Category: Pathfinder

By Jenny L. Feick, PhD

Chapter Two of Tales from the Great Divide, Vignettes on the Origins and Early History of Canada’s Great Divide Trail reveals the sources of the Great Divide Trail concept. It focuses on the pioneering work that established the vision for the GDT and that inspired and guided others to explore the idea and make it a reality. This chapter presents the recollections of Dr. James (Jim) Thorsell (affectionately nicknamed “Thor”) about his work during the 1960s and 1970s to initiate and promote the GDT concept in the Canadian mountain national parks in Alberta and British Columbia. Here is an excerpt from the Second Edition of Tales from the Great Divide that honours Thor’s vision and early survey work for a GDT route through Canada’s mountain parks.

When and how did you first think about the concept of a hiking trail along the continental divide in Canada? What (and/or who) inspired you?

       “I should mention that, in the beginning, about the same time as I started working at Parks in ’62, there were several individuals and groups that had suggested, in a much smaller forum and not in any official capacity, of a possibility of the trail going north from Banff or Lake Louise [See the Detailed Timeline in Appendix A].  So, things were starting to happen and starting to get assembled. 
       “And it occurred to me, after a summer of hiking [in the Lake Louise area in 1962, and especially in 1963], that we had a longitudinal geography here, with the [potential for a] trail going north and south. 
       “Also, [in] that summer [of 1965], I ended up working in Waterton [Lakes] National Park on my Master’s thesis, and part of my study down there was to look at the trail system in Waterton.  That was a great summer and warmup for the [Great Divide Trail] GDT [work that began] in ’72. 
       “I then moved on to the headquarters of Parks Canada in Ottawa, where I was assigned as a researcher and planner.  And I suggested that, when I gave them my report on the trails in Waterton, I suggested to the Director there that, “Why don’t we do something like that for Banff, Jasper, Yoho, [and] Kootenay [national parks]?”  He agreed. I said, “That’s great.  When do I leave?”
       “I then started this major two‑year study of the feasibility of a Great Divide Trail through the Rockies [1968/69].  The initial stage was from [Mount] Assiniboine to [Mount] Robson.  It was two years of fieldwork I spent doing backpacking trips and looking for the best routes and going on a lot of horse trips with the wardens in their different districts and so on. 
       “I did have one assistant on that whole study, Jim Green. He was a guy from Pincher Creek, and he was a good outdoor backpacker and he helped me do a lot of the interviews with people who were out hiking trails and filling in information on where they’re from and what do they think of the park trails and things like that.  He was a handy guy to have with me on this trip, and he accompanied me on many of the backpacks.
       “I had a great two summers walking back and forth between [Mount] Robson and [Mount] Assiniboine, and they were really special experiences for me, with all the things that go on a backpacking trip and all the wildlife and everything we saw, including [mountain] caribou and wolverines and so on.” 

How did those first thoughts evolve into the proposal you made to Parks Canada for a Great Divide Trail?

       “So, the trail survey turned into quite a major report.  It was a formal report to Parks Canada.  It was about 80 or 90 pages long where I did a detailed proposal for the Great Divide Trail …  They then hired me again that next summer [1970] where I refined the whole route and did another report on the potential management issues that the trail would face.  
       “I think it was the report that I did, with lots of photos, lots of public relations and promotion of the concept.  And it was a formal proposal.  Parks [Canada] endorsed it as something that they were going to do, and I was delighted that they were going to go ahead with it.” 

What work did you do to promote the concept of a Great Divide Trail and your proposal in particular? Can you share some of the highlights and challenges? Who helped you?

       “I was doing a lot of promotion of the GDT proposal.  I was giving slide shows here in [Banff] town at the Whyte [Museum] and another one up in Jasper and a couple others in Calgary and Edmonton, and so on.  I wrote lots of articles about the potential of having the Great Divide Trail contiguous from north to south in the Rockies. 

      “At the same time, I started leading hikes for people, up to ten‑day hikes, on the Great Divide Trail and getting a lot of influential people going on those hikes and supporting the whole idea.  At the same time, I got the authors on the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide [Brian Patton and Bart Robinson]. That was one of the recommendations in my report, that somebody write a trail guide to the Rockies. 
       “So, Brian Patton and Bart Robinson wrote that trail guide, and I wrote a trail guide myself as well[1].  It was a fold‑out one, the initial one, that people could buy for 40 cents.  And they ended up putting that in the first five issues of the trail guide, which then gave the Great Divide Trail a lot of publicity.  And people started hiking it, even though it wasn’t quite ready.

       “Then, towards the end of that summer [1970], suddenly there was a newspaper article came out that Jean Chretien, who was the Minister for Parks[2] [Canada] at the time, and he said he was announcing that Parks Canada was going to implement my proposal on the Great Divide Trail.  And he was going to set aside funding, and he was quite excited about it.

       “There were all sorts of newspaper articles and everything on it supporting what a great idea it was.  In fact, I’ve got a scrapbook here of about 30 or 40 articles that came out in different newspapers and magazines and so on [See asterisked articles in Appendix C].  So, it looked like it was really rolling along at that point.”

Thor Continues To Amaze

In his 1969 proposal, Thor recommended investigating the feasibility of extending the Great Divide Trail from Banff National Park south to Waterton Lakes National Park. This captured the imagination of Cliff White in Banff, Alberta. Upon Thor’s return to Banff after finishing his interdisciplinary PhD in parks management at UBC, he learned that Cliff and five other young people[3] funded by a federal Opportunities for Youth grant would conduct that feasibility study for a GDT route between Banff and Waterton in 1974. He provided what support he could while working at the University of Alberta Forestry Program and applauded the establishment of the Great Divide Trail Association in 1976.

Three years later, Thor left Canada to work in East Africa. In 1983, he moved to Geneva, Switzerland, beginning a 23-year career with the United Nations World Heritage Sites Program, working in and/or visiting over 600 national parks. Although his career with the IUCN kept him abroad for many years, Thor returned as often as he could to hike in the Rockies. He kept in touch with Cliff White and me, periodically checking on the status of the GDT.

Back in the Canadian Rockies for his retirement, Thor was pleased to learn about the revival of the GDTA in 2013. At age 76, in 2016, he backpacked his favourite section of the GDT, the Rockwall in Kootenay National Park, BC. Thor contributed content and resources to the development of the first edition of Tales from the Great Divide and he and his wife Nancy Knechtel expressed delight to see the final product in the autumn of 2019. He continued to assist from time to time with the second edition of Tales during his wife’s illness and following her death in January 2020. In 2022, he gave me additional articles in case I do a 3^rd edition.

During his retirement, Thor divided his time between three places he loves, Banff, Alberta, Wilmer, British Columbia, and Baja California, Mexico. Now, at 82-years old, he has decided to settle down in his beloved Banff. All of us who have experienced the joys and challenges of hiking the GDT owe him our sincere thanks for his pioneering proposal, his early work to inspire others to make the GDT vision a tangible reality, and his conservation work across the globe.

What is Tales from the Great Divide and How Can I Get a Copy?

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 first edition is out of print but a pdf can be ordered from the Nature Wise Consulting website for $11.00.

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. The second edition was completed in 2021.

