silver City, New Mexico, and loves to explore the CDT and practice martial arts in her spare time.
LIGHT ¬ VERSATILE ¬ RELIABLE
Photo © Stephen Matera.
M I C R O VA R I O C A R B O N
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The CDT in the Carson National Forest. Photo by Amanda Wheelock
Protecting America's Great Outdoors by Amanda Wheelock
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ANY things surprised me when I moved to the Rockies, like how people think it’s totally normal when it snows in May, or the fact that Coloradans are obsessed with hiking a specific set of mountains simply because they are slightly taller than other mountains. I wasn’t at all surprised, however, by the deep connection between the small towns dotting the Continental Divide and the public lands surrounding them. Before moving to Golden to work for CDTC, I had lived in the PCT trail town of Julian, California - famous for its pies - and the designated Appalachian Trail Community of Hanover, New Hampshire - famous for its privileged college students - as well as several other towns that served as gateways to regionallyrenowned forests and parks. In all of these places, I discovered a rich, interdependent relationship between rural communities and the natural areas around them. From Maine to Hawaii, residents of such communities depend on public lands to create jobs and local economic resilience, but also to help sustain their health, happiness, and ways of life. In turn, our public lands often depend on locals to take good care of them, act as volunteer stewards, and speak up for their protection. As CDTC’s Policy and Communications Manager, it is part of my job to amplify the voices of those who speak up for the CDT. Thus, when the opportunity arose this winter to testify in Congress about the importance of providing robust funding for public lands, it only felt natural that I would tell stories from CDT Gateway Communities. From serving as volunteer adopters of local sections of the CDT to traveling to Washington, D.C., to advocate on its behalf, residents of trailside towns are some of the CDT’s most adamant supporters. Their stories of what a completed CDT could provide for their communities make a much better case for investing in our public lands than I ever could, and I said as much to members of the House Committee on Appropriations in February: “When we surveyed small business owners in 32 towns along the CDT last fall, 88% of them reported economic growth in their community over the last five years that was specifically due to use of the trail. And this isn’t isolated to those we think of as working in the “outdoor” industry, for while some of those surveyed own hotels or gear shops, others are graphic designers, healthcare providers, and even barbers.
Amanda testified to Congress about the importance of the CDT, not just to recreationists, but to the communities that depend on economic opportunities the trail brings.
These people live in communities like Steamboat Springs and Silver City. While on the surface, these towns can feel worlds apart – one a world-famous ski town in the snowy Colorado mountains, the other situated where forest turns to desert in southern New Mexico, named for the metals that have sustained it for so long – they are connected by the thread of the Continental Divide Trail, and have more in common than
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you might think. Both are mid-sized communities with vibrant downtowns. Both are on the path of establishing themselves as year-round destinations and fantastic places to live due to their access to public lands. And both await access to new public land so that their local sections of the CDT can be routed off of dangerous roads.” In early March, I opened an email to learn that President Trump was tweeting his support for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is the most critical tool we can employ in our work to complete the CDT. Less than a month earlier, while I was in D.C., the President had released his annual budget recommendations, which included a proposal to cut LWCF funding by more than 97%. As I read the tweet, I somehow refrained from spittaking my coffee, instead immediately texting my colleague: “TRUMP IS TWEETING ABOUT LWCF. WHAT WORLD IS THIS?!” Seeing a President who has consistently supported rollbacks of environmental regulations and public lands protections suddenly ask Congress “to send me a Bill that fully and permanently funds the LWCF and restores our National Parks,” was certainly surprising. But here at CDTC, we firmly believe that protecting public lands and ensuring that everyone can access those lands are bipartisan issues. We were thrilled that, with the President’s support, the Land and Water Conservation Fund might finally receive the full $900 million it is supposed to receive each year, since Congress has siphoned off money from the fund to use for non-conservation purposes in all but two of the 55 years LWCF has been in existence.
Amanda and CDTC Executive Director Teresa Martinez traveled to Washington, D.C., in February 2020 to educate elected representatives about the value of the National Scenic Trails System and the CDT. Photo by Amanda Wheelock.
