Category: Pathfinder

By Barb Lauer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Author:  Kyle Philibert-Palmer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Deb Yanchula and Jeremy Bateson

It was Day 2 and we were following Dutch Creek up towards Tornado Pass. There was a bare hill, lots of deadfall to climb over (probably brought down by an avalanche) … and the trail disappeared. It was time to put down our packs, take some GPS coordinates and to take some pictures. We were participating in “Adopt a Trail”, a new program that the GDTA was piloting this past summer. The GDTA’s Adopt a Trail Program is similar to a program currently used by the Pacific Crest Trail and several other long distance trails, used to identify sections of trail that require maintenance. The GDTA can use this information to prioritize the yearly maintenance work and to send out the best resources needed to fix it. Doug Borthwick started this program, part of the Trail Building & Maintenance Committee initiatives.

What do you need to get involved?

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

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

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

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

By Jenny L. Feick, PhD

Unless noted otherwise, all photographs in this article were taken by the author or Ian Hatter in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Is it a pine? Is it a fir? Is it a spruce? And why should I care?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Answers:

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

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

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

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

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

Footnotes:

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

[2] asl – above sea level

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With the arrival of the summer hiking season, the Great Divide Trail Association continues to consider what is best for the health and safety of the trail community that we serve. While pandemic recovery continues and the world slowly reopens, staying active in the outdoors is an excellent way to keep your body and mind healthy. This edition of the Pathfinder Newsletter includes information to help you safely plan and enjoy your summer on the GDT hiking and/or volunteering, donation opportunities, a book update, and GDT merchandise announcement. Enjoy!  

1. Trail Building & Maintenance Trips Update: Trail crew trip dates and other info for 2021. Come join the fun!
2. Trail Conditions Update: Notices and links about current trail conditions.
3. Thinking Outside the Donation Box: Ways to donate to the GDTA for a variety of situations.
4. Preparing for the Great Divide Trail: Key details of the preparation experience for hiking the GDT.
5. Ordering “Tales from the Great Divide”: How to order the 2nd Edition and Collectors Edition of the stories of GDT history.
6. GDTA Spring 2021 Webinars: Recent webinars featuring featuring trip planning, safety, and gear experts.

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

by Charlene Deck

This spring, the Outreach Committee presented two webinars to help hikers prepare for the trails this summer: one on trip planning and safety and one on gear selection.

Trip Planning and Safety

Keri Bowzaylo, an ultra-runner, fitness professional, and apprentice interpretive guide, showed us how to plan a multi-day hike with safety and self-reliance in mind. She shared resources for setting up an itinerary and discussed the safety measures and equipment needed to ensure a successful journey. Keri will apply these principles when she runs, then backpacks on the GDT this summer.

Gear Selection

The Gear Webinar provided a look into the packs of three hikers with distinctly different approaches to backpacking and gear selection. Through these perspectives, we learned how gear choices are influenced not only by the objective but also by the intended experience on the trail.

Jeff Schroeder, who supplied the ultralight viewpoint, has completed most of the GDT and numerous multi-day treks in the Pacific Northwest. Jeff prefers to travel in the most minimalistic way possible without sacrificing the basic comforts needed for recovery. This simple approach allows him to comfortably spend long days on the trail and be immersed in the environments through which he’s moving.

Ultralight backpack

Charlene Deck is a two-time GDT thru-hiker who has been exploring the Rockies through backpacking adventures for decades. She shared a set-up that aims to strike a balance between comfort on the trail and comfort in camp for trips of various lengths. Her version of balance means never compromising on gear that will keep her warm, choosing simplicity over convenience, and knowing when good enough is good enough.

Thru-hiker “lodging”

Robert MacLaine is a GDTA board member and backcountry equestrian guide who plans to ride the GDT. When he’s on his feet, he enjoys exploring off-trail as well as spending time in camp. Robert’s gear choices reflected his preference that backcountry travel be comfortable rather than merely tolerable. He acknowledges this may mean carrying more weight, but if that weight provides significant comfort and satisfaction, it’s worth it.

Loaded down with trail comforts

Missed Either Webinar?

You can check out notes from the Trip Planning and Safety Webinar and the video presentation from the Gear Webinar below.