There are now five ways people can obtain a copy of the second edition of Tales from the Great Divide:

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. Purchase the book from one of the independent bookstores selling it (The Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff, Alberta, Crockett’s Trading Company in Bellevue, Alberta, Four Point Books in Invermere, B.C. Prices vary depending on the bookstore.
3. Contact Geartrade, which operates the official GDTA online store. They sell the book for $80.00.
4. Arrange to purchase a printed copy directly in person from Jenny Feick, the editor, in the Invermere area or Dave Higgins in Calgary for Cdn $65.00 (shipping anywhere in Canada would cost $20.00). To set this up, please email jenny.feick@gmail.com .
5. 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/ .

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[1] Editor’s Note: The first edition of the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide by Bart Robinson and Brian Patton was published in 1971 (see Appendix C). It and the subsequent five editions (published in 1978, 1986, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1995, and 2000) included a six-page summary of the Great Divide Trail concept and route written by Jim Thorsell.

[2] From 1968 until 1979, Parks Canada was one of three program areas within the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND). Jean Chretien was the Minister of DIAND from 1968 to 1974 when he became President of the Treasury Board. (from Wikipedia)

[3] Jenny Feick, Mary Jane Cox, David Higgins, Dave Zevick, and Chris Hart joined Cliff White to carry out Project: Great Divide Trails in the summer of 1974. Their story is told in Chapter Three of Tales from the Great Divide.

by Kate Hamilton

July 22, 2022

After 7 years in the making, this summer marked the official opening of the High Rock Trail (HRT)!

To celebrate, the GDTA organized an event at Chinook Lake Recreation Area in Coleman, AB, where the High Rock Trail section begins. In attendance were many of the long-term volunteers, new volunteers, and locals to the Crowsnest Pass. We were lucky to have perfect weather in addition to all the great company.

To start us off, Dave Higgins, who is one of the original 6 people to begin building the Great Divide Trail, spoke and introduced the trail, both the GDT in general, as well as the High Rock Trail. Listening to Dave speak about the history of the GDT is always fascinating and inspiring. For a lot of us it’s strange to imagine a time when the GDT didn’t exist, and that 6 university students pieced it all together.

Crowsnest Pass Councillor Lisa Sygutek, and Livingstone McLeod MLA Roger Reid were in attendance. We appreciate them supporting the Great Divide Trail, and it was great to hear them speak to the importance of outdoor recreation, access to it, and how it has personally been important in their own lives. We are grateful that we have them to help spread the word about the GDT, and to encourage other local folks to get out and use it!

Board President Doug Borthwick took to the front and started by presenting a donation to the Crowsnest Bible Camp, who have started a scholarship fund in memory of Lanea Schroeder. Lanea was one of the many young people to volunteer on the Great Divide Trail. The Crowsnest Bible Camp has also become the first trail adopter group for the Great Divide Trail, taking on the High Rock Trail as their adopted section. The Trail Adopter Program is new to the GDTA, and we are very excited to see how it works out with Crowsnest Bible Camp, so we can extend the program to other locations on the trail.

Then Doug presented Awards of Recognition to Dave Hockey, Brad Vaillancourt, and Wayne Marshall. These three people were essential in the planning and building of the High Rock Trail. Thank you to all three of them for all the time, work, and effort they put into the trail.

The event ended with the cutting of the flagging tape to officially open the High Rock Trail. With great sentiment and symbolism, the flagging tape used for the ceremony had been tied together from tape that had already been used to scout and flag trail sections, during the construction of the trail.

After the event, a number of folks headed to the Pass Brewery to enjoy the “High Rock Mango Ale”, a beer they designed just for the occasion!

We want to say a huge thank you to all the people, and organizations who made it possible for the High Rock Trail to come to be.

A huge thank you to the HRT Event Team for organizing this day.

by Ashley Irving

On September 26, 2022 the GDTA held their Annual General Meeting in Calgary, Alberta at Elite Brewing & Cidery. This hybrid version also had an online option so folks afar could Zoom in and take part. Approximately 75 people were in person, with another 20 online.

Keynote Speaker

The evening started with the amazing keynote speaker, Lil’ Buddha. Lil’ Buddha was named a 2021 Outsider of the Year by Outside Magazine, a name he has more than earned. A Hmong-American, Lil’ Buddha arrived in the United States with his family when he was very young. They settled in Kansas where he grew up. Growing up, his family took trips to the Colorado Mountains where he developed a love for the outdoors and mountains. After college he went down the path of a typical corporate office career. But this didn’t settle well with him and he returned to hiking, big time, with goals of thru-hiking America’s long trails. Acting on this goal, Lil’ Budda has hiked the JMT (John Muir Trail), CDT (Continental Divide Trail) several times, AT (Appalachian Trail) more than once, PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) more than once, GDT (Great Divide Trail), and other long trails. Totalling over 45,000 miles. Here is an excellent video in Lil’ Buddha’s own words that vividly depicts his life journey.

During his talk, we were all in awe with inspiration, but not only that, Lil’ Buddha provoked thoughts how we can make the GDT a safe and inclusive space for everyone. He offered suggestions to the GDTA, suggestions that we are taking seriously, because the trail really is for everyone, and we want to do the absolutely best we can to ensure this. Thank you to @lilbuddhahikes for taking the time to share your story, thoughts and ideas, we appreciate you.

Treasurer’s Report

Moving into the meeting agenda, Treasurer Gina Guild (nee Van Haren) explained the GDTA’s financials. The GDTA is in a good position moving into the next fiscal year, and we are anticipating another great year.

Annual Report

Board President Doug took to the front to offer his President’s report. Doug took time to introduce all the Board Members, current and departing this year, thanking them all for their service and hard work. Doug also highlighted some of the larger events that took place after last year’s AGM, such as a very successful donor campaign, and the hiring of the GDTA’s first Executive Director, Kate Hamilton.

Next, Executive Director Kate Hamilton took the torch from Doug to talk about the remainder of the year. She talked about the new member benefits and highlighted some of the great work that the committees have been up to (there was too much great work to share everything!) Kate thanked all the GDTA’s supporters this past year, including the thousands of hours given by all of the volunteers. To read the full Annual Report, please click here.

Votes

Voting came next. GDTA members in attendance, both in person and virtually, voted on filling open Board of Directors seats, proposed new membership options, and required financial votes.

Board Members Election

We were very lucky to have 10 amazing Board nominees this year to fill 6 open seats. The quality, enthusiasm, and skills of all the board nominees were exceptional, and the GDTA would have benefited from all candidates who were voted on. We want to extend our gratitude to all the nominees that put their names forward and look forward to working with everyone in the coming year.

In addition to Jeff Gruttz returning for another term, this year’s BOD vote welcomed 5 new Directors to the board; Lisa Belanger, Erin Colwell, Bhawan Waraich, Mandi Parkin, and Kristine O’Rielly.  To get to know them, here are their candidate statements:

Jeff Gruttz – Jeff is a co-founder of the GDTA since its formation in 1975. He has served in many positions in that time; on the Trail Building and Maintenance Committee and Safety and Environment Committee since they were established. He prepared GDTA trail building and planning procedures that meet or exceed our Industry Best Practices.

Jeff is an incumbent Board Member. He has served in many roles on the Board including the position of Chair in 2018 and 2019. He brings a depth of knowledge and experience for trail building, safety and board processes. He has completed his current term and would like to continue as a Board member.
 
