REI Force of Nature presents Jean Ella, who along with Lynn Wisehart became the first women to hike the Continental Divide Trail in 1978. Jean and Lynn completed the proposed route of the Continental Divide Trail when only 19% of the 3,100-mile distance was termed "suitable for hiking". Little published information was available. No GPS, no weather forecast. They used hand drawn map from the former hiker as well as USGS quadrants. They had to hike through Wind River Range in the dark (colder so they didn't sink as much into the snow). An 11 day rest for Jean's frost-bitten feet to heal. This documentary was played after her introduction. Q&A is followed. I was very interested in knowing her gear. She is 5'3", her pack was 70lb on the snowy sections. They drank the water without filtration or cooking along most of the trail. They never encountered a bear.
I also found Jean's 1976 PCT journal.
