Big Agnes launched a comprehensive online trail guide for the Continental Divide Trail or CDT. It’s the culmination of the organization’s Border to Backyard Rally, a 740-mile staff thru-hike and bikepacking trip of the Colorado portion of the trail. The guide shares important trail information, along with stories and tips, split up by section. It will live, and continue to grow, on their website to inspire people to hit the trail.
For their CDT trail guide information, refer to BigAgnes.com/cdt.
Details - Border to Backyard Rally: (click to unhide)
After three months of nearly non-stop hiking, biking and riding, employees from Big Agnes, Honey Stinger and BAP have completed their “Border to Backyard” quest, covering 740 miles and ascending 145,043 vertical feet along the Continental Divide Trail from Colorado’s southern border to its northern edge. Staff from the sister companies completed the journey in traditional thru-hike fashion, breaking the trip into 24 segments that ranged from 9 to 84 miles.
“Despite countless hours of planning and organizing, the rewards have been incredible,” said Garett Mariano, marketing director at Big Agnes. “Our team worked together and overcame huge obstacles from forest fires to pushing bikes over 13,000-foot peaks. We’re a stronger team that has a new understanding and respect for each other.”
The journey began on June 11 at the New Mexico-Colorado border and ended on September 13 at the Wyoming border. All of the companies’ 120 employees were given the opportunity to participate, on paid volunteer time, and over 70 took part in the adventure.
“The CDT sits a few miles from our office in Steamboat, and we wanted to celebrate a trail that our employees use year-round for hiking, running, skiing and mountain biking,” said Bill Gamber, Big Agnes president, and co-founder. “This was the ideal year to get our staff on the trail. We wanted a fun way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the CDT and the 50th anniversary of the National Scenic Trails Act.”
Last year, Big Agnes adopted 75 miles of the CDT and introduced the 1101 line of sleeping bags. A portion of the proceeds from the sleeping bags will be donated to the Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC), the nonprofit group that helps to promote and protect the trail. The brand has pledged more than $25,000 to the organization, which will help the CDTC reroute a 14-mile section of the CDT from the roadway to single-track along HWY 14 and 40 near Rabbit Ears Pass, Colo.
The following are a few fun statistics from the trail.
- Number of participating employees: 70
- Friends, family, and others who joined: 17 people, 3 dogs, 2 horse, 1 Mule
- Age Range of Participants: 11 to 70
- Number of car issues: 2 dead batteries, 1 set of keys locked in the car, 3 flat tires
- Total Colorado Vertical climbed: 145,615 feet (equivalent to more than 5 Everest summits from sea level)
- Number of Bike Mechanicals: 5
- Injuries: Sunburns, saddle sores, funky feet, sore shoulders & countless blisters
- Broken camp trowels: 3
- Fourteeners Summited: Three fourteeners summited. Two of them on the last day of the Summer Outdoor Retailer Show
- Other notable mentions: The trip included nursing mothers, first-time backpackers and bikepackers, veteran thru-hikers, and people recovering from knee surgeries, hip replacements, concussions, and broken wrists. None of which occurred on trail.
In 2018, Big Agnes adopted 75 miles of the Continental Divide Trail near their headquarters in Steamboat Springs, Colo. To celebrate the adoption as well as the 40th anniversary of the CDT and the 50th Anniversary of the National Scenic Trails Act, Big Agnes organized an ambitious plan for its staff to complete the entire Colorado section of the trail. Over three months, 70 employees covered 740 miles by foot and bike.
The CDT Trail Guide is an accumulation of all the planning and experiences of last summer’s thru-hike. The online resource provides each section’s distances, total ascents and descents, highest points, starting and finishing points and water sources, along with other trail information. The guide also shares first-hand accounts of the terrain, personal stories, photos, and other insider data that will help anyone looking to spend one or multiple nights on the trail.
“Living in Steamboat, we are incredibly fortunate to have the CDT directly in our backyard,” said Bill Gamber, co-founder, and president of Big Agnes. “The trail inspires us in so many ways – from the gear, we develop to the outdoor activities our staff gets after. Whether for a day hike, an overnight, or a complete thru-hike, we hope this online resource makes the CDT more accessible to more people.”
Big Agnes recently debuted a short film, “Border to Backyard,” which documents the brand’s 740-mile hike from day one when fires sent them home to the final step over the Wyoming border.
“Big Agnes’ recent addition to the website not only provides critical information to the public about the CDT- it shares the beauty, joy, fun, and excitement that a CDT adventure can provide,” said Teresa Martinez, executive director of the Continental Divide Trail Coalition. “Big Agnes sets the gold standard of what conservation-stewardship partnerships can look like and that they all start from our love of these places.”
About Big Agnes
Named for a peak in the nearby Mt. Zirkel Wilderness, Big Agnes, Inc. is located in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and produces award-winning sleeping bags, pads, tents, and camp furniture. For more information, visit bigagnes.com or call 1-877-554-8975.
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