Bhawan Waraich – Hello my name is Bhawan Waraich, I currently work as commercial Insurance Advisor in Calgary Alberta. I’m originally from Punjab, India and moved to Canada in 2011. I hold an accounting diploma and have worked as an accounting technician in the past.
 
I also completed an outdoor field leader course this year from outdoor council of Canada.
 
Most of my interests are related to outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, mountain biking and arts such 35mm film photography, film developing and processing.
 

Being able to encourage someone to enjoy outdoor activities safely is what I love the most, whether it’s taking a group on their first ever camping trip or educating someone about hiking in bear country, I enjoy all aspects of the process.

 
Mandi Parkin – With a Bachelor of Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership from Mount Royal University, Mandi Parkin has over 10 years of experience in the outdoor recreation industry. Throughout her experience Mandi has worked to promote access, inclusion and safety in the outdoors through a variety of professional and volunteer positions, including outdoor programming facilitation for a variety of organizations and participation in Calgary’s Search and Rescue Association.
      
Currently, Mandi works as the Outdoor Pursuits Team Lead at Prospect Human Services. One of Mandi’s key responsibilities is to manage Prospect’s Outdoor Risk Management Plan; through the collection and analysis of trip data, research and regular communication with other industry professionals, Mandi works with the Outdoor Pursuits team to ensure Prospect’s Outdoor Risk Management Plan is: in-line with current industry best practice, satisfies stakeholder needs and is effective in ensuring safety in Prospect’s programs. 

On top of her regular responsibilities, Mandi is a key member of Prospect’s Safety Committee and trains Prospect staff in safety related courses such as Non-Violent Crisis Intervention and De-Escalating Potentially Violent Situations.    

Mandi’s experience in outdoor risk management, paired with her proven ability to thrive in a collaborative team environment, will make her an asset to the Great Divide Trail Association and its members.
 

Lisa Belanger – Lisa really believes long trails are special, providing access to the wilderness while protecting the corridors they pass through. She’s always loved hiking, and all kinds of outdoor adventures. This summer, she thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, developed a deeper appreciation for the immense dedication and work that goes into long trails, and resolved to be part of the mission in completing and protecting one close to home.

Her professional career is in the non-profit sector, currently as Director of Operations at the Rural Development Network, where she develops processes and strategies for effective community-focused operations, organizational growth, and financial resilience. Over the past 6 years since graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce from the U of A, she’s developed skills in areas relevant to the GDTA’s priorities. She’s involved in managing 50+ funding applications each year, increasing their likelihood of success, and ensuring they not only support projects but also the operational needs of the organization. She also develops policies and processes to help achieve operational goals and growth in staffing. She understands the importance of good governance, and would love to contribute not only her experience to the GDTA Board, but also her passion for achieving its broader vision.

Kristine O’Reilly – Born and raised in the small fishing village of St. Brendan’s, an island off the east coast of Newfoundland, Kristine attributes her rural upbringing for her love of nature. Kristine has been living in the GDT-region for the past 7 years. She is an apprentice hiking guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and can be found regularly hiking and skiing in the Canadian Rockies.

She is an active volunteer with the Calgary Zoo, Parks Canada, the Alpine Club of Canada and she was a member of Yellowstone to Yukon’s Team Thrive pilot volunteer program. Kristine holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s in applied sustainability.

She has a background in project management, stakeholder engagement and grant/proposal writing. She also has an interest in community engagement and conservation education and has been known to put her hand up to support event-planning and social media campaigns.

Kristine served as the Access & Environment Chair for the Alpine Club of Canada – Calgary Section from 2016-2019. Her mantra is that conservation is a team sport; we can get further by partnering with like-minded organizations who are working toward our shared goal of preserving the wilderness of the GDT region.

 
Erin Colwell – Hello I’m Erin! I was born in Calgary and lived here most of my life, aside from a stint in Qatar with my family as a child, and completing my undergrad in Global Development Studies in Ontario. I moved back to Calgary after my undergrad in 2015 and have been here ever since.

I graduated law school at the University of Calgary in 2021, and will be called to the Alberta bar on September 16, 2022. I work in civil litigation at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP.

When I am not chained to a desk, I love getting outdoors and am perpetually trying to get out more than I do. I grew up hiking, camping, and backpacking all around Kananaskis, Canmore, Banff, as well as areas south of Calgary. Last summer I managed to sneak in 6 backcountry trips and even managed to get onto a portion of the Great Divide Trail (Vista Lakes to Sunshine).

Since high school, I have always had volunteering as a part of my life. In my undergrad I volunteered extensively with Oxfam Canada, among other organizations. In law school I volunteered for our school’s legal clinic, Student Legal Assistance, as well as Pro Bono Students Canada, and various other free legal advice initiatives. I currently volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters and will continue to do so. This, however, would be the first Board of Directors that I would sit on.

I’m happy to chat or answer any questions about myself.

Membership Options

Membership was a hot topic of the night. Doug Borthwick presented the idea of offering lifetime memberships for $100, as well as free memberships for people under the age of 25. These ideas have been in the making for over a year, backed by research and a variety of other reasons. These motions made it through the Outreach Committee, and after a lot of scrutiny, through the Board. Both motions were voted on and approved by the membership and we look forward to seeing how this will support and grow the organization. We continue to offer individual annual membership ($30), couple annual membership ($50), and family annual membership ($70).

Finance Approvals

Treasurer Gina Guild (nee Van Haren) made two motions; the first to accept financial 2022 statements, and the second to approve the appointment Khalfans Chartered Professional Accountants for a review engagement for next year’s statements. Both motions were approved by the membership.

Volunteer Recognition

Lastly was the volunteer recognition. The GDTA volunteers are the most important part of the organization, without them, there would not be a Great Divide Trail. We have amazing, committed and skilled volunteers that work hard year round. All of our volunteers are important and have a significant impact to the organization. This year Deb Yanchula, Doug Borthwick and Kate Hamilton wanted to highlight 9 particular volunteers that stood out:

• Brad Vaillancourt
• MJ Kreisel
• Peter LaBastide
• Annette Scheick
• Charlene Deck
• Tasha Shakatko
• Kelly McDonald
• Joan Pendleton
• Stuart Mitchell

To read about their contributions, please have a look at the 2022 GDTA Volunteer Recognition Awards article.

Miscellaneous Fun

Besides all the AGM business, attendees enjoyed catching up with friends, old and new, over the Elite Brewing & Cidery food and beverages. GDTA corporate supporters’ hiker gear, food, and other offerings were on display and for sale. And opportunities to see and purchase GDT logo merchandise were available. One could also buy the highly acclaimed “Tales from the Great Divide, Second Edition”.

by Kate Hamilton

GDTA volunteers are one of the most important parts of the organization. Without them, there would not be a Great Divide Trail. We have amazing, committed and skilled volunteers that work hard year round. All of our volunteers are important and have a significant impact to the organization. Each year we recognize the efforts of a several volunteers who have stood out in helping us achieve our objectives. This year we want to recognize the efforts of nine individuals whose hard work and dedication were a big part of our success in 2022: 

Brad Vaillancourt – Brad, who is our former Board President, continues to be of great help to the GDTA. He steps in, answers questions, and helps out on all fronts, across all committees within the GDTA. His skills, experience, and deep knowledge about the Great Divide Trail has been invaluable. Thank you, Brad!

