WITH THESE BOOTS, I THEE TREAD....

These past few months, on my own, I am coming to into my own person, again. 

There is a saying, that life is what YOU choose to make it. So, whether I'm on a backpacking and portaging trip in Killarney, climbing Silver Peaks, opening a yoga studio in my home, organizing wilderness women's retreats or hiking in the Rocky Mountains, I know that YOU alone choose how to live your life. 

For the most part, I'm been really lucky to enjoy my life, my way. I have to thank my wonderful friends (you know who you are) and my supportive family - that said, I have always felt that there was always a missing piece, someone to share all of this life with, but when it comes to relationships, I'm not so lucky.  

As a teenager, all my friends had relationships and I didn't. I remember asking my Dad, why not me?  Whether Dad meant it literally or not, he basically told me, that my intensity, spirit, sense of adventure, vibrant laugh, passion and emotional side were too much - I should tone it down and I would get that relationship I wanted. So, consciously or not, in every relationship, I would surrender to my partners insecurities or I would try to fix them, but deep down I would think that I needed to fix myself. For me, fixing myself meant "toning it down", just like my Dad told me. What would usually happen - little by little, I would feel like I was losing myself, always afraid that if I spoke my truth, I would push him away or he would run away - well, guess what? After a long list of failed relationships, they ran or I did - I am on my own, again. 

Recently, I came across a blog post from Elephant Journal that spoke to me, " I've finally figured out that I wasn't too much - they were not enough. "

So, with these boots, I thee tread!

Allow me to introduce Bruce (aka The Bruce Trail). I may have finally met my "enough". 

You have met Bruce in my other blog posts, but for the past 80 plus kilometres, of the toughest terrain in Ontario, Bruce and I are getting serious. I should probably mention that  Bruce and I have had an on again, off again relationship for more than 30 years now. Sure, we would get together occasionally for a friendly 10km to 20km hike, but never did I make the full commitment -  a full End to End until now. 

894km of Main Trails

Bruce is rugged and strong, full of wonder, intensity, and not for the faint of mind, body or spirit. Needless to say, our relationship was off to a rocky start - have you hiked the Peninsula section?  A dear friend joked, when I told her about my new relationship status, commenting, "that it must be difficult for you to be in a such a  strong and in-charge relationship".  Over the next year, I will be challenged by Bruce, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  

Yes, it's raining again. 

In every relationship, there are ups and downs, highs and lows, good times and bad times, but the biggest challenge for me, has been the rain - are you kidding me? I think Mother Nature might be jealous of the attention I'm paying to Bruce (a typical mother) and she is trying to dampen my resolve or weaken me. Thanks to my osteoarthritis, my feet hurt a lot hiking, hiking on roads is especially challenging and don't even talk to me about the terrain we have experienced--add to that, the rain. When it's raining, your head is down and no one can see you cry. I cry but not just because my feet hurt, but because I hurt, but I think it is making me stronger and testing my commitment to this journey to self. This is my next chapter or as Jane Fonda put it - "Making the most of all of your life". I will be 60 years old when I finish this trek - seriously, that cannot be possible - but it is. 

Many more obstacles to overcome on this journey.

While the Bruce Trail isn't a pilgrimage hike like the Camino in Spain, my Bruce Trail trek already holds the same promise for me. I'm challenging myself, I'm developing stronger friendships with my hiking buddies, I'm learning about the environment I am trekking upon, but most of all, I know Bruce is going to be with me for the whole journey, I can't scare him away with my wild spirit, enthusiasm, passion for adventures, and emotional outbursts. 

Just like the Camino, when I finish the End to End, I will get a certificate of completion and a badge, but they are secondary to what I will really get from this relationship with Bruce, hopefully I'll finally accept that I'm not too much. 

I am who I'm supposed to be!

Just to update for the official record:  

My last weekend in the Peninsula had us hike from Dyer's Bay to Lion's Head. So far, I have trekked 83.3km of the Bruce Peninsula , I'm 1/2 way to Wiarton - the Peninsula Section to be completed before the end of November. Whoot, Whoot!  

