Across the Great Divide
by David Campo
4’14" / 2024The Continental Divide, also known as the Great Divide, is the peak of the American continent. All rainfall, snowfall and river runoff falling to the west of the divide drains into the Pacific Ocean and likewise all precipitation and rivers to the east of the divide drain into the Atlantic. In the United States, this mountainous region reaches its highest point in Colorado, and many years ago I had the opportunity to fly across the Continental Divide from Colorado Springs to Vail in a small, single-engine plane. This bird's eye view of the Great Divide was stunning in its majesty and overwhelming in its grandeur. At the time, it was a little difficult for me to appreciate the splendor of the landscape because of the white knuckled intensity of traversing the Divide in a small 4-seater aircraft constantly buffeted by updrafts from the Rocky Mountains!
Recently, on a road trip to Yellowstone National Park with my wife Donna, I had the opportunity to cross the Great Divide again. Seeing the towering peaks of the Rockies from this perspective, while completely different, was no less breathtakingly profound (but a whole lot less scary!) Originally inspired by my first crossing, and rewritten after my second, I hope that Across the Great Divide captures some of the drama of the Rocky Mountains at the rooftop of the Americas.
