by Brian Patton | Sep 4, 2023 | Canadian Rockies Trail Guide, Great Divide Trail, In memory |
Jim Thorsell, an old friend, who inspired the first edition of the Canadian Rockies Trail Guide and contributed to the first six editions, died on August 30, 2023. “Thor” was an avid hiker who authored one of the first backcountry user surveys in 1967, A... by Brian Patton | Nov 22, 2020 | Backpacking, Great Divide Trail, History |
Jim Thorsell began charting a route for the Great Divide Trail while completing a trail use survey for Banff and Yoho Parks in 1967. After tweaking the original route, he published the Provisional Trail Guide and Map for the Proposed Great Divide Trail in 1970. The... by Brian Patton | Nov 27, 2018 | Backpacking, Great Divide Trail, Jasper National Park, Trip reports |
Five intrepid backpackers celebrate the end of a hot, smoky summer with a soggy ten-day trek from the North Saskatchewan River to Maligne Lake on the Great Divide Trail. Fog, drizzle, rain, sleet, snow! Jim Shipley and his buddies did something this summer that I... by Brian Patton | Nov 3, 2018 | Books, Great Divide Trail |
UPDATE: In 2022, Rocky Mountains Books published the 4th edition of Hiking Canada’s Great Divide Trail. It has been 18 years since Dustin Lynx released the first edition of Hiking Canada’s Great Divide Trail. This summer he published a totally revised... by Brian Patton | Apr 21, 2014 | Backpacking, Great Divide Trail, History |
The Great Divide Trail was an idea proposed by various individuals and groups in the 1960s. After studying route possibilities, Jim Thorsell published a brochure-style guide in 1970 Provisional Trail Guide and Map for the Proposed Great Divide Trail (click on link for...