• 0:06 – Robert MacLaine
• 12:45 – Charlene Deck
• 24:40 – Jeff Schroeder

By Mary Jane Kreisel

June is an exciting month for the Great Divide Trail Association! Our volunteer trail building trips in BC and Alberta are about to begin. Hikers from far and wide will soon embark on a thru-hike of a lifetime on the GDT. Others will attempt a challenging section-hike, some will enjoy a weekend backpack, and equestrians will experience the rewards of the backcountry as they ride along the trail.

Much work goes on behind the scenes to provide supports for these wilderness experiences that we all enjoy. This also means significant financial resources for programs to build, maintain, and protect the GDT as well as provide trip planning resources for trail users.

I am writing this article to introduce you to a new page on our website: Donation Options, which outlines the various ways we can donate to the GDTA to support these programs.

Perhaps the simplest way to donate is through our Online Donation Form powered by CanadaHelps.  We have also introduced an Online Dedication Form specifically formatted to donate to the GDTA in honour of a person – whether this be an in-memoriam tribute or a dedication to someone for a special occasion.  This form provides a variety of e-cards to choose from including sympathy or all-occasion (birthday, wedding, thank-you) and these can be automatically sent as notification of the donation and the person being remembered or honoured.

From my own personal experience, I know of a unique situation where donations were given in honour of a couple being wed. When GDTA members Jenny Feick and Ian Hatter got married, they were able to generate a significant amount of donations to the Young Naturalists’ Club of BC by asking their wedding invitees to donate to this charity in lieu of wedding gifts.  I think most of us who attended their wedding felt pretty good about taking them up on this donation request.  (Also, it beat having to shop around for a wedding gift!)

Although digital forms have made life easy for us, the GDTA also welcomes donation cheques that can be mailed in – these will be honoured with tax-deductible donation receipts.

In the past, the GDTA has received significant support from the corporate world.  We would certainly like to welcome this sector back to the fold.  Increasingly, companies are turning to corporate donation platforms such as Benevity.  Many companies have workplace giving programs and may provide a matching contribution to an employee’s donation.

The GDTA is registered with Benevity and has a detailed cause profile listed in their charities.  If your company works with Benevity or another employee giving platform, please check to see if they will match a donation to the GDTA. We have been the recipient of generous donations from a number of individuals and companies in the past through Benevity. All donations to the GDTA through this donation platform are issued tax receipts.

ATB Cares have partnered with Benevity to provide a matching program for individuals who wish to donate to Alberta-based charities. They currently match 20% of an individual’s donation up to a maximum of $500 until they reach their budget limit of matching funds each month. For example, if you wished to donate $50, ATB Cares will match 20% of the donation – adding an additional $10 to the donation.  For those feeling particularly generous, a $2,500 donation will net a total donation of $3,000!  This is a powerful incentive to donate to the GDTA through ATB Cares or through their online listing of charities. And don’t forget to donate early in the month before the matching funds run out!

Planned Giving is the term often associated with end-of-life gifts to charities.  However, it can also mean a donation that is set up in advance to be distributed later.  Just recently, my husband and I started looking into ways we can provide long-term gifts to the causes we believe in.  I contacted the Edmonton Community Foundation and found out that we can set up an endowment fund in our lifetime that will continuously fund the charities we support for a long period of time.

The Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF) and the Calgary Foundation (CF) – similar to other community foundations throughout the country – help people set up named endowments or donor advised funds in which a percentage of the fund’s invested growth is used to provide gifts to charities of choice on a long-term basis.  An endowment can be set up in your own name, in your family’s name, or in memory of a loved one.  Check out this link at the Edmonton Community Foundation to see how endowment funds work and the Calgary Foundation for a list of ways to give – please refer to their tab “Donor Advised Funds.”

After some consideration, my husband and I have decided to set up an endowment fund with the Edmonton Community Foundation.  This will take us several years of contributions to build this fund to the ECF’s minimum threshold amount. The good news is that we will receive charitable tax receipts for all these contributions. Once the full amount is achieved, it will be professionally invested by the ECF with the intent that a percentage of the growth will be disbursed every year to the charities we have chosen. Our aim is to name a few charities including the GDTA to be recipients of this fund.

This story does not necessarily end here since we can add more money to the endowment fund at any time during our lives. We can also designate in our wills that a specific amount or percentage of our estates go to this fund.  The remarkable thing about these endowment funds is that once they are set up, they will continue to grow over time and in turn, distribute monetary gifts to our chosen charities for as long as they remain in existence.

