continental divide trail deaths continental divide trail deaths

The discovery this week in northern New Mexico of a 59-year-old known for extensive long distance hikes ends a monthslong search after going missing in December. Id had enough of hiking alone through Colorado storms and just wanted to hitch back into town, but I didnt because the weather was supposed to improve the next day. Hikers can continue north into Alberta and British Columbia via the Great Divide Trail to Kakwa Lake in Kakwa Provincial Park and Protected Area, B.C., north of Jasper National Park. Officially . Her body was found on rocks at the base of a waterfall about 6 mi / 9.6 km northwest of Timberline Lodge (source), FALLING TREE | Phillip Crosby | December 11, 2014 | Camped off the PCT near Mt. A, Realized that calcaneus fasciitis was going to require the. Youll get access to exclusive posts, discount codes, live streams, and super extra cool stickers so that everyone will know how cool you are. a 501 (c) (3) national non-profit organization that seeks to create a community committed to construct, promote, and protect in perpetuity the CDNST. Trail Ridge Road crests at 3.721m (12,209ft) and climbs up Milner Pass, Trail Ridge , Fall River Pass and Iceberg Pass . In 2021, he cared for his 94-year-old grandmother five days a week until she died in December. But also know that youll probably die out there. Oh my that is so sad. ", Alex's sister, Hannah Benson-Cahoy, traversed the Superior Hiking Trail with him. The Continental Divide Trail explores this iconic crown jewel of America's trails with more than 250 spectacular contemporary images, historical photos and documents from the Continental Divide Trail Coalition archives, and detailed maps. Well, the day we drove through it was like early fall with a sunny day in the mid-70s. "He didn't need a lot of money to do what he did. This scenic trail runs . So you are interested in hiking the Pacific Crest Trail but you dont know if youre quite ready to drag yourself across a continent for five months and probably die? It is also a trail that is beautiful, stunning and perhaps the most rewarding of the major long-distance hiking trails. More than likely, youll hit rain or snow, which means mud and washouts. The combined elevation gain of all the ' Hiking Triple Crown ' is more than climbing Mt Everest 41 times. The Continental Divide which consists of the Rockies and several other mountain ranges splits the North American Continent into two watersheds. The main continental divide in Canada follows the ridge of the Rocky . Progress in completing the trail was slow and interest in hiking the complete trail was minimal. Wow, what a woman! For the next 358 miles (576km) the trail closely follows the border of Idaho and Montana, which is also the Continental Divide. It turns out that the Pacific Crest Trail is a safe place to be (and when the zombies, robots, or aliens finally decide to make their move, Ill bet itll be even safer). The award is acknowledged here . In high school, Alex spent summers at Wilderness Canoe Base on the Gunflint Trail in Grand Marais. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (in short Continental Divide Trail, CDT) is a United States National Scenic Trail with a length measured by the Continental Divide Trail Coalition of 3,028 miles (4,873km) between the U.S. border with Chihuahua, Mexico and the border with Alberta, Canada. I was, Giardia in Colorado Colorado was tough enough without having to, I got caught in a nighttime storm in the basin while cowboy camping. You've made it this far, you're either into this site or you're still looking for something. For the past few weeks, social media has been overflowing with homeowner complaints about missed pickups. Trying to get off the ridge was a mix of hiding under trees and running for cover when the lightning would start again. Published February 8, 2010. The Montana/Idaho Border where you just walk a forest road, After three weeks of hiking and slowly coming to the realization that I was not having as much fun as I had expected. An 11-year-old in the pickup suffered noncritical injuries. If you cover a steady twenty miles a day, you will finish it . The youngest person to thru-hike the trail is Reed Gjonnes, who hiked the trail with her father Eric Gjonnes from April 15, 2013 to September 6, 2013 in one continuous northbound hike at age 13.[18][19]. Lastly, I have also had some reports of deaths on the Pacific Crest Trail that I havent been able to find any source material for. The CDT was described in 2013 by a Triple Crown hiker as "Raw, wild, remote and unfinished; it is a trail that will make use of all the skills of an experienced backpacker. Myth #1: The CDT is 70% complete. It was super windy and the heavy pack was a struggle. Grizzly encounter on day four in Glacier National Park (Montana). Forest fires often result in parts of the trail being closed and the hiker must take alternative routes. Nobody knows why Alexander Cahoy died suddenly while hiking the Continental Divide Trail. The trail is incomplete in a few sections, especially in New Mexico, which requires walking on roads. It traverses a multitude of biospheres, from tundra to high desert, with a vast variety of flora and fauna, including several . Hikers don't get the luxury of dictating every aspect of their hikes. If the weather warrants, enjoy its patio. He was in his sleeping bag, his possessions arranged neatly around him. 