Hoofing it down the Great Divide

Mountain Bikers travelling the Great Divide Mountain Bike route for the 2022 Tour Divide have been a common sight in Lincoln since the race started June 10, but they're not the only folks on the trail.

On June 3, Karen Selle and her son Doug Gnida of Edmonton, Alberta, set off from Columbia Falls to travel the route on horseback to travel as far south as they can, with an eye toward at least reaching Pie Town, N.M.

Although the GDMBR is thought of as a bike trail, much of it follows a network of roads down the Continual Divide. Gnida said they chose to follow the route rather than the Continental Divide national Scenic Trail l because it allows them to avoid national parks and their associated restrictions.

"The first part was the roughest because it was a lot of pavement and a lot of traffic, and a lot of rain," Selle said during their stop in Lincoln June 23. "But lately it's been smooth sailing."

Selle said she was inspired to make the trip after reading about other long-distance trail riders making similar trips.

"I thought 'hey, I want to do that,'" she said. "I thought this would be baby steps; this would be beginner. The people who go onto Kazakhstan, that's out of my league. I thought I can handle this. The route is all mapped out."

Selle said if they complete 1000 miles in a single trip, they are entered in the Long Riders Guild.

"It's just bragging rights," she said, "But the Long Riders Guild provides a lot of support to horse travelers worldwide"

She said the biggest challenge of the trip has been the combination of her and Gnida's level of experience and the horse's levels of experience. "I've done a lot of trail riding before, but not this day-to-day-to-day thing."

She said the horses, a Morgan, a Morgan/Arabian cross and their pack pony, a Welsh pony cross known as a Canadian Sport Pony, all spook at different things. "They're not solid 'been there, done that."

Before reaching Lincoln, they had already been passed by most of the Tour Divide Riders.

"I like meeting the cyclists. They're our trail mates. They might not think as kindly of us, but it's kind of the family of trail users, right?" Selle said

Gnida said most of the cyclists were good about meeting the equestrians on the route, but a few whizzed by, spooking the horses. "Most of them have been very calm and say, 'hey am I good to pass.' We like seeing them. It's a good way to reassure we're on the right track."

Selle said they stopped in Lincoln because she wanted a shower, her second since starting the trip. "I could have dipped my head in a creek, but I wanted a real shower. And it's nice to get good food, too. I like camping, but I like civilization too."