Routing the Northern Divide Trail
Of all the resources I have prepared for the Northern Divide Trail, the most important is probably the Keyhold Markup File (KML/KMZ) which I have created using Google Earth. If an explorer were to upload this file to a GPS receiver, possibly by converting it to GPS Exchange Format (GPX), then the person would be able to follow the trail with high precision.
However, this assumes that a person is capable of walking the line defined by this resource. Therein lies the difficulty of blazing a new trail. It is easy to create a theoretical path between two points, but much more difficult to fit that path to the constraints of thru-hiking.
The main difficulty posed is that of the extreme difficulty of the terrain of the Northern Rocky Mountains. Many of the mountains encountered are steep, and sometimes taking a detour would mean a large increase in the hiking distance, as well as bypassing interesting and notable features that an explorer does not want to miss. See this table for a tangible account of the total elevation change of the NDT compared to other notable trails:
| Trail | Distance (km) | Total Elevation Change (km) | Average Elevation Change (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian | 3530 | 312 | 8.9 |
| Great Divide | 1130 | 42 | 3.7 |
| Northern Divide | 1000 | 130 | 13 |
The Northern Divide Trail packs almost as much elevation change as the Appalachian Trail (which itself averages more change per mile than both the Pacific Crest and Continentail Divide Trails) into less than a third of the distance of the Appalachian Trail. It is a relatively short but extremely difficult trail.
Therefore, I have put constraints on the Keyhole Markup File which defines the route in minute detail, in an attempt to tone down the difficulty. First, I have divided the route into days, and all days are no greater than 40 kilometers, which is less than the 50+ kilometers that I typically hiked on the AT. I also set a maximum slope of 50% on the entire route, meaning that at all times, a person will not be taking on more than a 45° angle. This is still a steep slope, and when taken for a long distance, can be quite exhausting. Switchbacks are sometimes employed to satisy this constraint.
Finally, I have endeavored to reduce the total amount of elevation change by routing the trail through valleys and low elevatio areas when possible. Unfortunately, this is difficult and not possible on a large scale without taking the trail out of the mountains.
The Muskwa Ranges, specifically the Akie Range and the Sentinel Range, contain the most elevation change, though the area around Mount Crysdale, in the Misinchinka Ranges, is also very demanding. Beyond that, the highest point on the trail (2632 meters) is located at a pass near Ithaca Glacier and Mount Ulysses. The trail continues to approach this altitude father North. The entirety of the Sentinel Range, at the most northern section of the Rocky Mountains, poses a serious challenge.
This Northernmost portion of the trail makes routing difficult, as the mountains therein are not only steep, but appear to be barren and smooth rock. This makes the common technique of using switchbacks much less effective, and the threat of a possibly fatal slip very serious. The area around Nonda Peak continues to pose a challenge for the creation of a plausible route for the trail. The NDT aspires to explore the most prominent features of the Northern Rocky Mountains, but there must also be a consideration for safety.