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48-595: Following the Continental Divide as closely as practicable and crossing it 30 times, about 90% of the GDMBR is on unpaved roads and trails and requires basic off-pavement riding skills to complete. The unpaved portions of the route range from high quality dirt or gravel roads to singletrack mountain bike trails to a few short sections of unmaintained trails which may not be possible to ride at all. The GDMBR has over 200,000 ft (61,000 m) of elevation gain and loss for

96-573: A gas station, a handful of small cafes, a post office, bank, mechanics, and groceries. Most people ride the route north to south. Southbound riders normally cannot start prior to mid-June nor later than the end of September. Typical times to ride the entire route range from six to ten weeks. Logistical issues complicate riding the GDMBR. Reliable food and water sources on some portions of the route are over 100 mi (160 km) apart. Unpredictable mountain and desert weather can bring snow, rain, high winds, and temperature extremes at any time of year. It

144-502: A line symbolizes the division. The Divide then proceeds south into western New Mexico , passing along the western boundary of the endorheic Plains of San Agustin. Although the Divide represents the height of land between watersheds, it does not always follow the highest ranges/peaks within each state or province. In Mexico , it passes through Chihuahua , Durango , Zacatecas , Aguascalientes , Jalisco , Guanajuato , Querétaro , México ,

192-664: A small lake located in the Athabasca Pass . The Alpine Club of Canada 's Abbot Pass Hut sat directly astride the Divide in Abbot Pass on the boundary between Banff National Park and Yoho National Park , and thus precipitation falling on the eastern half of the roof flowed via Lake Louise into Hudson Bay, while rain falling on the western half flowed via Lake O'Hara into the Pacific Ocean. Mike Hall (cyclist) Michael Richard Hall (4 June 1981 – 31 March 2017)

240-531: Is also not uncommon to encounter large mammals including grizzly and black bears , moose , and occasionally cougars . Due to the possibility of deep snow in the mountains and monsoon rains in New Mexico, careful attention to weather and climate is required to ensure the rider can complete the route without having to wait out impassable conditions. On portions of the route, rain can turn some sections of dirt roads into quagmires of adhesive mud. The only options for

288-654: Is considered part of the Atlantic, then the triple point is at an unimportant-looking, permanently snow and ice covered hump on the border between Alberta and British Columbia , on the southern slope of Snow Dome at 3,456 metres (11,300 ft). The exact location of this potential triple point is somewhat indeterminate because the Columbia Icefield and the snow on top of it shifts from year to year. The snow that falls on it (about 10 metres (33 ft) per year) does not actually flow downhill as water, but creeps downhill in

336-455: Is the main reason behind the designation of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park as the "Crown of the Continent" of North America. The summit of the peak is the world's only oceanic triple divide point. Discounting Antarctica and its ice sheets, only one other continent ( Asia ) borders three oceans, but the inward-draining Endorheic basin area of Central Asia from western China to

384-552: Is the most commonly known starting or finishing point of the Continental Divide trail, but due to its remote location devoid of any lodging or services, Columbus, New Mexico , is an alternate starting or finishing point for those hiking or biking the Continental Divide trail. Located 3 miles from the International Port of Entry at Palomas, Mexico , Columbus is a small border village with such amenities as two modest hotels,

432-655: Is the world's only oceanic triple divide, there are secondary triple divide points wherever any two continental divides meet. North America has five major drainage systems: into the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic oceans, plus Hudson Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Other sources such as the International Hydrographic Organization add a sixth: Canada's Northwest Passage basin. Using just the five, there are four secondary continental divides and three secondary triple points,

480-816: The Americas . The Continental Divide extends from the Bering Strait to the Strait of Magellan , and separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain into the Atlantic and Arctic Ocean , including those that drain into the Gulf of Mexico , the Caribbean Sea , and Hudson Bay . Although there are many other hydrological divides in the Americas,

528-508: The Aral and Caspian Seas is so vast that any Arctic and Indian Ocean tributaries are never within proximity of each other. Thus, North America's status of having a single location draining into three oceans is unique in the world. Sources differ, however, on whether Hudson Bay, entirely south of the Arctic Circle , is part of the Atlantic or Arctic Ocean. Hudson Bay's water budget connects to

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576-758: The Federal District , Morelos , Puebla , Oaxaca , and Chiapas . In Central America, it continues through southern Guatemala , southwestern Honduras , western Nicaragua , western/southwestern Costa Rica , and southern Panama . The divide reaches its lowest natural point in Central America at the Isthmus of Rivas at 47 metres (154 ft) in Nicaragua. In Panama, the Canal cuts through it at 26 metres (85 ft). The Divide continues into South America , where it follows