Speaking of wills and estates, I will again refer to my friends Jenny Feick and Ian Hatter who have recently named the GDTA in their wills as one of their beneficiaries.  I asked Jenny why she and Ian wanted to leave money to the GDTA.  She replied:

“Giving to the GDTA was a values-driven decision. I believe in and support the Great Divide Trail concept and the work of the Great Divide Trail Association to establish and maintain the GDT and seek a protected corridor along its route. I have a historic connection with the GDT and the GDTA as one of the so-called “originals” on the Project: Great Divide Trails crew in the summer of 1974. At the time we made the change in our wills, the GDTA had not yet regained its charitable status. Now that it has, I suppose there will be some benefits to my estate in terms of tax planning as well.”

I also asked her what she would say to GDTA supporters about bequests to charities.  Here is her answer:

“Bequeathing money to charities is a good way to leave a lasting legacy that reflects one’s beliefs and values and that benefits future generations…”

It is clear that a bequest to a charity in a will is a heartfelt way for a person to express their regard for an organization and its mission. It is also an avenue to leave a legacy that will live on in that organization. There are also clear tax advantages to an estate when a donation is made to a charity.

As you can see, donating is not a “one size fits all.” There are many meaningful ways to make a gift to the Great Divide Trail Association. I hope this article has provided some insight into how you can make a real difference in whatever way you choose to give.

By Jenny Feick, PhD

Tales from the Great Divide, Vignettes on the Origins and Early History of Canada’s Great Divide Trail and Great Divide Trail Association brings to life the memories of many of the ‘originals’ whose vision, idealism, dedication, and hard work over five decades made Canada’s Great Divide Trail a reality. Tales from the Great Divide reveals 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 a 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 threats from resource extraction industries and ATVs, bureaucratic obstacles, fluctuating political support and financial challenges.

Chris Hart and Dave Zevick survey an area that would become part of the High Rock segment of the GDT from the summit of Crowsnest Mountain in July 1974 (Photo by Cliff White)

The idea to document the origin of Canada’s Great Divide Trail (GDT) and the Great Divide Trail Association (GDTA) emerged during a GDTA Signature Trip that took place from July 18 to 22, 2018. Dave Higgins, Mary Jane Kreisel (née Cox) and Jenny Feick, who were part of the original Project: Great Divide Trails crew, plus Jeff Gruttz and Lani Smith, who were involved in the early days of the GDTA, all signed up for the fourth GDTA work party in 2018 to build trail in the southern High Rock Section. While sitting around the campfire one evening, Wayne Marshall, one of the individuals who resurrected the GDTA after its period of senescence in the early 2000s, asked the five individuals who were involved in the 1970s to 1990s to share their recollections on how the whole idea of the GDT and GDTA started. The other volunteers relished this sharing of anecdotes and stories around the campfire. Julien Cossette, then a relatively new and active volunteer trail builder with post-graduate training in anthropology, said how important it was for all of the so-called “originals” to get their stories written down. The group felt especially motivated since Lani Smith had nearly died of a heart attack two and a half years before.

The idea for the Tales project arose during the July 2018 Signature Trip when Wayne Marshall asked the five originals present to tell their story around the campfire (Photo by Jenny Feick)

Tales from the Great Divide is a self-published compendium of stories from individuals involved firsthand in the start and development of the GDT and the GDTA. While technically nonfiction, the tales are based on recollections and the human memory is not always entirely accurate. Nevertheless, a reader can gain a good sense of the truth from the variety of information sources used. These include transcripts of storytelling sessions and telephone interviews, personal letters, and previously published written materials, photographs, illustrations and maps, plus more recently written accounts of past events, and footnotes with supplemental information.

Friends of the Great Divide Trail group picture from their first work trip at Cataract Creek, Alberta in 2004 (Photo by Jeff Gruttz’s self-timer)

The Collector’s Edition of Tales from the Great Divide (290 pages, 200+ images)
Published in September 2019, the first edition of Tales from the Great Divide was launched at the GDTA’s AGM on September 30, 2019. Only 30 copies of what has come to be known as ‘the Collector’s Edition’ were printed. All copies sold by mid-November, 2019, and so the document is technically out of print. However, you can still order a pdf version from the editor, Jenny Feick, one of the so-called “originals” who helped initiate the GDT and the GDTA. The cost is $11.00 Canadian.