That Monday, a group of bipartisan legislators introduced the Great American Outdoors Act on the Senate floor, pledging to pass the bill quickly, guaranteeing permanent full funding of LWCF in what would be a landmark win for public lands and the communities that depend on them. The Monday after that, the CDC officially asked all Americans to avoid discretionary travel. The last few weeks have been like nothing I have seen in my lifetime, and I suspect the same is true for almost every single one of you reading this. One constant remains from “pre-pandemic life,” however: my belief that public lands and trails are vital to our wellbeing. In fact, that belief has only been reinforced in the last month. Every text I send to a far-flung friend begins or ends with “so grateful I live in a place with gorgeous trails right outside my front door.” Every night, I hear my neighbors howling like coyotes to remind each other we’re pack animals, surviving this together. And every day, I see more news stories about overcrowded trails and how mountain communities are terrified that city dwellers looking for a nice place to ride out the pandemic will overburden their healthcare systems. 20
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Imagine a country where people didn’t have to leave the city to access public land. Where each one of us lived within a 10-minute walk of a trail, a park, or both. Where those parks and trails were funded at a level that reflects the growing numbers of Americans who want to experience the natural treasures we all share. I firmly believe that the Great American Outdoors Act will help us get there. It is not the only step on the path, but it is a big one. For the past halfcentury, LWCF dollars have invested in more than 41,000 trails, parks, and playgrounds, in every county in the U.S. These successes have come even though Congress has diverted more than $22 billion away from LWCF. Imagine what could have been achieved with $22 billion more. In addition to guaranteeing that Congress would never divert another dollar away from LWCF, the Great American Outdoors Act would also provide funding to address the deferred maintenance backlog on federal public lands. Federal land management agencies currently face approximately $20 billion in deferred maintenance: projects such as facility renovations, roadwork, and trail maintenance that cannot move forward due to lack of funding. By investing in these sorely-needed updates, the Great American Outdoors Act would make our nation’s parks, forests, and trails safer, more easily accessible, and better equipped to welcome all of us to our shared public lands.
Top: Amanda hiking on the CDT in Wyoming's Wind River Range. Above: The sign on Representative Joe Neguse's door reads: This office belongs to the people of the 2nd District of Colorado. Neguse, who is Amanda's Representative, was among the Congresspeople who CDTC staff visited with in D.C. Photos by Amanda Wheelock. 22
I was supposed to write an article explaining why the Great American Outdoors Act will help CDTC in our mission to complete, promote, and protect the CDT, to compel you, dear CDTC member, to support the bill. And make no mistake - LWCF is the tool that could help us complete the CDT. Guaranteeing full funding for LWCF with passage of the Great American Outdoors Act would be a huge win for our favorite trail. But in a time when we are all cooped up in our homes, or worse, putting ourselves at risk at essential jobs to ensure others are safe and fed, the CDT feels awfully far away for most of us. What feels absolutely vital and necessary are the bike paths in our neighborhoods and the parks just beyond that. For those of us who live in areas
without these resources, their absence is even more apparent now. LWCF not only protects the vast vistas of the CDT - it’s also a critical source of funding for these local treasures.
Since travel restrictions and stay-at-home orders have gone into effect, Amanda has depended on trails near her home in Boulder to boost her mental health. By Amanda Wheelock.
The Great American Outdoors Act can help us build the country I asked you to imagine, the one where each of us can access public lands and trails, no matter where we live. Protecting public lands is not irrelevant in the time of COVID-19, but rather, more relevant than ever. So please, call your Senators and Representative. Ask them to pass the Great American Outdoors Act. And tell the staffer you talk to that you hope they get a chance to (safely) enjoy a trail today.
Amanda Wheelock is CDTC's Policy & Communications Manager. She always welcomes new trail advocates - contact her at awheelock@continentaldividetrail.org to find out how to help. PROUD CLOTHING SPONSOR OF THE CDTC
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Photo by Gabe Etengoff
Leaving the CDT in Good Hands by Gabe Etengoff
I
N 2015, long-time CDT volunteers Richard and Carol Martin adopted 23 miles of the trail in the Burro Mountains just outside of Silver City, NM. Almost ten years prior, they had helped build that same section, just miles away from their home. For almost five years, they meticulously cared for their adopted section of trail, performing routine trail upkeep and notifying CDTC staff of any major problems or maintenance needs. By volunteering their time and energy, they helped keep an eye on a well-used piece of trail almost 700 miles away from CDTC’s Golden, CO, headquarters. At a CDTC Adopter Training this February, 15 fresh CDT volunteers gathered in Silver City to learn the skills and knowledge they would need to adopt their own sections of the trail. The group included Silver City locals and two groups of Western New Mexico University staff, all of whom would soon take on responsibility for maintaining their own piece of the CDT. Over the course of the weekend, the new adopters learned how to perform upkeep to the CDT such as clearing corridors, building drains, and signing the CDT for trail users. At the end of the weekend, Carol and Richard turned 14 of their previously adopted miles over to new CDTC Adopters. With the engagement of these 15 new volunteers, the CDT through the Burro Mountains is completely adopted by community members, making Silver City a shining example of how individual stewards can contribute to a community’s stewardship of the CDT. “Even though it’s bittersweet to give up these miles of trail, it’s good, too,” said Carol Martin. “We have always had the philosophy that you don’t just leave a job, you train someone who you can mentor. Then 2you 4 know you’re leaving the trail in good hands.”
