Hiking on the GDT this summer? Following adventurous souls on Instagram? This summer, keep your eyes peeled for the GDTA Trail Ambassadors: Charlene, Keiko, Sara, Mo, and Claire. The five of them will be out there tackling Canada’s wild and inspiring Great Divide Trail, and they’ve been kind enough to take us along for their journey!
Trail Ambassadors for 2025
Charlene
She’s completed the GDT three times, the Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Arizona Trail, and loads of backpacks in the Canadian Rockies. She’s thrilled to be back on home turf this summer to reconnect with the GDT and explore the GDR.
Keiko
10 years ago, Keiko’s very first backpacking trip on July Long Weekend 2015 was in Waterton on the Snowshoe Loop near Twin Lakes and a final night at Bertha Bay. She did not know it at the time, but she was on the Great Divide Trail! She has since spent the last decade hiking and backpacking along the GDT. She joined the GDTA in 2022 to learn more about the trail with the hopes of thru-hiking it someday. “Someday” is now – Keiko is celebrating her 10-year backpackerversary (and her 20th year in Canada) by thru-hiking the GDT as her first major thru hike this season!
Sara
Sara Laing aka “ Sunshine Sara” is a certified Professional IGA/ACMG Hiking Guide based in Canmore, Alberta, with a passion for Canada’s wildest places. This summer, she’s re-hiking the Great Divide Trail (GDT), including the Great Divide Route (GDR), as a GDTA Ambassador. She’s committed to promoting responsible trail use, sharing her journey to inspire others, and raising funds in honour of her stepfather for cancer research. Sara sets off southbound on August 1 from the Monkman Memorial Trail and looks forward to connecting with fellow hikers along the way.
Mo and Claire
We are Claire and Mo aka @unsupervisedhikers and this summer we are thru-hiking the Great Divide Trail from Waterton to Kakwa with a cast of whacky characters. We are outdoor professionals from Golden, BC taking the summer off work to explore the Rockies for ourselves! If you see us on the trail, don’t worry… We’re not lost. We’re just unsupervised.
Do you want to participate in responsibly creating an iconic Canadian wilderness opportunity?
Do you have 6-10 hours to volunteer each month?
The GDTA is seeking dynamic, committed, community-oriented Board of Directors candidates to join our team. These positions will be voted on by Members at our Annual General Meeting on September 29th, 2025.
Qualifications
We are seeking candidates with experience and/or a strong interest in the following areas:
Long-term involvement/history with the Great Divide Trail Association (GDTA)
Ability to access new financial resources or potential partners through networks
Financial Management
Legal & Governance
Strategic Planning
Fundraising
Indigenous Relations
Events & Community Building
Thru-hiking
Role-Specific – We are looking for our next Board Secretary.
Our amazing current Board Secretary has one year left in the role and is committed to fully training their successor and supporting a smooth transition over the coming year.
Roles and Responsibilities of the Board
The GDTA is a registered charity, and the Board is accountable for ensuring that the Association is managed in accordance with applicable laws and its membership’s wishes. The Board is responsible to:
Establish and maintain a framework for delegation and internal control within GDTA.
Monitor GDTA finances and performance.
Establish strategic direction aligned with the GDTA’s Mission, Vision and Values.
Review and oversee the Association’s risk management
Evaluate and improve the performance of the Board.
Promote and support the Association and its members.
Responsibilities of Individual Board Members
As individuals and collectively, Board Members are responsible to:
Create a positive, open organizational culture.
Adhere to GDTA bylaws, policies, and procedures
Attend all Board meetings in person or via teleconferencing (Monthly, 3rd Tuesday, 7 – 9 pm MST).
Be a Board representative or Chair on one of the GDTA’s 7 committees
Make decisions and work towards positions that are in the best interests of the Association.
Term:Three (3) Years, 6-10 hr/month
Compensation:None – this is a volunteer position.
Candidate Selection Process
Interested Candidates should submit their names via email, to:
Please include why you want to be a part of the Board, any existing GDTA volunteer experience, and any other qualifications or reasons why you’d make a great Board member
The nominating committee will review all applications, possibly interview interested persons and then present qualified candidates to the Association’s membership via email for their consideration. The successful nominees will be presented at the Annual General Meeting on September 29, 2025.