You can still donate to my fundraising effort for the Arthritis Society.
https://www.gofundme.com/mybrucetrailtrek?ssid=807712136&pos=1 

THIS PLACE - THIS ADVENTURE - THIS LIFE

DAY ONE

This past weekend, I headed back to the Peninsula to tackle the next 30 km on our End-to-End trek of the Bruce Trail. I was a little sad, my Timmie couldn’t join us, but I knew he was having the time of his life with the gang at SometimesEventful. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for showing Timmie such a good time. 

Buddy, Timmie & Alex!

I was quite nervous about the first leg of our two day trek. The terrain from Cyprus Lake to Halfway Log Dump was strenuous if you recall and it took almost 4 hours to do 5km.  The Bruce Trail guide outlines the terrain on this next section as challenging. The other issue facing us, the threat of thunderstorms, and if that wasn't enough, there is NO turn off point, you must complete the full 14 km plus. As a weather watchers, I was checking the weather radar Friday night and again Saturday morning. My hiking buddies & I,  decided to hit the trail as early as possible in order to cover as much ground as possible. We could always seek shelter at High Dump, the 6.5km mark on this leg of the trek. The remaining trail leads down an old logging road, although unpleasant it’s definitely doable in the rain.

Official proof of our start point! 

On our way to the start of our hike, apparently there was a BEAR running through the field, I missed it, but I'm okay with that, next to seeing a Massassauga Rattlesnake on the trail, my other fear is BEARS.  The Peninsula section of Bruce Trial is rugged, untamed, remote and home to a lot of different wildlife.

This reminded me of a video I had seen a few years back, where a woman was commenting about people getting attacked or ‘eaten’ by wild animals – “we are in their house, so what do we expect, if a cow or chicken walked into my house, I would eat it.” LOL  Good news, no bear sightings on the trails this weekend (a rattler on the other hand….details later).


BRUCE TRAIL FACTS: 
It is always a good reminder to tell readers, that every step of this trail is cared for by a dedicated volunteers of the BTC, more than 1,400 of these wonderful people.
Every blaze, every sign, bridge, stile, log step has been placed there by a volunteer to ensure our journey is safe, enjoyable and memorable. 

When we arrived at 7:30 am - ish, the trail was beautiful, rocky, hilly, and dry. Mother Nature held the storm off until we reached High Dump.  The rock formations were amazing, I happened on a huge cave, which might have had a resident, so I didn’t take any chances and viewed it from a distance.

Cave along the trail, I'm not going in!

We arrived at High Dump in record time.  As much as I wanted to head down to the beach at High Dump, thanks to the amazing photos from another Bruce Trail hiker,  Brad Perkins, We decided not to push our luck with the weather, terrain or the wildlife.

Never a good sign!

Log road, very slippery!

Stopping for some lunch, we headed on our way for the last 8km of the day, just as the rain began and wow, it come down and it was heavy - of course it did, the Bruce tests your commitment often, this was just one more test. The group split up somewhat, as some feared the possibility of thunderstorms and wanted to high tail it out of the woods, so I found myself walking and singing on my own. At one point I thought I maybe should have brought my cleats as walking on the logs was tricky, but singing the Monty Python song, “I’m a Lumberjack”, took my mind off the rain. Hey, maybe my walking alone had nothing to do with the rain and more to do with my singing.


Following the hike we knew we were heading back to a cabin (versus the tent last time), a cabin with hot showers, dryers, beds and a covered veranda, which in my opinion is a much more civilized way to camp.  Finishing this leg a lot earlier than expected, a couple of us headed into the Tobermory Brewery.  As for the best item on the menu – Bruce Trail Blonde Ale,  was my choice. 

CHEERS!

DAY TWO

Heading out from Crane Lake Road to Lindsay Road 40,  and then on to the real trail, remember there is nothing fun about road walking, especially for 8km plus. One – you’re not hiking, two – it’s boring, but this is part of the Bruce Trail challenge. Singing to myself "The Road is Long", kept my sanity...or maybe not. Okay, another bad choice of songs.

BTW, only 52% of the Bruce Trail is secured. That means for every two steps you take, one step represents a piece of the trail that is not secured and remains vulnerable to development or withdrawal of access or ecological impairment. The Bruce Trail gets NO government funding, so their work in securing the Trail is funded entirely by membership fees, donations a product sales. Please consider becoming a member.  (Bruce Trail Facts)

Finally, we were back on the trail and it was breathtaking.  I hiked alone for a lot of this day, as my sciatica issue flared up due to the road walking, so my pace was much slower than the group.  This is a challenge for an extrovert, not to mention a ‘hike leader’,  but time alone allowed me to connect with myself and the trail. I've always believed that it's important be present in the moment, live life to the fullest, don't live in the past or look too far into the future, but time alone allows for some quiet reflection.

