Author: Steve Harvey

  • Photo Contest – Submission Deadline October 26, 2024

    Photo Contest – Submission Deadline October 26, 2024

    Hiking season is winding down, so it’s time to share the amazing things you’ve experienced along the Great Divide Trail! Spend some time reminiscing and go dig through all the photos you’ve taken. Then select your favourite(s) and submit them to the GDTA’s Photo Contest!

    Submitting your photos is a unique and simple way to help out the GDTA! As the association works to protect, promote, and maintain the trail, we’re always in need of high-quality imagery. Who better to provide that then those of you who’ve lived it!

    Prizes

    The GDTA will be awarding prizes for the top three submissions, as voted on by select members from our volunteer community. Please check back here as we’ll be updating this page with more info on the prizes.

    Guidelines

    • Digital images must be submitted via email to photocontest@greatdividetrail.com
    • Submissions must include the following text (please copy and paste this into the email submission)
    Photographer: <your name>
    Working Title: <one-sentence title>
    Location: <specific location>
    GDT Section: <A through G>
    Detailed Caption: <longer caption, please include names of any identifiable individuals>
    
    With this submission I affirm that I have read and agree to the terms and conditions of the GDTA Photo Contest. 
    • One photo per submission, multiple submissions are allowed
    • Submission deadline:  Saturday October 26, 2024 at midnight Mountain time.
    • Photos can be from any year.
    • Photos can be color or black & white digital images of any location along the Great Divide Trail
    • JPEG or TIFF files are allowed and ideally higher than web-resolution (at least 300 dots-per-inch or approximately 1000×1500 pixels for a 3×5 photo).
    • If you’d like your photos to be considered for our annual calendar or magazine covers, they should be at least 8.5×11 inches at 300 dpi or approx. 2500×3300 pixels in size.
    • Photos can be horizontal or vertical. Please upload in the proper orientation.

    Terms and Conditions

    No purchase is necessary to enter or win. Void where prohibited. By entering this contest, you agree to the terms and conditions relating to this contest and you are responsible for understanding your rights.

    Photos entered are considered licensed to the Great Divide Trail Association in perpetuity. By entering the photo contest, you are giving the GDTA the right to use your photos as we see fit to promote the trail and its protection.

    You will retain copyright to any photograph you submit. You only grant the GDTA rights to your photograph royalty-free, in perpetuity, nonexclusively to:

    • Reproduce, distribute, transform, display and/or to perform your photographs in all print and electronic mediums at any size.
    • Use your photos worldwide.
    • Provide your photograph to other individuals and organizations for non-commercial use, such as in news stories, newsletters, reports, slide shows, displays, web pages, and the like.
    • Archive in electronic forms so that your photos can be used to support our mission.
    • The GDTA may request additional permission to use your photo for Commercial and Editorial uses that directly benefit the GDTA and the trail.

    Whenever possible, the GDTA will provide attribution in the form the photographer’s name and/or photographer’s website URL per GDTA’s discretion. Attribution will appear next to the photo or in the credits of the work product.

    By entering, participants agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the GDTA, its respective subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, volunteers, attorneys, agents and representatives, from any and all third party liability for any injuries, loss, claim, action, demand or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with the competition (collectively, “Losses”), including without limitation any third party claim for copyright infringement or a violation of an individual’s right to privacy and/or publicity right. The Contest is void where prohibited by law.

    Contest entrants are responsible for ensuring that he or she has the right to submit the photos that he or she submits to the contest.


    1The concept and inspiration for this contest comes from the Pacific Crest Trail Association’s annual Photo Contest.

  • 2024 Annual General Meeting

    2024 Annual General Meeting

    Monday, September 16th at 6:00 PM MST – ONLINE

    Don’t miss this year’s AGM! We’ll be unveiling exciting updates on our strategic planning, and you’ll be the first to discover the path forward for our association and trail. Tune in to get the inside scoop and be part of the future!

    The Annual General Meeting is open to all active GDTA members, and is where members receive updates and vote for new Board Members.

    All of the information is available on the AGM 2024 page (member access only). Not a member? Become a Member Today!

  • Call-out for a Board Treasurer!

    Call-out for a Board Treasurer!

    Join the adventure! The Great Divide Trail Association is on the lookout for an enthusiastic individual with a passion for budgets and numbers to take on the vital position of Treasurer. Step into the role, become a key player on the Board of Directors until next September, and have your candidacy voted on by the GDTA membership.

    Call-out for a Board Treasurer

    Board of Directors – Treasurer

    The Great Divide Trail Association is seeking a motivated individual with a love and a knack for budgets and numbers, to perform the important role of Treasurer.

    About The Great Divide Trail Association: 

    The Great Divide Trail Association is dedicated to maintaining, protecting, and promoting the Great Divide Trail. The trail traverses the continental divide between Alberta and British Columbia, through the vast wilderness of the Canadian Rocky Mountains for more than 1100 kilometers.  The Great Divide Trail Association has 13 Board Directors, and 7 committees who diligently work all year long to ensure we are working towards our mission. Each year, over 150 volunteers under the guidance of the GDTA, spend 3 to 6 days as part of a trail crew, building new routes and performing maintenance on this historic trail.  

    Through all these efforts, hikers and backpackers of all ages safely and responsibly explore one of the most spectacular and challenging long‐distance trails on the planet. 

    The Treasurer Role

    This volunteer role is an excellent opportunity for a passionate outdoors enthusiast who wants to provide others with the opportunity to experience the Canadian Rocky Mountains while building and maintaining an iconic trail.  It is also a great opportunity to work with like-minded individuals and volunteers.   

    The Treasurer is a Director on the Board. In accordance with Association bylaws, the successful individual will be appointed to the Board of Directors until association membership can vote them in, at the next Annual General Meeting held in September. 

    Attributes:

    • Good with numbers
    • Highly motivated
    • Comfortable and competent in managing financial risk
    • Exceptional attention to detail
    • A knack for seeing the big picture
    • Inquisitive about broader business dynamics, aspiring to play a pivotal role
    • Effective communicator

    Time commitment:

    Anticipate dedicating around 10-12 hours per month to this role, which involves attending monthly Board meetings held on the third Tuesday of the month from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm MT.

    If interested, please email volunteer@greatdividetrail.com with the subject line: Treasurer Role

  • Pathfinder Newsletter – Winter 2023/24

    Pathfinder Newsletter – Winter 2023/24

    The Winter 2023/24 edition of the Great Divide Trail’s Pathfinder newsletter is now available! 

    This edition features articles on trail pioneer Dr. James “Thor” Thorsell by Jenny Feick, a Section B hike by Barb Lauer, a trip north of the GDT by Marg Gmoser and Jim Baker, and many other stories of hikes, trail work, and wildlife on the Great Divide. 

    Bonus Material

    Granny Heads North of Kakwa Bonus Photos

    Article: Preparing for a Great Divide Winter