Other Volunteer Opportunities
If you are not interested in a Board position but would like to contribute your time and talents in other way. There are always lots of ways you can get involved, including remotely and outside of peak-hiking seasons! Even if you have just a few hours to give, it can make a big difference.
The Great Divide Trail Association invites artists from the local community to submit artwork proposals for a vibrant public mural celebrating the iconic Great Divide Trail.
The mural will be prominently displayed at 7702 18th Avenue in Coleman, Alberta, a significant location at the end of Section A of the trail.
Coleman is a natural pause point for hikers as the GDT passes right through the community creating a convenient resupply and rest stop as hikers transition from Section A to Section B. It is an ideal site for a mural that honours trail culture and history, connects with the community, and showcases local artistic talent.
Celebrate the Great Divide Trail and its significance to the region.
Create a welcoming photo spot and storytelling space for hikers and visitors.
Create a vibrant and inclusive public art installation.
Call-for-Submission Theme & Specs
Artists are invited to submit new or previously created artworks inspired by the landscapes, wildlife, experiences, and cultural significance of the iconic Great Divide Trail. The artwork should:
Celebrate outdoor adventure, trail culture, and regional heritage.
Offer compelling visual storytelling elements suitable for public appreciation and interaction.
Showcase the beauty and iconic significance of the Great Divide Trail.
This call-for-submission welcomes artists from all communities including Indigenous and underrepresented groups.
Artwork Specifications
The selected artwork will be digitally reproduced on high-quality, durable, weatherproof 3M vinyl. This is not a hand painted mural project. See example of a 3M pillar below.
Selected submissions will include three (3) pieces in total:
One (1), large piece: 8 ft x 12 ft
Two (2), smaller pieces: 4 ft x 4 ft each
Note: artists can submit artworks for one or all three
High resolution photograph or digital image of artworks between 3000-3500 pixels (height or width) each.
Brief written explanation of the artwork and its connection to the Great Divide Trail. Please ensure the uploaded files (image & written) are named to easily identify the artists piece and the written description.
Submissions must be original to the artist and suitable for all audiences and ages.
Please note, the wall will also include a dedicated area below the piece for QR codes linking visitors to GDTA resources and trail information.
For location reference, please see the below photos.
Mural Locations on Building
Inspiration
This project allows for creative expression of any medium, including paintings, photography, drawings/illustrations, etc. Below is just one example of a map project for the West Coast Trail that could serve as inspiration.
Honorarium
A $500 honorarium will be awarded to the selected artist.
Submission Deadline
All submissions must be received by July 15, 2025.
Selection Process
Artwork will be reviewed and selected by a community jury panel.
Artists retain original artwork rights; the Great Divide Trail Association will hold rights for mural reproduction and promotional use only.
The project is supported in partnership with the South Canadian Rockies Tourism Association, with promotional recognition provided across multiple platforms.
We look forward to your creative interpretations celebrating the spirit and legacy of the Great Divide Trail!
Questions?
For inquiries about submissions or the project, please contact:
The Great Divide Trail Association (GDTA) opposes the proposed construction and operation of a coal mine at Grassy Mountain, and the Government of Alberta’s lifting of the moratorium on new coal exploration and development in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains. The Grassy Mountain project, and increased exploration and development in the region, would have significant negative impacts on the Great Divide Trail (GDT) and the hundreds of people who enjoy it every year.
The GDT is a highly valued long-distance trail in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Each year, hundreds of people from across Canada and around the world are drawn to its spectacular mountain scenery and opportunities for outdoor recreation in a wilderness setting. For more than 40 years, the GDTA has invested countless volunteer hours in trail maintenance, promotion and education.
A surface coal mine at Grassy Mountain, and exploration in the vicinity of the existing trail corridor, will pose an existential threat to the trail, irreversibly harming the experience of the hundreds of people each year who enjoy and benefit from it.
Exploration activity and/or surface mining would cause harm far beyond these activities’ footprints, including through significant noise and dust from blasting and heavy machinery; negative impacts on air and water quality, as well as wildlife and their habitat; and sight pollution from great distances in areas of currently untouched natural beauty.