Since its inception in 2015, the CDTC Adopter program has helped the Forest Service and CDTC meet the ongoing maintenance needs of the CDT. In the five years since launching, the network of adopters along the trail has grown to over 200 individual volunteers in New Mexico, Colorado, and more recently, Montana and Wyoming. The importance of independent stewardship grows every year as agency budgets shrink and the list of deferred maintenance projects along the CDT grows. CDTC Adopters tackle small, routine maintenance issues that can often fall by the wayside for understaffed land managers, such as clearing drains and brushing overgrown sections of trail. With volunteers undertaking these smaller maintenance needs, the Forest Service can expend more energy and resources on high priority work such as reroutes, fixing trail structures, or clearing downed trees. Hardworking trail crews and volunteers like CDTC Adopters keep the trail passable for a variety of trail users, yet trail crews and volunteers are often unsung heroes of the outdoors. The next time you are out on the trail, think about it for a second. How did that bridge get built? Who carried in the materials to build a structure deep in the backcountry? Real, hardworking and tenacious individuals put in the work so our trails can be open and accessible to as many people as possible. The many CDTC Adopters have shown that, if given the opportunity, people are happy to give back. In the past five years, individuals as well as groups interested in stewardship have adopted sections of trail. For example, FourPoints Bar, a small company based in Colorado, adopted a section of the CDT just outside of Pagosa Springs in 2019. By ensuring that trails are well-maintained and don’t fall into
The CDTC Adopter program ensures that the CDT is maintained to a standard width and appearance no matter where you are on the trail, so that it remains usable for a variety of trail users. Photo by Gabe Etengoff. ďťż
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disrepair, individuals can have a huge impact on the public lands where they recreate. Volunteers play a crucial role in keeping public lands open and ensuring that these lands can withstand the impacts of recreational use. CDTC is planning on hosting five adopter trainings in 2020, in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. Individuals interested in becoming CDTC Adopters are required to attend the two-day training, which covers the basics of trail maintenance, tool safety, and working with land managers. After becoming trained, volunteers can sign up to maintain assigned sections of the CDT biannually. By committing to visit and maintain their adopted section a minimum of twice a year, CDTC Adopters ensure that the CDT meets the Forest Service’s trail objectives and standards. CDTC Adopters must be physically able to access the Trail, perform trail maintenance work and/or other duties required, and be able to meet any additional training or certifications needed to perform work, such as chainsaw or crosscut certifications. CDTC will help adopters obtain or maintain these certifications
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31. THAT’S THE NUMBER OF PROTOTYPES WE TESTED BEFORE UPDATING ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR STYLES IN THE LINE.
Adopter trainings give new volunteers an opportunity to give back to the CDT, meet like-minded people in their communities, and spend time in nature. Photo by Gabe Etengoff.
when possible, and will provide a tool cache equipped with basic trail maintenance tools and personal protective equipment for volunteers. If Carol Martin could give any advice to new adopters, it would be to enjoy the work and recognize how important it is. “Enjoy it,” she said. “It’s work, but it’s beautiful work. Always enjoy where you are and what you’re doing.” Editor's Note: CDTC’s top priority is the health and wellbeing of the CDT community. In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the work of maintaining and scouting the CDT is not essential at this time. Furthermore, volunteer work is not allowed in several U.S. Forest Service units, which are listed on our guidance for volunteers document. CDTC will continue to urge all volunteers to follow guidance from the CDC and state and local public health departments along the CDT. Please note that if the current guidance is extended, and/or new, more restrictive guidelines are put into place, we may have to cancel and/or postpone CDTC Adopter Trainings and CDTC Volunteer Trail Work Projects. Volunteers will be informed of any cancellations at least 2 weeks in advance of the planned project.
New adopters learn the tools of the trade during 2-day CDTC Adopter trainings. Photo by Gabe Etengoff.
UPCOMING CDTC ADOPTER TRAININGS Dubois, Wyoming Helena, Montana Salmon, Idaho Northern Colorado Southern Wyoming
July 26 – 28 TBD TBD TBD TBD
UPCOMING CDTC VOLUNTEER EVENTS Gold Hill, Colorado Flesher Pass, Lewis and Clark National Forest Biscuit Basin, Yellowstone National Park Burros I, Gila National Forest Burros II, Gila National Forest Burros III, Gila National Forest National Public Lands Day, Colorado
June 18 August 4 - 7 August 31 - September 4 September 15 - 19 October 8 - 11 October 15 - 18 September 26
Want to volunteer on the CDT? Register for upcoming CDTC Adopter Trainings and Volunteer projects here. Gabe Etengoff is CDTC's Field Programs Coordinator. When not leading volunteer trips along the Divide or training CDTC Adopters, he can be found riding his bike around Denver’s urban trails system and caring for his 31 house plants.
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Armchair Exploring Five books to help you live out a great adventure from home. Scraping Heaven Cindy Ross When Cindy Ross and her husband met, they shared a love of two things the outdoors and long-distance hiking. Afraid they'd have to sacrifice these loves when their children arrived, they searched for a way to bring their whole family along to partake in their passions. In the summer of 1993, the couple set out on a new kind of adventure: a thru-hike of the Continental Divide Trail with their two toddlers, Sierra and Bryce, and a string of four llamas in tow. Follow along on their five-year adventure, as they return every summer determined to finish the CDT, grow closer as a family, and commune with nature. Can't get enough of this quirky family? Cindy has written several other books about thru-hiking and her family's whirlwind of worldwide adventures.