MJ Kreisel – MJ, although no longer on a committee within the GDTA, continues to help new committee members as a consultant and provides a wealth of information. In particular, MJ has helped the Ensuring Financial Capacity Committee numerous times over the past year as they find their footing. Thank you, MJ!

Peter LaBastide – Peter keeps the Trail Building and Maintenance Committee’s budget on track, and recorded in detail. He is incredibly organized and keeps everything to date. Peter’s skills and work are deeply appreciated. Thank you, Peter!

Annette Scheick – Annette did a great job filling in numerous gaps across two committees. Already involved in trail building, Annette took on several projects in the Outreach Committee. Between helping out with our new merchandise or working to set up the successful High Rock Trail Grand Opening Ceremony, she is an essential member to the GDTA. Thank you, Annette!

Charlene Deck – Charlene has done a great job keeping the fluctuating Outreach Committee on track. She independently handled all of the finisher patches, created a fantastic inventory system and handles all of our financials for the committee. She is extremely dependable and is essential to the operation of the Outreach Committee. Thank you, Charlene!

Tasha Shakatko – In addition to Tasha’s continuous contributions to the Outreach Committee, Tasha stepped up last minute to lead the Maligne Valley clearing trip when the planned leader could not make it. Tasha did an excellent job both with leading the other volunteers, but also with continuing to strengthen our relationship with Friends of Jasper National Park. Thank you, Tasha!

Kelly McDonald – Kelly’s contributions to the Trail Protection and Advocacy Committee is unmatched. His work ethic and enthusiasm have been a significant help in moving strategy forward. Kelly has also been a help to other committees and areas of the GDTA, and has been a key member in starting the new IT committee. Thank you, Kelly!

Joan Pendleton – Joan is a very important member of the Outreach Committee and GDTA. She organizes and publishes the GDTA’s Pathfinder Newsletter, and contributes in numerous other ways to the GDTA. Joan’s efforts, ability, and willingness to help anyone with anything, is of great value and appreciation to the GDTA. Thank you, Joan!

Stuart Mitchell – Stuart contributed a huge amount of work to the Trail Building and Maintenance Committee this summer. Stuart went on many trips, and took on the role of co-leader, or safety officer on these trips. Stuart’s time and skills made some of these trips possible. Thank you, Stuart!

Presented by Doug Borthwick, President, and Kate Hamilton, Executive Director.

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by Doug Borthwick, President

Wow! What a year. It started pretty rough for a lot of us on the Board. The changing pandemic situation was opening up travel, there were key life changes, and burnout experienced, and as a result a number of key, Board leaders decided they could no longer put in the time required to properly run this rapidly growing organization. Along with the normal 3 year turnover this was a huge drain and real moral letdown for the remaining and new Board members. But today I’m extremely proud of the way this Board pulled together after such a slow start and found a way to make things work to the point that in my mind this has been overall the most successful year ever for the GDTA and GDT.

Those amazing Board members, first with the ones retiring:

• Kaustubh Parab (KP), Your time on the Board was limited but there was much valued accounting knowledge passed on, and the help with a major purchase was much appreciated.
• Josh Edwards, Your strong voice and reasoned opinion will be missed.
• Chase Holthe, Your 3 year term is up and having your level headed approach and legal opinion is something the new board is going to have to really up their game to replace.
• Deb Yanchula, What can I say, I don’t think we could have done this without you, all the time you put in, your passion and your drive. A number of us have you on speed dial, so you are not getting away that easily.

The one standing for re-election:

• Jeff Gruttz, I believe this will be your 4th term and you are absolutely a required need for the new Board, nobody has more knowledge and ongoing cred than this man. We’ve all learned so much from you and this is something that new board members will need for a seamless transition.

Incumbent Board Members:

• Glenn Mason, Your political expertise has been, and is going to be so valuable in gaining higher recognition and protection for the GDT.
• Meaghan Underhill, Securing funding is so important, and I will talk in a minute about that over the top Trail Supporter Campaign you led last year.
• Austin Hager, Man did you step up when needed, you have taken a great Outreach Team in a little disarray, and shown what positive leadership can do.
• Ben Millen, Your quiet exterior hides a fiery inside that shows itself at the opportune times, leading your Trail Protection and Advocacy Team to getting close to attaining some amazing goals which will only further the longevity of the GDT.
• Gina Guild, Having someone so competent at keeping every monetary item in order, and patiently able to explain in the simplest terms is very underappreciated, and we are so thankful that you have stayed on as treasurer for as long as you have.
• Donna Rutherford, Your organizational skills are amazing. Patience and understanding are a virtue and you have them in spades. The best secretary/records keeper I have ever had the pleasure to work with.

We would like to take this opportunity to show this Board of Directors our appreciation for the excellent job they did this past year.

Shortly after the 2021 AGM when the new Board was established and had a couple of meetings under their belt, things got rolling. First up was the year end Trail Supporter Campaign. It was disorganized to start, but an outstanding team was mobilized and Meaghan came up with a plan. The original goal was to shoot for $5,000 in donations, but in the end over 4 times that amount was collected. This was much needed funding to help ensure all of our programs for the coming year could be properly funded.

It was determined at the beginning of the 2022 New Year that for continuity in the organization and to ensure there would not be a chance for it to just die if again there was a void left by retiring volunteers, there had to be some sort of paid staff. It was decided the best course would be to hire a leadership position as this was the most vulnerable way an organization like the GDTA could get into a situation where it might have to cease to exist. The hiring committee met and interviewed 10 worthy candidates whom I’m sure would have all done a fine job. It finally settled on this amazing young woman, Kate Hamilton as the GDTA’s first Executive Director. In a short six months what she has accomplished and done for this organization is truly outstanding. I think everyone who has met or dealt with her feels that she is the right person and wishes she will continue leading this organization for many years to come. I now introduce to you Kate Hamilton our Executive Director who will give the last six months of this Annual Report.

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by Kate Hamilton, Executive Director

Thank you everyone for welcoming me to be part of the GDTA. Every day I am amazed by the passion and hard work shown by the people in this organization.

In the spring one of the big things that happened was we gained the support of some amazing businesses to be able to offer benefits to our members.

Membership is extremely important for our organization, and others like it. It shows support for the GDT, making it easier to secure grants and gain corporate sponsorships.  Most importantly, it helps in our mission to gain recognition and protection for the GDT. Our sincere gratitude to these businesses for supporting us.

• 10% off Geartrade.ca
• 5% off Wild Mountain Eats
• 10% off Durston Gear
• 10% off Jasper Downtown Hostel, and free resupply package holding with stay
• 10% off Friends of Jasper National Park Gift Shop
• 15% off Country Encounters accommodation, and free resupply package holding with stay, in Coleman AB
• 10% off Mount Engadine Lodge and $5 discount on resupply package holding.
• $15 off Peter Lougheed Provincial Park resupply service
• 10% off Smartwool in Banff
• 10% off Wild Mountain in Jasper
• 5% off Flat Out Feasts
• 10% off Stoked Oats

Thank you, thank you, to these businesses for supporting us. Members, please help to support them back!

