The Divide: A 2700 Mile Search For Answers

by Nathan Doneen

After leaving university, Nathan Doneen wasn't satisfied with the direction of his life. He had questions…he had doubts. So he began his search for answers along the Great Divide, a 2700 mile mountain bike route that traces the Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico…and he set out alone.

Cycling through a world of erratic weather, cramped bivy sacks, and overwhelming solitude, this long distance adventure threw Nathan from his comfort zone and into new perspectives.

With both his future and past in mind, Nathan's revealing account illustrates the challenges of the route—and life—and how it's possible to find the strength and courage to overcome.

Genres: Travel, Cycling, Nonfiction, Adventure, Memoir

295 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 28, 2014

About the author

Nathan Doneen grew up on a wheat farm in the Palouse Region of Eastern Washington. After graduating from Eastern Washington University with degrees in Biology and Environmental Science, Nathan rediscovered his passion for adventure and for writing. He is currently pursuing both...

Reviews

[Al · Rating 5 out of 5]

The travel memoir or narrative has long been one of my favorite non-fiction genres. Part of that is the obvious. I love to travel and since being on the road all the time isn’t feasible, experiencing new places and things vicariously is an alternative. But it’s more than that. A good guidebook or the right internet site can take you to the same places. Besides that, the way you experience a place will be different than how anyone else does. (In fact, in some instances I’ll have been to some of the places myself and the vicarious experience is replaced by comparing notes, which was true for much of this book for me.)

Books like this, what I describe as a travel adventure or quest, with a specific, usually difficult goal involved (in this case, riding a bike on roads and trails that roughly follow the Continental Divide of North America from well into Canada to the Mexican border) are also entertaining and interesting to me for other reasons. Getting a feel for the logistics of such an undertaking satisfies the curiosity of my more analytical side as does the problem solving involved when unanticipated problems come up.

However, there is a third item that I find essential for a travel memoir if it is to hit the highest mark for me, putting the journey chronicled in the story into a bigger perspective. What did this experience teach the author about life, the world, and his or her place in it? It’s this area where The Divide excelled. In between the day to day adventure and problem solving, Doneen considers his life thus far and where he wants it to go from there, not unlike a coming-of-age adventure novel. But even better, it’s true.

**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog. May have received a free review copy. **

[Diana Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

His ride inspires

Nathan's ride is about so many things: miles, good people, bears, rain, mud, misery and satisfaction. His journey into understanding began and ended at his family's farm, and you will be happy to see it through his eyes.

[Rob Vitaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this book on sale in an ebook daily-deal email. I haven't read much memoir or travel stories, but something about this one's description intrigued me. I'm glad I snatched it up, as I was pleasantly surprised. The author writes well, and clearly studied storytelling (as he mentions in the book) because he paced things in such a way that you felt the ebbs and flows of tension, even building up to a climax and ending that was not immediately obvious, but on hindsight was laid out there all along. Great job.

Not being a mountain biker, there were times I found myself skimming the detailed descriptions of the conditions he faced, but that wasn't often; overall he had a good balance of description and narration.

Nathan has much to be proud of, both for the feat of the adventure itself and also for writing a solid account of the internal journey he went through along with it.

Be sure to check out his facebook page to see his pictures! Cool stuff!

[Stacey P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe between 3 and 4 stars? I'll read pretty much any book about riding the Divide, so I picked up this one and think it's worth reading if you're interested in the experience. I think the writing does a great job with visual imagery of the route, and describing some of the loneliness and emotional challenges that go along with riding it solo. The author rode it as a way to "find himself" after college and some big life events, and I will admit that I rolled my eyes a bunch of times at some of the teenage-type angst, especially when he's talking about his college classes, etc. He's a lot younger than most who ride this, and it shows. But by the end of the book, he has the realization (SPOILER) that it's not so much about FINDING yourself as it is about BEING yourself, and I think he really grows through the experience, which is cool to see.

[Dminnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

After being book-depressed for a few months, I started to read The Divide on January 1st, 2015. A new year called for a new book, and it delivered in every aspect. Although I haven't attempted to ride a bike for the better part of a decade, I was gripped from the beginning as the adventure started to unwind. In his writing, the author allowed his journey to teach, impact, encourage, and empower without bias to reader lifestyle. I found myself on my own journey as I read the book; I was more introspective, thoughtful, and interested in my own adventures.