Geronimo: My Life As told to S.M. Barrett Discover the culture of the Apache people, who have inhabited lands around the Continental Divide long before the first Spanish settlers arrived, through the eyes of Geronimo, one of the most famous Apache leaders of all time. A first-person recounting of his own life transcribed while Geronimo was a prisoner of war in Oklahoma, this memoir brings the history of the Divide to life. Beginning with a retelling of an Apache creation myth, this book provides unique insight to the beliefs, customs, and family life of the Apache, who to this day continue to make their way of life in the lands traversed by the Continental Divide Trail.
Wildfire: On The Front Lines With Station 8 Heather Hansen Every summer, wildfires come alive along the Divide to threaten mountain communities, endanger human lives, and drastically alter the landscapes traversed by the CDT. In 2016, journalist Heather Hansen rode along with the Station 8 crew in Boulder, Colorado, to witness the formidable flames and the heroic actions of wildland fire fighters firsthand. She recounts that summer in Wildfire, giving readers a look into the history, science, and human behavior that has increased the severity and frequency fires in the Rocky Mountain West, while providing insight on why wildfires are a necessary 2 9 ďťż player in the ecosystems along the Continental Divide.
The Continental Divide Trail: Exploring America's Ridgeline Trail Barney Mann This gorgeous homage to the Continental Divide Trail takes a look into the past, present, and future of the trail. With jaw-dropping landscapes, never-before-seen photos, and little-known histories of the CDT, this book is a perfect way to explore the 3,000 miles along the Divide without ever leaving home.
The Unlikely Thru-Hiker: An Appalachian Trail Journey Derick Lugo Experience the Appalachian Trail as Derick Lugo takes you along on his journey from clean-obsessed New York City resident to unlikely hiker along the infamous east-coast trail. While this book is not about the Continental Divide Trail, it's a worthwhile read for those wanting to experience a long-distance hike, along with all its frustrations and revelations, from the comfort of home.
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TIME TO PLAY
EXOS | EJA
Bridge crossings, sunsets with colors so rich it drips from the sk y, dinner w i t h chipmunk s . T he little things. The E xos/Eja features uncompromised durabilit y in an ul t r aligh t p ac k age t h a t de f ie s b e lie f. The only way to discover wondrous moments is to get out there and find them. So grab your friends, pack your gear and make it happen.
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The Wind River Range. By JeanMarie Gossard.
Poems from the Trail by JeanMarie Gossard The Wind River Range October Have you ever heard a mountain say no? watched your steps upward turn skyward? Peaceful white flakes turn to pellets, drive down in gusts. Clear ledge to my right now gone, snowed top now one with the sky, each step I lean hard, brace myself against wind until all is white, until the only proof of my existence is my pumping terrified heart, my iceberg toes. I brace and brace until I realize there is only retreat stumbling slippery steps back down to the tree I hope is still there to shelter me from 30% of this roaring wind. Up here, that’s something.
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I lie in my tent with tingling toes, and a hope, prayer, wish that tomorrow, when I unzip the door to the day and look up, her stone gabled top will be sharp, clear against a blue sky, bright, even welcoming.
Ants What must it feel like to be stuck in the folds of a rain jacket? Tiny red ant – right turn, left turn, quick twitches, sudden micro movements. Is it the panic I feel when I can’t take a full breath inside my sleeping bag? Or is it more adventuresome than that – traversing smooth tilting and lifting creases like a marble in a maze or water dripping from one smooth leaf face to the next? I looked down, found I put my rain pants right in the middle of their marching path – a workforce suddenly faced with ascending slippery black peaks, a mountain range plunked right in the middle of their desert. Are they frantic? Or just calm and quick – making important split-second decisions with confidence? Up we go to the summit, one step at a time.
By JeanMarie Gossard.
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Ancestors What if our ancestors were in the clouds ghost walkers circling snowed summits calling us forward to even higher peaks? I don’t usually think of you out here, but today, after climbing a mountain full of my fears – as I scurry down to safety I miss you - remember your excited eyes two inches from my photographs, your curious traveler’s heart, interested, eager. Then I look up – another snowcapped mountain I want to see myself the way you do boundless strength dream tackler stronger than we were ever told. It’s funny how fear pollinates our cells without our permission pouring doubt into crevices we only recognize once they explode, shatter into tiny pieces, return us to the knowing underneath.
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@theRealHikingViking
Photo by JeanMarie Gossard.
A sunset in the Big Hatchet Mountains Wilderness Study Area. Photo by JeanMarie Gossard.
JeanMarie “Pooter Scooter” is a long-distance hiker, poet, and activist. After a career as a community organizer in LGBTQ+ campaigns, she fell in love with thru-hiking on the Appalachian Trail. Since 2015, JeanMarie has hiked 9 long distance trails, including the CDT.
