Category: Blog

This edition of the Pathfinder Newsletter includes articles showcasing adventures on the GDT, accomplishments this year, volunteer recognition, special interest topics, useful advice, and the highly acclaimed “Tales from the Great Divide, 2nd Edition” Enjoy!  

1. 2021 GDTA Annual Report: It’s amazing what we’ve achieved this year!
2. 2021 GDTA Volunteer Recognition Awards: A big shout out to our 2021 Volunteer Recognition Award winners.
3. GDTA Trail Building and Maintenance Trips 2021: Video and summary of this year’s trips written by the volunteers themselves!
4. Adopt a Trail Program: A new trail crew program focussed on trail condition reporting while hiking a section of the GDT.
5. Thru Hiking the Great Divide Trail with a Baby: Yes, it can be done. It’s a family affair now 🙂
6. Reflections from the GDT FKT: Insights into setting a GDT Fastest Known Time (FKT).
7. Hiking Saskatchewan Crossing to Field, SOBO: Section D hiking in all its glory. No seriously!
8. Solving the Conifer Conundrum: An engaging guide to the evergreen needle trees of the GDT.
9. 5 Things You Should Know Before Hiking the Great Divide Trail: Advice to help set expectations for the GDT hiking challenge.
10. First Impressions of the Second Edition of “Tales from the Great Divide“ See what readers are saying about this delightful history of the GDT and GDTA.
11. Her Odyssey: AGM Presentation: Hear from Fidgit and Neon as they discuss their continued odyssey, this time on the GDT.

If you have questions or comments about the newsletter, or would like to publish an article or event in a future newsletter, please email us at greatdividetrail@gmail.com

By Brad Vaillancourt, President of the Great Divide Trail Association 

At the beginning of the year, we gladly said goodbye to 2020 and we looked forward optimistically to a new start in 2021. Unfortunately, as we’ve all experienced, the pandemic continued and 2021 has produced its own share of challenges and stress. 

As we approached another year under pandemic conditions, the Great Divide Trail Association continued to consider what was best for the health and safety of the trail community that we serve, while at the same time acknowledging that staying active in the outdoors is an excellent way to keep your body and mind healthy. Only a few months ago, as the summer hiking season approached and non-essential travel in BC was restricted, it looked like there might not be a hiking season this summer. But similar to last summer, things improved, re-opened, and people quickly began looking for opportunities to get out on the trail. Despite the pandemic and mother nature’s best efforts to keep people off the trail with flooding closing the Berg Lake Trail in Mount Robson Provincial Park and a devastating wildfire season in BC, day hikers, weekend hikers and thru-hikers were on the GDT in record numbers this summer; and by all accounts it was a spectacular summer to spend on the Great Divide!

Whether hiking on the trail or volunteering on a trail crew, life on the GDT offered people a little taste of normalcy – connecting with nature and like-minded individuals in the magnificent wilderness of the Canadian Rockies – it might not have been a cure to COVID but it sure felt good. With this in mind, we began preparing for a busy year, both behind the scenes and on the trail. The GDTA Board and committees continued meeting virtually every month, moving our Organization ever forward even if we never met in person. We learned a lot in 2020 and the continuing pandemic didn’t stop us from making plans for a busy trail building season and achieving several other significant accomplishments.

In the spring, our Outreach Committee began offering online webinars with the help of some fantastic members. The virtual presentations included different approaches to backpacking and gear selection and trip planning with safety in mind and were very popular, demonstrating the strong desire for events and connections in the GDT Community. Earlier this month, the Outreach Committee completed one of its most significant and exciting accomplishments, the launch of the online GDTA Merchandise Store, where you can find t-shirts, hat, mugs and more, all emblazoned with the GDT logo. Thanks to Robert and the rest of the Outreach Committee for all of their work this past year!

Led by Mary Jane, our Ensuring Financial Capacity Committee continued their excellent work to, well do exactly what the name of their committee says: ensure financial capacity for the GDTA.  Fresh off of obtaining our charitable status, we launched our first ever Trail Supporter Campaign in late 2020 and raised over $8,500 in charitable donations. By the end of our fiscal year 2021, we had received over $16,500 in corporate and individual donations – an increase of $10,000 from the previous year. Remember that the GDTA is a charitable organization so all donations over $20 receive official tax receipts. With the loss of some of our previous funders, these generous donations were critical to the success of our operations this year. Thanks to the committee’s expertise in grant writing, we received four grants to fund our trail building operations, from Alberta Environment & Parks, Columbia Basin Trust, Alberta Culture and Status of Women Community Investment Program, and the Alberta Equestrian Federation. Thanks to all of our generous donors and supporters, and the Ensuring Financial Capacity Committee – we couldn’t do the work we do without you!

Our Organizational Excellence Committee continued to be incredibly busy behind the scenes, developing policies and systems to take our Organization to the next level. They implemented a new Document Management System and will implement new Member Management Software shortly. They developed Terms of Reference for all 6 GDTA committees, updated the GDTA’s bylaws, vetted new candidates for the Board of Directors and developed a new GDTA Board Manual. Thanks to the work of the Organizational Excellence Committee, the GDTA is a more robust and nimble organization able to navigate the challenging world we now live in!

Also behind the scenes, our Trail Protection and Advocacy Committee continued to build relationships, this year providing recommendations to the Livingstone Porcupine Hills Castle Recreation Advisory Group Final Report, working with Travel Alberta to get the Great Divide Trail listed on their website as a premier destination in Alberta, and participating in the Bighorn Steering Committee. Thanks to Ben, Dave and the rest of the Trail Protection and Advocacy Committee for getting the GDT on the map!

Folks looking to learn more about the surprisingly long and interesting history of the Great Divide Trail can now order Tales from the Great Divide 2nd edition from Amazon or as a PDF from the Nature Wise Consulting website. 

Thanks to all of the work of our Trail Building & Maintenance Committee and Safety Committee in 2020, we were well prepared for another pandemic trail building season, with modified trips plans that adhered to public health restrictions and guidelines in place. Similar to last year, the volunteer response we received was incredible. It feels like I say this every year and I’ll probably say it again, but this year was our busiest year yet, thanks to the hard work of more than 100 volunteers donating over 5,600 hours of their time for onsite trail building and maintenance on the GDT. By the end of the summer, we had successfully operated 15 trips through an ever evolving pandemic with zero incidents or injuries.

With the help of 3 youth leadership groups: Crowsnest Bible Camp, Outdoor Council of Canada, and the Junior Forest Rangers, Great Divide Trail crews performed maintenance and trail enhancements on more than 150 km of trail including significant improvements to the remote Jackpine Valley Trail, a temporary bridge over Cairnes Creek, a long-term bridge over Cataract Creek, repairs to Lambe Creek bridge, and 8 km of new or improved tread on the High Rock Trail. 6 years, dozens of trail building trips and thousands of volunteer hours later, we can now officially open to the HRT as the main route of the GDT in 2022! This new section of the Great Divide Trail is a legacy achievement for the GDTA, all thanks to the many volunteers who dedicated their time and energy to make it happen. I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge two guys in particular, Dave Hockey and Doug Borthwick. Without their dedication and efforts, the High Rock Trail would still just be a dream. Thank you guys!

At last year’s AGM, we increased our Board of Directors to 13 and welcomed six new board members as Donna Rutherford, Doug Whiteside, Peter Claghorn, Gina Van Haren, Ben Millen and Josh Edwards joined our existing board of directors, Jeff Gruttz, Deb Yanchula, Mary Jane Kreisel, Doug Borthwick, Chase Holthe, Robert MacLaine and me.

As this is my last meeting as the President and as a Board member, I would like to personally thank each of the directors for all the work they have done to move our Organization forward during these challenging times. Being part of the GDTA for the past 8 years, working with all of you to protect and preserve the GDT has been some of the most rewarding times in my life. The Great Divide Trail does more than just physically connect places by a path on the ground, it also connects people. Common purpose unites us and creates a community of individuals and organizations all pursuing the vision of the Great Divide Trail. I will always be passionate about the GDT and if you are too, I encourage you to get involved: become a member, join a committee, volunteer on a trail crew, donate, or just go for a hike or horse ride. I promise you won’t regret it.

