What is it about some challenges that seem attractive while others don’t call to you one little bit? Not sure I know the answer but one snowy eve over a bottle of red wine my friend Cheryl and I had yet another great idea for a project. Now you should know this wasn’t our first and most other great ideas have not survived the ‘light of day’ test. This one however started small and before we knew it occupied a big place in our plans for the next couple of years. We wanted to hike the Bruce Trail – the whole nearly 900 kilometres of it.
Cheryl makes it to Southern cairn
So it was that one chilly April morning we drove in from our respective home towns and met in Niagara Falls where the trail starts. Cheryl did have a slight detour on the way though and seems to have missed an exit and crossed the U.S. border but she soon realized that error…the nice border guard was forgiving so we eventually met at the cairn which marked the starting point. I did however put myself in charge of the trail map for the foreseeable future.
Over the next two days we hiked the trail, slipped down muddy hills, forged through streams and tunnels and emerged relatively unscathed having triumphantly completed 16 klms with just a few hundred left to go…and we can hardly wait to get on the trail once more.
Cheryl slip sliding the Bruce.
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You started out strong (although it does make sense that you took charge of the map) and did some good progress on the Bruce Trail. A few hundred k’s left is nothing. And I am sure you had a great adventure. 🙂
Congrats to you two for even talking about this, let alone doing it! Might I suggest you read Bill Bryson’s A Walk In The Woods for his attempt at hiking the Appalachian trail? Outrageously funny!
Thank you – it is now on my reading list for sure! Thanks for your comment.
Thank you Nancy – much appreciated but I must decline as I prefer to stay award free. Congratulations on your award though and I enjoy the fun, carefree way you blog!
I enjoy your blog very much and so I nominated you for the Liebster Award! WOO HOO!
http://twotrailsoneroad.wordpress.com/2014/04/14/the-liebster-award-for-little-ole-me/
Wow – the power of female friendship! Sounds like a great plan and I echo Agnes’ comments 🙂
Yes it helps to have a dear friend for encouragement. Thanks for the visit.
What a fun challenge! The trail looks awesome. Your plans made me think of Bill Bryce’s book, A Walk in the Woods, where he hikes the Appalachian Trail
What a great idea – thank you and must look up that book again! I’ve enjoyed Wild by Cheryl Strayed but know our trek won’t be that challenging!
I’ve never read Wild. I’ll have to look for it.
Should have read all the comments before I added my own. But it is Bryson, not Bryce, and his book is hilarious!
Hurray for you two! What a great, rewarding challenge to take on. I’ve only hiked in the northern, Bruce Peninsula parts of the .Trail, but have wonderful memories. You want to be up there in wildflower season… Good luck, and keep going,
Thank you – we are looking forward to many parts of the trail – great way to get to know a part of our Province. Wildflower season sounds great!
I don’t know if I still have that kind of dexterity. Congrats!8-)
I hope I have – thanks!
We hope so too – although by Cheryl’s calculation it will take 5 years and I’m still hoping for two! Hope to see you sooner than that though now that the snow is melting.
What an adventure; I hope I am still residing in Tobermory when you arrive!!
We will have the flags out and share a bottle of wine to celebrate.
Yes it is and that would probably be Joanne at mylifelivedfull.wordpress.com. I started following her blog when looking for other bloggers who had completed the trail and written about it. How she managed it so quickly is still a marvel to me!
How very strange! Yesterday I was reading a blog where the lady had completed this challenge, over a matter of months, I think. 🙂 I’d never heard of it before and had no idea it was this long! Can’t remember whose blog it was but I’m sure I’ll come across it again. Small blogging world 🙂
Good luck 🙂
This looks extremely challenging and I admire you and your friend for undertaking it.
Lillian
Thank you Lillian – we’re really looking forward to it.
What a wonderful goal and I love how you have cut it up into much smaller goals…that way you have more fun with each of them!
Yes we didn’t want to feel overwhelmed and we already have different friends saying they’ll join us for various parts of the trail.
Thank you! Needless to say you have been a great inspiration and I loved reading your blog on your own Bruce Trail adventure at – http://joannesisco.wordpress.com. We won’t be completing it as quickly as you did but we have enormous enthusiasm!
Congratulations! What an awesome adventure – in the true meaning of the word!!
I’m looking forward to reading about each of your highs, mid-highs, and super-highs. The lows will simply be the highs that underachieved 😉
You always fail to mention it’s my FIVE year plan – your TWO year plan. Must be the age difference. As you get older you get wiser! The photograph of the tunnel is stunning. The graffiti (street art) reflected in the light makes it look much more beautiful than I remember it.
No pressure – we’ll get there one year…Looking forward to our next hike!
Well, as in the words of Lao Tzu, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – looks like you’re on your way!!
Thank you for that quote and you’re so right – we’re about to find out exactly what that means…but not all at once!
Wow you have taken on quite the challenge! It does look muddy and slippery. What is your plan for doing the entire trek?
We’re hoping to get out once or twice a week whenever we can, recognizing there will be other weeks, vacations and time-outs along the way. Both of us have to drive quite a way in the first one third or so and then in the more northerly Bruce section I’ll stay with Cheryl. We’ve been inspired by the many others over the decades who have gone before us.
That’s so great! What a goal to work toward. I look forward to reading about it.