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CDTC Supporters Members are the core of our organization and its efforts to protect the Continental Divide Trail. By being a member, you support the protection of the CDT and our work to build a broad-based community of people who love and support the Trail. Thank you for your continued support!
Charter Members
CDTC Charter Members helped build the base of support necessary to help launch CDTC's efforts in 2012. CDTC owes an incredible debt of gratitude to these important supporters. Rex Alford & Alice Pierson Gene Allen Vince Auriemma Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club Mark Bankey Chris & Sanne Bagby Mike Bates Susan Bates Lyndon Berry Jim Boeck & Vivian Wilson Jerry & Helga Bell Scott Bischke & Katie Gibson Paul Breed Bob Brewer Jerry Brown Chris Burke Kevin Burns Jeremy Burton Clare Cain Elisabeth Chaplin Paul Corbeil Carolyn Crump Mike Dawson David Dolton John Dufour Bob & Shell Ellinwood Dianne Evans Brian Fahlstrom 3 6Allen Filson
Mark Flagler Arthur & Denise Foley Dana Foulks Sara Glasgow Paul Griffith Lawton Grinter & Felicia Hermosilla Tambi Gustafson Jim Hansman Frank & Jean Anne Haranzo James Harrold Tim Hart Jack Haskel Deb Hayes Josephine Hazelett Jesse Hill James Hlavaty Olivia Holmes Thomas Holz Nancy Huber Peter Karnowski 2013 FB CDT Hikers/Lisa Karst Matthew Kaufmann Karen Keller Copper Kettlle Brewing Christine & Brad Klafehn Duane Koss Dick Kozoll Robert Kristoferitsch
Whitney LaRuffa David Lattier Kevin Linebarger Rebecca Louden - Louden Family Foundation Reese Lukei Paul Magnanti Lydia Mahan Barney & Sandy Mann Bryan & Sally Martin Alex Martinez & Family Nicolas Martinez Teresa Martinez Chris McMaster - ULA Equipment Gary Monk Janie & Randy Moore Peter Necarsulmer Jean Neely John & Lisa Nelson Jim O’Brien Pat O’Donnell Shane O’Donnell Stephen Olson Richard Ostheimer Don & Amy Owen Taylor & Nancy Owen Greg Pierce Brad Pierson
Bill & Debra Pollick Bruce Prior Miguel Quinones John Rowland Erin Saver Carlos Schomaker Kerry Shakarjian Steven Sheppard Josh & Lisa Shusko Mal Sillars James Sippel
Dave & Sandy Slowey Chris Smith Morgan Sommerville Steve Staley Philip Storey Rebecca Sudduth & Daniel Weber Robert Sylvester George Szeremeta Michael Tam Olli Tam
Avelino Tamayo Don Thompson Kathy Trotter Daniel Weber Gary Werner & Melanie Lord Scott Williams Bernard Wolf Mike Wollmer Bill Youmans Tim Zvada
CDT Explorers CDT Explorers support CDTC with donations of $100 or more. We wish to thank the individuals below for the generous donations they made between December 2019 and March 2020.
$100-$499
Caroline Armer Judy & Rick Babcock William Barns Aaron Borowski Catherine Bradley Jason Brelloch Andrew Brennan Jonathan Chadbourne Nathan Collamer Mike Conroy Garrett Delmas Lauren Dix patrick dixon Seth Dulac Frank Dumville Sarah Dunn Warren Eades Michael Edwards Michael Edwards Stuart Etengoff Conrad Evarts
Audrey Ewin Karl Ford David Fortune Ernesto Fuentes Trina Gibbs Sean Gobin Hannah Green David Gwinn Ira Hale Marshall Hamilton Mark & Erica Hammer Jim Hansman Karla Hayes Philip Himes Ted Hitzroth Matthew Holcomb Joseph Holland Brenda Holzinger Kennard Honick Timothy Horton Kathleen Jackson Matthew Jones
Scott Jurek Anitra Kass Joel Kavanagh Phillip Keil Kathy Kelley Emilie Kelly Travis Kemp Paul Krummen McKennon Laas Michael Laczo Tom Lefferts Duncan Legg Hanno Lehmann Jeanne Leske Geri Lincoln Annie Lindgren Patrick Madison Bill Mayes Bill Mayes William McCalister Timothy McKimmie ďťż John McNamee
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CDTC Supporters $100-$499 (continued)
$500-$999
Kristine Mol Bernard Morenz Kevin Myers Tim Parritt John & Sue Pearson Michelle Regn Adam Reichert Deborah Robertson Jeffrey Robertson Barry Salisbury Jim Salyers Gabe Sanchez Shacter Family Foundation Kerry Shakarjian Julie Smith Linda Spaulding Robert Spong Mark Stanley Alison Sterley Rebecca Stevens Mary Stuever Christopher Swann Tim Taylor Gary Thompson Jon Truss William Vandolah Susan Wilmer Nicole Wooten Natasha Wyatt