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I also came across the following deaths which occurred on or near the PCT but did not involve thru-hikers: FALL | 30-year-old male | March 31, 2022 | A mans body was recovered just north of Forester Pass on the Pacific Crest Trail/John Muir Trail following a fall in monsoon-type weather(source), LIGHTNING | Nicholas Torchia | July 30, 2021 | On the Sallie Keyes Cutoff near Muir Trail Ranch in the Sierra, Torchia was leaning against a tree for cover during a storm when the tree was struck by lightning (source), HEATSTROKE | Unnamed Woman | June 16, 2021 | Emergency services were called to aid a woman near Anza (California) suffering from suspected heatstroke. Detailed Description. Our first night on the trail, since we began our epic journey at the Mexican border, was in the mountains of New Mexico, a few miles north of Interstate 10. Kevin has put years of personal effort into developing this route, along with several alternative routes along the way. He'd lost his glasses, so she mailed a spare pair and some cookies to Silverton, Colo. As a part of the thru-hiker survey, I also ask hikers, What (if anything) was your lowest moment on the trail? Yes, social media is filled with photos of sunrises, sunsets, and mountain vistas, but not of hikers pooping their pants, crying alone in their tents, or being swarmed by mosquitoes. He was 32, fit and seemingly healthy, an experienced hiker. The International Continental Divide Adventure Route is designed to be a self-guided adventure.This route can be navigated entirely by GPS. The trail then moves along the forested mountains of Idaho and Montana before ascending the tall, sharp, rocky peaks of Glacier National Park, with the Canadian border on the horizon. David Odell was the first person to thru-hike the (still undefined) CDT in 1977, although there was an earlier claim. Which also means youll need the clearance and traction that off-road tires and low range will give you. Walking in super strong winds in a sandy desert, sandblaster. We use cookies to improve your experience on this website and so that ads you see online can be tailored to your online browsing interests. Alex also liked helping people when not hiking. For elective surgeries, the death rate was 1.30% among Black men, compared with white men at 0.85%, white women at 0.82%, and Black women at 0.79%. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene (source), FALL | Wayne Paul Pferdehirt | August 26, 2019 | Wayne Paul Pferdehirt (67), died in a fall near Mather Pass (Sierra). The shortest route is through the middle where water availability is uncertain in most years. [22] Timberline can be as low as 6,000 feet (1,800m) in Glacier National Park at the Canadian border[34] and as high as 9,000 feet (2,700m) in the southern part of Montana. Want to know how you can expect to meet your maker should this hike turn out to be your last? His body was found just below the summit (source), FALL | Laurie Choate | September 5, 2018 | Laurie Choate, died in a fall hiking the Kendall Katwalk (Washington). It's the highest, most remote, and, in many ways, most challenging of our National Scenic Trails. 2 min read. Grizzly bears become a possible danger from the Wind River Range northward, especially in and near Yellowstone Park. Most deaths from disease occurred east of Fort Laramie. Alex Cahoy was 32 and a healthy and experienced hiker. The CDT, alongside the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail make up the triple crown of hiking. The world's longest mountain bike route zigzags 2,490 miles (4,007 kilometers) along the Continental Divide from the Canadian border near Eureka . He. Soon after, she hiked 800 miles of the Continental Divide trail along the Montana and Idaho borders. Mountain bikes are allowed on parts of the Colorado Trail. [6][7], Successfully thru-hiking the entire Continental Divide Trail takes an average of five months. In some places, the divide is obvious, like a high mountain pass clearly separating the watersheds. July 04, 2022 - 11:52 AM . Because of my experience with snow. UNKNOWN | Park Sun Chil (Happy Days) | April 13, 2018 | A hiker from South Korea is said to have passed away on the trail in Southern California. Homer Young's Peak. Nature's indifference, unexpected weather, or a badly timed road crossing can all result in hikers becoming quickly in over their heads. An autopsy produced no answers. Ninety-five percent of the trail is located on public land, including National