A scan of a historic Continental Divide Trail Register from May 1990 to May 2013.
Up and down the long trails of America, registers have served as a way of jotting down thoughts, information, and news for both fellow hikers in the area and for posterity.
These registers are often simple notebooks left in shelters, at the beginning and ends of trails, post offices, hostels or other “pilgrimage stops” along the way on the long hiking trails.
Tradition has it that once a register is filled, the last person to fill the register mails back the register to the person who originally left it.
On the Appalachian Trail, these registers are numerous and often filled quickly
On the Continental Divide Trail, the trail registers are far and few between and, until recent years, have not been filled that quickly.
About a month ago, my friend Pete was in Cuba, NM of his CDT thru-hike. He called me and said that a twenty-three year old CDT register was just filled. By coincidence, Judi Hageman was about to retire. Judi Hageman was head of the post office in Cuba, NM and has seen many CDT travelers over the years. She wished to get the CDT register to its rightful owner.
To make a long story short, the person who placed the original register was out backpacking and could not be reached.
I received the register in the interim. Through a local copy shop, had the register scanned and made available online.
The register is in the form of a 100 DPI PDF and can be read here.
This register contains many years of trail history. Quite a few names are familiar.
You can see the trail evolve, too. From a little known and thru-hiked route more than two decades ago to a more popular and established trail, today.
Many thanks to the following people for making this register available:
Peter Sustr for making everyone aware of the journal in the first place
Catherine Stratton who graciously allowed the scanning in of the journal before mailing it back
Karen Berger for her wonderful account of the journey in her book Where The Waters Divide
The many volunteers over the years who made the CDNST possible
Judi Hageman for being a friendly face to many CDT travelers over the years. Thanks so much for making sure that this register was preserved for the community.