Thank you!

By Jenny Feick, PhD, Editor of Tales from the Great Divide

Tales from the Great Divide, Vignettes on the Origins and Early History of Canada’s Great Divide Trail and Great Divide Trail Association is a self-published compendium of stories from individuals involved firsthand in the start and development of the GDT and the GDTA. First published in September 2019, Tales from the Great Divide 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 a reality. Transcripts of interviews and storytelling sessions, combined with excerpts from letters and other documents and hundreds of photographs and illustrations, reveal the adventurous, heartbreaking, and hilarious moments that characterized the early history of the GDT. Devising and establishing a route for this wilderness long-distance trail along the crest of the Canadian Rocky Mountains demonstrated naive courage and optimism. These pathfinders faced personal hardships and their trail work took place at a time before lightweight gear existed and without technological aids such as GPS, inReach, cell phones or satellite phones. In their quest to establish the GDT with a protected corridor, they confronted numerous threats and challenges.

The Second Edition of Tales from the Great Divide (416 pages, 300+ images) includes more than 100 pages of new material, over 100 additional images, and other enhancements. It also corrects errors found in the first edition after it was printed. This long awaited second edition was finally completed in mid-June, 2021 just as my husband Ian Hatter and I moved from Victoria on Vancouver Island to live near Invermere in the Upper Columbia Valley.

There are several ways to obtain a copy of the second edition:

1. Order a print-on-demand version from Amazon for Cdn $85.00 (rate in US$ varies with the exchange rate) plus shipping (free for Amazon Prime members).
2. Arrange to purchase a copy directly in person from Jenny Feick, the editor, for Cdn $65.00 (shipping anywhere in Canada would cost $20.00) by emailing jenny.feick@gmail.com.
3. Order a PDF version from the Nature Wise Consulting website for Cdn $25.00 – https://naturewise.me/consulting/product/tales-from-the-great-divide-second-edition/
4. Arrange an appointment to view a donated copy in the GDTA fonds within the Glenbow Archives in the University of Calgary’s Special Collections and Archives in the Taylor Family Digital Library by contacting the archivist at woelk@ucalgary.ca.

Several people who have already purchased the second edition sent me their first impressions.

“Tales From the Great Divide, 2nd edition – contains everything you want to know about the origins of the Great Divide Trail and the resulting non-profit association. Packed with a comprehensive history of the GDT and GDTA, it is also full of fascinating first-hand anecdotes from those movers and shakers who propelled the vision forward.” — Mary Jane Kreisel, Victoria, B.C. and Edmonton, Alta.

“David McCullough (Brave Companions: Portrait in History) states “How can we know who we are and where we are going if we don’t know anything about where we have come from and what we have been through, the courage shown, the costs paid, to be where we are?” Thanks so much to the GDT leadership and all those that preceded you for your vision in publishing this important part of the Great Divide Trail adventure.” — Kasy Kaczanowski, Brooks, Alta.

“A wonderful story of how young people undertook a formidable task and pioneered the Great Divide Trail in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Young heroes and heroines describe hardships and excitements as they pioneered the Great Divide Trail in The Canadian Rockies on a mere shoestring of support.” — Des Allen, Calgary, Alta.

“No bridge plank left unturned. Extremely thorough. Comprehensive. Exhaustive research. Easy to start reading at any point. Delightful reading. Copy available for on-site perusal at the University of Calgary’s Library, Archives and Special Collections, Glenbow Collection via prior arrangement by appointment for U of C students, faculty and staff. Details here: https://asc.ucalgary.ca/contact/ “— Jeff Gruttz, Calgary, Alta.

“Thorough, informative, in depth, well-rounded. Offers a thorough and intimate perspective into the origins of the GDT. A well founded body of information which can be drawn upon to inform potential trajectories forward for the trail and its community. Thoughtfully written and laid out. The humor is just as prevalent in the conversations as the challenges faced.” — Bethany “Fidget” Hughes and Lauren “Neon” Reed of Her Odyssey, based in the U.S.A.

“Delightful read that brings alive the Great Divide Trail, from its birth, through its life – its infancy to its current growth spurt. Supported by a very impressive collection of photos, illustrations, and maps.” — Joan Pendleton, San Jose, Calif., U.S.A.

“Thanks to you, Louise [the desk top publisher who worked on Tales], and all the others for all the effort and time you have put into this – it will be a historical treasure. I marvel at all the work you and your team put into this effort.  Thank you for the initiative turning an idea in to something tangible and historical… Although I am only on page 24 of the book, I am impressed with the detail included in those few pages.  I enjoyed learning about the early history of the Trail and in particular the vision and dedication of Jim Thorsell when he saw an opportunity to share the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains in a unique and historic way – by foot.” — Wayne Marshall, Calgary, Alta.

“… the size and heft of the book looks intimidating and I thought it would take forever to read!  But once you get by all [of] the preamble, it is an extremely interesting book. It is the first book I have read where it is a verbatim record of people talking and it surprisingly flows very nicely.  I love the stories of how the GDTA came to be and especially the tales of circumstances that happened during the survey hikes.  There is a massive amount of background detail included in the footnotes that further explains certain comments.  I find I have to keep reading the stories to a point where the topic shifts so that the flow is not interrupted and then I go back to the footnotes to read those.  I am impressed by the volume of information in this book and the thorough, detailed research.  It is great to have so many photos as well to help explain or illuminate certain aspects of the story.  It is indeed a labour of love and will be a valuable resource for those who are interested in keeping the history of the GTDA alive and informing others about it.  Well done, Jenny!! … what an incredible legacy you have, both in being part of the hikes and surveys and now in helping to record the history.  I will look forward to the rest of the read.  Bummer that you did not get a photo of the tree in the car!! “ — Peggy Taylor, Victoria, B.C.

“Amazing to see how long some people have been involved with the trail! This book is on our coffee table.” — Gail DesMoulins, Municipality of Crowsnest Pass, Alta.

“I’m loving this new second edition. Wow! Wonderful.  To me, the additional content made the whole book flow together. It reads better. The new edition to me has a more in-depth storyline. It holds my interest to keep reading. And of course, there are NO MISTAKES! It’s more enjoyable to read. The additions you added [like the subtitles] make this book make more sense than the first edition. It makes a much better read than the first Edition.” — Lani Smith, Olds, Alta.

By Andrew Cotterell

First Day
“Today was the hardest and most rewarding day. First part was like the Rockwall, Iceline and Molar Pass. Then lots of willow bushwhacking. Body feels good, muscles are tired. bugs are intense. Love you dearly!! Xxx” –  InReach message to my wife, Megan on day 1 of my trip.

It’s about 7pm on July 12th and I’ve made it to Morkill Pass campsite. I look at my watch and see I’ve been on the move for 13 hours 47 minutes, covering 57.4km and 2,216m from Kakwa Lake. In front of me there is a fire pit, an aged horse corral and a flat spot for my tent. I begin a routine that will become a ritual over the next three weeks. First, down a protein shake as taking in protein and carbs within 20 minutes of finishing exercise is ideal for muscle recovery. Next, I need to wash. I head to the river and strip off, washing my shoes and socks thoroughly as any dirt in them could cause blisters tomorrow. After a dip and a scrub I dress in my rain jacket and pants, not for the rain but for the bugs! Mosquitos crowd every inch of exposed skin and I decided bug spray wasn’t worth the weight, something I’d rectify in Jasper even though by then I’d endured the worst of it. With no camp shoes, I ease my bare wet feet back into my wet shoes with the insoles taken out and shuffle back to my gear. Now for dinner. It’s a simple affair as I don’t have a stove. Instead, a few kms before camp I added water to my dehydrated meal – Irish Shepherd’s pie which packs a hearty 800 calories for a 100g serve. I pour on lashings of olive oil and some crushed up Pringles to sneak in yet more calories. Lying with my feet in the air I wolf it down whilst swatting mosquitoes and soaking in an immense feeling of accomplishment and reflecting on the day. I’m glad I didn’t know at this point that each of the next three days would be more challenging than this one. Then again, the scale we have to judge difficulty is based on what we’ve done previously. There is a space between the hardest thing we’ve done, and our ultimate limit which this scale can’t describe. Despite preparing for over a year mentally and physically, Section G+F would push me into this space near constantly for the four and a half days it took me to cover them, completely resetting my scale and expanding the ultimate limit of what is possible for me.