This book made me laugh, cry, and left me with a feeling of purpose and empowerment. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

[Dechie Sumampong · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Divide is a beautifully written book filled with great introspection, struggles and deep level of awareness that many of us often lose when going about our everyday life. Drawing his readers in as he relives and find meaning in his experiences were moving. It made me reflect and refocus different aspects in my life, which came at a time as I too found myself in a critical point in my own life plan... His vulnerability, honesty and revealing accounts of his experiences were empowering. I was blown away!

[Bill Rogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Along for the ride

I loved this book. The author has a wonderful writing style and his vivid descriptions paint a clear picture of his amazing journey. Storytelling at its best.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several years ago, I got hooked on reading about hiking the Appalachian Trail. I had wanted to hike the AP ever since I'd heard about it in my early teens, to the point of mentioning it to my parents.

Fast forward more than two or three decades: Life happened, and, of course, I never got around to that grand hike. Even now, it would be a splendid idea, except...well, you get the idea.

(And for the record, I have read Ben Montgomery's wonderful book, Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail, so while I'm quite a bit younger than Grandma Gatewood was when she made her walk, I realize that age is no excuse.)

Recently, I stumbled across The Divide: a 2700 mile search for answers by Nathan Doneen. While it was somewhat different from hiking the AT books (it involves biking the Continental Divide), I was still intrigued. Then I made the mistake of starting to read, and was hooked from the start.

After finishing college, Nathan decided to bike the Continental Divide from Alberta, Canada to Mexico before settling down. The Divide describes his trip, beginning with the first major problem, two miles into the trek. He intersperses his ride with an occasional flash-back to his college studies, and other scenes from his past. While this could have been a distraction, he does it so that it rounds out his story, showing us glimpses of how he got to deciding to ride.

There were only a couple of things here that I found a little distracting. Early on, the word "here" was used for "hear;" however, this may have simply been a glitch, as I was reading this on a Kindle. (I've noticed glitches of wrong words in other books on e-readers, knowing full well that the correct word was used in the hard copy of the same books.) The other was using "that" instead of "who/whom:" "She was someone that loved books;" "He was someone that thought..." I'm sure someone would say that I'm being picky here, and that's fine. But when these are basically the only two things that detract from the book, I can hardly complain.

If you're looking for your next good read, I definitely recommend Nathan Doneen's The Divide: a 2700 mile search for answers.

[Taylor Douthit · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nathan is a great writer, that's for sure. "The air had lost its brisk edge, and my breath was once again invisible." Usually in a thru book, you'll just get a "Eh, it was pretty cold."-- not here. Nathan goes the extra mile to put you on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route with him. The days of rain seem truly miserable and the climbs seem like hell, which is a lot more fun to read about than it probably is to experience first hand.

Not only is the writing good, but the editing process was clearly not overlooked. With flashbacks, dialogue, and some driving themes, this feels much more like a story than a series of journal entries, which is hard to find in the thru-hike/thru-bike genre. The backstory Nathan gives into his life and his family/friends keeps you motivated to continue reading beyond just the desire to see if he finishes the route.

The book is also filled with quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, like when he coins the term "grizzly bear snack sack" for his bright orange bivvy, or when he recommends using chamois creme as a lotion substitute to stop nose bleeds-- Kindle note: "U did wut m8?!". That's right, chammy up the nose, hah!

A couple things I didn't like about this book are a bit of personal taste, but I'll still include them here. I wish he had more encounters with others on trail. It's fun to hear about newly met travelers , but this book only has a handful of those. To Nathans defense, he did do this route for the solitude and self-reliance, so I get it. Another thing, I did pick up on some moments that'd make the front page of /r/iamverysmart. If you don't know what that means, basically, I picked up on a bit of a "I am much smarter than you" vibe. This didn't bother me too much, but it was there.

