Ultra-endurance cyclist Kurt Refsnider completes the first-ever expedition of the 5,000-mile Orogenesis route from Canada to Cabo
SAN JOSE DEL CABO, MX – December 17th, 10:02 AM – On a bustling plaza at the tip of the Baja Peninsula, the theoretical became physical. Kurt Refsnider, endurance athlete, rolled to a stop this week, marking the successful completion of the first-ever continuous passage of the "Orogenesis" route—a bold new backcountry trail corridor spanning from the Canadian border to the southern tip of Baja.
Refsnider departed Canada on August 4, 2025. Over the next 135 days, he pedaled 4,669 miles of the most rugged terrain in North America, linking the Cascade volcanoes, the Sierra Nevada, and the spine of Baja California.
"The most surprising thing about Orogenesis to me is how dang close it is to being ready for public consumption—it's 99% of the way there! It'll of course continue to evolve for years to come, but the initial version is so close!” - endurance athlete Kurt Refsnider
Building the Future
The nonprofit organization behind the audacious trail, the Orogenesis Collective, plans on publishing sections of the route on their website—orogenesiscollective.org—over the coming months. But many miles of the trail on public lands have deferred maintenance and are clogged with deadfall or have burned in recent wildfires. In other areas no trail exists yet, and riders are forced onto highways.
“My advice for anyone interested in riding Orogenesis: get out for a few nights on the route. See what it's all about, how good it is, and what it asks of you. That'll be the best way to set yourself up for success on a longer adventure.” - Refsnider
The ride highlights the massive collaborative effort required to finish the trail. In 2025, the Orogenesis Collective led 15 days of volunteer trail maintenance events on public lands, totalling 2,520 volunteer hours. The Collective also collaborates with over 40 other trail organizations who steward sections of the route and are building new trails in 2026 where no safe or viable route exists yet. The goal now is to turn Refsnider's first ride into a sustainable, world-class trail for everyone.
“The route needs riders to continue to build the momentum and volunteers to help steward individual sections of trail." - Refsnider
Get Involved
The Collective is seeking members, scouts, and volunteers to help close the gaps Refsnider identified.
Scout: Help map the missing links—update Trailforks with trail status and photos from your ride.
Build: Join a 2026 trail work event—or volunteer with your local trail org, different regions dig in different seasons.