I’m conscious of the time as I want to get the most rest possible, so I force myself to move. I do some stretches and get my cork massage ball into any sore muscles – hips, calves and hamstrings are always on the agenda. I find my tobacco pouch and walk a little way to a tree that stands out to me on the edge of the campsite. Taking a pinch I kneel down, placing the tobacco on the earth beneath the tree as I had been shown and go through everything I’m grateful for – the incredible views, my legs for getting me here, even the bugs and the bushes. Expressing gratitude helps ground me, reminding me to be thankful of this experience, no matter how hard it feels at any moment. I do this every morning and evening of my trip, which helps me experience and then let go of my emotions from the day, and start hiking without any demons from the previous day’s hardship.

Finally I set up my shelter (a Dan Durston X-mid 1p) and try to slip inside without letting any bugs in, an impossible task. Now to take care of my feet – I check for blisters, popping any I find with a sterilized safety pin, then I coat them in Aquaphor – a thick balm that stops them from drying out and cracking. Thankfully I have no blisters yet, but after a couple of weeks this will take me 45 minutes every night. It’s still light outside as I set my alarm to 4am and lay my head on my stuff sack full of spare clothes.

20 minutes later, I’m still wide awake – I’m burning up and sweating so I throw off my down quilt and strip off my base layer. After a while I start to shiver, yet I’m still really warm. I lay there confused as my whole body shudders, shivering from the cold, whilst at the same time I’m sweating from internal heat. This goes on for about an hour and a half.

My mind races as negative thoughts fight to take control – Am I sick? Is this a fever? I’ll later realise it’s probably just the day’s accumulated inflammation leaving my body. I’m not able to take anti-inflammatories like Advil because I have Crohn’s disease, so to combat the inflammation I started stopping a couple of times a day and sitting in cold rivers, using them as ice baths, which helped a lot.

If this is day one, how can I possibly do this? How can I keep going?

Just see what happens. Worry about it only if it becomes a problem.

You’re an idiot and you’re never going to make it. You should give up and hike back to Kakwa.

If you need to take extra breaks tomorrow, that’s what you’ll do. Right now is not the time to make a decision.

If you can’t sleep, how will you possibly hike tomorrow?

Rest is nearly as good as sleep.

Eventually my temperature stabilizes enough that I can sleep. An hour later and my hips are so tight that the pain wakes me up. I begin a cycle of sleeping for about an hour, waking, stretching and massaging my hips until I can find a position comfortable enough to fall back asleep. I figure I managed just over 4 hours of sleep in total before my alarm signals for me to start moving again.

Fastest Known Time
In July 2021 I hiked the GDT from Kakwa Lake to the US border in 20 days, 6 hours and 55 minutes, setting a supported Fastest Known Time in the process. One of the most common questions I’ve been asked is simply “why?”. It’s a great question, one that has many answers and has caused me a lot of reflection before, during and after I completed the hike.

Beginnings
Setting a Fastest Known Time, or FKT, has become increasingly popular over the past few years, perhaps due to races being cancelled due to COVID-19. I’d started following FKT’s a few years ago through watching the Karl Meltzer and Scott Jurek films about running the Appalachian Trail, and occasionally would catch myself looking at local trails on FastestKnownTime.com.

I started to get curious about the Great Divide Trail after instructing an Outward Bound Course near Fording River Pass in 2017. Seeing it travel off the edge of the GemTrek map made me wonder about where it went. We didn’t see another hiker in 12 days that trip, and the GDT went through more remote terrain than we were in – what was this trail!?

As I spent more time running, climbing and skiing in the Rockies, I kept thinking about it. I thought that completing a trail like this would give me all the skills I might need to look at a map, draw a line that looked appealing, and be able to travel the route – the more remote, wild and rarely travelled the better. I enjoyed trail running in the mountains more than hiking, purely because it turns a day hike into a half day, or sometimes a 2-3 day hike can be done in a single day! This just seemed more efficient, plus carrying less stuff and yahoo-ing on the downhills is really fun!

So when my first 50-miler in May 2020 was cancelled, I set my sights on a local challenge, the Canmore Quad. It involves getting to the summit of the four mountains closest to Canmore, Grotto and Lady Macdonald on the one side and East end of Rundle (EEOR) and Ha Ling on the other. Starting and finishing in town the day ends up being 50km and about 4,800m of elevation gain. Unfortunately for me though, Ha Ling was closed for trail work, so I chose the slightly further, slightly higher, and definitely steeper Mount Laurence Grassi to replace it. After 13hrs 55mins, 59km and 5,100m gained, I was amazed at my body and finished smiling, feeling undoubtedly tired, but somehow not broken. My friends had supported me throughout the day, cheering me on, setting up aid stations and running with me on one or more of the peaks. I totally surpassed what I thought I was capable of and somehow enjoyed it!

After that, my ideas started to come together. I’m not a fast enough runner to win any races, but I started to believe that if I trained enough I might be able to run 40 or 50km with a pretty short recovery. If I could do that, could I turn a week-long hiking trip into a weekend run? With this thought fresh in my mind I looked up the GDT on the FKT website and found it didn’t have many entries, the fastest time was 23 days 8 hours, held by Elaine Bissonho on the return leg of her Yo-Yo (meaning she hiked from Waterton, to Kakwa then turned around and hiked back). If I could manage 50km a day I might be able to beat her time. After a three day, 110km fastpacking trip to the Ya Ha Tinda I committed to it. I loved this trip, my friend Adam and I covered so much ground compared to when I had hiked in the same area with Outward Bound, and we only saw a couple of people horse packing the whole time. In 3 days we saw nearly everything that I had wondered about when looking at a map of the region. I even got to Forbidden Lake which I knew that at least 3 Outward Bound trips had tried to get to but never made it! The feeling of being ‘out there’, making decisions for ourselves and seeing so much each day had me hooked. I got home and started training and preparing for the GDT in 2021.

Preparation Fascination
When it came to the ‘why’ of the FKT, part of the fascination about it was the preparation. It was a year of focus, research and training that completely engrossed me. I guess it was my pandemic project!

So how light could I make my kit while still staying (a little bit) comfortable and safe? Before this trip I had about 80 nights of backpacking experience. I’d always focused on being well prepared, taking an extra headlamp or layer ‘just in case’ and a secret chocolate stash we could eat during a storm. When I was instructing for Outward Bound I once loaded out for a 12 day trip in the Ya Ha Tinda with no resupply and my pack weighed nearly 60lbs! This trip was awesome, but because we couldn’t move very fast I didn’t feel like we got to see as much as I would have liked.

It took me about 5 pre-GDT trips to get my gear really dialled, but now I have a 10lb base weight that I honestly wouldn’t make many changes to if I was going at a more relaxed pace (here’s my gear list). I’d probably add a pillow and my Kindle but not much else! I also realized that running with an overnight pack puts me at a high risk of injury, and my body wasn’t strong enough. I found I could cover more ground and be less tired if I hiked efficiently with few breaks, than if I ran sections. I was also amazed at how enjoyable it is to hike with a light pack! By substituting the speed of trail running for the ability to go all day, day after day, I was able to see even more and started to love being on trail for the whole day. It’s just so freeing to cover that much ground. It also makes bushwhacking and moving over deadfall a lot easier!

It’s in the Execution
There was the preparation, then there was the challenge in the actual doing of it all. I was struck by a comment from my coach (Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy) in our last conversation before I started my trip: “Based on your planning and physical preparation, I have no doubt you can complete this trip. The execution, however, is a completely separate thing.” Given the length of the trail, the remote nature and the reliably unreliable Canadian Rockies weather, this trip was going to be all-encompassing, and require me to find the balance between the present moment, while also planning ahead and paying attention to what was coming up if I had any chance of a successful thru-hike.

