Bruce Trail Hike 6 - (26 km)

(158 km of 894 km)

Hiking is getting quite popular.  First thing in the morning and the entrance to the Bruce Trail is filled with cars.



Someone had too much coffee and was feeling a little "photobomby" today. Is that even a word?



We are rebels with a cause. =p

This was a fairly long hike.  I can't even begin to describe the beauty of the fall colors and the pictures will not do it any justice.

It was a pretty uneventful hike, except for a trail runner who almost went over a cliff and a couple coyote sightings because it got dark a lot sooner than we thought.

This gentleman who fell was running towards me, slightly downhill  I stopped in order to let him know that I won't walk into his path.  He was running at a pretty fast pace.  His toe hit a rock and he went flying.  He hit the ground pretty hard and his momentum carried him over the edge.  A lady behind me screamed.  Luckily, he hit a tree which stopped him from rolling further down the cliff or he would have been in a lot more trouble.  He was able to get up on his own and keep going.











Poison Ivy and Poison Oak, they may itch you and that's no joke. ;)





Kind of funny, we are both taking a picture of each other taking a picture.



This waterfall is where we had second breakfast and also part of the reason we finished the hike after dark.  Here is a Google Maps link of the location:  https://goo.gl/maps/bKTZzMegLWA2



Saw a few snakes along the way.  This guy was definitely the biggest.



We had lunch by the train tracks.  The only issue with that is trains.  =p





We came across another waterfall, but we didn't spend much time there as it was getting late.



This was not a scheduled break!





Started at sunrise, finish at sunset.  A satisfying full day of hiking.







We finished the last kilometer in complete darkness.

Bruce Trail - Hike 5 (13.5 km)

(132 km of 894 km)

This has been my favorite section so far.  It took us 3 hours and 48 minutes, but we were doing a lot of sight seeing.  You will come across a few waterfalls, some on private property which the owners have graciously allowed people to keep visiting.


The fall colors were amazing.  We started off in the rain, but we were fortunate to have the weather clear up after a few kilometers.

This picture below is only here to mark the second fall.  It wasn't anything serious, but it was entertaining because before my friend was able to finish the sentence 'watch me fall up ahead', she slipped and fell on the stairs.  Her first fall was 2 minutes into hike #2.  I can't say I didn't have numerous very close calls myself, but I have yet to hit the ground. Watch me fall next time now. =p



I guess this lovely gentleman behind the sign didn't know how to read it....


If you'd like to see this beautiful waterfall in person, here is a link to the location on Google Maps.  It's about a one minute walk from the nearest road: https://goo.gl/maps/BwsuVofLn3D2

Bruce Trail - Hike 4 (18.5 km)

(118.5 km of 894 km)



This was a quite long hike through Hamilton.  Unfortunately, we came across a lot of litter on the
trail.  I don't know what it is about Hamiltonians, but they sure love throwing their Tim Hortons cups all over the trail.  McDonals coffe was a distant second place.  Surprisingly, I didn't see a single Starbucks cup.

If you're one of the "special" people who throw garbage on the trail, I wish a nice curse upon you. =)


This section had a lot of stairs.

A majority of the trail was paved, but it still had beautiful scenery and lookouts, apart from the garbage everywhere.

This hike took us 5 hours and 18 minutes.

Bruce Trail - Hike 3 (20 km)

(100 km of 894 km)







Due to some house renovations, there was a slight delay in continuing the trail.  A pleasant 20 km hike was a great refresher.  We finished at a nice spot called the Devil's Punchbowl.

Bruce Trail - Hike 2 (38 km)

(80 km of 894 km, overnight hike)

I invested in a lighter tent and better fitting backpack.  It made a huge difference.  We set an ambitious goal of 38 km over two days.  The backpack I chose was the Gregory Baltoro 65.  It's a bit heavier than normal, but it has a suspension system that makes carrying heavier loads a breeze.  Here I am with the new pack in action.







































At this point, I had a better idea of what to bring and what to leave behind.  Below is a picture of some of the gear I was carrying.  You can see I have two hiking poles in the picture.  I am definitely a big fan of hiking.  Not only does it give you stability, it also takes wear and tear off your knees. It allows you to walk faster because you can push off with your arms.

We thought we were hearing gunshots and soon found this interesting sign along our trail.    The sound of gunfire could be hear close by.  We carried on, but we kept our heads down.

One thing about this section of the Trail is that you are beside wineries the whole way.  The entire two days we heard air guns being shot to scare off birds.  It really took away from the hike.

Also note, if someone were to set up camp, not on the trail of course, it would be advised to bring ear plugs because the shots only stop between 1am and 4am (which I did not experience on my own by camping on the trail, but was informed by a winery owner =).







































Here is my friend helping a slug cross the trail.  Despite being slimy and gross, to ensure nothing happened to him, she picked him up and placed him on the other side of the trail.


Below I'm waiting for my friend to make it up the hill.  You can see the white blaze marked for people travelling the opposite direction.

Bruce Trail - The beginning (42 km)

(42km out of 894km, overnight hike)


Depending on your physical ability and the distances you plan to travel each day, it can take anywhere from 30 days to 60 years to complete the 894 km of the Bruce Trail.

You can begin either in St. Catherines or in Tombermory.  We start our journey in St. Catherines, just north of the Queenston-Lewiston bridge to the USA.

The trail is marked by these white blazes. If you click on the picture to make it bigger, you can see one on the tree ahead.

Can you find the white blaze on the tunnel below?

If you walking on the trail and you don't see a white blaze in a while, you probably are probably going the wrong way and need to backtrack.

A map, which can be purchased on the Bruce Trail website, can be really helpful if you get lost or help ensure you stay on the trail.

On our first hike, we greatly underestimated the distance we could travel in a day as well as the amount of gear/food we could comfortably carry.  Our goal was to travel 80 km in two days, but we barely made it 40 km.


Lesson for rookies; pack only what you need and make sure you get a backpack that fits properly. For example, if you know it's not going to rain, don't bring a heavy tarp.

This is my friend and I with full backpacks.  In hot summer days, you need to ensure you stay hydrated so you need to pack plenty of water, which adds weight; about 2 pounds per liter.

If you're going to get serious about hiking, spend a bit of money to get comfortable and lighter gear.

We completed about 20 kms before we were completely exhausted.  We pushed on for another 10kms before we found a suitable spot to put up a tent and rest.

(Disclaimer: Camping on the Bruce Trail is considered tresspassing and is prohibited.  We put up the tent only to rest.  Shortly after, we packed up and took a cab to the nearest motel where we spent the night.)





The next morning, we were pretty sore.  We pushed on for another 10km where we called it a day.

(Disclaimer #2: The thoughts and opinions in this blog are mine and mine alone.)