Richard Allen Jonathan Blees Kevin Burns Shannon Daileader Jones Zach Davis Thomas Ewing Diane Gansauer Philip Goulding Jonathan Grief Patrick Hale Mike Henrick Paul Hylbert Kim Kanas Bart Lami Bruce Leiding Kevin Linebarger Tom McCollum Emily McNabb Okun Family Foundation Alice Pierson Thomas & Margaret Robinson Chris Schultz Stacey Todd Wendy Watson Brad Whitney Anita Williams Charles Wilson Jeanie Youngwerth
$1,000-$9,999
Cheryl & Darryl Annett Jackie Bouker Jan Burton Roger Carpenter Clancy Clark Daniel Collins David Cooper Mary Davison Brian Deames Timothy Gablehouse Evan Gartley Hazelett Family Living Trust High Lonesome 100 Race Jeffrey Kopp Nicolas Martinez Barney & Sandy Mann Janie & Randy Moore Pat O'Meara & Lynne Uhring Christina Osmon Don & Amy Owen Tom Phillips Greg Pierce George & Lisa Piering Jim Sielski Dr. Porter Storey Charles Sweeney Bernard Wolf
$10,000-$49,999 Anonymous (2)
CDT Sustainers CDT Sustainers help us protect the Trail all year long by giving monthly donations. Join them by signing up on our website for as little as $5 per month! Lynn Andenoro Elvin Arrance Alexander Asai Ludger Bannierink Donald Barrow Elizabeth Beall Shaun Bechdol Melinda Bise Sara Bishop James Boatwright James Boeck Paul Boger Kenneth Clayton 38
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John Cleve David Cooper Elizabeth Corliss Rabinath De Lange Don Dearborn Stephen Dodson Bryan Durocher Sara Edwards Katharine Evans Kenji Farinelli Robert Flynn David Fockler James Fowler
Elaine Geouge David Giese Andine Gilmore Brendon Goldacker Hannah Green Gerard Gubbels Robert Harborne Jason Harley Adrian Harrison Healing Hearts & Horses Joseph Heitzenrater Devon Herndon David Hoffman
CDT Sustainers Nancy Huber Scot Hunter James Hunter Mark Hurd Miller Inc Samantha Isenhour Alan Johnson Kaila Kirchner Caitlin Lara Michael Livesay Mary Lopez Kathleen Lynch Connie Mahan Tony Mason Charles McKenney John McLarty Steven Meyer Mark Mitford William Morton Lauren Murray
Rose Napier Gerald Nielsen David Nowak Greg Osilka Christina Osmon Thomas Phillips Pie Town Designs Christine Popp Aubrey Renfroe Archie Rippeto Erik Schultz Robert Schultz Jonathan Slator Jonathan Smith Heather Stabler Collin Stewart Kimberly Sweeney Paul Tennery Keith Wagner Samuel Waterman William Welch
Spring brings many colorful flowers to the dry, dusty landscapes of New Mexico. Photo by Kate Bobal.
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CDTC Supporters CDTC is also supported by businesses and corporations who provide monetary and in-kind donations. For more information on how your company or business may collaborate with CDTC, please contact Development Program Manager Lauren Murray at lmurray@continentaldividetrail.org. Thank you to the following businesses for supporting the Continental Divide Trail as CDTC members and corporate sponsors in 2020.
Business Partners Corporate Partners Corporate Partners Corporate Partners Trailblazer
Pathfinder
Scout
Adventure Medical Kits National Geographic REI
Aventura & Ecoths Backpacker's Pantry Buff Colorado Native Crown Trails Headwear Darn Tough Deuter Fourpoints Bar Gear Aid Gossamer Gear Granite Gear Katabatic Gear Montbell Mountainsmith The North Face Salomon Sawyer Six Moon Designs Toaks Outdoors Yeti
Altra Celtic Gregory Honey Stinger Laws Whiskey House Oboz Parks Project Point 6 Seek Dry Goods The Trek Vapur Vargo Vasque
Sagebrush BBQ Soulcraft brewing Ten Mile Creek Brewery The Village at North Fork Twin Lakes General Store UGQ
Vital Outdoors Western Riviera Lakeside Lodging & Events Yarcom Inc Zapier
Explorer Backpacker Magazine Big Agnes Eagles Nest Outfitters Fjallraven Hydro Flask Hyperlite Mountain Gear Leki Merrell Osprey
Business Members Bear Vault La Cumbre Brewing Company Miners Saloon Mountain Toad Brewing Parks Project Rocky Mountain Day Hikes
We would like to extend a special thank you to Adventure Medical Kits, Backpacker Magazine, and National Geographic for supporting our 2019 yearend fundraising campaign. Their donations helped raise over $100,000 for CDTC, 40 ďťż making 2019 our best year-end fundraising campaign yet!
These generous companies have partnered with the CDTC to help us complete, promote and protect the CDT. We wish to thank the following companies for supporting CDTC from December 2019 - April 2020.