Purpose, Connection, and Support
Something I didn’t expect to be such an important part of my trip was how it enabled me to connect with others, which can kind of be split into three parts. Firstly,  fundraising – I get so much from being outdoors, and I feel so lucky and privileged to be able to fit a trip like the GDT  into my life. I wanted to give other people that opportunity too so I decided to use this trip as a fundraiser for Crossing the Divide, a charity that provides free outdoor education trips to disadvantaged youth. We raised just over $10,000 in total, which is so incredible – so thank you if you contributed to this! Hearing the updates of the total grow throughout the trip always gave me a huge boost.

Another thing that kept me going was connection to the GDT community. Just after Cataract Pass was where I crossed paths with the first section hiker, it was awesome to meet someone who understood what I was going though. It wasn’t until Howse river floodplain that out of the smoky horizon appeared two thru-hikers. I’d meet a few more groups that day, and about 5 or 6 thru-hikers each day after that. It was practically intoxicating chatting and connecting with everyone, and I was always sad that I had to pull myself away to keep on hiking. I definitely felt I missed some of that community feeling of hiking and camping together with people I met on the trail, sharing stories and experiences. I’d like to do another thru-hike or section where I get that opportunity. Thank you to everyone who took the time to chat, who gave me extra snacks and encouragement – I cherished it all!

Perhaps the biggest part was the support and encouragement I received from friends. I may have completed the trail from end to end on my own, but they all made it so special. Megan did an amazing job managing the logistics of my resupplies, rallying friends to help or meet me on the trail, and updating my social media so people could stay current on how I was doing. Hearing about how many people were messaging her, as well as what my fundraising total was always spurred me on. At Upper Kananaskis Lake day use I was greeted by a small horde of friends, including my physio who brought his treatment table to put some life back in my tired legs! On the final day from Cameron Lakes to the US Border, each km ticked off Megan would play me videos she had collected in secret from friends and family sending their love and support. These are just a couple of the great lengths everyone went to in supporting me. In all I was accompanied for about 290km, and I’m so grateful to everyone who helped out. Seeing what others were willing to do for my goal also provided motivation, I didn’t want to let them down. I know they would have my back no matter what happened, but it makes me think if you have a big goal, maybe share it with your friends and ask them to be involved in some way. I know I needed all the help I could get with this one!

The End.  And Afterthoughts
In the end it was a rollercoaster three weeks that I’m incredibly proud of and grateful for, but I’m not sure I’ll be repeating any time soon! I’ll still be hiking, running and skiing in the mountains though, and have more time now to stop and chat. In the end, I found purpose in having a huge goal that I slowly worked towards,  joy in being outside on trails and connecting with others, and wonder at all the beautiful sights and what my body could handle when I had trained for it. I learnt a lot more that I don’t have room to share here, and love getting nerdy about gear, food, training and anything I can put in a spreadsheet – reach out if you want to know more about anything! Hope to see you out there on the trails!

By Barb Lauer

Another summer, another section of the GDT completed.  Woohoo! This summer it was Section D, Saskatchewan Crossing to Field (SOBO).  Lynnie and I have now completed more than half of the GDT and feeling better and better that we will eventually complete it all!

Section D SOBO with the various alternates might just be my new favourite section… the variety of the terrain (floodplain, ridge walk, historical pass, spectacular pass, moraines, and glaciers – it had it all), the relatively easy start (it’s very flat if you start at Saskatchewan Crossing!), the new trail and bridges that have been built, the co-operating weather when we needed it most and the remoteness (we saw only two other hikers on the main part of section D – excluding the popular Iceline and Mistaya Canyon).

We completed Section D (~115km) in 6 days, 5 nights starting on August 21 and were joined by Dustin Lynx, author of Hiking Canada’s Great Divide Trail and River Taig, an uber experienced thru-hiker having hiked the GDT almost four times! In addition to the wonderful company, it is always nice to have along very strong hikers who can go first on the water crossings! Neither River nor Dustin had hiked the newly created route for Section D with the spectacular alternate routes. And we were all especially excited to celebrate River’s six-month post kidney donation anniversary on the hike! WOW! It was both humbling for us and exciting to celebrate with River!!!

Based on Dustin and River’s stories of the previous Section D, a HUGE shout out to Dan Durston, and Brad Vallancourt who created the new route including alternates, and to Dave Higgins and Doug Borthwick who have led trail building crews to Section D for the past few summers. Thank you!!

We started out in sunshine from Owen Creek (this is where Section E starts) and walked a lovely trail that was out of sight of the David Thompson highway and had great views of Mount Murchison. At the intersection with Hwy 93 we turned left and walked along this highway for about 5 km to Mistaya Canyon trailhead. It was on this highway that we met one of our thru-hiker icons for the trip, a solo hiker named Annie – a positive, strong looking 20 something year old who looked like she was on a day hike! She came into our minds a few times on the trip “wow, how did she do this on her own?” We met two other thru-hikers… more on them later.

We continued from Mistaya Canyon and joined the Howse Floodplain – they are both spectacular! With the sun still shining, we kept walking and eventually found a place to random camp.

We were a bit surprised how often the main route along the floodplain did go into the forest. But the tradeoff of not having to continually cross water, appealed to most of us. River was the exception and was itching to get back out to the floodplain where there isn’t always a trail to follow, it can be faster, and the views are much better. Either way, there were also a few very steep, a bit sketchy up and down climbs to avoid dangerous crossings of the Howse River. The route also crosses Conway Creek, which would have been a lot scarier if Dustin and River weren’t there to lead the way. The other thing to watch for along the floodplain is crossing innocuous looking streams, slow moving water clouded with slit so you can’t see the bottom…  they can get quite deep without much warning! So I’ve added to my water crossing learnings… pole ahead to test the depth of water!

We met our next iconic happy thru-hiker on the way to Howse Pass. He was walking barefoot and had lovely painted toenails!! Apparently, he started out with sandals but they were hurting his feet and so he reverted to no shoes as much as possible! How he did this with all the rocks, tree roots, pine needles, wood splinters, you get the picture, I have no idea.

Walking through the historic Howse Pass with the plaques and historic signage felt really special.

We camped at Lambe Creek after a day of on again off again rain – we were soaked. No rain gear seems to prevent wetting out after hours in the rain…. that is except my bright blue poncho (picture below which nobody else would be caught dead walking in!).

It was at Lambe Creek that we met our third iconic happy hiker – Justin Outdoors. After a day of rain, he walked into camp smiling! I had to ask him if he was dry, i.e. why are you so happy?? As it turns out he was soaked as well. And I can only think that he was relieved to be camping with four wet, tired, mildly grumpy old folks on the trail. Sometimes any company is good company! Word quickly spread through our camp that Justin is a You Tuber with many thousands of followers….  check out his videos of his GDT hike this summer.

Just by Lambe Creek campsite, there is bridge over Lambe Creek which was repaired this summer by the GDTA. Lynnie volunteered on this maintenance trip … she shared some harrowing stories of folks leaning off the bridge (while properly secured) to reinforce the railing.  Much harder work than thru-hiking the trail.  Thank you GDTA volunteers!!! 

We had a very short day after Lambe Creek (~7 km) and camped at Cairnes Creek, as we chose to wait out the weather. We were aiming for no rain, snow, or heavy cloud cover when we tackled Amiskwi Ridge. A hard core thru-hiker could definitely do Section D in less time than we did.

The wait was worth it, the clouds cleared, and we headed up Collie Creek alternate and then onto Amiskwi Ridge alternate. Both alternate routes are fantastic – Collie Creek saves many kilometres of dirt road walking and Amiskwi Ridge has spectacular views if you are lucky enough to have the weather.

The trail out of Cairnes Creek is well flagged and even sign posted for Collie Creek alternate, there has been new trail work done there recently. It is lovely! Collie Creek was probably our toughest water crossing (fast flowing, white water looking) in Section D. But again we had Dustin and River there to lead, and so it was a-okay (definitely easier than the crossings in Section G). There was a very steep up from the creek crossing but the trail was awesome, like going up soft, cushy steps.

The trail up Amiskwi Ridge (SOBO) was another story… it starts out okay but when you come to the clear cut, it’s very tough going. This might have been because we waited too long to take a break and were hungry or it might have been because the clearcut flagging was pink and not dissimilar to the GDT flagging! It doesn’t matter… we gained the Amiskwi Ridge and it was AMAZING! This section might just be the most geologically diverse stretch of the GDT with various rock formations and fossils; we even stumbled onto a warm spring! Not to mention the spectacular views of the surrounding heavily crevassed glaciers. It is a must do on this section if the weather cooperates.