My past, is my past but I hope it provides me with some direction for the future. I've come to realize that I'm although I'm 'single' , I'm not alone, because I'm connected to my children, my family, my friends, my hiking buddies & colleagues and to this land. So, with my quiet reflection, I realized, that is enough. I am enough. 

I’ve mentioned that I’m a little (understatement) emotional at times, but how can you not be overwhelmed at times to be part of THIS.

THIS PLACE - THIS ADVENTURE - THIS LIFE

Boots with a View...this is how far we have come - 50 km!

There were so many places to stop and view Georgian Bay and breath in the majesty of our surroundings.   I can’t help but think of all the people who can’t or won't allow themselves the opportunity to experience this beauty and I’m so lucky that 3 friends agreed to be part of this adventure, for their own reasons, and to join me.

Photo from Google - no way I was getting that close.

OMG,  I almost forgot about the rattlesnake.  With the 3 hiking partners in front & then me, trailing behind….it happened...it was a rattler! A wide range of emotions from the group occurred from complete calm to shrieks, to horror (one of the hikers was trying to get a photo), to all the laughter, once we were far enough away from the snake.  

Minutes later we happened on a much larger, Garter snake, not nearly as scary, but I’m still not a fan.


Nearing the end of our weekend trek, I met an elderly man on the trail that reinforced my purpose for doing this crazy trek.  He was standing at the edge of a beautiful outcropping, just gazing out over Georgian Bay. When I paused to say hello, he engaged me in conversation. He’s lived in the area for more than 10 years and hikes this section on a regular basis (approx. 2 km).  Retiring to the region, he and his wife (and dog) have enjoyed the beauty and challenge of this land. He talked about how connected he feels when out on the trail and how nature heals. He congratulated me (and my friends) for our determination to make this trek, as he and his wife had always wanted to do an End-to-End, but never got around to doing it and now his wife is gone.

Life is meant to be lived, enjoyed and to NEVER regret that I didn’t do something or did not follow a path that may have seemed like too much of a challenge. This past year, I took up painting (as in art), I canoed and portaged my way through Killarney, I put a yoga studio in my home, I took on a new job and now this trek.

As I reflect on my life, I take great joy in knowing that I'm not going to miss any opportunity to do something ‘epic’, if only to me!

As you are aware, I suffer with Osteoarthritis in both my feet and my knee, I fear that one day my mobility will be limited, but that day isn’t today, so with every step, every ache, every pain, I honour the ground beneath me and the fact that I am taking life, one step at a time. I'm also raising awareness and funds for the Arthritis Society's "Ease the Pain" campaign through a Go Fund Me page.

Side Bar:
"The mountains are calling and I must go”. John Muir

This coming weekend, I head to Lake Louise to hike in the Rockies with my friend.  I’ve never hiked in the Rocky Mountains and it scares the hell out of me, but like I said, I’m not going to miss the opportunity to do something EPIC. 

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ONE BLAZE AT A TIME

This is my first blog. I'm not a writer, which you will quickly realize, I'm just someone with a passion for adventure and I'm always up for a challenge.  I hope you will enjoy my story of my End to End Trek of the Bruce Trail.

Timmie & Me

Day 1 

Arriving at the North Terminus Cairn was extremely emotional for me. I wanted to take time to "set my intention" and feel grounded for this epic adventure. Unfortunately, I felt rushed, as we wanted to get the first 6 km of road & trail completed before nightfall. With tensions high, this was my first of what will likely be a few breakdowns (aka tears) what can I say, I'm an Irish/French Canadian Redhead. 

A little about my travelling companions, these amazing women are as crazy as I am. We have hiked together for more than a year, we have shared stories, laughter and tears and I know that over the next  year together, we will strengthen our friendship and connection to one another - or kill each other.  No matter what happens, no one eats the dog!