Another cool thing that happened in the spring was that the Globe and Mail published an article about the GDT, creating some buzz about it. Things like this really help to get the word out about the trail, and we hope to keep up that momentum! If you haven’t had a chance to read the article yet, you can find it here: Globe Mail’s article about the GDT.

One of the GDTA’s key missions is to preserve the GDT and its wilderness for generations to come. A special environmental team completed two excellent documents explaining how to minimize impacts on wildlife and describing key wildlife habitats and environmentally sensitive habitats. These documents are now included in Trip Leader packages, and will be used as training and educational tools. They were created to align with trail building best practices, and follow the land use guidelines of our land managers. Thank you to the environmental crew for keeping environmental impact top of mind. In addition to this, the Safety Committee coordinated Safety Training and Emergency Response materials for Trip Leaders and crews for another successful trail building season.

The Outreach Committee led by Chair Austin Hager, had a busy spring and summer, which was kicked off by an amazing GDT webinar series all about how to get ready to hike the GDT. This series did a great job of bringing awareness to the trail, and helping people make sure that they were ready for the challenge they were about to attempt! We are already planning for next year’s series, so if you have any requests on webinar topics, please let us know.

The first in-person event in 2 years took place this spring in Kelowna! Led by our Board President, Doug Borthwick, this event was another success in teaching folks about the GDT. This particular event reached a group of people who were new to the GDT.

A good amount of merchandise was created this year, including buffs, hats, and special commemorative mugs for the High Rock Trail (HRT) grand opening. We now have two places that sell GDT merchandise. In person you will find GDT stickers at the Friends of Jasper National Park Gift Shop, and online at Geartrade you will find stickers, patches and buffs. We have actually just launched our official online store hosted by Geartrade. Any merchandise we have will be available for purchase there.

The Trail Building and Maintenance Committee, chaired by Dave Hockey, kicked off the trail building season at the end of June, starting with the first of many trips to the High Rock Trail. There were exactly 7 trail building camps on the HRT, plus a special project to build the Allison Creek bridge, and one to do some additional clearing.

Speaking of the High Rock Trail, this summer was the official opening of the High Rock. To celebrate the past 7 years of its creation, we held an event at Chinook Lake Recreation Area in Coleman, Alberta. The Pass Brewery in Blairmore even named a beer after the trail for the occasion – the High Rock Mango Blonde. Seventy-five people made their way to Coleman to attend, including Crowsnest Pass Councillor Lisa Sygutek, and Livingstone-Macleod MLA Roger Reid, who were there to say a few words and support the GDT. Thank you to the event team for organizing this event, and to everyone who came to support it.

In addition to all the trips to the High Rock Trail, we had many other successful trips:

• First was the successful completion of the Collie Creek Bridge.

• The Oldman bridge building trip where the crew built a brand new bridge on the Oldman River as well as trail clearing and maintenance to the new bridge site.

• The Colonel Creek clearing trip was in collaboration with BC Parks and Backcountry Horsemen of BC to clear the hundreds of deadfall that resulted from a previous burn in Mount Robson Provincial Park.

• The Jackpine trip cleared 15 km of very tight bush, that now hikers can enjoy a beautiful river walk through.

• A collaboration trip with Friends of Jasper National Park worked on clearing bush in Maligne Valley with hand tools.

• David Thompson Heritage Trail clearing which cleared a temporary route through two avalanche paths, clearing over 200 deadfall to Lambe Creek.

All told, over this trail building season, the GDT saw:

• 117 total individual trail work volunteers 
• 6,950 volunteer hours building or maintaining trail 
• 4 km of new trail built and
• 9 km of trail rebuilt or rerouted over 
• 106 km of tail maintenance 
• 3 brand new bridges

This is amazing. Thank you everyone for all your time and hard work. I cannot communicate our appreciation enough; this could not be done without you.

Another summer happening was that new bear lockers were installed in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park with the purpose of being a new GDT hiker resupply location. This was a trial project, and we are hoping that this process can be repeated in other areas that are challenging to resupply. Thank you to Alberta Environment and Parks for working with us to complete this project, and thank you to Nicole Sharpe for running the resupply service.

We have started a trail adopter pilot program. Led by Jim and Annette Schieck, we have partnered with Crowsnest Bible Camp, who have adopted the High Rock Trail. Jim and Annette have taken the group hiking to teach trail standards, and what to look for as part of maintenance. We are confident that this program will be successful, and lead to other trail adoption programs in other areas. This will help us stay on top of any maintenance that needs to be done.

The Trail Protection and Advocacy Committee, led by Chair Ben Millen, is making progress with our BC, Alberta and Parks Canada strategies. They have been able to strengthen relationships in all these areas, and are looking forward to this fall, when we have been given an opportunity to present about the GDT to Banff, Lake Louise/Yoho and Kootenay Parks staff and volunteers. This is a great step forward in recognition for the Great Divide Trail.

The Ensuring Financial Capacity Committee currently led by new Chair, Alex Northey, and for most of the year, past Chair Meaghan Underhill, has grown from a 1-person to a 5-person committee, and has had many successes already. The December 2021 Trail Supporter Campaign substantially exceeded our fundraising target and we also received grants from the Alberta Equestrian Federation, Columbia River Basin Trust, Community Initiatives Program and BC Parks. Most recently we have received a corporate sponsorship from Sawyer Products Inc. Here’s to many more to come!

Thank you to all the committees for all the time and effort you have put in this past year, and to the committee chairs for leading the charge.

Speaking of thank yous, in addition to the Board, committees, and trail building volunteers, I would like to thank some more of our supporters from the past year.

• Alberta Environment and Parks
• Alberta Parks
• Alberta Culture
• Alberta Equestrian Federation
• Columbia Basin Trust
• Stihl
• Teadore Co.
• Alberta Forest and Garden
• FarOut Guides
• Sinister Sports
• Sawyer
• BC Parks
• GearTrade
• Yellowhead Helicopters

You all have made generous contributions this past year, and we want you to know we really appreciate it.

Lastly, the table below shows signs of the GDTA’s growth over the past 6 months. We’ve seen significant increases in our membership and in our followers on social media

	March, 2022	September, 2022	Increase of
GDTA members	260	382	122
Instagram followers	2,870	3,174	304
Facebook followers – Great Divide Trail Association	3,474	3,605	131
Facebook followers – Great Divide Trail Hiker’s Forum	5,151	5,500	349

This really shows that the interest and knowledge of the GDT is growing. I look forward to watching this continue to rise as we move ahead.

Again, thank you to everyone who has contributed volunteer hours, expertise, connections, donations, any kind of support to the GDTA – we could not have done it without you.

By Jenny L. Feick, PhD

All pictures taken by the author unless otherwise noted.

Anyone hiking on Canada’s Great Divide Trail in the summer of 2022 could not help but notice the prolific cone crop on the spruce and fir trees along the GDT. In fact, anyone hiking in the Canadian Rockies and Columbia Mountains of Western Canada or along the Continental Divide Trail in the U.S.A., likely saw this same spectacle. Some spruce trees became so overloaded with cones that they bent over with the weight and in a few cases, their tops actually broke off! All summer, I heard people propose various ideas to account for the copious cone crop. If you are curious about cones and what caused this surfeit (as well as what didn’t), read on.