The other alternate route that we did was the Kiwetinok Alternate and I can’t rave enough about this… First the bad news… it’s a tough go with a lot of elevation gain, loss and gain again in a short distance. The toughest part of this alternate for me was the Kiwetinok Gap which really surprised me. It gets very steep near the top of the gap and then over the top there’s a nice walk down a dry river bed until you have to find the very steep, very faint trail (looked like a bear trail to us) through the trees to get down to the meadow. The immediate hike up to Kiwetinok Pass is more demoralizing than difficult! Going SOBO, there is good trail with flagging when you first start the alternate to above the trees on the approach to the Gap and again on the way down from Kiwetinok Pass (thank you Parks Canada!). In between these two areas, you’re a bit on your own (or with GPS). And if you happen to do the alternate northbound, make every attempt to walk backwards up towards Kiwetinok Pass or turnaround often – the views are spectacular!! [NB:  Kiwetinok Pass alternate is not safe in early season due to a cornice that forms on the north side of Kiwetinok Gap.]

After the walk down from the pass, the trail joins the Iceline Trail and then onto Yoho Lake campground and then Field.

This last part of Section D is fantastic and so worth doing (with the small exception of the last 5 km into Field which had so many horizontal switchbacks that we thought we were going uphill!). We saw the unbelievable glaciers of the Iceline, Canada’s second highest waterfall – Takkakaw Falls, a herd of 30+ mountain goats grazing around the Burgess shale fossils and spectacular views of Emerald Lake and the backside of the President and Vice-President peaks. An outstanding final day! Quick sidebar… Yoho Lake campground is gorgeous, it’s actually on Yoho Lake and comes complete with two red Adirondack chairs to enjoy the view!

I hope you get a chance to do this section with the new alternate routes… it is so worth it!

Author:  Kyle Philibert-Palmer

Background:  Kyle & Natasha Philibert-Palmer thru-hiked the GDT in 2021 with their 8 month old son “Toothless”. They write about their adventures, including this hike, on their website http://backpacksandbikeracks.com

When we were planning a family, we had one thing in mind: We planned on sharing the outdoors and hiking with our child, and if they would allow us, go on a thru-hike with them.

We never thought at that time we would do another GDT thru-hike with our future infant son. The GDT was, in our minds, something we would do again in 10 years or so when the GDT becomes more popular, better supported and our kid could carry themselves and some of their gear. Maybe we could do part of it along with a Continental Divide Trail thru-hike if we wanted to think big.

When the pandemic hit, we initially thought it would be over after a few months and a Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) thru-hike would be feasible. But after close to a year of travel restrictions, public health measures, and uncertainty with PCT permits we found ourselves thinking, “Is the GDT feasible to hike with a baby?”. After all, we thru-hiked the GDT in 2018 and had a strong understanding of the trail and logistics, and we have been volunteering with the GDTA ever since, and the GDTA has resolved a lot of the challenges we had on our 2018 thru-hike.

After confirming our son (trail name “Toothless”) liked hiking with us (something we’ve now been doing with him since he was 3 weeks old) we started thinking about the GDT in more detail and started planning how we’d thru-hike the GDT with a baby.

Our biggest challenge would be the long food carries. Our biggest fear would be a few of the water crossings.

We helped mitigate the food carries by receiving an incredible amount of support from trail angels who would help us with resupply drops, sending resupply packages to places not on the GDTA list, staying at a lodge one night, and maintaining a good old fashioned calorie deficit at times. This would still leave our packs heavy, but it seemed doable.

For the water crossings, the GDTA built some new bridges, and for the rest we just had to see how it went. We planned a few bail points, planned major crossings to be as early as possible, and accepted the fact we might need to camp out for a day to let the water levels get lower.

We started our thru-hike on July 5^th, the same day we started in 2018. This time we planned on taking longer (58 days instead of 49 days) to go less far (to Mt Robson instead of to Kakwa).

We started with uncertainty. There was an unprecedented heat wave – right when we were travelling to the trailhead and thankfully before we started. The longest Toothless had gone backpacking was 6 days (82km on the Sunshine Coast Trail) and we didn’t have a solid daily routine yet. We committed to hike Section A to Coleman, where our car was being stored at A Safe Haven B&B, and decide if we wanted to continue or not while there. If we were not having fun, or if the days are too hard and long, then we would have to call it and change our plans to doing shorter stretches and section hike instead.

The first few days in Section A were hot with more elevation gain and loss than we anticipated, but we pushed ourselves and managed to stick to our itinerary despite late starts and needing to finish early in the evening to feed Toothless dinner and get him in bed. We quickly settled into a routine of alternating between hiking as quickly as possible during Toothless’ naps and extended breaks to let him explore and play in the dirt. This was exactly the confidence boost we needed and by the time we reached Coleman, all three of us were excited to keep going on the trail.

Sections B and C provided us with more great weather and beautiful views. We spent 22 nights in row sleeping outdoors before we reached Field! In addition to enjoying the outdoors with Toothless, we got to see him ham it up and socialize with other hikers on the trail – a welcome surprise as we weren’t sure how our pandemic baby would interact with other people.

Then we hit our first major hiccup of the trip in Section D; I got an overuse injury in my ankle halfway through. So, we bailed off the trail and took 4 days off to rest before skipping ahead about 50km to Section E to stay on schedule and keep our reservations.

Section E is one of our favourites, but unfortunately, this year we had a lot of precipitation. With Toothless we planned doing the section in 11 days. Out of those days we had 7 days of rain and 2 days of snow. This made the section challenging for Toothless since he didn’t get the best of views (hard to see anything when it’s completely white or grey out) or much of a chance to wiggle around. Thankfully the water crossings were straight forward; the Maligne River had the lowest water level we have seen in the past 3 years. While we weren’t worried too much about the Maligne River ford itself, it was a good data point for the remaining water crossings north of here since we have crossed it a handful of times before. But hiking over the Notch in snow was probably the only time on the entire trip I knew we made a bad decision and regretted it. Being up on the Notch with poor visibility, snow, and a phone that turned off due to the cold while we were carrying my child made me very concerned. I was doing everything I could to keep my composure so we could focus on making good decisions as we progressed. Natasha was thankfully cool as a cucumber. A few other groups also got caught up there and we all helped each other out with navigation and ensuring we kept sight of each other.

After our experiences in Section E, we carefully looked at the weather forecast for Section F and opted to finish at the Moose River Trailhead instead of Blueberry Lake (both of which are alternatives to the Berg Lake Trail which was closed this year). Finishing at Moose River allowed us to have a more balanced forecast and cut out a couple days of forecasted heavy precipitation and snow from our itinerary. This worked out for the better and it was overall a much more enjoyable section for Toothless. Knowing how the rest of the GDT is, I was really pleased with the Moose River Trail. The floodplain and trail along the river has the same flavour as several other parts of the GDT north of this, so it felt less like we were bailing and more like we were experiencing the GDT. We also lucked out and finally experienced the trail without wildfire smoke for a sustained period – so we got to enjoy the views throughout the entire section. This was new for us because during our 2018 thru-hike the wildfire smoke was the worst north of Section F.

Hiking the GDT with our son has been the most rewarding experience I have ever had, but it is probably the most challenging thing I have ever done as well. Thinking of these things separately – hiking the GDT in 2018 was the hardest thing I had done at the time. After that, raising our son then became the hardest thing I have ever done. So adding the two together is like hard squared.

Toothless has loved hiking since our first hike with him at 3 weeks old. What he loves is he gets to be carried by his mom or dad, which means being close with us and able to interact with us. During our thru-hike on the GDT he has grown so much. He started babbling, and we make sounds together, have conversations, and sing songs. When singing or in a good mood, he likes to bounce and dance in his carrier. He also started playing peekaboo, which is completely doable in a carrier while hiking. He also still loves just snuggling with us.

