(rock music) - I'm Eric Hanson, and this week on "Epic Trails," we're exploring the trails and adventures of Helena, Montana.

Here we go.

(mellow rock music) ♪ Hey - So I am on the Continental Divide Trail right now.

Wow, this looks like a rod place to climb.

(carabiner clinks) Right on, climbing.

(mellow rock music) Yeah, this part is cool.

I've never gone backpacking with llamas before.

Look at how adorable these guys are.

(llama brays) Okay, back on the trail.

- [Lauren] Back on the trail.

- And we go.

(mellow rock music) I'm Eric Hanson.

When I see a trail, I see more than a path from point A to point B.

(mellow soothing music) A good trail is the ultimate opportunity to explore, to discover new landscapes, and to challenge myself.

(water gurgles) When I don't have a pack on my back, I'm thinking about my next big adventure because my mission is simple.

My mission is to discover the world's most epic trails.

Funding for Epic Trails is provided by Discover the World.

Collette offers small group explorations tours, destinations and local experiences designed especially for small groups.

Explorations by Collette guided travels since 1918.

The Alinker three wheeled walking bike.

Assisting people with an active mindset to regain mobility and access the outdoors.

Keeping users active and engaged in life.

More information at Alinker.com In4Adventure.com Inspiring, educating and encouraging outdoor adventure and by these additional sponsors.

(mellow soothing music) (birds chirping) (light upbeat music) Helena, Montana is one of the most unique capital cities in the US.

While other parts of Montana may get more attention as adventure destinations, Helena flies under the radar.

But Helena is a gateway city with access to hundreds of miles of hiking and biking trails right from the doorstep of Downtown.

(light upbeat music) The Continental Divide Trail is one of North America's most treasured long trails, and it runs right along the edge of the city.

Over the next week, I'm exploring, hiking and playing on the Continental Divide, the backbone of America.

(light upbeat music) (singer vocalizing) So I'm meeting up with Bob and Megan of Stonetree Climbing and they are some of the community leaders here for the climbing community.

And they have really helped establish and promote safe and responsible climbing here in the area.

And truly, one of the things that really surprised me about coming into a city like Helena, that there was awesome climbing right out of the back of some of these neighborhoods.

You could go to the end of the neighborhood roads and all of a sudden you're on the trails and then you're ready to climb.

(mellow rock music) Wow.

- So this is Ainsley's Route.

It is one of the first routes that was put up on Mount Helena.

That's beautiful up on that arete.

This spectacular view here.

- Yeah.

- Looks like the lightning is now, hopefully, far enough away that we can safely be up here.

You guys feel good about it?

- [Bob] I feel good about it, yeah.

- All right.

- I feel good about it.

- All right, well, I'm stoked.

(mellow rock music) We're gonna be okay.

We are going to be safe.

- All right.

- Have some fun.

- [Megan] I'll see you up there.

(mellow rock music) - [Eric] Climbing is this beautiful combination of stoke, natural beauty, and a little bit of nerve.

- Not hitting the ground today.

- [Eric] Nope.

- Mount Helena is really accessible for anyone who is gonna go climbing.

We have really safe, accessible routes for that, but you also have challenging routes for someone who wants to climb a little bit harder.

- Of course, you're making it look too easy.

You're setting the bar too high for me.

(Megan laughing) (mellow rock music) (carabiner clinks) Right on, climbing.

I'll see you soon.

(mellow rock music) Anytime that I go out climbing, I do feel a little bit of nervousness about getting on the rock, about maybe taking a fall or something like that.

And it takes a minute to kind of work that out.

Oh, it's feeling good up here.

I was really excited to get on the rock to climb with Megan and she led the first two pitches and just getting up and following, doing the follow climbing and cleaning up the route after her, picking off the quick draws, clicking 'em onto my belt.

It felt really, really good to be back out here.

Cool, good to see you again.

- Yeah (laughing).

- Anything I should expect in this little bit of the pitch?

- [Megan] It gets a little more vertical.

- [Eric] Sounds fun.

- Cool.

All right, climbing.

- Climb on.

(mellow rock music) (metal clinking) The views from this climb are stunning.

So I'm on this arete, which is a fancy French word for meaning like the corner or the edge of a rock wall.

Okay, climbing.

- [Megan] Climb on.

- And so as you're on this arete, you kind of got this exposure factor where you can see way down one way and you can see way out the other way.

And it just makes you feel like you're in the middle of the sky.

Yeah, this part is cool.

(mellow rock music) Woo.

- [Megan] Now you're to the top.

- Super fun.

- [Megan] Yeah.

- Sorry to make you wait so long.