624-516: The International Hydrographic Organization (in its current unapproved working edition only of Limits of Oceans and Seas ) defines the Hudson Bay, with its outlet extending from 62.5 to 66.5 degrees north (just a few miles south of the Arctic Circle ) as being part of the Arctic Ocean, specifically "Arctic Ocean Subdivision 9.11." This hydrological apex of North America status of Triple Divide Peak

672-494: The Transcontinental Race (TCR) and was the main organiser until he died in 2017. The TCR is an annual, self-supported, ultra-distance bicycle race across Europe . The TCR has no set route except that the riders must pass several intermediate checkpoints at iconic locations, which vary every year. The distance has varied between 3,200 and 4,200 km, and has crossed the continent on different routes approximately between

720-434: The 2012 World Cycle Race does not include transfer and flight times, which is how Guinness World Records measured it at the time, and this was faster than the current around the world cycling record , but his attempt was never ratified by Guinness. He completed the 2013 Tour Divide in a time faster than the current record, but did not qualify for the record due to the route being altered that year to avoid forest fires. In

768-461: The 2016 Tour Divide , he beat the record and rode the complete, official route. After three editions of the Trans Am Bike Race , the time that Hall set in the inaugural edition was broken by Evan Deutsch in 2017. Hall was killed while riding in second place in the 2017 Indian Pacific Wheel Race, having completed more than 5,000 km of the almost 5,500 km race. In 2013, Hall founded

816-494: The 5,500 km distance. Hall started racing mountain bikes as a teenager, but became more serious in 2009 (aged 28) when he started competing in 24 hour mountain bike races . His first ultra-distance self-supported race was the Tour Divide in 2011. While riding in the top 10, he acquired a knee injury, but still finished the race. He then won a major ultra-distance event in 4 of the next 5 years: The 91 days and 18 hours for

864-706: The Arctic Ocean watershed from the Hudson Bay watershed. Another, mainly non-mountainous, divide, the Laurentian Divide (also sometimes called the Northern Divide), further separates the Hudson Bay - Arctic Ocean drainage region from the Atlantic watershed region. Secondary divides separate the watersheds that flow into the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River (ultimately into the Atlantic) from watersheds that flow to

912-628: The Atlantic more than to the Arctic Ocean. The channels to the north of Hudson Bay are largely cut off by Baffin Island from the Arctic, so much of the water that enters it mixes with the Atlantic to the east via Hudson Strait rather than north into the Arctic. The result is that most of the ice flowing down the Saskatchewan Glacier eventually ends up as water in the Atlantic Ocean. If Hudson Bay

960-561: The Continental Divide in Wyoming. The Panama Canal has this same feature, but is man-made. Both the Chagres and Gatun rivers flow into Gatun Lake , which empties to both oceans. Several small lakes along the Divide in the Rocky Mountains between Alberta and British Columbia flow into both provinces and thus into both the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. An example is the " Committee's Punch Bowl ",

1008-535: The Continental Divide is by far the most prominent of these because it tends to follow a line of high peaks along the main ranges of the Rocky Mountains and Andes , at a generally much higher elevation than the other hydrological divisions. Beginning at the westernmost point of the Americas , Cape Prince of Wales , just south of the Arctic Circle, the Continental Divide's geographic path runs through Arctic Alaska , where it reaches its more northerly point close to

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1056-470: The Divide or the other by their lowest perimeter pass; in other words, an assignment is made by determining how the drainage would occur if the basin were to be progressively filled with water until it overflowed. Large-scale maps, such as those on this page, often show double divide lines when endorheic basins are involved. However, the detailed USGS topographic maps of the United States generally show only

1104-624: The English Channel and the Mediterranean/Black Sea. The race has grown rapidly from having 30 people start the first edition in 2013 to receiving more than 1,000 applications for the 350 places available for the fourth edition in 2016. When Hall was asked about his motivation for setting up the TCR he said "there was a demand growing for both a European based ultra on a similar scale to Race Across America , and also an unsupported alternative to

1152-748: The Flathead Valley in Montana; Grand Teton National Park and the Great Divide Basin in Wyoming ; South Park and Boreas Pass in Colorado ; and Polvadera Mesa and the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico. Colorado's Indiana Pass, at 11,913 ft (3,631 m), is the highest point on the route. On route, the rider will encounter isolated river valleys, mountain forests, wide open grasslands, high desert, and, near

1200-636: The GDMBR as one of its top 100 best American adventures. The Tour Divide Race is a self-supported, underground race that follows the entirety of the GDMBR. Another race on the GDMBR, the Great Divide Race, used only the U.S. portion of the route and appears to have been defunct since its last race in 2010. In the Tour Divide, the race clock runs 24 hours a day and the riders are allowed no outside support other than access to public facilities such as stores, motels, and bike shops. The record time to complete