He also loves seeing new things and having the opportunity to interact with his environment. Every day on trail, he got to see a new type of tree, flower, or find a new object (like a sign or bear locker) to interact with. Through the GDT he went from noticing objects that are close up to pointing to far away objects and getting our attention. On ridge walks or in a floodplain, he would point to a far away mountain range and say the same thing he says when he sees a tree he wants to touch “da; da; uh”.

He also really loves moving, climbing, and crawling. The wilderness is a great place for him to crawl over and on things. He crawled over “stairs” for the first time on trail and stood unsupported for the first time. I hope to never forget those moments.

It’s easy to be cynical of a trail when you are immersed in it. Maybe you wish there were better climbs or views in a section. Maybe you wish there was actually a trail and not a bushwhack or river route. Maybe the campsites are in poor condition. This is, I think, especially easy to have happen when you have hiked a trail before. But when you hike it with a baby you start to see the wonder through their eyes and look for new or interesting things you maybe haven’t paid much attention to before.

Even though Toothless might not have conscious memories of the trail as he grows older and we encountered several challenges, we would make the same decision again to thru-hike the GDT as a family. I hope he continues to love the outdoors as much as he does now, and that he always reminds us to stop and enjoy the small things on trail too.

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, take some GPS coordinates and to take some pictures. We were participating in “Adopt a Trail”, a new program that the GDTA was piloting this past summer. The GDTA’s Adopt a Trail Program is similar to a program currently used by the Pacific Crest Trail and several other long distance trails, used to identify sections of trail that require maintenance. The GDTA can use this information to prioritize the yearly maintenance work and to send out the best resources needed to fix it. Doug Borthwick started this program, part of the Trail Building & Maintenance Committee initiatives.

What do you need to get involved?

• A working knowledge of trail building (trail and tread quality, deadfall, protected species). Training and checklist will be available.
• Physically fit and able to independently backpack on the GDT.
• Ability to collect GPS coordinates and pictures.
• Willingness to do simple maintenance as you walk your section of trail.

The GDT has been divided into “adoptable sections” of 15 to 30 km in length. Volunteers have the flexibility to choose:

• A section that interests them.
• A section that suits their physical capabilities.
• Choose the dates to complete their hike.
• Coordinate the people that you want to participate in your hike.

We had six days of September blue skies as we hiked the ridges from Dutch Creek to Baril Creek.  It was an incredible hike with good friends and a great way to get involved and support maintenance work on the GDT. Look for a roll out of the GDTA’s Adopt a Trail Program in 2022 or contact us now to get involved!

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 along the Great Divide Trail without giving much thought to the trees unless they are clambering under or over trunks that have fallen across the trail, or on a Great Divide Trail Association work party removing deadfall and pruning branches. However, it is worthwhile knowing what species you will encounter as you hike and/or work on the GDT and their characteristics, both the pros and the cons.

Big Picture Pros and Cons – To Breathe or not to Breathe
First off, you should know that hiking through natural coniferous forests confers many health benefits and is one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental wellbeing. Conifers exude substances called phytoncides (wood essential oils), which are antimicrobial volatile organic compounds such as α-pinene (pine scent) and limonene (lemon scent). Breathing in these substances helps boost the immune system in human beings and stave off depression and anxiety. Each time I return to the Rockies and inhale its characteristic subalpine fir forest fragrance, it immediately puts me in a good mood. So, appreciate the health benefits you are getting from just breathing in the characteristic fragrances of pine, spruce and fir as you meander through the montane valleys and slog up steep subalpine slopes. Hiking the forested sections of the GDT is the ultimate in forest bathing or “Shinrinyoku” in Japanese.

Unfortunately, when coniferous forests burn, the resulting wildfire smoke contains very small particles that travel deep into your lungs when you inhale. These particles can cause irritation and inflammation that last until the air quality improves. So, hikers need to be careful not to exert themselves during periods when forest fire smoke blankets the mountains. People with heart and lung disease risk worsening their condition. Even in aerobically fit individuals, wildfire smoke may result in sore throat, irritated eyes, runny nose, mild cough, phlegm production, wheezy breathing, and headaches. It is better to take a rest day. Plus, when it’s smoky, you miss all the great views along the GDT!

What is a Conifer Anyway?
The word “conifer” literally means “cone bearer”. Coniferous trees and shrubs are Gymnosperms since they are woody plants that reproduce by forming a cone to contain seeds rather than reproducing via a flower that becomes fruit. All modern conifers evolved from one now-extinct family of conifers during the Mesozoic Era over 200 million years ago, around the time of the rise of the dinosaurs. The conifers discussed in this article are all members of the Pine Family (Pinus).

While most conifers are evergreen, the term “evergreen tree” is not synonymous with “coniferous tree”. The term evergreen describes a tree’s leaves. Unlike a deciduous tree that drops its leaves in the autumn, an evergreen tree keeps its leaves all year long. In the case of evergreen conifers, their leaves are needles. Each December in North America and Europe, many pines, spruce, and fir “Christmas trees” end up in living rooms with presents under them.

Just to be Different
All conifers produce cones but not all evergreens produce cones. Evergreen trees that are not conifers (broad-leaved flower-producing evergreens) flourish in the tropics. Deciduous conifers exist as well and can even be seen along the GDT. The “larch madness” that afflicts hikers in the Rockies each autumn derives from people’s fascination with the needles of the coniferous subalpine larch turning gold before the tree sheds them. You can read more about this fascinating tree in The Lovely Larch – Coolest Tree on the GDT from the October 30, 2020 issue of The GDTA’s Pathfinder Newsletter.

What are you looking at?
The subalpine larch is fairly easy to tell apart from the other coniferous trees you might see along the GDT, especially in its autumn gold or dormant winter state. So, let’s focus on the most common evergreen conifers that you will see when hiking the GDT. These include the pines (lodgepole and white-bark), the spruces (white and Englemann), the subalpine fir, and the Douglas-fir. There are a few dry places where you may see Rocky Mountain juniper and moister valleys like the Blaeberry in BC where Pacific yew, Western red cedar, Western white pine and Western hemlock grow. However, learning more about these species will have to wait for another article.

Is it a pine? Is it a spruce? Is it a fir?

Discerning Clues from your Location
Sometimes people make the assumption that every cone is a pine cone and thus all the trees they see are pines. Along many parts of the GDT where forest fires prevailed in the past, lodgepole pine still dominates many forests. However, if you look closely, you will see other trees growing in the shade of those pines, including white spruce. In certain drier areas you may also see Douglas-fir rising above the pines. Don’t be fooled; the Douglas-fir is not a true fir. It is a unique type of conifer in its own genus[1]. Along the GDT, you have to ascend to higher elevations (600 to 2,250 metres asl[2]) to see a true fir, the subalpine fir.  In snow-dominated forests below the treeline, the spruce you see is the Engelmann spruce.  On the high rocky windswept ridges, lodgepole pine gives way to whitebark pine, Canada’s only endangered tree species protected by federal species-at-risk legislation. In western Canada, whitebark pine occurs in a diversity of forested ecosystems, predominantly in the upper montane and subalpine from the Canada-US border to its northern extremity near the continental divide at Kakwa Wildland Interprovincial Park. Usually found around 2400 metres above sea level (asl) in the vicinity of the GDT, the low-elevation extent of the species’ range is around 1700 metres asl.

Searching for Growth Patterns
The overall appearance of a conifer and the way its branches grow provide reasonably good guidance on its identity. Most conifers have strong apical dominance, meaning that the terminal bud (usually, the highest growing tip on the plant) produces indole acetic acid (IAA), a growth substance that inhibits development of apical dominance on any of the lower branches. This is why most conifers have a single erect trunk with a single live top and why it is extremely difficult to use the cuttings from branches of most conifer species to grow trees. However, there is an exception to this trend with significant consequences for GDTA trail work volunteers and GDT hikers.

Unlike most conifer species, subalpine fir has weak apical dominance. This species will commonly develop multiple points of apical dominance, usually in one of two situations:

• an injury to the growing tip stops IAA production and more than one secondary growing tip independently assumes dominance;
• a lower branch grows toward the ground and roots (a process called layering), after which the rooted branch assumes apical dominance independent of its mother tree.

