CONTINENTAL DIVIDE TRAIL DAYS

CDTC Welcome + Mini-Film Fest

More details are coming soon. Check back again for more information on this session and our films.

Join us to hear from members of the indigenous communities along the Continental Divide Trail and learn about the cultural links between the CDT and these tribal communities and peoples.

Michael Darrow

Michael Darrow is an enrolled member of the Fort Sill-Chiricahua-Warm Springs Apache Tribe and has served as the Tribal Historian since 1986. He is on the board of the Tribe’s Economic Development Authority. He also functions as the Tribe’s contact for issues regarding the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation act as well as working on Section 106 government consultation for protecting historic, cultural, and religious sites.  Mr. Darrow is one of the great-great-grandchildren of Mangas Coloradas, the Apache chief who signed the treaty of 1852. Michael Darrow has a background in botany and museum studies. He works with the Tribe’s cultural program to preserve and promote knowledge and activities of significance to the Tribe.

Speaker Info Coming Soon

More details are coming soon. Check back again for more information on the speaker and session.

Join CDTC and a panel of CDT section hikers, thru-hikers, community ambassadors, and partners who will share stories of transformation and how their connection to the CDT has helped shape their life stories. Meet our thru-hiker panelists:

Simon Sotelo III

Simon Sotelo III comes from a multigenerational family that has called the Mimbres Valley, the Greater Gila region, and Southern New Mexico home for more than 100 years. Simon has spent much of his adult life and career not only as a working artist, but also as an advocate for his community. Whether advocating for public lands like the Gila National Forest and Wilderness Area, promoting outdoor recreation along the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, organizing around legislation at both the local and state levels, or helping bring people together through community events, Simon has always maintained a grassroots mindset. His work focuses on uplifting his community by strengthening the connection between people and place.

Naomi Hartford

Naomi Hartford is the Cultural Coordinator of the Fort Sill Chiricahua Warm Springs Apache Tribe and an enrolled member of the Tribe. Her work is dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the language and culture, while also encouraging people inside and outside of the community to learn the history of her people. She comes from a family full of strength and courage that set her on a path to help those in her community. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing.

Canyon

As Canyon, I am truly in an in-between place. I hiked 2/3rds of the AT in 1983 carrying an external frame Jansport and 40 pounds of gear. With the creation of ultralight gear I have returned to backpacking, my original passion, as a retired person, and mostly on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. I have been moving into a deeper wilderness spirituality for the last twenty years, bringing those lessons back into life in community. During the winter I write, weave, and welcome people to our Airbnb Hermitage in Datil, NM. When the spring comes I load the backpack and head out into the wilderness as pilgrim, mostly to listen deeply and be reminded of what is life-giving in the world. It has been such a joy to connect with the Continental Divide Trail Coalition (CDTC) and to give a bit back to the Trail from the gifts I have received from the outdoors.

Karla Amador

Karla Amador is a speaker, entrepreneur, and founder of the 52 Hike Challenge — a global movement that has empowered over 76,000 participants to get outdoors by hiking once a week for a year, building a supportive community visible in nearly a million images shared on Instagram. The 52 Hike Challenge has partnered with organizations like the National Park Service, Latino Outdoors, and Sierra Club, and worked with brands including REI, Outdoor Research, Osprey, and Oboz Footwear. An avid hiker herself, Karla has thru-hiked the John Muir Trail, walked the Camino Portuguese, summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, and led group treks in Patagonia. She holds a BA in Communications from California State University Fullerton, and was named 2020 Woman of the Year in Small Business by the National Hispanic Business Women Association.

Alexa “Highlight” Tubbs

Alexa “Highlight” Tubbs is a creative entrepreneur, community builder, and newest CDTC board member who traded eight years in the New York City art world — including a Master’s in Art Business from the Sotheby’s Institute of Art — for the open trail, thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail southbound in 2018 and the CDT in 2019, where she met her partner, Matt “Brew Hiker” Leef, in Glacier National Park. Together they planted roots in Silver City, NM, and co-founded Open Space Brewing, a craft brewery with a mission to give back to the trail community through partnerships with organizations like New Mexico Wild, the National Forest Foundation, and Gila Back Country Horsemen. A dedicated public lands advocate and community organizer, Alexa is excited to champion the protection, completion, and stewardship of the CDT — and when she’s not at the brewery, you’ll find her volunteering on trail crews and exploring the Gila Wilderness with Matt, their dog Bobby, and their hiking cat, Jerry.

Cruz

Bio coming soon!

Heather “Anish” Anderson

Heather “Anish” Anderson is a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year who has logged over 50,000 lifetime foot miles. As a trailblazing endurance athlete, she is the only person to concurrently hold Fastest Known Times on Three National Scenic Trails (Pacific Crest, Appalachian, and Arizona Trails).

Her extraordinary hiking resume includes:

• Completing the prestigious “Triple Crown” three times, including the Calendar Year Triple Crown.

• Earning the title of Ultimate Direction Fastest Known Time of the Year Athlete.

Off the trail, Heather is a professional speaker and author who inspires people to live life to the fullest with mindfulness and courage. She shares her message of “Dream Big. Be Courageous.” with audiences, weaving together tales of adventure and the transcendent life lessons a deep connection with the natural world has given her. She has authored several books, including Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home, Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail, Farther: 8 Months on America’s Triple Crown Trails, and Adventure Ready: A Hiker’s Guide to Planning Training and Resiliency.