Trailblazer ($25,000+)
Explorer ($5,000-$24,999)
Pathfinder ($1,500-$4,999)
Scout ($500-$1,499)
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3,000 Milers This list contains the names of all who have reported the completion of a thru hike along the CDT since April 2019. The CDTC does not verify these accounts, but wishes to celebrate the accomplishment of a completed journey along the length of the Continental Divide.
1981
2019
Daniel Cooper and Roberto Delgado "Rough & Ready"
Elysha “Sea Legs” Agne Kaya “Clementine” Afflerbach Staci “Artemis” Anderson Damian “Juke Box” Aubrey Grace “Morning Glory” Baker Michael “Soda” Baker Nolan “MANBEARPIG” Ball Melinda Bise & Rich Blitz “Pot & Lid” Kathryn “Cliff Jumper” Bobal Allison “Double Down” Borges Joshua “Smackdown” Borges Chris “Driver” Boudin Michael “Papa Oats” Bray Alicia “Girly Girl” Briggs Jason “MAV” Brocar David “Blast” Brooks Kyle “Joe Dirt” Bunte Daniel “Brick” Buttifant Astrid “Bambi” Callomon Zelzin “Quetzal” Cedeno Warren “Javelin” Clarke
1990
Bart Miller
1995
Doug Smith
1999
Julian Wheat
2004
Cathy Czachorowski
2005
Tommy "Mozes" Hayes
2013
John "Barrettt" Lemberg
2014
Kyle "Not So Bad" Dahl Ashley "Iguana" Lowe
2015
Alexander "Whistle" Kellenberg Scott "Iceman" Bingham
2016
Heejong "Spontaneous" Yang Roger "Greg In Wild" Carpenter
Tara “Handful” Cooper Lauren “DustBuster” DeLand Daniel “DampDan” Dempsey Zachary “Rooster” Dibble Daniel “Macro” Dodge Sarah “Hawaii” Dramis Andrew “Wallace” Duncan Elysha “Yard Sale” Dyer Owen “AtHome-Alejandro” Eigenbrot Jason “Bamboo” Elwood Oskar “Redfish” Englund Christopher “C.S.” Espinosa Raymond “Seabiscuit” Estrada Jeremy “Night Watch” Fillingim Joe “Lucky” Fink Sierra Francis Patrick “Dosu Kinuta” French Andrew “General Burnside” George Becca “Rattles” Goodman Tyler “Nomad” Goodman Nick “Copenhagen” Goodrich
2017
Kirk "Merlin" Sweet Sara "QB" Bishop Alison "Catwater" Sterley Ted "Happy" Mason David "Half Spice" Harper
2018
Adam "Sockeye/Squig" Lindenmuth Amanda "NoDay" Goldstein Justin "Jupiter" Cummins Becky "Two Step" Haynam Chris "Split" Haynam Melanie "Hummingbird" Ottino Chris "Canadian Style" Irwin Simone "Earl Grey" Wilke James "Double Lucky" Harrison 42
Brightly-colored geothermal features adorn the CDT in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Dahn Pratt.
3,000 Milers Kyra “Doubleshot” Pazan Christine “Bartender” Popp Melissa “Ultraviolet” Prager Allen “Seadog” Prince Pierre “Jackrabbit” Provost Pauline “Klipspringer” Quierzy Danny “Sunshine” Radzuweit Chris “ReallySorry” Reeve Matt “Salty” Robbins Will “Akuna” Robinson Nick “Lumber” Rogers Shane “Terminator” Romig Jean “Sahib” Romnicianu Ally “SpiceRack” Russell Pavel “Paya” Sabeya Sage “Zephr” Sardelis Tristian “Nomad” Sardelis Andrew Philip “Human Torch” Saults Pilar “SnM (Spaghetti and Meatballs)” Schmidt Jamie “Trailbride” Shores Wilson “Poles” Sink Chad “Relentless” Skinner Daniel “Indy” Smith Daniel “Tic Tac” Smith Doug Smith Thomas “Newt” Smith Alison “Catwater” Sterley Robert “Stone” Sweeny Kristin “Sully” Sullivan Samuel “Spooky Noodle” Tenny Connor “Jandals” Terry Andrew “Geo Dude” Twardowski Jason “Twiggzy” Twigg Melissa “Ultraviolet” Kazimieras “Boujee Bigfoot” Urbonavicius Petar “Moonshine” Vanev Annie “Airplane Mode” Varnot Nicholas Waite Karolina “Ranger NP” Wallberg Katrina “FireKat” Weyland William F. “Quietman” Whitehead Carl “Crunchberry” Williams Shayla “Roof” Williams
The expansive views of the Big Hatchet Wilderness Study Area make for beautiful sunsets. Photo by Kate Bobal.
