I have been thinking about the Bruce Trail for many years now, yet life prevented me from taking the first steps.

When I read Paddling North by Audrey Sutherland, that's when things changed. Audrey's words and stories inspired me. She had a zest for life, an unparallelled tenacity and strength, but it was her philosophy in life that smacked me in the face... “Go simple, go solo, go now,”

The "go now" is what motivated me the most. Like many of us, there are so many dreams yet not enough time. This is certainly true for me, yet Audrey said "go now".   I will be 60 next year and there will be fewer and fewer able years available to chip away at my bucket list... so the Bruce Trail is "now"

The Bruce Trail is 890km from Niagara River to TobermoryOne week ago I had this epiphany, and in one week from now I will start my solo hike of the Bruce Trail.

The Bruce Trail is a hiking trail in southern and central Ontario from the Niagara River to the tip of Tobermory, Ontario. The main trail is more than 890 km long and there are over 400 km of associated side trails. The trail follows the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, one of the thirteen UNESCO World Biosphere Reserves in Canada.

The trail traverses land owned by the Government of Ontario, local municipalities, local conservation authorities, private landowners and the Bruce Trail Conservancy (BTC). The Bruce Trail is the oldest and longest marked hiking trail in Canada. The trail is named after Bruce County which got its name from James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin.  James Bruce was also the Governor General of the Province of Canada from 1847 to 1854. 

The concept of the Bruce Trail came about in 1959 following a meeting between Ray Lowes and Robert Bateman, of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists. 

On March 13, 1963 the Bruce Trail Association incorporated in Ontario.  The cairn at the northern terminus in Tobermory was unveiled in 1967 to coincide with Canada's Centennial Year.

It appears it was meant to be. The trail is named after me... "Bruce". The trail was concieved on the year of my birth... "1959", and was incorporated on my birthday... "March 13".

Coincidence?... we will see?

Bruce hiking the Peninsula leg of the Bruce Trail in 2013