- [Megan] Oh, that's okay.

- Woo.

- Yeah.

- Good job.

- [Megan] You too.

(mellow rock music) (thunder rumbles) - Nothing to see here, folks.

Everybody's being safe.

- [Megan] Everything's fine.

- So is there something else that you recommend that we do?

- [Megan] Yeah, there's another one.

(thunder rumbles) - Again, everybody, we're being entirely safe.

Whew, spicy up here.

- Woo.

- So, unfortunately the day has been cut short with climbing.

So Megan and I just finished climbing two pitches here on Mount Helena and a thunderstorm is moving through.

We just had a pretty close clap of thunder, which is our cue to get off the mountain.

We would love to stay around and climb some more 'cause there's amazing climbing and routes, but it's time to get down and get safe.

(rain pattering) Hey, we did it.

- We did it.

- Okay.

- We made it.

- We did it, good job team.

(rain pattering) (upbeat rock music) There's not a lot that is more satisfying than a good day of mountain biking on a great trail.

And I feel privileged to ride here today.

So I met up with Brian and Porcha literally right in town.

- [Brian] You guys ready to party?

- Yeah.

- [Brian] Cruising.

- Hitting the trails in Helena, Montana.

Here we go.

(upbeat rock music) One of the coolest things about riding here is that you can literally just set off straight from Downtown, head up Reeder's Alley, and you are on the trails before you know it.

And that's special here.

So this is Reeder's Alley, kind of a classic spot for... Well, what, it's the oldest road in Helena?

- This is kind the original Downtown Helena, yes.

- [Eric] That's pretty sweet.

- [Brian] So we're just kind of cruising up the streets as they would've 100 years ago, I guess.

- [Eric] The original trail.

- All trails now point back to Helena, which is kind of of great.

So we're right down here and we're gonna ride up a couple switchbacks, kind of the last push of the climb.

- Yeah.

- It's about 1200 feet and just under two miles and so not too bad.

And then it's basically nice descent flow, you know, all the way back five miles back into town.

So it's kind of a- - Pretty flowy.

- Yeah, it's super flowy, fun.

- Well, I'm stoked to ride with you guys.

This looks like a phenomenal day ahead of us.

And flowy and fun.

- Heck yeah.

It's pretty good.

- Make it a good time.

- Yeah.

- Let's make it happen.

- Cool.

(upbeat rock music) All right, Porcha, I'm not on the Enduro circuit.

- Hey, you know what, the good thing about Enduro is?

We go slow up and fast down.

- Okay.

- So.

- Well, I'm slow up and slower down.

(Porcha laughing) All right, we'll make it fun.

- All right.

- Cool.

(upbeat rock music) That's so cool.

(upbeat rock music) - One of the things around here in Helena is you gotta go up to go down, right.

So there's very few trails that don't involve about, you know, anywhere from, you know, 600 to 1200 feet of vert just to kinda get into where you want to be able to have a a fun flow downhill.

(upbeat rock music) - Can you see the Continental Divide Trail or anything like that from here?

- Yeah, actually, I think you guys are gonna be heading up there pretty soon to do the llama pack.

And you can actually see the entire ridge line, which is the CDT corridor.

- That's so sick.

Yeah, the axis here is amazing.

(upbeat rock music) It's spectacular.

We got all these tall grasses and wild flowers and couldn't ask for a better day.

Gentle breeze keeping us cool.

It is stunning out here.

(upbeat guitar music) Oh yeah.

Downhill from here.

- [Brian] Heck yeah, guys.

- Pretty much.

- Woo-hoo, let's cruise.

- Keep on cruising.

- Woo.

The setting is drop dead gorgeous here.

So much of the trail, you're actually following this ridge system and it is such a beautiful and inspiring place and I feel privileged to have been able to ride here today.

Push winds.

(upbeat guitar music) Woo.

(upbeat guitar music) - The trail we rode today was more of a flow trail, so it did have a few rocks here and there that you wanna maneuver through, but for the most part it's all about just keeping speed and flowing through all the corners.

- [Brian] Here's that scary corner.

- Uh-oh, uh-oh.

Here we go.

Riding with Porcha and Brian is a true experience 'cause they are legit riders here.

Porcha is literally a professional rider, so I'm just doing my best to keep up out here, that's for sure.

(upbeat guitar music) (bicycle whirring) (upbeat guitar music) - Ahh (laughing).

- Woo-hoo.

- Getting rowdy.

- Yeah, that was awesome.

- Woo.

- Oh, that was sick.

- I almost took you out.

- You know, that's all right.

You almost took me out the whole time.

You were just right on me.

- This isn't an Enduro race.