1248-791: The Gulf of Mexico (also part of the Atlantic Ocean) via the Missouri-Mississippi-Ohio river system . Another secondary divide follows the Appalachian chain, which separates those streams and rivers that flow directly into the Atlantic Ocean from those that exit via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Triple Divide Peak in Glacier National Park , Montana, is the point where two of the principal continental divides in North America converge,

1296-512: The Tour Divide is 13 days, 22 hours, and 51 minutes and was set in 2016 by British endurance racer Mike Hall . In 2023, EF Education-EasyPost racer Lachlan Morton set a time of 12 days, 12 hours, and 21 minutes. The route for the Tour Divide has changed over the years and Lachlan's route was approximately 42 miles shorter than Mike Hall's. The Tour Divide has been raced and completed on both single speed bicycles and tandem bicycles. The race, which has neither entry fees nor prizes, usually starts in

1344-732: The U.S.-Canada border near the Beaufort Sea. The Divide zig-zags southwardly over Yukon , and forms part of the boundary between Yukon and the Northwest Territories in the Mackenzie Mountains . It then proceeds through the Northern British Columbia Interior via the Cassiar Mountains , Omineca Mountains and northern Nechako Plateau to Summit Lake , north of the city of Prince George and just south of

1392-520: The United States. From 2013, he was the principal organiser of the Transcontinental Race , an event similar to the TransAm Bicycle Race, but that traverses Europe. Michael Hall was also featured in the cycling film Inspired to Ride a film directed by Mike Dion. Hall died after being struck by a car, just south of Canberra, during the inaugural Indian Pacific Wheel Race across Australia, on 31 March 2017, after covering just over 5,000 km of

1440-540: The charity in honor of him doing the 2012 World Cycle Race. In 2013 and 2015 he led a group of cyclists (with Juliana Buhring in 2015) in the Vietnam Challenge Ride organised by Cycle A Difference that also raised money for Newborns Vietnam. Hall died after being struck by a car during the Indian Pacific Wheel Race from Fremantle to Sydney, on 31 March 2017. At the time he was placed second in

1488-689: The community of McLeod Lake . From there the Divide traverses the McGregor Plateau to the spine of the Rockies, following the crest of the Canadian Rockies southeast to the 120th meridian west , from there forming the boundary between southern British Columbia and southern Alberta . The Divide crosses into the United States in northwestern Montana , at the boundary between Waterton Lakes National Park and Glacier National Park . In Canada, it forms

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1536-562: The eastern third of the state boundary between Idaho and Montana. The Divide crosses into Wyoming within Yellowstone National Park and continues southeast around the Great Divide Basin , through the Sierra Madre Range into Colorado where it reaches its highest point in North America at the summit of Grays Peak at 4,352 metres (14,278 ft). It crosses US Hwy 160 in southwestern Colorado at Wolf Creek Pass , where

1584-508: The end of the ride, a section of the Chihuahuan Desert . The GDMBR passes through some larger towns, including Helena and Butte, Montana ; Pinedale and Rawlins, Wyoming ; Steamboat Springs , Breckenridge , Salida , and Del Norte, Colorado ; and Grants and Silver City, New Mexico . Otherwise, only extremely small towns will be encountered, limiting the variety of goods and services available to riders. Antelope Wells, New Mexico

1632-699: The form of glacial ice. That ice flows down the Athabasca Glacier to the Arctic Ocean via the Athabasca and Mackenzie rivers. Ice flowing west goes to the Pacific Ocean via Bryce Creek and the Bush and Columbia Rivers . Ice flowing down the Saskatchewan Glacier goes via the North Saskatchewan , Saskatchewan , and Nelson rivers into Hudson Bay . While Triple Divide Peak (or, alternatively, Snow Dome)

1680-639: The main Divide as determined by the overflow rule. Among other things, this eliminates the need to trace out the boundary for a basin that is very shallow and has a nebulous rim, such as the San Luis Closed Basin in Colorado and the basin of the lost streams of Idaho . Another rare exception occurs when a stream near a divide splits and flows in both directions, or a lake straddling the divide overflows in both directions. Examples of these are, respectively, North Two Ocean Creek and Isa Lake , both located on

1728-809: The others and its two main triple points are much more prominent. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (CDT) follows the Divide through the U.S. from the Mexico–US border to the Canada–US border . The trail itself is a corridor of pathways; that is, dedicated footpaths or back roads, either on or near the Continental Divide. A less-developed Canadian extension called the Great Divide Trail continues through five national parks and six provincial parks , ending at Kakwa Lake in east-central British Columbia. Many endorheic regions in North and South America complicate