All in all, this book is a solid read. It was my first GDMBR read and I feel like I now have a good sense of what the trail entails. I recommend you pick it up, but perhaps not before some of the other trail books I've recommended.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally like this kind of story. Part travelogue, part journey of discovery, this book chronicles the events that led to the author's decision to ride the CDT and what happened on the way. However, he tells it in a jumbled fashion, switching between the actual ride and events of the past. This wouldn't bother me except that it didn't make sense how the two were related. Whether it was because of the order he chose to tell things or...I'm not sure, but it was distracting.

Doneen fills the recounting of his journey with descriptive language that is often quite beautiful. Other times, the prose seems like reading a guide book. I really liked how he appreciated the people he encountered, especially when he was surprised by their kindness. Sometimes travel writers are dismissive of the people they meet simply because they are different, but Doneen seemed to be able to find the good in almost everyone he met.

Overall, I'd say this was a good effort on his first book. (I think it's his first), but he definitely has room to grow. I'd like to see how he treats a fictional story as well.

[Fabian Mariño · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book as a reminder that we're not unique and that our problems are not special, this book made me realize all of the issues I had during Basajaun 2024 (Ultracycling race in Spain) were pretty much the same as Nathan had to deal with during his Divide; Be angry with your race partner, being depleted for the roughness of the surfaces, the scorching heat, the freezing rain, the relentless wind, the fear of wild animals encounters, the mechanical issues, the crashes, but also that finishing these type of events is the sum of meeting strangers that would die their asses off for helping you, the small talk conversations at hotels or gas stations, the supportive driver who waves a hand to motivate you, the friends you make from helping other race participants, the amazing landscapes at the end of a though climb, the nice food you can have at the end of a suffering day, and especially the overcome to fears. We're just what happens after we face our deepest fears. What prevents you from starting that business idea, writing that book, a career switch, or learning that new language? 100% fear!

[Tom Bilcze · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found The Divide: a 2700-mile search for answers to be a very good read. Nathan Doneen did an excellent job of chronicling his journey across the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. People often approach challenges such as this for reasons more than conquering a difficult and punishing bike tour across unhospitable and dangerous terrain. That was true for the author.

The rewards he experienced were evidenced as his story unfolded. Amazing vistas, unexpected encounters and kindness, and overcoming challenges every day moved his life forward. The author gave good insight into how his past led him to this ride. Doneen was able to connect his past to the present and his future.

“Instead of constantly preparing for the future, I chose to live in the present.” I especially love this quote from the book. We are often obsessed with preparing ourselves for a better tomorrow when our time is best used to live our lives in the present. It is my takeaway from the book.

[Bob Rapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than I was anticipating

I’ve ridden a small section of the GDMBR and as a bike tourist I was interested in reading someone’s account of their trip as a tour and not a race. Nathan did a nice job of documenting both his feelings along the route as well as describing the terrain and conditions. I was glad to read that walking up the rough and steep sections isn’t uncommon and felt better about my trip and my way overloaded bike experience. I was pretty amazed at the distances he covered on an average day.

I would recommend this book to anyone contemplating the GDMBR route and applaud Nathan for adding the detailed information at the end regarding his gear, reasoning for choosing it, and reviews on how it worked out. I’ve read a lot of bike travel books and unfortunately very few provide that type of information. It is always interesting to compare how other bike tourists equip themselves and how it works out.

[Terry Galbraith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through Grief, Growth

A week written adventure, no doubt. I particularly enjoyed the impact of the authors knowledge of biology on his descriptions of the various eco systems he pedaled through.
It seems that most hikers or bikers that write about their adventure, reveal a bit about their backstory and personal insights gained during their ordeal. I found this one to be profound without being preachy at all.
It's a neck of a long ride, and only one puncture ... but the Bicentennual Trail in Australia is longer (,3311 m ;) ) Sorry but its a red rag to hear Americans say their version of something is the world's best. Three lack of product placement was a welcome relief too

[Daniel Bowers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent memoir of the journey. It was very matter-of-fact at times which was relatable to me as I would've had many of the same thoughts regarding unspoken competition etc. The strongest part was with the connections Doneen made on the trip as well as the self-reflection that followed. The parts with the divide ride flowed very well.

However, I found myself skipping or skimming the chapters where he talks about his past in school and what led to the decision to do the excursion. I do recognize they were important to the plot and general meaning, but they just weren't as interesting to me.

