Continental Divide Trail Coalition to host virtual Trail Days celebration

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To celebrate the Continental Divide Trail, the communities along its length, and the spirit of community among those who enjoy the 3,100-mile trail, the Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) will host a virtual Trail Days celebration throughout the month of April. 

The sixth annual Continental Divide Trail Days was scheduled to take place in Silver City over the weekend of April 24-26, but was cancelled earlier in March as COVID-19’s spread increased. Virtual Trail Days, however, will bring speakers originally scheduled to speak in Silver City into the homes of Continental Divide Trail supporters all over the world.

“We have some incredible speakers lined up ready to inspire with tales from the trail,” said Teresa Martinez, CDTC’s Executive Director. “Trail Days in Silver City is a special time that we are sorry to miss this year, but we are excited to bring the spirit of celebration from Trail Days worldwide.”

Virtual Trail Days will kick off Wednesday, April 1, at 7 p.m. Mountain Time with Elsye “Chardonnay” Walker and Will “Akuna” Robinson, the first two Black Americans to complete the Triple Crown of Hiking – the Continental Divide Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Appalachian Trail. Other speakers, scheduled each Wednesday night in April, include Cindy Ross, author of The World Is Our Classroom, and Jodie Morton, who will share stories from riding the CDT on horseback. On Friday, April 24, 3000 Miles (a collaboration between thru-hiking musicians Anna Robinson and Emalee Hill), will perform live in a virtual concert.

“Last year, we brought our music to many CDT communities as we hiked from Canada to Mexico," said Anna Robinson of 3000 Miles. "We can't wait to perform for the CDT community around the world as part of Virtual Trail Days!"

The celebration will also include a weekly sweepstakes focused on CDT Gateway Communities. Many of these communities rely on tourism dollars from outdoor recreation, but also see an outsized threat from COVID-19 due to limited medical facilities and elderly populations. CDTC hopes to inspire people to dream of future trips to enjoy the CDT near these communities with the sweepstakes; anyone can enter by submitting a photo from a previous trip to a CDT Gateway Community or a simple sentence about which community they’d like to visit in the future and why. Each week will bring a new opportunity to win prizes provided by Trail Days sponsors including Merrell and Osprey. 

All Virtual Trail Days events are free to the public and will be streamed via Facebook Live at facebook.com/continentaldividetrailcoalition. The Facebook Live videos can be viewed by anyone, regardless of whether they have a Facebook account, and will be available after the live stream events at the same link. More information, including a full lineup and sweepstakes entry instructions, can be found at continentaldividetrail.org/trail-days.

About the Continental Divide Trail

The CDT is one of the world’s premiere long-distance trails, stretching 3,100 miles from Mexico to Canada along the Continental Divide. Designated by Congress in 1978, the CDT is the highest, most challenging and most remote of the 11 National Scenic Trails. It provides recreational opportunities ranging from hiking to horseback riding to hunting for thousands of visitors each year. While 95% of the CDT is located on public land, approximately 150 miles are still in need of protection.

 

About the Continental Divide Trail Coalition

The CDTC was founded in 2012 by volunteers and recreationists hoping to provide a unified voice for the Trail. Working hand-in-hand with the U.S. Forest Service and other federal land management agencies, the CDTC is a non-profit partner supporting stewardship of the CDT. The mission of the CDTC is to complete, promote and protect the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, a world-class national resource. For more information, please visit continentaldividetrail.org.


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