This tendency toward layering allows subalpine fir to reproduce in situations where the growing season is too short for normal cone and seed maturation to occur, most notably in high altitude settings like near the Great Divide. As a result, GDTA work parties can spend many days clearing parts of the GDT lined with subalpine fir whose lower branches have rooted and developed into individual saplings. Removing all of the lower branches and emerging saplings within the clearing zone is a labourious, detail-oriented, and time-consuming task. However, GDT hikers greatly appreciate this pruning and branch removal work since bushwhack backpacking through dense stands of subalpine fir with rooted branches is akin to swimming through molasses.

Looking upward, the subalpine fir displays a distinctive tall, narrow conical crown of short stiff branches that help it shed snow in the winter. The crowns can appear somewhat flattened and irregular in older trees. A medium-sized tree usually grows to 20 to 35 metres tall, but occasionally reaches 50 metres in height with a 200 cm d.b.h.[3] Along the GDT, it’s often much smaller due to the harsh environment and occurs as krummholz[4] at high elevations.

The branches of the straight-trunked conical shaped Engelmann spruce also point down to shed snow, allowing this species to grow at higher elevations than the shorter somewhat stockier white spruce. Engelmann spruce is a medium- to large-sized tree species that grows to 50 metres tall, ten metres shorter than the typical white spruce. Both species can attain one metre d.b.h. Engelmann spruce branches near the ground tend to droop, but fortunately for GDTA volunteer trail builders, do not take root. White spruce have fairly even conical crowns and numerous, densely foliated branches that extend toward or even reach right to the ground. During a sudden rainstorm, taking cover under a mature white spruce along the GDT has helped many a hiker stay dry.

Lodgepole pine typically has a long, slender, pole-like trunk[5] with a short, narrow, cone shaped crown. In the vicinity of the GDT, lodgepole is best known as a tall, slender tree, growing in forests composed exclusively of even-aged, tapering trees of this single species, and whose skinny trunks are free of limbs. Lodgepole reaches a typical height of 70 to 80 feet (21 to 24 m) but usually is less than 15 inches (38 cm) d.b.h. in the southern Rockies.

Less well known is the lodgepole’s ability to assume very different forms from the typical spindly, skinny ‘dog-hair’[6] variety. Single lodgepole pines mixed with other conifers may retain the typical height, developing a thicker trunk reaching a foot or more d.b.h. If conditions are right, it may even keep full foliage right to the ground, although usually lower branches die and remain on the tree. Or it could boast a robust trunk, branching into several equal-sized central stems near the ground, replete with needles from the ground up, and be almost as broad as it is tall. Forms intermediate between the two extremes exist and different forms may be found close by, depending on the available space and light. The short thick form requires full sun for many hours each day, with no other trees crowding it, and above average moisture for the roots. The tall slender form with green branches just near the top is by far the most common one seen along the GDT. However, on ridgetops, from a distance, lodgepole can look as gnarly as a whitebark pine, and you must get closer to verify its identity.

Speaking of whitebark pine, this subalpine tree also varies in shape. In more favorable conditions, it can develop into a small tree 29 meters (95 ft) in height with a rapidly spreading trunk and broad crown. Or on high alpine ridgetops, it can assume the contorted shape of a krummholtz shrub with a wide-spreading crown and twisted, gnarled branches when exposed to strong winds.

In contrast, the majestic Interior Douglas-fir has a pyramidal shape with an open upright stature. Its lower branches droop and its upper branches point upward. Its lush needles form a beautiful, seemingly downward sweeping canopy. On hot summer days in the vicinity of the Crowsnest Pass, wise hikers seek the shade of these noble giants during their lunch or snack breaks. Mature Douglas-fir (200-300 years old) typically reach an average height of 30 to 37 m (100 to 120 ft) with a d.b.h. between 38 and 102 cm (15 and 40 in). On the best sites, dominant trees may attain a height of 49 m (160 ft) and a d.b.h. of 152 cm (60 in).

Feel your way to your Answer
One of the best ways to tell a spruce from other trees is by using your sense of touch.  If you grab a spruce branch, you will likely say, “Ouch!” The individual needles that emerge from spruce tree branches feel stiff and pointy with sharp edges. You can easily roll the narrow needles between your fingertips. Spruce needles are spiny and sharp.

By comparison, if you grab onto the branch of a pine or a subalpine fir, it won’t hurt your hand. While fir tree needles also grow individually on their branches, the needles are soft, flat and fat. They don’t roll between your fingertips. Fir trees are thus much nicer to grab onto when bushwhacking.

So, you can use two mnemonics to differentiate between spruce and fir: “spikey spruce” and “friendly fir”.

One caution: the needles on Douglas-firs can be confused with those of true firs because their needles are flexible and thus also soft to touch. However, Douglas-fir needles are spirally arranged on the branch, and due to twisting at the base of each needle they can appear flattened in two rows, a pattern not seen in the needles of the other common conifer species.

Pines are also softer to touch than spruce trees, but their needles tend to be much longer than spruce needles and arranged in distinct clusters instead of individually on a branch like the spruce or the fir. Those clusters hold the key to distinguishing the common lodgepole pine from the endangered whitebark pine. If the needles are in groups of two, you are looking at a lodgepole.  If the needles are in groups of five, it’s a whitebark.

If you are working on clearing the GDT, differentiating whitebark from lodgepole pine is the most important conifer ID fact you need to know. Every whitebark pine tree, no matter its age or condition, is protected by law, so you cannot cut them or harm them in any way. If you do, not only are you are in violation of the Species at Risk Act and regulations, you risk jeopardizing the positive reputation and future work permits of the GDTA. Remember the mnemonic, “Needles in groups of five, keep it alive. Needles in groups of two, I can cut/prune you.”

Clues in the Cones
Conifer female or seed cones (as opposed to male pollen cones) vary with the type of conifer (spruce, fir, Douglas-fir, pine) and by individual species. As you wander through the forest, if you can see the seed cones on the conifer tree you are wondering about, they will help you identify it.  Spruce and pine cones hang down from the top of the tree.  Subalpine fir cones point upwards and display an interesting purplish colour.

Douglas-fir cones are unmistakable. They are the only ones you will find along the GDT (and in fact, in the entire Pacific Northwest) displaying distinct, three-pointed bracts sticking out of the scales.  Unlike the true firs, Douglas-fir cones hang down rather than standing up on the branch. Also, unlike the true firs, the Douglas-fir drops its cones to the ground intact. If you see these unique cones on the ground, that’s your clue that you know there is a Douglas-fir nearby.  The appearance of these cones led to fascinating Indigenous stories[7] about the origin of this species. Subalpine larch seed cones also have bracts that are much longer than the cone scales but the trees are so different looking and grow in such different habitats in the vicinity of the GDT, that it is highly unlikely that one would have trouble distinguishing them. Subalpine larch seed cones are also considerably smaller than Douglas-fir cones.

The cones of pine trees vary with the species. The roughly egg-shaped cones of lodgepole pines are light brown, approximately one to three inches (three to seven cm) long and have sharp prickles on their scales. Whitebark pine have similarly sized (three to eight cm) egg-shaped to almost round cones that grow at right angles to the branch with scales growing in roughly five spiral rows.

To complicate things, lodgepole pines produce two different types of seed cones (closed or serotinous and open or non-serotinous).  The serotinous[8] cones often remain tightly sealed and on the tree until exposed to fire when they open. Serotinous cones require temperatures of 113 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit (45-50 degrees C) to melt the resin that binds the scales of the cone, temperatures that generally accompany moderate to severe fire, so they can open and release seed. These cones are well insulated with resin to survive brief periods in flames. Individual pine trees predominantly bear either open or closed cones, and most mature Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine stands contain trees that have both types of cones   Though Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine may start bearing cones at less than 10 years of age, serotiny is usually not expressed until trees are 30 to 60 years old.

