Pathfinder Newsletter

Below are current articles in our Pathfinder Newsletter as well as previous editions. Enjoy!

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2022 Trail Building & Maintenance – Call for Volunteers

Get ready to shake the dust off your hiking boots – the dates and locations for our 2022 trail building & maintenance trips have been set and we need you! This year we will be holding 7 trail building trips on the High Rock Trail (HRT) in June and July,…

Thank You to Our 2021 Trail Supporters

With much gratitude, the Great Divide Trail Association wishes to thank all those who donated to our 2021 Trail Supporter Campaign, and all our donors who have contributed in other ways. The 2021 Trail Supporter Campaign was the GDTA’s 2nd annual Trail Supporter Campaign. It was kicked off on Giving Tuesday,…

Get to Know the GDT

by Kelly McDonald The Great Divide Trail (GDT) is very much a “choose your own adventure” kind of trail. While there is only a single route to follow in many areas, there are also a multitude of alternatives to choose from along the way. Some take you to entry and…

Jackpine Trail Crew 2021

by Gordon Matthies This is how this trip was advertised by Dan: “Do you love the GDT, hard work, and short notice trips? Next weekend (August 14/15) a group of GDTA volunteers are flying in to the remote Jackpine Valley in Section G for a week of hard work and…

2021 Thru-hiker Videos

Looking for inspiration for your summer on the trails? Check out these amazing videos created by three talented thru-hikers from the GDT class of 2021. Brigid Scott Brigid is a teacher and outdoor adventurer from Jasper, AB, with a scrambling and photography problem. Follow along for daily videos of her…

Cairnes Creek Bridge Build 2021

by Paul Jollymore The Cairnes Creek crossing has presented a problem in recent years with washouts due to high levels of glacial runoff and flood waters. Our goal last year was to re-establish a safe means of crossing at the David Thompson Trail junction. Dave Higgins led a team in…

Trail Maintenance Magic

by Eloise Robbins “It is the worst hiking I’ve ever done in my life,” the southbounder complained, a soft accent masking the fatigue in his voice. “It took me all day just to get between camps. Terrible. Alders up to here.” His hand hovered over his head. This awful section…

October 2021 GDT Thru-Hike

by Oliver Cautereels Dear readers of the Pathfinder Newsletter, My name is Oliver Cautereels. After working at Pfizer Manufacturing Puurs (Belgium) for a little over one year as a project engineer on the validations and optimizations of the first production line of the Covid-19 “Comirnaty” vaccine, I accumulated so much…

To Bridge or Not To Bridge?

by Dave Higgins When it comes to stream crossings on the Great Divide Trail, that is indeed the question. Let’s see if we can come up with an intelligent answer! But first, some background and history: The many creeks and rivers traversed by the nearly 1200 km route are barriers…

Snows of the Great Divide

By Jenny L. Feick, PhD (All pictures except where noted were taken by the author.) At this time of year the majority of the Great Divide Trail (GDT) lies blanketed by snow. Although we may feel sad not to be out on the trail right now, the snows of winter…