- [Brian] Look at you, there going wild.

- I came in 3rd.

- [Porcha] Yeah.

- But that's all right, that that was a blast.

- Oh.

- Oh man, that's definitely one of our favorites.

- Yeah.

Oh man, that's so sick up here.

I'm so jealous that you get to ride this all the time.

Thanks so much.

- Thank you.

- Should we go get a beer?

- Yeah.

- Let's go get a beer.

I think that sounds awesome.

- All right.

- Let's do it.

- Woo.

(upbeat guitar music) - Apparently, every trail ends at a brewery here in Montana.

Woo-hoo.

We're gonna head off to Blackfoot Brewery and have ourselves a beverage to celebrate our day on the trail.

- You know, we're here in Downtown Helena on Reeder's Alley and this is kind of where I grew up.

This is my favorite place to be.

I'm a mountain biker, I'm a trail runner and I love everything about this town.

(upbeat guitar music) (mellow guitar music) - I have done a lot of trekking in my life all over the world, but I have definitely never done llama assisted backpacking.

- Today is our first trip.

- Yeah.

- And I'm so glad that you guys are here.

I'm stoked, this is amazing.

- This is wonderful.

- So I met up with Thomas and Dana of Access WILD, and they do something truly unique here.

They run a llama backpacking outfit and it is truly wild.

So I met up with them at Rogers Pass because that was gonna be the section of the CDT that I was going to be hiking from Rogers Pass to Flesher Pass and on towards Helena.

Oh, hello.

- Here's Timber.

(Eric laughing) - Timber.

- Timber, yes.

- [Eric] Hello, Timber - This is Paxton.

- They're big.

- They're all good guys, but he is especially good.

The key about approaching a llama is always from the side.

Don't touch the head.

- Really?

- So stay on the neck.

- Okay.

Are they gonna spit at me?

- [Thomas] That is the question.

That's usually the first question.

- Yeah.

- Are they and will they spit on me?

- Yeah.

- They use spitting as a way to establish who's boss.

- Okay.

- And they have three kinds of spit.

The first kind is whatever they have in their mouth.

- Yeah.

- Saliva.

There might be some grass and it's sort of like a spray.

You're not getting the message, you know.

So now the llama goes, let me see what else I got.

- It goes a little deeper.

- Go a little deeper.

- Literally.

- Yeah.

But that's not the worst.

The worst is the third kind.

- There's still more?

- That's when they really go way deep at the end of the stomach.

That stuff that's been sitting there, just waiting to come out.

And that's the one you don't want to get in between two llamas.

- North end of the intestines there.

- Yeah, the north end of the intestines.

- Wow, okay.

This is awesome.

I have been around llamas in alpacas, generally speaking, in South America, but never on a trail or as intimate as this is.

So this is super cool.

We get to go trekking with these llamas for the next three days and we're gonna load these guys up and we're gonna hit the trail.

And this is just gonna be fascinating.

(llama brays) (upbeat guitar music) - The llamas are here to help us.

They carry the gear, they carry the sleeping bags, they carry the food, they make everything just a little bit more comfortable.

(llama brays) - So coming up from the beginning of Roger's Pass, you're kind of in this low point and the trail immediately ascends up this ridge line.

And you're criss-crossing your way back up.

It's zigzagging, its way up the peak.

And then you find yourself coming outta the trees outta the tree line and we round the bend around a ridge and all of a sudden you're just standing right on top of the Continental Divide.

The Missouri River's down there?

- Missouri River.

- I don't know if I can see it, but I believe you.

(upbeat guitar music) - This is divide into two watersheds coming together right here.

What that means is that the water from this spot this way is gonna flow to the west.

- Yeah.

- Into the Pacific Ocean.

- [Eric] Yeah.

- The water from right here is gonna flow east into the Missouri River, into the Mississippi, and then ultimately out into the Gulf of Mexico.

(mellow rock music) - Is it possible to pee in two oceans at one time?

- Not at one time, but if you stand over there and you peel a little bit.

- Okay.

- It would end up- - Both oceans.

(mellow rock music) So it's lunchtime, everybody's been eating.

And now I'm carrying these llama treats for just such an occasion.

You want one?

(mellow rock music) Yeah, there you go.

Okay, no, don't spit at me, don't spit at me.

(llama brays) (mellow rock music) Okay, back on the trail.

- [Lauren] Back on the trail.

(mellow rock music) He's ready.

- You think I'm ready?

Ooh.

- Passing the baton.

- Oh man.

Okay, well, thank you.

- [Cameraperson] What are the odds he loses one?

(Thomas laughing) - He's gonna be fine.

- You ready, guys?