In contrast, all whitebark pines cones stay permanently closed and the wingless seeds are released only when the cones fall to the ground and decay or when animals pry open the cones seeking the large (about the size of a pea) seeds. Several wildlife species rely on these high-fat, calorie dense, protein-rich seeds as a vital food source, most notably the Clark’s nutcracker, but also the red squirrel, plus grizzly and black bears. Clark’s nutcrackers use their long, pointed beaks to break apart the large cones and remove the seeds. The birds cache the seeds just under the soil surface at lower elevations and often at above ground locations at higher elevations to ensure a reliable source of food for winter. They use adjacent rock and wood debris to create triangulated memory maps that assist them in relocating the seeds when needed. An individual nutcracker may cache up to 98,000 seeds in a year, as far as 30 km away from the source tree! Roughly half the seeds cached are not retrieved for various reasons and many of these germinate and grow into pine seedlings.

The seeds of Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine are small, winged and thus disperse easily with wind. Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine has two modes of seed dispersal, based on cone serotiny. In Rocky Mountain lodgepole pine stands with predominantly serotinous or closed cones, the most important method of dispersal remains the releasing and scattering of seed on the forest floor after fire opens the cones. This leads to the development of extensive even-aged lodgepole pine stands so prevalent along much of the GDT. The non-serotinous or open cones allow seed release to occur at various times, creating lodgepole pine forests of varied ages and often mixed with other tree species.

Using seed cones to identify spruce species is another matter altogether.  White spruce seed cones are light brown to purplish and hang from the upper branches. The seed scales have a smooth, rounded outer edge. Engelmann spruce seed cones are slender, cylindrical, yellow to purplish brown and pendulous, hanging from the upper branches. Their papery-thin, flexible seed scales are tapered at both ends and have a ragged or wavy outer edge.  White spruce cones are smaller than Engelmann spruce cones[9]. However, although pure Engelmann spruce cones and pure white spruce seed cones look different, these tree species hybridize and that can affect seed cone size and appearance. If you happen to see the male pollen cones, the white spruce pollen cones are pale red whereas Engelmann spruce pollen cones look yellow to purplish-brown.

Barking up the Wrong Tree?
The bark of the conifer trees along the GDT tends to be less helpful in identifying species except in a few cases. Subalpine fir has characteristic silver grey bark with distinct resin blisters.  Older Douglas-fir trees have thick insulating bark, an adaptation to help the tree resist light intensity forest fires. Mature sub-alpine larch trees also possess thick fire-resistant bark.

Ironically, the whitebark pine’s bark doesn’t really look white, except when very young and smooth when it is sort of a greyish chalky-white colour. As the tree ages, the bark becomes tan or brown and breaks into narrow scaly plates one or two cm thick.

In terms of the easiest tree trunks to blaze, GDTA blazing expert Dave Higgins says he prefers the subalpine fir. “Next might be whitebark pine, if it weren’t for its protected status. Both these trees have bark that needs no scraping and one application of paint adheres very well for a long time. [Subalpine] Larch has to be scraped and usually needs two paint applications with drying time in between. The bark of spruce is similar, and both these are less than ideal because the bark continues to grow and flake off over time. Lodgepole pine would be 2nd from last on the list as they’re more likely to have a short remaining life if they’re large enough to blaze in the first place. Dead last would be [non-conifers] aspen or poplar due to their tendency to die seemingly at random.” Dave doesn’t mention Douglas-fir but they would likely be similar to spruce. They are harder to blaze as they age and develop deeply furrowed bark.

Common English Names Only Part of the Story
Of course, the names used so far in this article are not what the various Indigenous peoples along the GDT route[10] called them. Indigenous people made use of various conifers and like other aspects of the natural world respected them as relations with whom they were connected physically and spiritually.

Many First Nations had names in their own native language for various types of conifers although a one-to-one match between the Indigenous names and the scientific species names does not always exist. For example, the Secwepemc referred to what we call subalpine fir as melénłp, məlénłp, menenpéłp (all ‘medicine plant’) whereas the Ktunaxa called it nisnap, nisnapułał or t’isłúłał. First Nations utilized the nutritious seeds of the whitebark pine. The Secwepemc called the edible seeds stsek’ and the tree stsek’éłp (cf. estsek’ “squirrel” + -ełp “plant”). The Ktunaxa words were q’anłat’ana and q’anłat’anał. Known as apahtó’kii by the Káínai Nation of the Blackfoot Confederacy, lodgepole pine held significance for the culture of the Blackfoot people in a variety of ways, as it did for other First Nations. The Secwepemc called the tree itself qw liʔt or qw eqw líʔt (plural) and had names for the edible inner bark (stiʔqw ’əl’q) and the outer bark (p’əlen). The Ktunaxa called the tree ʔiłtit’ and the edible inner bark ʔaknaq.

Scientists use a binomial nomenclature system based on Latin for conifer and other organisms so no matter what language they speak they can communicate with one another about a particular species.  Scientific names identify the genus and the species. The species name describes some aspect of the species (e.g., Pinus albicaulis means a white-stemmed pine), or commemorate a scientist (e.g., Picea engelmannii is named for George Engelmann (1809-1884), the botanist who first described the species for science). The common English and scientific names for the primary conifer species along the GDT appears in the following table.

The use of names for things helps communities of people (be they a First Nation, the western scientific community, or GDT hikers) recognize things in a similar way so they can meaningfully communicate with one another.

Tree ID as a Mindfulness Practice
Besides providing practical information of benefit to a hiker or GDTA volunteer trail builder, learning to recognize the various conifer identities can serve as a mindfulness practice. While not as all-encompassing or immersive as “Shinrinyoku” (forest bathing), nevertheless it facilitates slowing down, being present, and using one’s senses, things that improve one’s mental and physical wellbeing, something we should all care about.

Answers:

Pine Shape Quiz: That straight-trunked tree on the subalpine ridge is a whitebark pine, and the round spaciously branched tree along the shore of Upper Waterton Lake is the lodgepole pine.

Needle Know-How, Part 1: Clockwise – White spruce, Engelmann spruce, subalpine-fir, Douglas-fir

Needle Know-How, Part 2: The bushy-looking branch on the left with needles in groups of five is on a whitebark pine. The tree on the right has needles in bundles of two and thus is a lodgepole pine even though it is obviously at a high elevation.

Cone-undrum: Clockwise – the closed serotinous cone of a lodgepole pine, the oblong sappy purplish cones of a subalpine fir, the characteristic mouse tail bracts tell you this is a Douglas-fir cone, and the fourth cone is for sure from a spruce, probably an Engelmann spruce, given the ragged or wavy outer edge of the scales.

Real or faux fir? The true fir, the sub-alpine fir, with its characteristic silvery-grey bark with distinct resin blisters is on the left. The deeply furrowed fire-resistant bark of a mature Douglas-fir, which is not a true fir, is on the right.

Footnotes:

[1] A genus is a biological classification ranking between family and species, consisting of related species.

[2] asl – above sea level

[3] DBH or d.b.h. is a forestry term to standardize tree girth. It stands for diameter-at-breast-height.

[4] In German, this means “crooked wood” and refers to the stunted wind-blown trees (of any species) growing at high altitudes just above the timberline.

[5] The common name “lodgepole pine” comes from the custom of Indigenous peoples using the tall, straight trees to construct lodges (tepees). Interestingly, the scientific name Pinus contorta means “contorted pine,” and originally referred to the contorted shapes of these trees where they were first identified by botanist David Douglas along the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The variety name latifolia refers to the curved cone axis.

[6] An expression referring to very dense thickets of small even –aged slow-growing lodgepole pine trees growing as thick as the hair on a dog’s back and typically arising following a forest fire.

[7] See https://www.aaanativearts.com/legend-douglas-fir-pine-cone and https://blog.livingwilderness.com/2015/05/the-legend-of-mice-and-douglas-fir.html

[8] Serotinous – Remaining on a tree after maturity and opening to release seeds only after exposure to certain conditions, especially heat from a fire.

[9] White spruce seed cones are about 1.25 to 2 inches long (3.175 – 5.08 cm) whereas Englemann spruce seed cones are 1.57 to 3.15” (4 – 8 cm long) and .59” (1.5 cm) broad when closed, opening to 1.81“ (3 cm) broad.

[10] The Great Divide Trail passes through the traditional territories of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Tsuut’ina, Ĩyãħé Nakoda, Cree, Lheidli T’enneh, Ktunaxa, Secwepemc, Sinixt and Métis.