Cones Clarified

Conifer means “cone-bearing” in Latin. Conifer trees produce both male (pollen) and female (seed) cones. The smaller pollen-bearing cones tend to develop on the lower branches of conifers. The larger seed cones usually grow in the upper portions of the trees. This placement reduces the likelihood of self-pollination and facilitates genetic diversity.

The male cones produce the massive number of pollen grains that get released and carried on the wind, some of which lands on the seed cones. Different species employ different techniques to facilitate bringing the pollen to where it can fertilize ovules, the unfertilized seeds in the female cones. Subalpine firs use rainwater whereas pines exude an aqueous drop. No quickies for conifers; the time from pollination to fertilization can exceed a year! Most conifer pollen carpets bodies of water, bare earth, and other vegetation. When inhaled from the air, conifer pollen can cause allergic reactions in some people, aggravating underlying conditions such as asthma.

The female cones develop and hold the seeds containing the fertilized embryos that propagate the species. The conifers’ woody reproductive organs tend to have a conical or round-shape, the exact configuration and orientation varying with the species.

Once pollinated, the tree’s female cones develop as the seeds mature. The cones serve as protective coatings for the seeds, shielding them from water, wind and harsh conditions. The individual plates on the female cones, known as scales, help to protect the seeds from weather extremes until suitable conditions arise to release them.

Some species of conifer disperse their seeds by wind; others by animals. Eventually these seeds reach the ground, some in suitable spots.  Most cool temperate conifer species require a cold moist winter period to “stratify” them before they will germinate. After the embryo in the seed absorbs water, a seedling root breaks through the seed coat and turns down into the soil. The shoot grows up toward the light. Needle-shaped juvenile leaves densely clothe the seedling shoot until the adult needle-like foliage forms, the time varying with the species. These seedlings become saplings and eventually conifer trees, unless they get pruned by a GDTA volunteer or munched on by a mule deer or snowshoe hare, that is.

Many conifer species have evolved ingenious means to help deter hungry conifer seed-eating animals such as various bird species and squirrels, including sealing the cones with a hard serotinous resin or pitch, varying the number of cones produced each year, varying seed maturation among individual trees of the same species in a given year, or “flooding the market” by synchronously opening all cones on each tree in a given area. In general, conifers try to do two things: 1) deter animals like red squirrels that tend to harvest “green” seed cones before they fully ripen, thus drastically lessening the likelihood of any harvested seeds germinating; and 2) encourage harvest by animals like the Clark’s nutcracker that harvests ripe seeds, thus facilitating seed dispersal.

Fertilization and seed development takes a long time in conifers. Just the pollination process[1] can take up to a year, depending on the species and environmental conditions. Then it may take up to two years after pollination for the seed cones to fully develop to the point where seeds are ready to be released. So, what we see in 2022 reflects a process that has been going on for the last two to three years.

Conifers Are Not Fortune Tellers

Given that, let’s dispel a few myths about conifer cone production. Conifers do not produce more cones, or bigger cones, or cones higher up on the tree, because they “know” that the upcoming winter is going to be especially harsh. The trees do not make more cones because they “want” to ensure there are enough of their seedlings next spring given the upcoming frigid conditions. Conifers do not sense in advance that squirrels and birds will gather and cache more cones and eat more of their seeds than usual during a colder than normal winter.

Tree Tango?

Conifers and the animal species that eat their lipid and protein-rich seeds have executed a complicated co-evolutionary dance. To stymie seed predators, certain conifer species exhibit cyclical cone production (abundant in some years, few in others, and then a bumper crop again some number of years later). This production of many seeds by a plant every two or more years in regional synchrony with other plants of the same species is called mast seeding or “masting” and is a predator satiation technique. Since seed predators commonly scour the ground and treetops for each year’s seed crop, they usually eat most of the seeds produced by many different plant species every year. Mast seeding can be an effective defense because the seed predators become satiated before all the seeds have been consumed.

Much research has been conducted on masting cycles as a technique to alternately starve and overwhelm seed predators. Dr. Stan Boutin, professor emeritus from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, is one of the Canadian scientists who has studied this phenomenon. Following a paper he delivered in October 2022 at a research forum[2], he told me that these masting cycles appear to be getting shorter over time (from every seven to ten years to every two to three years). He suspects that temperature plays a role in this. Warmer than usual temperatures during cone development may be what triggers an earlier masting event.

A recent summary of numerous studies between 1972 and 2018[3] found evidence of satiation during mast years and starvation in the intervening periods. They concluded that seed consumers showed both a functional and a numerical response to masting, with the two effects reinforcing each other. The satiation technique appeared more obvious at higher, temperate, and boreal latitudes since masting reduces seed losses more effectively in less diverse plant communities. The studies showed that masting satiated invertebrate seed predators like wasps and beetles but not vertebrates such as deer mice and American red squirrels. Incidentally, each red squirrel, which lives on average from three to ten years in the wild, annually needs to consume the seeds from 20,000 cones, or between 60,000 and 200,000 cones in its lifetime!

The mast seeding approach has implications for the organization of conifer forests. Instead of a few new seedlings establishing themselves each, major pulses occur over time, during which new seedlings and saplings become established and old conifer trees die.

It is possible that the widespread efflorescence or “sudden flowering” of cones in white and Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, Douglas-fir and subalpine larch that we saw in 2022 relates to the masting cycles of these species, which vary. The effect did not seem to be as pronounced in lodgepole, whitebark and limber pines, which would have different masting cycles. Also pines rely on armouring their cones with resin to discourage seed predators like red squirrels rather than just variable and synchronous reproduction. They may also be reflecting their recent past.

So, why the mass production of cones in 2022?

Coniferous trees cannot predict the future. What they can reveal includes information about past climatic and environmental factors, such as average annual temperature, moisture, and the availability of key soil nutrients like the ratio of soil carbon to nitrogen. Studies of pine tree reproduction show that it relates to fire cycles. Weather factors like temperature and water availability also affect cone and seed development.

In some areas with marginal conditions for conifers, a big cone crop can mean that the trees have experienced two successive seasons with optimum conditions. Or, it could mean that the trees are stressed.

If conifers could talk, they would never say, “Sorry, not tonight dear; I’ve got a headache.” Unlike certain humans whose libido decreases when they feel stressed, revved up reproduction in response to stress is a common reaction for plants, including conifers. Stressed trees go into a seed-producing frenzy. Conifers produce more cones following insect defoliation, drought, and wounds to the outer layers of bark. The term used by arborists and foresters for this is a “stress crop”.

Over the 150 million years that conifers have existed on our planet, they evolved an intricate web of complex mechanisms to translate the stress signals they receive into a biologically effective response. In response to dehydration, herbivory, scarring, or other threats, conifers can modify their gene expression or directly alter their cell physiology. Specifically, in a stressed conifer, the needles, bark, and/or roots release one of several hormones (e.g., ethylene or abscisic acid) that then cause the tree to begin producing one or more different types of gibberellins, a plant hormone associated with intense cone production. Stress in conifers causes a rise in the level of gibberellin, which in turn causes cones to form. Stressed trees may divert energy towards a plentiful cone crop as a “last gasp” before they die as a way to ensure species survival. The year after a major cone crop, the tree produces few if any cones, focusing its now depleted energy stores on survival and vegetative growth.

