Why the Bruce Trail?

The Bruce Trail is Canada's Longest and Oldest Walking trail!! How amazing is that!? So right there is reason enough. haha To know that I completed the longest walking trail in Canada WITH my pups is a super special experience. I love hiking and most hikes I do is just me and the pups. I love just being alone with them in nature, so why not try to accomplish a big feat.

About the Bruce Trail

Lion's Head Provincial Park

The Bruce's main trail is roughly 890 kms from Tobermory all the way down to Niagara, following the Niagara Escarpment. That's not even including all the side trails that add up to 450 kms. So many kilometers of walking trail! It is divided into 9 sections, which I think will be helpful to feel accomplished as I hike through them.

The 9 sections are:

1) Peninsula - 160 kms

2) Sydenham - 170 kms

3) Beaver Valley - 72.4 kms

4) Blue Mountains - 70 kms

5) Dufferin Hi-Land - 56.3 kms

6) Caledon Hills - 72.4 kms

7) Toronto - 50 kms

8) Iroquioa - 122.5 kms

9) Niagara - 83 kms

The terrain is a mix of forests, rocky escarpment ridges, wetlands, farmlands and it has many steep sections. The Bruce Trail is so iconic and has issued over 4000 "end to end" badges in their 50+ year history. Please visit the Bruce Trail website to get all of the details so that you too can start your journey. www.brucetrail.org . We have already completed roughly 73 kms over the past couple years without even trying so that's a nice little start for us.

Challenges We Face Hiking the Bruce Trail

Aside from the actual hiking difficulties itself, the pups and I will face a few challenges from the get go. Firstly, we will be doing these hikes in the late fall, winter and early spring. This means it's going to be cold and there is also the potential for lots of snow. Let's be real, this is Canada and the Bruce Trail can get significant snowfalls in areas. This adds a little risk to hiking (slip hazards, unseen crevices etc). That being said, hiking in the winter is actually much better for the huskies. Since in the summer heat we can't do long hikes without them overheating so in that regard its better. Also - no ticks! Huge win there! haha However, for me, it makes it a little more challenging.

Secondly, the Bruce Trail doesn't offer many camping areas along the trail (especially in the winter). Also, a lot of the Bruce Trails are in remote areas with limited housing/hotel options that allow pets. And to keep costs down that isn't really an option either. This means that the pups and I will be truck camping ..... a lot! Have we ever done truck camping? Nope! haha So this should definitely be interesting.

Our last foreseen big challenge will be that we will kind of be doing the whole hike twice. Since I am doing the majority of the hiking with just me and the pups that means I am parking the truck, hiking out but then having to hike backwards to the start where the truck is. Our hikes will be "out and back" instead of just out and being picked up. However, on the off occasion when Jared does joins us we will plan to take two vehicles so that we can put one at the end of the hike.

These are the three major challenges that I can see right now. However I'm sure a ton more will pop up when we start. But that's part of the fun, right?

Final Thoughts

I'm not really sure why I had this amazing idea to hike the whole Bruce Trail. I always like to challenge myself and see what I am capable of. The idea of hiking 890 kms seems daunting and the idea of hiking for full days sounds hard. I find that people learn most about themselves when they are pushed to new limits. I am really excited to do this with the dogs because every time we go for a hike together a new crazy story usually comes from it. Ok Bruce Trail, here we come!

Beaver Valley and Campbell's Hill Trail

I know a bunch of you have hiked parts (or maybe all) of the Bruce Trail! Let me know in the comments what section is your favourite. So then I have specific sections to look forward to.

Thanks for reading,

Kendal

Get out there and Start YOUR adventure!