1776-705: The peaks of the Andes Mountains , traversing western Colombia , central Ecuador , western and southwestern Peru , and eastern Chile (essentially conforming to the Chile- Bolivia and Chile- Argentina boundaries), southward to Cabo San Diego at the southern end of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego . The Divide passes through the Punta Cancanan Pass in Peru at 4,700 metres (15,420 ft). The Arctic Divide or Northern Divide in northern and western Canada separates

1824-511: The primary Continental Divide and the Northern or Laurentian Divide. From this point, waters flow to the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean via the Gulf of Mexico, and the Arctic Ocean via Hudson Bay . Most geographers, geologists, meteorologists, and oceanographers consider this point the hydrological apex of North America, as Hudson Bay is generally considered part of the Arctic Ocean. For example,

1872-518: The race and had covered 5,024 km. He was killed just before dawn on the Monaro Highway , at the intersection of the Monaro Highway and Williamsdale Road, on the outskirts of Canberra at approximately 6:20 a.m. By 3 April a fund raising page, set up after his death, had raised over £70,000 for Hall's family. His death was ruled avoidable by the coroner, and road safety improvements in

1920-417: The race". Hall also organised Valleycat rides. These were small events near his home in Wales where people, primarily from the Transcontinental Race community, met, went bikepacking and rode an ultra-distance (200–400 km) Alleycat-style race . The first Valleycat took place in autumn 2015 and helped to raise money for the Newborns Vietnam charity. A feature-length documentary, called Inspired to Ride

1968-400: The rider to contend with. While most of the GDMBR is off the pavement, the route does not require highly technical mountain bike riding skills. The route has been designed to provide a riding experience primarily on very low trafficked roads through mostly undeveloped areas of the Rocky Mountain west. The GDMBR is routed through a variety of terrain and geographic features. Highlights include

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2016-554: The rider to pass these obstacles are to wait for the roads to dry or to carry their bike. As much of the route is not signposted, good navigation skills are also necessary. Riders should be self-sufficient and carry camping equipment as commercial lodging is not available for long stretches of the route. It is also helpful to be skilled in bike maintenance and repair. For all the challenges, properly prepared and equipped riders can expect to have an enjoyable and adventurous experience. In 2009, National Geographic Adventure listed riding

2064-452: The second Friday in June at an event called Grand Départ . The race can also be completed at any time as an individual time trial. Continental Divide of the Americas The Continental Divide of the Americas (also known as the Great Divide , the Western Divide or simply the Continental Divide ; Spanish : Divisoria continental de las Américas, Gran Divisoria ) is the principal, and largely mountainous , hydrological divide of

2112-427: The simple view of east or west, "ocean-bound" water flow. Several endorheic basins straddle or adjoin the Continental Divide, notably the Great Divide Basin in Wyoming, the Plains of San Agustin and the Animas Valley in New Mexico, the Guzmán Basin in New Mexico and Chihuahua, Mexico, and both the Bolsón de Mapimí and the Llanos el Salado in Mexico. Such basins can be, and routinely are, assigned to one side of

2160-400: The two mentioned previously and a third near Hibbing, Minnesota , where the Northern Divide intersects the Saint Lawrence Seaway divide. Since there is no true consensus on what a continental divide is, there is no real agreement on where the secondary triple points are located. However, the main Continental Divide described in this article is a far more distinctive geological feature than

2208-406: The western boundary of Waterton Lakes National Park, and in the US bisects Glacier National Park. Further south, the Divide forms the backbone of the Rocky Mountain Front (Front Range) in the Bob Marshall Wilderness , heads south towards Helena and Butte , then west past the namesake community of Divide, Montana , through the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness to the Bitterroot Range , where it forms

2256-419: Was a British cyclist and race organiser who specialised in self-supported ultra-distance cycling races. In 2012, he won the inaugural World Cycle Race. In 2013 and 2016, he won the Tour Divide ultra-endurance mountain bike race across the Rocky Mountains in Canada and the United States. In 2014, he won the inaugural Trans Am Bike Race , a road-based event from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast in

2304-451: Was made about the 2014 Trans Am Bike Race , which Hall won. In addition to several interviews during the race, the documentary included a section where Hall was interviewed and filmed riding around where he lived in South Wales , UK. Hall helped to raise money for the charity Newborns Vietnam, a UK-based charity that aims to "improve access to and quality of newborn care in the poorest rural areas" of Vietnam. Hall asked people to donate to

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