The meta-analysis of studies on conifer masting mentioned earlier noted that the effectiveness in satiating invertebrate cone consumers declined over time. The authors postulate that climate change may be influencing the frequency and intensity of masting. They warn that “If masting ceases to reduce seed losses, a crucial advantage of this reproductive strategy will be lost, and sustainability of many tree populations will decline.”

More conifer cones in the vicinity of the GDT could mean that the trees are producing more reproductive seeds as a way to deal with the stress of a dry or changing climate. It’s a matter of survival: The drier and hotter the seasons when cones are developing, the stronger the urge for the trees to reproduce through seeds so the species can survive.

When tree roots cannot get the water they need to replenish the water lost during transpiration[4] that creates stress. Conifers, like other plants, cool themselves through the process of transpiration. During a growing season, a conifer needle transpires more water than its own weight. Transpiration rates rise as temperatures go up, especially in the summer, when the air is warmer due to stronger sunlight and warmer air masses. Higher temperatures cause the plant cells that control the openings (stoma) where water is released to the atmosphere to open. Each 8°C increase in temperature doubles the amount of water lost. High daytime temperatures create high transpiration demands resulting in plant-water deficits. A fully grown tree can lose several hundred litres of water through its leaves on a hot, dry day.   During warm dry periods, about 90% of the water that enters a conifer’s roots gets used for cooling. The amount of water lost by a plant depends on its size, the intensity of the surrounding light, temperature, humidity, and wind speed (all of which affect evaporative demand). The role of higher than normal temperature seems to be even more important than lack of water in prompting a masting event like we saw in 2022. The two often go hand in hand, though.

So, to sum up what we have learned, it is most likely that high temperatures and lack of water were the key stressors that induced the sudden efflorescence of cone production in white and Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, Douglas-fir and subalpine larch that we saw in 2022. The effect did not seem to be as pronounced in lodgepole, whitebark and limber pines, possibly because they tend to need less moisture and their masting cycle differs from those of other conifers. The huge cone crop that we saw this summer most likely directly reflects the extreme hot temperatures and drought conditions that took place in 2021 and to a certain extent in 2020 and that continued in 2022.

Nature Quiz Answers:

#1: False. Conifers produce more cones in response to the environmental conditions of the previous two-three years when cones developing as well as according to the species’ masting cycle.

#2: Subalpine fir. The abundance of cones could indicate that the trees are stressed. Or these conifers may be trying to flood the market with seeds to overwhelm seed predators and ensure other seeds “escape” to grow into trees.  Masting events like this are complex; there are rarely simple answers in Nature.

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[1] In conifers, pollination is defined as the initiation of pollen tube growth. The pollen tube develops slowly as the generative cell in the pollen grain divides into two haploid sperm cells by mitosis. At fertilization, one of the sperm cells will finally unite its haploid nucleus with the haploid nucleus of an egg cell.

[2] Stan’s presentation focused on longitudinal studies of predator prey cycles in the Yukon and was held at the Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation’s 30^th anniversary event at Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park near Cochrane, Alberta on Sunday, October 16, 2022.

[3] Zwolak, Rafal, Paulina Celebias, and Michal Bogdziewicz. March 7, 2022. “Global patterns in the predator satiation effect of masting: A meta-analysis”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2105655119.

[4] Transpiration is the evaporation of water vapor (gas) from plant leaves.

By Jenny Feick, PhD

The original Great Divide Trail Association (from the mid-1970s to late 1980s) developed a trail user’s code that first appeared in 1975 and 1976 in the two editions of their policy paper.

On pages 9-10 of the Great Divide Trail: Banff to Waterton, Its Concept and Future, it says that the fifth aim of the GDTA is “to encourage proper wilderness etiquette through the Trail User’s Codes, newsletters and other publications.” It then presents the Great Divide Trail User’s Code. 

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The Great Divide Trail User’s Code (1975 Version)

• Travel only along marked routes.
• Carry out all garbage (if you can carry it in full, you can carry it out empty!)
• Do not disturb wildlife. Even approaching with a camera can constitute harassment.
• Do not damage vegetation. Be especially careful with the fragile plants of the alpine and sub-alpine zone, and never cut green trees or boughs.
• Do not graze horses in alpine areas. Avoid camping above treeline.
• Light cooking fires at official campsites only and in designated sites. Drench fires after use (better still, carry a light-weight hikers’ stove).
• Leave campsites tidier than the way you found them.
• Clear the trail of obstructions (windfall) when possible and desirable.
• Travel in small groups: large parties cause excessive disturbance, and travelling alone can be hazardous.
• Travel for pleasure — not to establish records.
• Leave only your thanks and take nothing but photographs.

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Based on research[1] and feedback received since the last issue, I developed an updated draft of The GDTA’s Trail Users’ Code. In general, the Code is meant to foster the application of Leave-No-Trace Principles as well as respect for the environment, wildlife, Indigenous peoples, cultural resources, and authorized users of the GDT (hikers and equestrians).

GDTA members and other readers of the GDTA’s Pathfinder Newsletter can send me feedback on this draft by emailing jenny.feick@gmail.com with the subject line “Feedback on the draft New GDTA Trail User’s Code”. The next draft will go to the GDTA Board of Directors and appropriate committees for their consideration, approval, promotion, and application.

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The Great Divide Trail User’s Code (2022 Draft)

• Plan your trip in advance with the trip resources on the GDTA website. Ensure you know how to use the GDT app (or equivalent GPX track) to follow both the blazed and unmarked sections of the GDT. Book your national and provincial park campsites months ahead. Obtain any required permits and pay any fees to the agencies that manage the land through which the GDT passes.
• Familiarize yourself with the different rules, regulations and policies of the various land management agencies that affect your GDT trek and comply with them during your trip.
• Be cognizant and respectful of the First Nations through whose traditional territories you pass while on the GDT, including the unceded Indigenous lands on the British Columbia side of the Great Divide.
• Practice Leave-No-Trace Principles throughout your trip on the GDT.
• Carry out all of your garbage. If you can carry it in full, you can carry it out empty! If feasible, remove litter left by others. Leave campsites tidier than the way you found them.
• Do not disturb wildlife. Even approaching with a camera can constitute harassment. Never feed any wild animal or leave food or toiletries unattended at a campsite or along the GDT.
• Be aware of your surroundings and practice bear-aware behavior. Do not play music in the backcountry assuming it will scare off bears. Periodic talking, shouting or singing is much more effective.
• Do not damage vegetation. Be especially careful with the fragile plants of the alpine and sub-alpine zone, and never cut green trees or boughs.
• Do not short-cut switchbacks. This kills vegetation and causes erosion.
• Do not graze horses in alpine areas. Avoid camping with horses above treeline unless in a designated equestrian campsite.
• Use a light-weight hikers’ stove for cooking. Light cooking fires only when permitted in designated sites at official campsites. Drench fires completely after use.
• Do not remove any natural or cultural object as a souvenir or damage any natural or cultural feature.
• Participate in a GDTA trail maintenance trip to learn and apply the skills needed to keep the GDT open and in good condition.
• Travel safely and responsibly. Train and prepare for the challenges you will face. Know and respect your own strengths and limitations and those of everyone in your travel group.
• Travel in small groups: large parties can cause excessive disturbance, and travelling alone can be hazardous.
• Travel for pleasure, inspiration, learning, and healing—not to beat others’ records or to “conquer” Nature. Appreciate the wilderness experience the GDT offers.
• Be thankful for any assistance you need that is offered and given by Trail Angels. Establish clear communication about expectations in advance. Set appropriate boundaries. Do not take advantage of Trail Angels. They should not be expected to grant your every request.
• Be kind to all those you meet.
• Leave only your thanks and take nothing but photographs.

