Few blazes, fewer trail angels: Canada’s Great Divide Trail offers a rare chance to go back in time and experience the birth of a thru-hike.
![Where Nobody Knows Your Trail Name](https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/6123/197340/583e616baaf8b/Where-Nobody-Knows-Your-Trail-Name.jpg)
THE GREAT DIVIDE TRAIL traces the spine of the Canadian Rockies for 746 miles, but I only needed 18 to see how wild it can be.
After miles of sublime, airy ridge walking on Jasper National Park’s Skyline Trail, I exited a tunnel of trees into a wide patch of tundra sweeping up to the fortress of 8,839-foot Mt. Tekarra. The view and a howling wind dazed me enough that it took a few seconds to catch a chocolate brown shoulder flecked in silver out of the corner of my eye. A paw the size of a pie followed, and then I saw the shovel nose, beady eyes, and small ears confirming this was a griz, 25 yards away. Way too close.
I hightailed it up an adjacent tundra bench, waited for 30 minutes, and doubled back about 200 yards farther down the way. As I neared the trail again, I choked when I saw another silvered hump passing through a break in the trees, 10 feet away. Way too close. With bear spray in hand and my heart hammering, I leapfrogged another 200 yards up the trail. Had the griz I saw before returned, or was this a second one?
You want to experience a two-month immersion in a North American wilderness the region’s first explorers would recognize? This is your hike. “This is a hard, hard trail that takes some of the best thru-hikers in the world and humiliates them,” says Liz “Snorkel” Thomas, who hiked it in 2016.
Esta historia es de la edición December/January 2017 de Backpacker.
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Esta historia es de la edición December/January 2017 de Backpacker.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
![IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HORROR](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6123/1201578/edwpGCIsv1675335002656/IN-THE-FOOTSTEPS-OF-HORROR.jpg)
IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF HORROR
CANADA’S MOST REVERED BACKPACKING TRAIL WAS BORN OUT OF A GHASTLY MISFORTUNE
![TRUE NORTH](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6123/1201578/MtNUky6CG1675333520000/TRUE NORTH.jpg)
TRUE NORTH
In pictures, Greenland's backcountry ski terrain looks spectacular. In person? It's even better.
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WHEN THE FOREST IS AN ESCAPE
The Outdoors Is Powerful Medicine And The Refugee Women's Network Is Helping Displaced Hikers Get Back To It
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The Gear that Changed Backpacking Forever
Trend-setters and trailblazers from the last 50 years
![Timeless Adventures](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6123/1201578/Z8H8z1oCs1675326731586/TIMELESS-ADVENTURES.jpg)
Timeless Adventures
In celebration of 50 years of trail beta and inspiration, we look back on our favorite spots through the moments we chose to capture.
![Let The Rivers Run Free](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6123/1025490/6IBHMqi-31659352580263/crp_American-waterways-Wild-and-Scenic-Rivers-Act-Backpacking-Destinations-Outdoor-Skills-Gear-Reviews-Camping-Lifestyle.jpg)
Let The Rivers Run Free
A set of 10 bills currently in Congress will protect 7,000 miles of American waterways— if they pass.
![Thru-Hiking, Canadian Style](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6123/1025490/ojB42e_NB1659353252688/crp_British-Columbia-Tin-Hat-Mountain-Sunshine-Coast-Trail-Hiking-Dolomites.jpg)
Thru-Hiking, Canadian Style
When the pandemic shut down my plans to hike Europe, I found a world-class trail right on my doorstep.
![Training Station](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/6123/1008193/qumBjAX--1657693683585/crp_Backpacking-Destinations-Outdoor-Skills-Gear-Reviews-Camping-Lifestyle.jpg)
Training Station
There's a great new wearable for every kind of athletic goal
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CBD for Your Pain
Everyone feels the hurt as we age, but CBD can help you deal with it.
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Home Base
These shelters score major comfort points