by Deb Yanchula and Jeremy Bateson It was Day 2 and we were following Dutch Creek up towards Tornado Pass. There was a bare hill, lots of deadfall to climb over (probably brought down by an avalanche) … and the trail disappeared. It was time to put down our packs,…
By Jenny L. Feick, PhD Unless noted otherwise, all photographs in this article were taken by the author or Ian Hatter in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Is it a pine? Is it a fir? Is it a spruce? And why should I care? Most people hike through the coniferous forests…
For this year’s Trail Building & Maintenance article we decided to let the volunteers tell in their own words about the trail crew trips. Over and above these reports there was one major “Scouting Trip” early in the spring, which besides setting the stage for all the High Rock trips,…
by Charlene Deck This spring, the Outreach Committee presented two webinars to help hikers prepare for the trails this summer: one on trip planning and safety and one on gear selection. Trip Planning and Safety Keri Bowzaylo, an ultra-runner, fitness professional, and apprentice interpretive guide, showed us how to plan…
By Mary Jane Kreisel June is an exciting month for the Great Divide Trail Association! Our volunteer trail building trips in BC and Alberta are about to begin. Hikers from far and wide will soon embark on a thru-hike of a lifetime on the GDT. Others will attempt a challenging…
By Jenny Feick, PhD Tales from the Great Divide, Vignettes on the Origins and Early History of Canada’s Great Divide Trail and Great Divide Trail Association brings to life the memories of many of the ‘originals’ whose vision, idealism, dedication, and hard work over five decades made Canada’s Great Divide Trail…
by Austin Hager Wow, was I shocked at how much prep is required for a Great Divide Trail thru-hike. Still more than a month away from my start date, and I have put in well over 100 hours of preparation. Between my partner Tanya and I sharing the load, it…
The Great Divide Trail (GDT) is unique. It is wild! It is rugged! It is wilderness! It is pristine! It is beautiful! If it wasn’t, it wouldn’t be the GDT. Let’s keep it that way – it is unique. It travels through many areas that are particularly sensitive to overuse…
By Barb Lauer It’s time to start dreaming about epic summer backpacking trips! And the Northover Ridge should be on your list – it’s on the continental divide (directly on the BC-Alberta border), is easily accessible from Calgary as a short 1,2 or 3 day hike and is spectacular! It’s…
By Joan Pendleton The Great Divide Trail (GDT) is a backpackers’ trail. Known as an epic thru-hike, it is over 1100 km long. Divided into seven sections, with the shortest section about 100 km long, section hiking also entices backpackers. But what if one wants to do a day hike…
