View Full Version : Bruce Trail Thru-hike??
Smooth03
10-18-2004, 10:53
Sitting here in NYC post AT SOBO 2003 and am heading out next summer for some tramping about. Gonna thru hike the Colorado Trail for sure but might try to squeeze in the Bruce Trail as well.
Any thoughts? I hear talk of road walking but can't find numbers or percentages anywhere.
What sort of terrain is it? It doesn't appear to have a lot of elevation gain but that doesn't neccesarily translate in to 20 mile days.
Any help in directing me towards Bruce Trail Thru-Hiking help would be much appreciated. The BT's official website does not have much information. But does hilariously rip off the AT's symbol.
Thanks all.
Though it has been done... the bruce trail isn't really geared towards thru-hiking.
The main reason is, much of it traverses private lands where camping is prohibited without the express consent of the landowner, combined with a fair amount of road walking.
They originally wanted it to, however because the trail crosses so many roads, access to the back country camping sites was easy and resulted in vandalism.
Those who have thru'd it mixed camping and staying at B&B's along the way, not exactly the most ecconomical.
Scott
Check out a book by Sue and Rich Freemen at www.footprintpress.com
http://www.footprintpress.com/BruceTrail/btPreview.htm
The Bruce Trail Association has a Yahoo group (brucetrailassociation) where you could post questions, although it is not very active.
Thru-hiking could be done if you were willing to do 15 - 20 mile days everyday (except for a few spots). Most sections of the trail do have overnight rest areas (Duffrins Hi-Land has none), conservation areas or provincial parts that you can camp at.
The trail reference guide (maps) shows some of overnight rest areas; but not all of them and dosen't give any water sources. You would need to get the Bed and Breakfast/Thru-Hikers companion. It lists all water sources, over night rest areas, lets you know if there is a near by private campground or B&B.
There are some road walks, mostly in the southern sections. Terrain wise I would say that the trail is pretty flat (at least in the southern sections). Up or down the escarpment is steep but short. There are some very rocky sections were the trail follows eskers. I hiked 70km (44 miles) in two in a half days this sumemr between Burlington Ontario and Georgetown.
Just thought I should add... I picked-up the October issue of Explore magazine just now on my lunch.
There is a two page spread on hiking the Bruce, check it out.
www.explore-mag.com Lots of info, and good start for more in depth sources.
Scott :-)
Smooth03
10-19-2004, 12:02
Thanks all. I will definately check out that Yahoo group. Although staying in a B and B everynow isn't bad I am assuming that they are not like the B and Bs on the AT where they have "hiker rates" for extremely reduced prices.
Bluebearee
10-19-2004, 13:52
Spur's wife Ready is hiking it right now, I believe she has a journal @ TJ.
The Tobermory Peninsula is wild and I hiked a short dstretch up there, but further south is too cosmopolitan to be interesting. Why not try the Finger Lakes Trail in NY or the Cohos Trail in northern NH?
Smooth03
10-20-2004, 13:34
I have thought about the Finger Lakes Trail. I guess all things being equal the Bruce Trail would be a nice way to explore another country. That I think was one of the greatest aspects of my AT Thru-hike was getting to meet people from so many different regions of the country. The same of course would be true of the Finger Lakes Trail but I just keep hearing, "So, Ya Hiking the Bruce Trail eh?" in my head.
Ready's Trail Journal is very helpful and I'm sure she would be willing to answer any queries I might have.