Put on your good face.

So we are on the CDT.

We've been hiking for a handful of miles now.

We're hopefully gonna be making it to camp shortly.

It's gonna be an amazing viewpoint.

Come on, llamas.

(llama brays) Let's go.

These guys are excited.

They're ready to make camp.

We're gonna use this existing fire pit here.

We're gonna use the saddle for sleeping.

Got sun setting off in the west.

Sun rising off to the east over there.

Perfect spot.

(wood rattles) We will have great fire tonight.

(wood clatters) Woo, it's funny because this is like right at the summer solstice.

The days are super long and so it feels like we should be hiking for another six hours.

But we've been on the trail for a long time.

We're throwing our gear down, we're giving the llamas a break and we're gonna make camp here, and we're gonna settle in for the night.

(mellow rock music) (critters chirping) (mellow soothing music) (birds chirping) So we're getting ready to leave camp today.

And there's a bit of a complication because there is a bunch of downfall on the trail up ahead.

So the llamas are taking an alternative route today.

We're gonna be continuing on the CDT to Flesher Pass and beyond.

And hopefully, we'll be meeting up with those llamas later tonight at camp.

(mellow guitar music) All right, Jax, let's work together on this, okay.

Come on.

You're okay, you're okay, come on.

(Eric laughing) (mellow rock music) It's okay, you're okay.

(mellow rock music) Oh, I feel so good.

The team's in order.

It's no longer like the substitute teacher is in charge.

They're finally starting to respect my authority a little.

(llama brays) I think there's, we got a few unruly characters of course, but we're having fun out here.

All right.

- Okay.

- Good job, team.

Good luck out there.

And we go.

The CDT beckons.

Thomas knows of an alternative way to get to camp and so we have to part ways.

Lauren and I set off, we're gonna navigate the next bit of the Continental Divide trail together and we're going to meet our llamas later on in camp.

(mellow groove music) (branch cracks) (Eric laughing) I'm coming through, everybody.

- [Lauren] Can you make it?

- Hu-ha.

So we're backpacking in bear country and that is a unique element of being here in the mountains, especially of Montana, where there's a ton of bears all around.

- [Lauren] Poo poo.

- Bear poo.

So we'll just- - You're in front.

- Go on and- (Lauren laughing) - I think camera crew has to go up to get a shot.

- Oh yeah, go ahead.

- Pretty sure that was the plan.

- That was the plan.

- Yeah.

- Second camera, why don't you get on up there?

Go up, go for it.

- I have to call in sick.

(all laughing) (mellow groove music) - So far so good.

- So far so good.

(mellow groove music) So Lauren, have you hiked the Continental Divide Trail in its entirety?

- I have not.

We have a couple people on our staff who have, but the CDT is actually 3,100 miles long.

Hiking 23 to 25 miles a day, it takes about five to six months for most folks.

- Wow.

- So our staff, we only have 16 staff members.

- [Eric] Yeah.

- Working along all 3,100 miles of trail.

And we only have two full-time field crew people, right.

And so while our organization is recognized as kind of this lead partner on behalf of the CDT, and we're recognized as such by a lot of the land managers, we really rely on our partnerships and also on local stewards.

- Well, you're doing amazing job.

- Thank you.

- Should we continue?

- Let's continue.

- All right, cool.

(mellow guitar music) Good to see you again.

Glory, glory, hallelujah.

I've been parted from the llama train all day and here they are.

Camp is set up and I am eager to get there and join Thomas and the crew, and all those beautiful llamas.

Camp calls.

Oh, hey there, Solaris.

Good to see you again.

(mellow guitar music) One of the really awesome things about this pot on the CDT is that there is a big fire lookout right at the top of one of these spectacular mountains.

So I'm hustling to get camp set up and I'm gonna make my way up the trail.

Go watch the sunset at the fire lookout.

It's gonna be good.

(mellow guitar music) This is truly stunning payoff for a long, hard day on the trail.

Overcoming all sorts of obstacles.

Blow down on the trail.

Had an amazing day, but holy moly, this overlook is incredible.

Just seeing all of this wilderness and national forest that's around here.

What a way to finish things up here.

This is so good.

(mellow guitar music) (mellow soothing music) Funding for Epic Trails is provided by Discover the World.

Collette offers small group explorations tours, destinations and local experiences designed especially for small groups.

Explorations by Collette guided travels since 1918.

The Alinker three wheeled walking bike.

Assisting people with an active mindset to regain mobility and access the outdoors.

Keeping users active and engaged in life.

More information at Alinker.com In4Adventure.com Inspiring, educating and encouraging outdoor adventure and by these additional sponsors.