With respect to increased exploration, the greatest threat to the trail is in the Willoughby Ridge area, where there is 100 percent overlap between the trail and exploration leases. As a result of road building, drilling and blasting, parts of the trail could be completely destroyed.
Exploration activity and/or surface coal mining in or near the GDT corridor would negatively impact the world-class wilderness recreation experience the GDTA has worked hard to build for more than 40 years. It will also reduce the environmental gains achieved while building and maintaining an environmentally sustainable and protected trail along the Great Divide of the Canadian Rockies.
The impact on visitor experience would be substantial. In order to mitigate this, the GDTA may be forced to move the trail to a new location, causing years of disruption to trail users. Not only would this be expensive, but the impacts would be felt all across the 1,100km trail as limited GDTA resources would need to be redirected from other projects for the foreseeable future.
The GDTA calls for an end to the Grassy Mountain mining project and the reinstatement of the long-standing moratorium on new coal exploration and development in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
Applications are now closed for 2025 – Thank you for all that have applied
Are you hiking some or all of the GDT this summer? The GDTA is looking for a handful of hikers to be volunteer Trail Ambassadors this year. Share your love of this amazing Canadian treasure, and help out the GDTA while you enjoy your hike.
What does an Ambassador do?
Share awareness of the GDT (and the GDTA) to people you meet
Share photos of your hike with the GDTA
Share information about the trail conditions you encounter
The GDTA will make sure you have some GDT stickers to hand out, and we’ll provide a little bit of hiker-appropriate swag (you can leave it at home if you’re counting grams!)
Requirements
Anyone that’s hiking any amount of the GDT can apply to be a Trail Ambassador. All we ask is that you:
Promise to obey all park regulations
Have the necessary permits for all nights on trail
Practice meticulous Leave No Trace Principles
Be willing to talk up how great the GDT is to anyone you meet!
Priority may be given to people that have hiked parts of the GDT before.
How to apply
Applications are now closed for 2025 – Thank you for all that have applied
Dust off your camping gear because the dates and locations for our 2025 trail building and maintenance trips have been set and we invite you to join us!
This year, we have an array of volunteer opportunities, with 6 trail building trips on the High Rock Trail (HRT), including our third annual women’s trip, a bridge building trip over North Racehorse Creek, and two “weekend trips”. We are introducing a new “weekend trip” model this year to appeal to volunteers who can’t afford an entire week in the mountains, to help us continue building new single-track trail on the slopes below Mt. Erris.
In addition to the HRT projects, we have planned a trip to the upper Blaeberry to restore sections of the Ensign Creek Trail that were destroyed in wildfire last summer; a campground-building trip to Cache Creek; a maintenance trip on the Maligne Pass Trail in Jasper National Park; two backcountry walking trips in remote Section G south of Kakwa Lake; and a backcountry maintenance trip up to Palliser Pass in Height of the Rockies Provincial Park.
Last year’s endeavors were made possible by the support of the Government of Alberta, Columbia Basin Trust, the Alberta Equestrian Federation, BC Parks, Athletic Brewing, and the generous individual and corporate donors from our Trail Supporter Campaign. A sincere thank you to all who make our initiatives possible! We look forward to another productive year.
Please bear in mind that unforeseen circumstances may sometimes lead to changes in trip dates and locations. Rest assured; we will promptly notify volunteers of any such adjustments.
Check out the map below for the 2025 Trail Building & Maintenance Trip Schedule:
Signature Trip July 11-15– High Rock Trail Signature Trip(maximum 15 volunteers): Since 2004, the Signature Trip has been a tradition of the GDTA. It combines hard work on the trail with the luxury of having home-cooked meals provided, and camp activities to participate in together.
Trip #1 June 22-27 – Blaeberry Burn Self-Supported Trip(maximum 8 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike up to 5 km per day carrying daypacks and tools. Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear.
Trip #2 June 22-27 – West Castle RiverSelf-Supported Trip (maximum 8 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike up to 5 km per day carrying daypacks and tools. Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear.