Parks, National Forests, and land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Glacier National Park. You can even hike the entire length of the divide from the Mexican border to the Canadian border on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail if you have five months to spare. Trail Posse; Trailspace Blog; Trailspotting; Two Knobby Tires (Colorado) Two-Heel Drive; Waterton Scrambling; Yosemite Blog; books. Rocky Mountain National Park has the highest paved roads in any National Park in the United States. Road biking on Independence Pass/Highway 82 is a popular route in the summer. I felt, In the middle of Montana, I had one day that was. Usually most of the red route was about the same as the blue, with a small section of it being difficult. For four to six months of walking, CDT thru-hikers have a laundry list of concerns that outpace those of many other long trails: grizzly bears, lightning storms, avalanche danger, unmarked or non-existent . When youre assembling a group for an adventure like this one, you must make sure everyone is compatible. New Mexico; Continental Divide; I-40; . The Continental Divide stretches from Alaska down through Mexico . ALSO SEE:The Essential Off-Road Tools You Need for Safe Wheeling on the Trails. WARNING! "Everybody says there was no trauma, no distress," Tom said. The Essential Off-Road Tools You Need for Safe Wheeling on the Trails, 10 Best Off-Road Tires and How to Pick the Right Ones. The purists hike a "continuous and unbroken footpath between Mexico and Canada," but about 50 percent of the thru-hikers admit to having skipped small sections of road-walking or because the trail was closed, mostly due to forest fires or snow. It takes between five and six months to hike through the remote Continental Divide Trail, depending on how fit you are. Much of the surface over which we traveled on the Great Continental Divide Adventure Route was macadam, but there was also plenty of dirt, rocks, and gravel, so we needed tough tires with strong sidewalls and high traction treads, which was well provided by the Yokohama Geolandar tiresboth designswithout a single flat tire for the entire trip. Keep in mind, that when looking at the map, only 70% of the actual trail routing is . The CDT was originally called the Blue Can Trail, named for the founders who first imagined a trail along the Divide in Colorado, marking their path with blue tuna cans. Therefore, you can pretty much do it in or on just about anything with plenty of clearance, good off-road tires, and low gears, but I highly recommend a Jeep with strong off-road tires such as the Yokohama Geolandars. The Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail both stretch from Mexico to Canada, but the CDT offers up a far more diverse landscape than the PCT. On April 1, 2014, Lisanne and Kris, along with their host family's dog, Azul, embarked on a hike along the Pianista Trail. The Tour Divide has been raced and completed on both single speed . Nobody knows why Alexander Cahoy died suddenly while hiking the Continental Divide Trail. Katy Read writes for the Star Tribune's Inspired section. We thoroughly enjoyed each others companyplus our dogs got along. T he Triple Crown trails (the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail) offer nearly 8,000 miles of some of the best hiking in the world. Either way, best to sign up for my newsletter, yeah? For instance, turn north on the Continental Divide Trail near Albuquerque, New Mexico, drive the trail to I-70 near Vale, Colorado, and then head for home until youre ready to revisit the trail. I had to get off the road and climb over blowdowns to get around him. It has great coffee, huge portions, delicious vittles, and a wide selection on its menu. With our group it was easy; wed all four wheeled together for years and had traveled with each other on a camping trip or two. Sign in. Leaving the Basin, the CDT traverses the remote and rugged 'bench' of the Wind River Range, climbing to above timberline which is about 10,000 feet (3,000m) in this area, and then through the Absaroka Range in the northwest portion of the state. The grand finale of the CDT in Wyoming is Yellowstone National Park. Elk Mountain. Riding through Grand Teton on some of the lesser traveled roads, you'll enjoy glorious views of jagged peaks that rise nearly . At the time we were unaware that wed be meeting hikers, mountain bikers, and dual-sport motorcyclists along the route, along with some fantastic folks living in the small mountain towns through which wed be driving. One of our side trips was Leadville, Colorado. The highest elevation is 9,324 feet (2,842m) in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness. Took a three month road trip last summer. By the end of Colorado, I was absolutely worn out and my mental state had deteriorated and I needed to reset and start hiking with other people. The Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) recognizes anyone who reports completion