| 4/19/2007 8:16:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Continental Divide Trail
70-year old man will hike Mexico to Canada
To create greater awareness of the Continental Divide Trail, Mat Matson, 70 of Conifer, will begin an epic journey from Mexico to Canada April 26.
As part of the Rotary Continental Divide Challenge, he will hike the 735 mile-long section of trail in New Mexico. Next year, he and his team will hike through Colorado. In 2009 through Wyoming and in 2010 he will complete the 3,100 mile trail, crossing Idaho and Montana.
Traveling through New Mexico, Matson said he will participate in community celebrations to encourage local involvement in building, maintaining and protecting the trail.
Conifer Rotary Club of which Matson is member, has special interest in the trail and members volunteer their time, make donations and adopted a section of trail. Matson wants other organizations along the way to become involved.
He and his fellow hiker Pem Sherpa are seeking volunteers to assist with resupply and shuttles in New Mexico. Anyone wanting to help is encouraged to contact Suzanne Barkley at InDesign2@wispertel.net .
A large part of his outreach efforts includes getting young people interested in the outdoors. He will make presentations to Boy and Girl Scouting organizations, schools, and youth groups, as well as Rotary Clubs and other service organizations. Matson has already made a big difference in the life of his four-year-old grandson who now wants to go hiking all the time.
In cooperation with the Continental Divide Trail Alliance, the Rotary CDT Challenge will build momentum for completing the Trail and ensuring it is protected in the future.
"Encouraging local community involvement up and down the trail is vital," Bruce Ward, coexecutive director of the CDTA, said. "Caring for sections of trail already completed is just as important as building new tread.
"Local organizations who take ownership of the trail in their areas by participating in the adopt-a-trail program are a key component to continued success," he said.
Matson wants to raise enough money to support endowment of a Rotary-sponsored youth corps which would spend 10 weeks each summer working on the trail.
Matson will ask for donations to be evenly split between the Rotary Foundation and the Continental Divide Trail Association. He wants to eventually raise $3.1 million - $1,000 for every mile of trail. Although a few outdoor recreation companies are donating gear and food, Matson and his team is almost self-supporting. No contributions will be used for challenge expense.
The Rotary CDT Challenge team also includes Curt Harris and Randall Sackerson of the Evergreen Rotary Club who will hike the entire length of the trail this year.
They will serve as an advance team, relaying trail conditions to Matson. Hiking with Matson will be Pem Sherpa of the Kathmandu, Nepal, Rotary Club who climbed Mount Everest several times.
In 2005, he carried the Rotary Centennial Banner to the summit.
The challenge will involve guest hikers who trek sections of the Trail with Matson.
The Continental Divide Trail was established by Congress as a National Scenic Trail in 1978. When complete, it will be the most significant trail system in the world, stretching 3,100 miles along the backbone of America.
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