[Adam G Swift · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author gives ‘the ol’ college try’ at being a philosopher, searching for meaning while in the midst of a challenging physical odyssey. An intriguing premise, but he misses the mark. His retelling of collegiate academic endeavors are only meaningful to the handful of people who were actually involved; they don’t advance his main story about the bike journey. More simply put… I don’t care about your college group work.

But more disappointing is the lack of meaning found. 2700 miles travelled and what did he come up with? The author, unfortunately, fails to inform us.

[John Matney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad way to spend the summer

I like travel books that include a little struggle mixed with the sublime. I liked the author's description of the thoughts running through his head. Occasionally, he would include a strange comment because of its unbelievability. For example, when he naps in a F250 and suddenly realised he has seen one of these truck before, "oh yeah on his family's farm." Other than that I enjoyed the book.

[Ryan Brandt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I often wonder what would have to occur in my life for me to set out on an adventure like this. And once the author gets more personal in the last few chapters, I understand what it would take. I did find myself skimming some of the overly descriptive scenery and wish he would have included more about the people he met as I found these to be the highlights of the book and I believe the highlights of his own trip.

[kenneth veader · Rating 3 out of 5]

wonderful first draft.

I’m sorry. It’s better than any book that I have ever written and I’m certain that there is a good story in there about a wonderful adventure. I just never got along with the author’s style. I found that he skipped around to much and needed to flesh out the stories more. If I had shared his ride with him every one of these chapters would have sparked fond remembrances. But this book just didn’t do. Enough to make me feel like I was there with him.

[Veli-Pekka Suuronen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a lot of book about journeys of this kind. The fundamental message about this one was not too different from the usual. The thing that set this apart from the others was that it kind of read like fiction more than a simple diary with some insights added both because of the writing style and the use of "flashbacks" to set the basis and background for the adventure. I enjoyed the style a lot.

[Steve Bera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a book for many readers. Just for us backpackers and bike tourists. I enjoyed it even though no life or death adventure or historical information here. A young man graduated college and before going to work rides a mtn bike from Canada to Mexico on the continental divide trail. This book tells you what you would have to know to make this trip, which the author did in 41 days.

[Julian R Roche · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read.

It gets you in at Canada and deposits you in Mexico. An honest and revealing account of why and how you would decide to traverse the massive task of cycling the Great Divide. And taj's his story of his trip and the characters he meets that mate his journey with while.

[Denzel Struchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing Story of one Man's Journey by bike

The writer takes great care to describe the joys and sorrows he encountered on the ride. The included back story helped round out and provide definition for the reason.

[Chuck Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read by Nathan Doneen! One of the best books I've read this year. It kept my attention throughout even though I was unfamiliar with many of the locations mentioned. He offered some very good insights and provided an enjoyable reading experience overall. Kudos!

However, I will say that my favorite book about bicycling across the U.S. is Biking Across America by Paul Stutzman, author of another great title, Hiking Through. Both are highly recommended reads.

[Richard L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have probably read over 100 travel/adventure books and this is one of the better ones I have read. So I am now starting his 2nd one about a race across Peru on what I would call a Tuk-Tuk and the book calls a MotoTaxi.

[Dan and Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Great read. The author intertwined his own quest for purpose while he struggled along the Great Divide Mountain Bike route. Both impressive and inspiring.

Recommended for anyone interested in travelogues and outdoor/adventure.

[Evan Bone · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much more than journal entries; so much more than I expected. Written with excellent story-telling authorship, with a sprinkle of philosophy and the sciences. What a well-written, excellent book to end / begin the year with.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the other books about riding the divide that I've read recently. This one is much more personal and that makes it about a lot more than the bike ride itself. It's not great writing, but it's enjoyable and interesting.

[Alex Shiver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read during TexasSnow 2021

As a new cyclist coming off my rookie riding season, this was a great read. It’s about more than the pedal strokes. Nathan does a great job of developing his why and pulling the reader into his life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Donna Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring account of the GDMT

Enjoyed reading about the journey, the challenges and the successes! Appreciated the details about the route. What an amazing ride and personal reflection.