For those in the Calgary area, a copy of the Collector’s Edition of Tales from the Great Divide can be viewed by appointment at the University of Calgary’s Taylor Family Digital Library, as it is part of the GDTA fonds within the Glenbow Archives in the University of Calgary’s Special Collections and Archives. The GDTA and the Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) also each have a copy of the Collector’s Edition in their files.

Tales from the Great Divide Editor Jenny Feick with the Collector’s Edition just before the book launch at the GDTA AGM in September 2019 (Photo by Ian Hatter)

The Second Edition of Tales from the Great Divide (416 pages, 300+ images)
To launch the book at the GDTA’s AGM on September 30, 2019, the first or Collector’s Edition had to be quickly assembled and rushed to completion without a final thorough proofread from start to finish. As a result, it contained numerous errors from mis-spelled names to incorrect caption labels. Despite numerous obstacles, a reasonably good first edition was produced in time for the book launch.

Published in April 2021, this Second Edition of Tales from the Great Divide corrects errors found in the first edition after it was printed. It also includes more than 100 pages of new material and over 100 additional images. These include five segments from the storytelling sessions that were inadvertently left out of the first edition as well as additional information from people involved in the GDTA’s history and historical documents. Besides additional maps and photographs, this edition contains a Preface and various guides to orient the reader and aid the reading experience, an expanded detailed timeline, a bibliography, a list of past GDTA volunteers, newly discovered GDTA memorabilia, and an Afterword on the effects on the GDT and the GDTA of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and the rescinding of the 1976 prohibitions on coal mining on the Eastern Slopes of the Rockies.

People can order a print on demand copy of the Second Edition of Tales from the Great Divide from Amazon. The cost is Cdn $85.00. The pdf is available from the editor on the Nature Wise Consulting website. The cost is Cdn $25.00. The editor will also have some copies of the print version for sale to sell after presentations about the history of the GDT and the GDTA.

The cover of the Second Edition of Tales from the Great Divide (by Louise Beinhauer)

Finding the High Rock Trail Route (an excerpt from the Second Edition)

DAVE: (Turning to face Cliff) “But [in August] you did task Chris [Hart] and myself just to look for trail opportunities in a spot that you called the Highwood Highline. And you said, “I really want to do this, but I can’t, I’m working [elsewhere].”

CLIFF: (Chuckling) “My days off. I’m going to scoop this; it might be a bit better.”

DAVE: “You must have had a lot of faith in me at that point, because you said, ‘You do this one.’ (Turning to everyone else in the room) He actually sent us out to actually find a usable route through the upper Highwood [River] country. That was the key thing.”

CLIFF: “It pulled it all together.”

DAVE: “It really pulled it all together. (Turning to Jenny and Mary Jane) And I think it was you two…”

JENNY: [Meanwhile] “We were doing Carnarvon [Creek and Lake area in Alta.].”

DAVE: “Yes, you dropped Chris and I off around Cataract Creek, and we hiked all the way up to the headwaters of Cataract, Lost Creek, actually, and began working our way north. And, immediately, it was the ‘Ah ha’ moment because, ‘Wow! This is about the best terrain we have seen yet.’ There were usable game trails, a few usable outfitter trails, and they all went exactly where we wanted to go. The viewscape was spectacular. At that time, the forest cover was intact all through that country, and it had the advantage of being very accessible from Calgary.”

CLIFF: “It’s a classic hike.”

DAVE: “Because of that, we had spectacular weather, of course, so we could fully explore that [area]. So, that was the basis of our [later] push to start building the [Great Divide] Trail. Here [in the Highwood], we have a place we could work that we could get to [from Calgary]. Even on a weekend, you could go in and get a reasonable amount of work done. And it was just painfully obvious [in the mid-1970s] that this is where you want to be. Partially, also, because on the B.C. side, it was a scene of devastation with the Fording River [coal mining] operation.”

CLIFF: “We knew we were going to have to get around that [coal mining area].We probably thought we wanted to get into Elk Lakes Provincial Park [in B.C.] but we knew we had to get back [into Alberta].”

DAVE: “So, this was really good, and the area had everything going for it. So, with that there, it was just so convenient and obvious that we would start our [trail] work in that location.”

Chris Hart on the Highwood Highline (now called Rye Ridge) in August 1974 on what would become the High Rock section of the GDT (Photo by Dave Higgins)

Members of the first GDTA trail crew on Rye Ridge in August 1976 finalizing the GDT route (Photo by Jeff Gruttz)