I’m going through some changes in my life. These changes are very stressful. Having a goal, something to hang on to, can help in these kinds of situations. When I was a child, my uncle took myself and my cousins hiking on the Bruce Trail many times. I have very fond memories of it. Recently I’ve done the odd section here and there. But why not do something ambitious and hike the whole goddamn thing? The main trail is 890km long. Here we go.
Start: Southern Terminus
End: Woodend Conservation Area
Distance: 12.9km
Weather: 10C with heavy rain
Despite the cold and rain it was a wonderful hike. Some beautiful river valleys, rock formations, and sweeping vistas out to Lake Ontario and over forest floors. The trilliums were out, lots of frogs, toads, and snails. I encountered a guy “training” his puppies which basically meant they were off leash and followed me around for a while instead of him. The road sections of the trail proved to be the most entertaining from a story perspective.
On the first road section I met an “unhoused” person, or what we would have called a tramp/wino/bum in years past, he asked me how to get to Niagara Falls. Note that he was on foot, probably also “on” one or two other things and easily several hours walk from the falls. I pointed him in the general direction and wished him luck. The second encounter was a car that pulled over to talk to me. The lady driving the car asked “Have you seen a goat?”. I really had no idea what to say to that. It was the last question I was expecting. Apparently she owns a farm nearby and her “pet” goat had escaped. I took her number and promised to call if I saw it. I didn’t.
The difficulty with doing this yourself is avoiding doing it “twice”. By that I mean that you can park somewhere and hike the trail, but then you have to turn around and go back to where you parked. Luckily on the more southern parts of the trail there are urban areas close enough that you can get an Uber. So I hiked my 13k (approx) then had an Uber take me back to where I started. This was a big gamble, if no one showed up I would have had to walk to a nearby town or hike all the way back. Luckily it did work!
For anyone reading this (ha!) I expect that it will take several years to do the entire trail, which is not uncommon. So don’t expect weekly updates or anything.
Notes for the future:
- Waterproof boots are a lie unless they’re rubber. Bring an extra pair of socks and shoes for the ride home.
- Rain coats and pants are good. But in heavy rain your clothes underneath are still going to be wet. Bring an extra shirt for the ride home.
- Soon bug repellant and sunscreen will be a necessity. I did a tick check afterwards and didn’t find anything.
Only 877.1km to go!
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