2019 (continued)
Michael “Maxheap” Goshey Marisa “Snow White” Green Dave “Big Sky” Greenwood Kevin “Space Jam” Grooman Randal L Gutenkunst Eric “Bear” Haapaniemi Charles “Two Forks” Hall William “Bobber” Halfpap Leah “Twig” Harman Maggie “Rattlebones” Harris Seth Harris Michael “Samson-The-Bear” Hemmerle Hap “Wallace” Henley Frederic “White Hyena” Herbain Daniel “Dan” Herr Pamela “Cookie” Hershberger Richard “Tic Toc” Hershberger Bill “Hemlock” Hevrin Eli Holdom Jimmy Horan Shelley “Snake Legs” Hughes Jake “Vortex” Januszanis Michael “CAT” Jen Ben “Bearsock” Johnson Mitchell “Pabst” Johnson Nicholas “Dreamer” Johnson Chase “Rafiki” Johnston Travis “Yukon” Johnston Travis “Blasphemy” Kamiya Sean “P-Diddy” Kamp Russell “Krafty” Kearns Randy “Flying Amanita” Keener Brandon “Wormwood” Kelone Roel “Shadow” Kok
Greg “G-Whiz” Koller Phaneendra “Everest” Kollipara Eric “Ricky Bobby” Kuipers Andrew “Mean Spaghetti” Kulikowski Justin “Picky” Leahy Jeffrey “Ducky” Leeson Joey “Legz” Joshua “Windman” Leihe Todd “Smooth” Liermann Stephanie “Sunshine” Lorenze Ted “Happy” Mason Lena “Ninja” Matusch Jack “Southbound” McDevitt Kate “Elevated” McGuinness Scarlett “Rango” McManus Leah “Jetpack” Medure Rory “Masshole” Moore Elizabeth “EtchASketch” Mordensky Stanley “DinoDNA” Mordensky Laura “Fruit Salad” Morrison Benjamin “Tailspin” Moster Thomas “Walkabout” Müller Frauke “Skipper” MuellerSchwenty Drew “Swat” Murphy Caroline “Pinky” Murray Jason “Linkoln” Murrell Alexis “HeatWave” Newby Travis “Elevator” Nichols Josh “Leapfrog” Nitzel Danielle “Giggles” O’Farrell Dave “Freebird” Osborn Tyler “Stretch” Owen Nadav Papillon
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After her pack horse Tigger was injured in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Jodie went on to ride the Montana and Colorado sections of the trail with her riding horse, Thelma. Photo courtesy of Jodie Morton.
Enjoy the outdoors Keep the trails clean and stay hydrated with Vapur Anti-Bottles
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The Terminus O
N the 4th of July, I set off after having a rest day at one of the ranger cabins in the Bob Marshall. We started the day riding close to 5 miles per hour and were absolutely flying along the trail. Being a good Australian, I wished every hiker a happy Independence Day and got a few weird looks in return. I was pretty close to East Glacier at this point and planned on making it to where my truck was parked on a stock trailhead on Highway 2 the following morning. Halfway through the day, disaster struck. My pack horse Tigger all of a sudden pulled up really sore in his shoulder, and I quickly stopped for the day. Luckily, I’d already mapped out every horse-friendly campsite - a trifecta of a nearby water source, open area for grazing and flat ground - along my route and there was a good stopping point only a mile away from where we’d "broken down." Once I got to camp, I untacked the horses, gave Tigg some painkillers, accepted the fact that my dream of a cheeseburger would have to wait a little longer, and sat down to consider my options. I mentally thanked my dad for insisting I get a Garmin inReach with two-way messaging. I messaged a local Montanan that had reached out to me on social media. Seeing as she was relatively local and was into packing, she might have some good advice. The extent of our friendship at that point was that we followed each other on Instagram and had sent a couple of messages back and forth. The next thing I knew, she dropped everything to come and rescue us. She loaded up her riding horse, a pack horse, and an extra pack mule so that we could bring Tigg out without him having to carry anything, then she drove the two hours to the trailhead and rode in to meet us. The first time we ever met face-toface was at our designated meeting spot in the Bob. With her, she brought food for us humans, food for the horses, and extra painkillers for Tigg. We ended up camping another night in the Bob to give all the horses an easy ride out.
Tigger and Thelma in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. By Jodie Morton.
Being on trail will simultaneously distance you from people and bring you closer together. Strangers will become family, gateway towns become venues for (trail) family reunions and you’ll have a whole new appreciation for food that doesn’t require rehydration. It’ll show you that the ratio of good people to bad is a lot better than the news makes it out to be, and it’ll make you reassess your priorities. Suddenly the issues that caused you stress back in the ‘real world’ don’t seem as important in the grand scheme of things. If kindness was a currency, the trail community would be very rich.
Jodie is a former CDTC Ambassador who calls Colorado home when in the US. She didn't wear a Melanzana on trail, but keeps it as a fashion statement for back in Australia.
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Continental Divide Trail Coalition 710 10th Street, Suite 200 Golden, CO 80401 (303) 996-2759 email: info@continentaldividetrail.org www.continentaldividetrail.org 46
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