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[1] Besides the Leave No Trace Principles, I looked at the BTA Trail User’s Code , Pacific Crest Trail Association Volunteer Code of Conduct, Trails BC’s “A Trail User’s Code of Ethics”, Alberta TrailNet’s Trail Etiquette/Respect the Land, the Thru-Hikers Code of Conduct, and the Climbers Code of Respect.

This winter the Outreach Committee presented four GDT trip planning Webinars:

• Webinar 1:  Planning and Preparing for Your GDT Hike
• Webinar 2:  Gear
• Webinar 3:  Resupplying and Food Preparation
• Webinar 4:  Training and Injury Prevention

These webinars were well attended. For those not able to attend, videos were posted on the GDTA’s YouTube channel.  Links to these videos are also included here for your reference.

Planning and Preparing for your GDT Hike Webinar

The Planning and Preparing for Your GDT Hike Webinar was the first webinar. It was held in January before permit reservations opened up in order to be able to assist thru-hikers with the reservation process and all the planning leading up to it. 

Three very experienced recent GDT thru-hikers – Eloise Robbins, Charlene Deck, and Austin Hager, provided details of the many aspects to planning a successful GDT hike. Some of the topics covered in detail were:

• Nature’s challenges along the GDT and how they affect itineraries, daily distances, food carries, etc.
• Difficult stretches in each section and advice for their challenges
• Reserving permits
• Resupply information and advice

Here is the video of this webinar:

Gear Webinar

The Gear Webinar was the second webinar in this GDT trip planning webinar series. Thru-hiking gear was discussed in detail by three thru-hikers, thus providing slightly different preferences and emphasis. However, a common theme was keeping the gear as light as possible AND ensuring it was up to the challenges of the GDT – colder and rainier weather, and trail roughness.

Four very experienced and knowledgeable presenters did a thorough job of covering this topic. Dan Durston, owner and founder of Durston Gear, also known for his 2017 “yo-yo” GDT thru-hike, started off with a detailed review of his thru-hiking gear list, including gear weights. He was followed by Justin Outdoors, a 2021 thru-hiker and YouTube videographer. Justin also described his gear list in detail. Both Dan and Justin included “dos” and “don’ts” given the challenges of the GDT. Austin Hager, thru-hiker and GDTA board member, then displayed some very informative photos of what the GDT terrain is all about, followed by his gear list. Austin’s photos really emphasized the need to carry a bit more weight, than typically carried for thru-hiking in more gentle environs further south. Last but not least, Kelly McDonald, a very experienced section hiker, gave an in-depth discussion of personal communicators.

Here is the video of this webinar:

Resupplying and Food Preparation Webinar

This webinar was basically all about food. With that said, it was broken into major parts – resupply and food specific topics. Austin Hager, a GDT thru-hiker and GDTA board member started off discussing resupply issues. He then moved on to thru-hiker food, and was joined my Melanie Sampson, backcountry chef extraordinaire and active GDTA member.

Austin begun by walking us along the GDT section by section, identifying and providing information on resupply options along the way. Considerations for both food and gear resupply were covered.

The webinar then moved on to food ideas, with Austin starting off with the more traditional, off the shelf solutions. Melanie then joined and discussed additional delicious possibilities available when dehydration/rehydration food preparation are added into the mix. Other topics covered were calorie allowances, cold soaking, and packaging.

Here is the video of this webinar:

Training and Injury Prevention Webinar

The fourth and final webinar was the Training and Injury Prevention Webinar.

In this webinar, Krysta Norwick, a physiotherapist and owner of Cairn Physiotherapy, thru-hiker, and outdoor enthusiast, applied her physiotherapy training as she discussed common thru-hiking injuries and their prevention. This includes training to prevent injuries and in general make for a successful thru-hike. In addition to thru-hikers, this is applicable to weekend and section hikers too. 

In 2020, Krysta thru-hiked the GDT solo from Waterton to Mt. Robson. Much of this material was developed during Krysta’s preparation for her thru-hike and from her thru-hike experience. 

Here is the video of this webinar:

by Bethany Hughes

Six months ago we were turning past a forest fire burning just off highway 16 on our way up to Kakwa trailhead, where we hiked into a hailstorm to begin the Great Divide Trail. Making a bid on a south bound, autumn thru-hike, we were grateful for every sunny moment. We listened with great curiosity to trail reports from those who were finishing their northbound hikes on that particularly dry summer and we read with great amusement the vastly differing comments in the apps from those who had passed months or weeks before. Today I write this from the birdsong bathed banks of Lake Atitlán while bikepacking across Guatemala and am dizzied at what a difference a bit of time makes to one’s perspective.

There is grounding in letting the past inform the present to set a trajectory for the future. At 52 years young, the journey of the Great Divide Trail from inception to present day is rich with lessons and potential. Enough to keep a hiker mulling for many a mile. Or, If you are not able to get out on the trail and chew the cud yourself, Jenny Feick’s text Tales from the Great Divide Trail affords humor and perspective.

As a US Citizen, one of the things which enamored me of the origin story of the GDT is the effect of youth organizations, such as the Girl Guides and OFY (Opportunities for Youth) program in the early days of the GDT in the 1970s. At that time, Canada was generating immeasurable ROI for a pittance of national investment, creating deeply explored routes and some of the most hardy and dedicated ecologists and travelers I’ve ever walked and talked with. Even as I plot our Her Odyssey route north of the GDT, along the Arctic Drainage, some of the canoeing texts I use also cite the OFY Program as their starting point.

This is what funding imaginative dreamers and hard workers generates and we experience the yields of it at each variable turn in the trail. The shifting character of the sections reflects the time periods in which they were built. Most notably, sections B and C, side by side, the oldest and youngest examples of GDTA trail work. It drives the lessons into your muscle and sinew to walk through the rapid development and adaptation of trail building techniques.

Running deeper still, into time immemorial, how this trail overlaps the routes of the First Nations is testament that, as a species, we may change but not that much. Further north, in what I affectionately liked to call “Sections eFfinG” where the trail pays homage to those first human footways through the willows, fens, and valleys, the work feels more primal. Tiny humans begging our way through the laps and groveling at the feet of an eminent ocean of peaks. I reflected a great deal on the dynamic of humiliation and humility along those first 180 miles and now, from a safe distance and warm sunny spot, am immeasurably grateful.

The trail itself abounds with analogies and lessons. That sometimes a lower grade and longer route create a more sustainable path. That giving people options allows adaptation while cultivating independence and ingenuity. That ongoing investment and maintenance are necessary for a vision to become reality. That sharing, both takes a toll and forges alliances for holding ground down the road. That our greatest aspirations are at the mercy of the shifting face of this planet and patience and observation are as powerful of tools as ambition and action.

As you set sole and shovel to trail this summer, know it waits with opportunity for reflection, as full of potential growth as a blister is with fluid. I love knowing that I could come back and hike the GDT again and be on an entirely different trail. Enjoy these last few months to reflect on where this trail has come from, and center your focus, for your work this season forges the way forward.