Description

A sizeable body of literature is available on the eastwest pathways of the American continent including the famous wagon train trails that helped to colonize the nation to the shores of the Pacific Any study of these routes ranging from footpaths to early American highways is accompanied by an equally vibrant collection of popular literature In the perception of the American history buff the continent was fully peopled by the advent of the 20th century and the American mystique began to shrink with the absence of unexplored land However those enamored of the primeval American experience can find comfort in a system of northsouth trails designed to recapture the natural wonders of the continent and to provide an escape from commercialism and the inherent noise of the city The Pacific Crest Trail travels in one form or another from Canada to Mexico while the Continental Divide Trail lies nearer the center of the county following some of the highest points of the Rocky Mountains