Trip #3 July 4-6 – HRT Erris A WeekendBase Camp Trip (maximum 10 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike up to 5 km per day carrying daypacks and tools. Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear.
Trip #4 July 4-10 – HRT Erris BBase Camp Trip(maximum 20 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike up to 5 km per day carrying daypacks and tools. Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear. We require at least one volunteer with chainsaw training certification. If you’re interested in getting trained and certified to use a chainsaw, let us know!
Trip #6 July 18-20 – HRT Erris C WeekendBase Camp Trip (maximum 10 volunteers):Volunteers must be able to hike up to 5 km per day carrying daypacks and tools. Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear.
Trip #7 July 16-22 – HRT Erris DBase Camp Trip (maximum 20 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike up to 5 km per day carrying daypacks and tools. Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear.
Trip #8 July 22-27 – Palliser River Backcountry Walking Trip (maximum 8 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike up to 20 km carrying their own food and camping gear, and up to 10 km carrying power and hand tools, and be comfortable with backcountry camping. We require at least three volunteers with brush saw or chainsaw experience. If you’re interested in getting trained and certified to use a chainsaw or brush saw, let us know!
Trip #9 July 29-30 – Cache Creek CampgroundSelf-Supported Trip(maximum 4 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike 5 km per day with packs, carrying tools, fuel and personal protective equipment (PPE). Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear. We require at least one volunteer with chainsaw training certification. If you’re interested in getting trained and certified to use a chainsaw, let us know!
Trip #10 August 1-5 – Maligne Pass Trail, Jasper Backcountry Walking Trip (maximum 10 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike 20 km in a day carrying their own camping gear and hand tools. The Maligne River must be forded, normally knee-deep but it may be more than 3’ deep if the water is high. Volunteers must supply their own food and camping gear.
Trip #11 August 8-13 – HRT Erris E TripSelf-Supported Trip(maximum 10 volunteers): Volunteers must be able to hike 10 km to base camp and up to 5 km per day carrying daypacks and tools. Volunteers bring their own food and camping gear.
Trip #12 August 17-24 – Sheep Creek to Casket Creek Backcountry Walking Trip (maximum 6 volunteers): Access to this remote section of trail will be via helicopter. Volunteers must be able to hike 10 km per day clearing shrubs and downed trees, while carrying a heavy pack with their own food, gear plus power tools, fuel and PPE, as they move along the trail. Volunteers must bring all their own camping gear, food and supplies, be familiar with how to set up and maintain a clean/safe unsupported campsite and help with group camp duties. All volunteers must have brush saw experience.
Trip #13 August 23-30 – Kakwa to Cecilia Backcountry Walking Trip (maximum 8 volunteers): Access to this remote section of trail will be via helicopter. Volunteers must be able to hike 10 km per day carrying backpacks with personal gear plus tools (hand tools, power tools, safety gear, etc.). Volunteers must bring all their own camping gear, food and supplies, be familiar with how to set up and maintain a clean/safe unsupported campsite and help with group camp duties. We require at least three volunteers with brusher experience, and one with chainsaw certification. If you’re interested in getting trained and certified to use a chainsaw or brush saw, let us know!
Additional Information:
6-20 people per trip.
Base camp facilities* include kitchen and dining shelters, a fire pit, and a latrine. (*Not available on Backcountry Walking Trips.)
Volunteers are responsible for bringing and cooking their own food.
While trail building experience is not mandatory, volunteers should have experience backcountry camping and hiking. Backpacking experience is required for all backcountry walking trips.
Carpooling assistance will be coordinated by the GDTA for those interested.
The GDTA will provide all trail maintenance tools, tool training, and safety orientation for all trips.
For more information on what to expect while you’re volunteering on a GDTA trail crew, including descriptions of our different Trip Models, check out the GDTA Volunteer Guide.
How to Join:
To register online, please click on the links provided in the Trip Schedule above. You can sign into your members account and register for the trip directly through the website.
Alternatively, you can email us at trailbuilding@greatdividetrail.com, indicating the trail building and maintenance trip (or trips) you are interested in. If you have experience, certifications, or skills such as operating chainsaws, brush saws, OHVs, or first aid certification, please include that information in your email
We look forward to your enthusiastic participation and another successful year on the trails!
