Page 9 - Graypvine December 2020

Surviving the

Continental Divide

a Q&A with Jason Mosakowski

Hiking the Continental Divide requires intense
training and preparation. The trail spans the
height of the entire country – 3,100 miles – from
the Mexico Border to the Canada Border. It
follows the Rocky Mountains through New
Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and
Montana. Jason answered our questions about
his bucket list accomplishment.

How long did you spend planning your trip?
Six to eight months of specific planning.
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What were some of the most important items
you packed?
Many of our nights were spent between 7,000
and 12,000 feet in elevation so a good tent
and sleeping bag were critical. A good water
filter was critical to prevent getting sick, and we
relied on a GPS with SOS functions and satellite
communications. Technology has significantly
changed the way you hike these trails in the past
several years.

What was your biggest challenge?
Making it to the northern terminus prior to
significant winter weather setting in. We made it
to the border but a few days later the first major
winter storm moved through the Glacier National
Park region, so we couldn’t have cut it any closer.

What was your scariest moment?
There is a place in the San Juan Wilderness Area
in Southern Colorado that is called the Knife's
Edge. We had to cross some snow and ice chutes
that crossed the trail, and the only way to cross
them was to take an ice axe and carve out a small
ledge just wide enough to place our feet on to walk
across. We crossed these passages step by step,
knowing that with one slip we would be in trouble
because we had no safety ropes to catch us.

How much did your pack weigh?
My base gear weight was probably 18-20 lbs. I'd
add roughly 2-2.5 lbs for food and water each day.
We would carry anywhere from 1-4 liters of water
at any given time so in dry areas we would be
carrying up to an additional 8 lbs of water. We tried
to keep our packs below 35 pounds if possible.