CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL

Home.pacbell.net/kdpo

 The above Internet address is important, as this is the home page of Marcia and Ken that are hiking from Mexico to Canada this summer on the Continental Divide Trail.

I decided to stay another day in Lander before going over the hills to Jackson Hole. After getting up late I went to Mc Donald’s for a light breakfast. As I was sipping my morning coffee I noticed a couple in their 50’s entering the establishment carrying large pack packs on their backs. They took them off at a booth and went to order something to eat. Why hadn’t they left their pack packs in their vehicle, or were they hiking through town, which seemed unlikely? After a while curiosity got the best of me, so as I was leaving I went by their booth and inquired what they were doing?

They told me they were spending the entire summer hiking from Mexico to Canada on the Continental Divide Trail. Their water purifying filters had plugged up due to bad water on the desert so they hitch hiked from Atlantic City (near South Pass) to Lander to get their filters replaced. I believe they had stayed overnight in Lander and were now going back to get back on the trail from where they had left it. They had a hand held, battery operated e-mail machine that they used to keep in contact with their friends and sponsors. They would also send pictures back home (near San Francisco) to be posted on their web site whenever they came to town where they could mail them.

What was their biggest problem so far on their trip? Getting clean, non-contaminated water to drink, and having to carry a sufficient amount of water to get to the next watering hole, although from here to Canada that problem was to be greatly diminished. Martha and Dan were married and retired and this was the second time they had hiked the width of the United Sates; only last time it was on the older and more defined Pacific Rim Trail that goes from Mexico to Canada following the Sierra Mountains. They showed slides and gave lectures on this adventure and were overwhelmed at the interest it generated.

Marcia and Ken were trim and fit and seemed to be enjoying what they were doing. Both wore African Safari hats with cords around their necks so as the hats would not blow away. Marcia’s hair was cut shorter than her husband's; I suppose to spend less time taking care of it. They figured they had come a little over half way on the CDT and would finish sometime in mid September as they hiked through Glacier National Park.

As I was leaving Mc Donald’s parking lot I noticed them standing near the highway and realized they were going to hitch hike back to where they came from. I told them I had nothing better to do and would take them back to Atlantic City. Once again the 4-door pickup came in handy. Atlantic City is an old gold mining town founded by the Mormons and today is a tourist attraction having a couple of eating establishments along with a mercantile store. It is about five miles off of state highway 24 going toward South Pass. It turned into a dirt road after about a mile but was in very good condition. The CDT was about 1-½ miles past Atlantic City and I was able to take them to the exact spot where they had exited the Trail. It was well marked at this juncture but Marcia said that it is not a very heavily traveled trail and they many times had trouble following it.

My adventuring friends got out and proceeded down the trail and I headed back to Lander. I tried getting on the Internet to learn more about them, but try as I may I was unable to do so as Lander seems to be in a zone where telephone lines are a problem. The technicians at MSN tried for over an hour to get me connected to no avail. No problem, for there will be another day and another place when I will get on. Meanwhile it was great to meet these interesting hikers and to live again vicariously, through my new acquaintances, the thrill of hiking the relatively new Continental Divide Trail. Before there was a Pacific Rim Trail or a Continental Divide Trail I read a story about hiking the Appalachian Trail that goes from Georgia to Maine. This intrigued me and I dreamed of some day giving it a go. No way today; but thanks to Marcia and Ken, this old man can dream again.   

                                                          MICK MITCHELL