of the entire Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. . If you are worried about a loved one hiking the Continental Divide Trail or you have doubts about whether you want to undertake this journey yourself, you should probably stop reading now (or maybe you should definitely read this). This 13,916-foot peak sits just to the southeast of Longs Peak and can be prominently viewed along Colorado Highway 7. The Continental Divide Trail Is Officially 3,100 Miles Long. Three-fourths were from the United States and the remainder came from eleven other countries. It is concurrent with the Colorado Trail for approximately 200 miles (320km). Hiker Kiana Van Zanten met Alex on the trail and admired the way he approached hiking "really taking the time to enjoy nature and the trail, leaving no trace, taking the time to befriend other hikers even if you're not sure you'll see them again, willing to go on fun side adventures and not just be so focused on staying the line.". [15] Tapon took the most circuitous, scenic, high, difficult route north and while returning south, took the more expedient route. The park was voted second among favorite sections of the CDT by hikers in 2019. 22 hours and 51 minutes and was set in 2016 by Mike Hall (see Trail Notes for a full list of records). Share. Continental Divide Trail CDT Life, CDT Survey, Hiker Problems. Ashland Ski Lodge (Oregon), Phillip Crosby was crushed by a tree that fell on his tent in strong wind (source), FALL | 20-year-old male | August 20, 2013 | A man free-climbing a rock face with friends near the PCT in Yakima County (Washington) fell to his death (source), HYPOTHERMIA | Karen Tellez | December 7, 1997 | A woman out hiking became separated from her group and died of suspected hypothermia near the PCT near Pine Canyon Road in Southern California (source), SUICIDE | Douglas Cracker | October 29, 1988 | A hiker on the PCT discovered the body of Douglas Cracker, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head, half a mile north of Highway 62 in Crater Lake National Park (source). We were not following the official Continental Divide Trail its for hikers only since we were in Jeeps. Jennifer Coleman, 34, of Richmond, Va., died hiking in the Logan Pass area of Glacier National Park on Aug. 30 or 31, 2021. Before jumping off on the Continental Divide Trailor celebrating its finish (depending on which direction youre traveling)have a great meal at Caf Jaxwe thoroughly enjoyed the huge serving of kielbasa hash and eggs. Road walking with no shoulder and semi-trucks passing by at 70 mph / 113 km/h less than 2 ft / 0.6 m away was sketchy. Maybe trying to scare a moose away? A lot of the trail can suck (and sometimes it sucks a lot). Got, Two different situations of people (non-thru hikers) with, I was on the Big Sky Cutoff and getting closer to Butte, Montana. At one point in the Winds I had lost my tent, my wallet, and my flashlight and my phone was dying and I had to bushwack over 10 mi / 16 km of wet blowdowns just to get to a spot where I had a chance of hitching into Pinedale to buy a new tent, flashlight, and phone, and I only had $50 in my pocket. Pacific Crest Trail Hiker Deaths. The ride starts on the border with Canada and finishes at the border with Baja Mexico. Beginning of the hike my shoes were too small and I had mad tendinitis and was afraid of having a, I packed out baby carrots from Ennis, Montana, and got. Need to come up with some statistics to put to rest your familys fears that you will be dragged from your sleeping bag in the night by a bloodthirsty animal? Outside's long reads email . About halfway through my last state, New Mexico, I just wanted to quit. "Money wasn't important to him," Tom said. Here are 10 intriguing facts you may not know about the Continental Divide Trail. Because if youre lucky, you may drive the entire length in sunny warm weather, but thats very unlikely. If youre not into Patreon, thats cool, you can instead Venmo @halfwayanywhere, Cash app $halfwayanywhere, or PayPal [emailprotected]. Same with camping, she said by age 10 or 12, he was a better camper than his parents. He kayaked in Wisconsin's Apostle Islands, backpacked on Michigan's Isle Royale. Jump in and jump out at the various interstates as your free time dictates. The definition of a thru-hike is left to the judgment of the hikers. Clothing. All-inclusive trips, expert guides, Top-rated hiking company on Trip Advisor! Search and rescue teams on Sept. 7 recovered the body of . Over the years, there have been a number of deaths on the Pacific Crest Trail. November 28, 2017. Perhaps now is a good time to discuss possible vehicles for this adventure. Several additional mountains with elevations of more than 14,000 feet (4,300m) are near the trail, The CDT traverses many of the highest and wildest mountain ranges of Colorado, frequently at elevations near or above timberline which is about 12,000 feet (3,700m) in southern Colorado and 11,000 feet (3,400m) in northern Colorado.