Jim Wolf
At Johnson Lake, Montana
The Society was organized by James R. Wolf in 1978. With the assistance of Society members, many of whom have traveled extensively along the Trail, he has directed the activities of CDTS since that time. He has hiked from border to border and continues to examine sections of the Trail during field trips. His observations are a primary source of information for the guidebooks published by the Society.
Jim's account of his 1971 hike along the Appalachian Trail appears in the two-volume Hiking the Appalachian Trail, edited by James R. Hare and published by Rodale Press. He envisaged the possibility of establishing a similar long-distance route along the Continental Divide -- an undertaking that had also been endorsed in a 1966 report of the Department of the Interior entitled Trails for America.
Congress held hearings in 1976 to consider the feasibility of creating a Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. Having already hiked nearly all of the country north of New Mexico, Jim testified in favor of the proposal. Support came from agency personnel as well, but no other private individuals or organizations specifically addressed the merits of the CDT.
Following formal Congressional designation of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail in 1978, Jim was appointed to the Advisory Council that assisted the Forest Service to develop the comprehensive management plan for the Trail. After issuance of this plan, in 1985, he played an active role in the Society's efforts to assist in developing a route that would live up to its great potential. He had the honor of cutting the ribbon at the 1989 ceremony marking the first formal dedication of a Trail segment -- at Chief Joseph Pass along the Montana-Idaho boundary. In 1994, he was named to the National Park Service's Honor Roll for the National Trails System.
In addition to the Guide to the Continental Divide Trail (the "Wolf guides"), he has written several essays on the historical exploration of the Continental Divide. Articles appearing in Annals of Wyoming have examined the routes of such pioneers as John C. Frémont, Benjamin Bonneville, John Colter, Osborne Russell, and William F. Raynolds. His analysis of the route of Lewis and Clark near Lost Trail Pass (along the Montana-Idaho boundary) was published by the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation in its The Mystery of Lost Trail Pass, edited by James R. Fazio.
Before his retirement from Federal service, he was on the legal staff of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He is active in the Pittsburgh Climbers and several environmental organizations and historical societies.
Jim can be reached at jim@cdtsociety.org
Jim's account of his 1971 hike along the Appalachian Trail appears in the two-volume Hiking the Appalachian Trail, edited by James R. Hare and published by Rodale Press. He envisaged the possibility of establishing a similar long-distance route along the Continental Divide -- an undertaking that had also been endorsed in a 1966 report of the Department of the Interior entitled Trails for America.
Congress held hearings in 1976 to consider the feasibility of creating a Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. Having already hiked nearly all of the country north of New Mexico, Jim testified in favor of the proposal. Support came from agency personnel as well, but no other private individuals or organizations specifically addressed the merits of the CDT.
Following formal Congressional designation of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail in 1978, Jim was appointed to the Advisory Council that assisted the Forest Service to develop the comprehensive management plan for the Trail. After issuance of this plan, in 1985, he played an active role in the Society's efforts to assist in developing a route that would live up to its great potential. He had the honor of cutting the ribbon at the 1989 ceremony marking the first formal dedication of a Trail segment -- at Chief Joseph Pass along the Montana-Idaho boundary. In 1994, he was named to the National Park Service's Honor Roll for the National Trails System.
In addition to the Guide to the Continental Divide Trail (the "Wolf guides"), he has written several essays on the historical exploration of the Continental Divide. Articles appearing in Annals of Wyoming have examined the routes of such pioneers as John C. Frémont, Benjamin Bonneville, John Colter, Osborne Russell, and William F. Raynolds. His analysis of the route of Lewis and Clark near Lost Trail Pass (along the Montana-Idaho boundary) was published by the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation in its The Mystery of Lost Trail Pass, edited by James R. Fazio.
Before his retirement from Federal service, he was on the legal staff of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He is active in the Pittsburgh Climbers and several environmental organizations and historical societies.
Jim can be reached at jim@cdtsociety.org