Book excerpt: The Continental Divide Trail explores this iconic crown jewel of America's trails with more than 250 spectacular contemporary images, historical photos and documents from the Continental Divide Trail Coalition archives, and detailed maps. Readers can experience the trail as if their boots were on the 3,100-mile path. This beautifully produced volume makes accessible the highest and most remote of the three crown jewel trails--following the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico along the Continental Divide, the backbone of America. The Continental Divide Trail presents the full glory of this challenging trail in breathtaking images, ephemera, and maps. While untold thousands of day hikers take advantage of the CDT each year, thru-hiking the entire trail is not for the faint-hearted. In 2017, only 250 people will attempt to hike it end to end. The Continental Divide Trail is perfect for anyone interested in conservation, outdoor recreation, or American history, or for those who dream of one day becoming thru-hikers themselves.This is the first large-format book published in conjunction with the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, and the breathtaking photographs make you feel as if you were on the trail. The book includes maps and rarely seen archival images, as well as a written backstory of this great trail. This photo- and information-packed book is a must-have for anyone who has ever caught the magic of the nation's rooftop, the Great Divide. It's an inspirational bucket list for everyone who wants to get outdoors--day hiker, backpacker, fisherman, hunter, and those rare souls--thru-hikers--who dare to attempt hiking it all in one go.With text by Barney Mann, who has thru-hiked all three Triple Crown trails, and a foreword by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, this book makes the trail come alive for both veteran hikers and armchair travelers alike.