We headed out at 6:35pm, finishing at Little Cove at 8:20pm. This portion of the trail is mostly city streets and parkland, except for the golf course. The rain had begun, so we didn't have to worry about getting hit by any stray golf balls. Thankfully, we reached Little Cove before dark.

"ONE BLAZE AT A TIME"

 As a yogi, mantras are important to me. They provide me with psychological and spiritual power. I also find they 'guide the way' to that power. For all who hike the Bruce Trail and other trails, we find our way with the blaze markers on trees or rocks.  The white blaze is of particular significance, as it indicates the Main Trail. When you set out to hike the entire 894km of the Bruce Trail, you hope you manage to stay on the Main Trail. Recently found out that to a younger generation (urban dictionary), my mantra  "one blaze at a time' has quite a different meaning.  I won't be getting this tattooed on my arm after all.  #stonerlife

It's all smiles until you hike for 6 hours in the rain. 

Day 2

This summer has proved to be a hot dry one, but that wasn't the case this weekend. We woke up on Saturday to not only the pouring rain, but wet tents. Not a great start to the day and the weather didn't get any better for most of our trek.

Beginning at Little Cove at 8:30am, we headed south to Cyprus Lake. The humour we usually share on many of our hikes together was dampened or should I say washed away by the rain. Even with rain gear on, we were soaked to the ass.

As was my poor little Timmie. It was my hope that Timmie would join me for the entire trek, I learned quickly on Saturday, that won't be the case. From the challenging terrain, to weather issues, it's all too much for a small Jack Russell. That's not to say, he won't be joining me for future hikes, just not the northern peninsula trails.

As we hiked, and hiked, and hiked, it rained and it rained and it rained. At times the rain was so heavy, I had to remove my glasses and trek very, very slowly - I couldn't see more than a metre in front of me. Thanks to a call out to the universe for a dry place to eat our lunch, the universe (or the Bruce Trail) delivered, we found a cave to eat our lunch. The rock formations/caves on the Bruce are a welcome respite from the soaking wet trail.

Hiking can usually be very meditative. You have to focus, become one with your environment, and basically put one foot in front of the other, over and over again.  I hoped to be more reflective in my trek today, but the rain damped my spirit. We all dug deep to finish the 14 plus km , but it was tough. Thankfully, the rain stopped for a time near a 'boulder beach'. One of many boulder beaches on this leg of the trail. It was a great opportunity to dry out our clothes and socks. Our usual banter and humour returned and so did our spirits.

Hiker clothes line!

Arriving at Cyprus Lake should have been amazing. The grotto, cliffs and terrain is some of the most beautiful geological treasures in the province. My memories of bringing my girls there 15 years ago were shattered by droves of people everywhere. There had to be at least 1,000 people in the area. Noisy chatter drowned out the waves of Georgian Bay and blocked the beauty of the area, not to mention the disrespect (cliff jumping is forbidden) and the amount garbage we found. We made a hasty exit and headed back on the trail. Arriving at Horse Tail Trail at 4:40pm.

Back to the campsite to dry out our tents and enjoy Trailhead Lager and a hearty meal.  A good campfire helped to dry hiking clothes & boots for the next day.

Day 3

We arrived at Cyprus Lake Trail Head @ 10:20am to begin our final trek of the weekend. No problem, 5km, we should be done in no time, or so we thought. This is the kind of trail that separates trail walkers from trail hikers. Even the BTC calls this terrain, strenuous. That said, this was by far my favourite hike of the weekend. Yes, it's up & down, and up & down, over and over, but WOW, the views are amazing, the trails are not crowded with 'walkers' and NO RAIN, just sunshine and laughter. This is what trekking should be like. It took us almost 4 hours of hiking to cover this section, but we did it. Back at our cars by 3:30pm and on the road home.

We "YIKERS" (hikers who do yoga)  have a tradition of stopping for a craft brew following a hike,  I honoured this tradition with a stop in Wiarton and Dockside Willie's for a cold Macleans Ale & a burger. Perfect ending to an amazing first leg of many to come.

Cheers!

REMINDER: 

I am hiking this trail in support of the Arthritis Society of Ontario's, Ease the Pain campaign, details here. While I suffer from Osteoarthritis in both my feet, I am determined to hike the entire Bruce Trail, all 894km of Main Trails. It is my intention to finish by my 60th birthday, December 11, 2017 - It's going to be one hell of a party!!!