Are you a member of the GDTA? If you are, then from the bottom of our hearts: THANK YOU! By being one of the 600+ members, you help us demonstrate that there are passionate people that love the GDT and want to see it maintained and protected.
There are lot of great things coming up, and we want to thank our members by offering a little something back for your dedication:
First dibs to sign up for our annual Trail Maintenance Trips. These will be open for signups on our website in just a few short days. Stay tuned for a blast-out on our Instagram channel, or on our website.
BIG NEWS: We’re almost set to launch a brand new Wall Poster Map for the GDT! We want to release this with a bang, and we thought the best way would be to reward some of our members. Take a look at the teaser photo. A few lucky members (drawn randomly on March 1 from all active members) will be sent a full-size GDT Wall Poster Map in the mail. These won’t be available for general purchase for a while yet, and when they are, members are going to get first crack at them.
Not already a member?
We hope you’ll consider signing up this month. Membership is not just for people hiking the GDT. Sure, there are the awesome Membership Benefits. But if you love the GDT, the idea of the GDT, or even just natural spaces that are protected, then becoming a GDTA member is one of the best things you can do.
Our members believe in the GDTA’s mission to preserve our mountain wilderness. In fact, we have members that have joined the GDTA solely for this reason. You don’t need to be a hiker, past hiker, or equestrian to believe in this mission – anyone can. By joining the GDTA your presence in our growing, organized, and visible community translates into public demand for wilderness preservation that is recognized by decision makers through the GDTA’s advocacy efforts. In other words, there is strength in numbers. Your GDTA membership adds to this strength and so helps preserve the precious Canadian Rocky Mountain wilderness.
Did you know that our membership numbers are an important demonstration to Parks Canada, Provincial Parks, Grant Providers, and Corporate Sponsors of how important it is to protect and preserve the GDT? The more members we have, the more they take notice.
The 2025 marathon dedicates time, energy, and resources to reduce environmental impact. If a registrant chooses the Green Bib option, a $10 donation will be made to the Great Divide Trail Association in lieu of a race shirt and medal.
Back by overwhelming support is the 2025 GDTA Calendar. Featuring 14 spectacular photos of the GDT, showcasing our Photo Contest winners. These make great gifts!
They are $25 shipped within Canada and $30 to the USA. If you are interested please email Austin.Hager@greatdividetrail.com
These will ship around December 10th via Canada Post assuming the strike is over.
The 2024 GDTA Photo Contest was a huge success, with over 200 photos submitted. A huge thank you to everyone who submitted photos this year. Your entries help the Association as it works to protect, promote, and maintain the trail.
Our winners and honourable mentions are listed below, along with caption information provided by the photographer.
1st Place – Bradley Ayres
Mirror Mountain – Bradley Ayres
Morning Mist on the lake the morning we left Kananaskis, with super calm weather giving the lake a mirror-like quality. This picture is a combination of 4 individual pictures stitched into a panorama.
2nd Place – Rebecca Bradbury
At Ball Pass – Rebecca Bradbury
At Ball Pass on the Great Divide Trail, taking in the endless stretch of mountains and sky (with Rebecca Bradbury).
3rd Place – Sébastien Klam
My lovely friend the porcupine – Sébastien Klam
Arrived to the camp, I pitch my tent and let the tent breathe during the time (30min) I prepare the dinner et eat. I come back to my tent and a porcupine was eating my backpack. The hip pocket is fully destroyed, and the shoulder strap is half eaten. Luckily, it still hold the weight. During the night, he stays all the time at less than 4 meters of my tent. Nobody touch the backpack of a hiker. But porcupines doesn’t care at all.
Honourable Mentions
With so many excellent photos to go through, it was nearly impossible to narrow it down. Here are our honourable mentions.
Very cold, sun is liquid gold – Hailey RempelReflecting – Meaghan HenryMarvel Lake and GDT – David BurdickSunrise at Lone Lake – Sage MacGillivrayPlan makes friends – Yoav ShlezingerA New Day – Kim JollymoreNorthover Ridge – Leah HarmanPeaceful Rest – Barbara Kitzmantel
