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Hikers of long trails, such as the Appalachian Trail, generally fall into two camps: thru hikers and section hikers. Thru hikers are the hearty souls who hike an entire trail all in one go. Not everyone has that kind of time to spare though (or frankly, the desire to live outdoors for months), yet they still yearn to claim the bragging rights of hiking an entire trail, too. Queue the section hikers.
Section hikers of long trails fascinate me as much as thru hikers, maybe even more. Over the course of many years, sometimes even decades, section hikers often travel hundreds of miles from their homes (many times over) to cover each section of a long distance trail. The logistics are more complicated for this type of long-trail hiking, and section hikers will often shell out hefty shuttle fees, in addition to regular travel fees, to avoid backtracking on the trail.
But what if it was possible to make a series of loop hikes throughout the length of a long trail? At a minimum, it creates more options for “cherry pickers” or casual hikers–those who only want to hike the most scenic or interesting parts of a long trail. But for intrepid section hikers, it opens new and exciting doors if they like the idea of bagging even more unique trail miles and eliminating the need for shuttles.
I’d never thought of this clever concept for a long trail until reading 40 Days & 40 Hikes: Loving the Bruce Trail One Loop at a Time (Nicola Ross). Ross, an award-winning journalist, is no stranger to writing and has published seven hiking guides in her very popular “Loops and Lattes” series (don’t you just love that concept and name?).
In 40 Days & 40 Hikes, which doubles as a trail journal and a trail guide, Ross dissects Canada’s oldest and longest marked trail, the nearly 900-kilometer (550 miles) Bruce Trail, into a series of over 40 loop hikes, all of which she accomplished as day hikes. The trail comes alive through her vibrant descriptions of the Niagara Escarpment, a UNESCO World Biosphere, and I was fascinated learning about the natural and human history of an area I knew next to nothing about before reading her book. It’s immediately evident how much Ross, a native Canadian who lives near the southern terminus of the trail, treasures this protected corridor.
A burgeoning artist, a talent she recently tapped into, Ross also illustrated each chapter with a helpful hand drawn map of her route along with other of her whimsical drawings peppered throughout the chapters. Data geeks will also appreciate her “Field Notes” which detail everything from the time and date of her hikes to the weather conditions, mileage, elevation stats, and notable flora and fauna she encountered along the way.
My favorite aspect of the book was Ross’s story telling. Whether she’s hiking a route solo, or with a friend or family member, I enjoyed reading about her relationships as much as the land itself, which takes on its own personality, too. As with any trail memoir worth reading, Ross also treats her readers to the good and bad of her treks: stormy days (one of which is especially harrowing and ultimately deemed a historical weather event), wildlife encounters, and a misfortune involving food that made me wish I could rewind the clock for her!
I have a long list of trails I want to hike before I take my last breath, and reading 40 Days & 40 Hikes added the Bruce Trail to my list. In fact, if I ever have the opportunity to hike it, I’d want it to do it just like this book outlines. But I think I’ll wait a bit longer before committing. In the Epilogue, Ross hints at a new project she hopes to see to fruition: Caledon’s Way, a long-distance, inn-to-inn route–the first of it’s kind in Canada. Far more bougie than backpacking a trail, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this decadent style of hiking in Europe (West Highland Way and Tour du Mont Blanc).
Have you ever thought about hiking a different long trail in a series of loops? If so, which one? Drop a comment below, or let me know if you’ve ever hiked on the Bruce Trail! And if you’d like to learn more about Nicola Ross’s books, you can find them all on her website and her excellent blog can be found right here (look for her review about my first book, Chasing the Smokies Moon, while you’re perusing it)!
And finally, if you’d like to read more of my book reviews, head here.