The Bruce Trail - One Year Later

The Bruce Trail

One Year Later

October 31^st, 2010 marks one full year since I completed the 880km journey up the Bruce Trail from Queenston, to Tobermory, Ontario.

Reflecting back on the trip, it was the most challenging and beautiful trips I have ever taken. Wrought with danger, peril, and harsh conditions the Bruce Trail left it's mark on my life more than I could have imagined.

During the four month journey I met some really great people, including a couple of other end-to-enders as well as some questionable folks whose motive was not quite clear.

As the summer rain beat down on my head, and my feet beat down on the trails, I fell in love with the giant moss covered rocks, the sheer cliffs, and beautiful scenery of the trail.

The trip would not have been possible without my friends. They were the ones who provided unfettering support and countless rides to and from trail locations in some of the worst summer weather we've had in decades.

Learning first hand about the poor camping conditions of the Bruce Trail, I would never recommend anyone attempt a thru-hike of the trail. I can advise you this the trail is not designed for more than simple 15-20km day hikes. The Bruce Trail Conservancy will concur.

Above all else I proved that modern people can walk barefoot hundreds and hundreds of kilometres without the perceived injuries and certain death as touted by the narrow minded. I received quite a lot of media attention through the hike, as well as some interviews which were a lot of fun.

The Bruce Trail experience left a deep mark on my psyche which I don't think will ever go away. Each time I do short day hikes on the trail, I still remember when it was just myself and my husky Luka. I frequently find myself talking to people about the experiences on the trail. Although not the longest or most difficult trip, the Bruce Trail experience seems to dominate my thoughts.

The question I am asked frequently is “what's next?” The answer is I am currently working on a college diploma with an outdoor education focus, and will hopefully get some more long distance travel in during the summer months.

First barefoot hike of 2010

First barefoot hike of 2010

It was an exciting Friday. The day started out with a pitch for an outdoor tour business, which ended up with me being featured in a local newspaper.

My friend Chuck picked me up from the business meeting and wished me well. “I want to relax, and it's a beautiful day” I said.

“Let's hit the trails and visit the Niagara Gorge” Chuck replied.

Crossing over the St. Lawrence Seaway bridge into Niagara-On-The-Lake, I stopped off home and picked up my CADPAT (Canadian Disruptive Pattern) backpack and my husky Luka.

It was a strange kind of day. Bright, sunny and beautiful, yet fairly cold. It was 0C outside, but it felt much warmer with bright sunlight shining down. The ground was cold, and the wind cut through my clothing to chill to the bone.

Inside the car, however the bright sunlight kept me warm in my jacket, and Luka started panting until I rolled down the window.

After navigating a traffic circle (an unusual road feature in Canada) Chuck pulled up at the Niagara Gorge in Niagara Falls. It felt warm, until I stepped outside to feel the cold start to cut through my gear. The ground felt warm under my bare feet. The sun had been beating down on the asphalt for most of the morning and heated it up.

Kitting up with my nylon pants, thick t-shirt, hat, glasses, backpack, and winter jacket I hit the trails. It was time to start training for hiking this summer. I decided to stow my black Vibram Fivefingers in my backpack and hoped to make this my first barefoot hike of the year.

Winter softness had crept into my normally tough, leathery feet. I was surprised how much I could feel the small pebbles beneath my feet. The mulch covered trails felt a little sharp and cool as I walked towards the grey metal stairs which would lead to the bottom of the Niagara Gorge.

The Niagara Gorge which is down stream from Niagara Falls is an environmentally significant and sensitive area. There are species of moss and fern as well as some small salamanders which are found nowhere else in Canada. The unique features of the gorge, which include high, sheer cliffs and the thunderous Niagara River have created a unique, sheltered, Carolinian forest environment.

The massive steel steps take me below the hustle and bustle of Canada's largest tourist area of Canada. (also home to one of the Wonders of the World - Niagara Falls)

Stepping off the unforgiving steel stairs, I was met with a cold, harsh stone packed trail. The wind was ripping through the gorge and right into me. I pulled up my hood to help block out the wind. I headed South toward Niagara Falls and a section known as the whirlpool.

I was walking along a smooth stone ridge scattered with small pebbles. I was surprised how liberating it felt to go barefoot, even in the cold. It felt so natural. It made me feel connected to the land, and the Great Creator. The valley below was filled with trees devoid of leaves. I could see the trees themselves. Birch, Cedar, and pine. Up above in the bright blue sky, Turkey Vultures soared on the thermal turbulence created by the Niagara River. Below I could hear small creatures scurrying about.

As I was contemplating how liberated I was feeling, I rounded a bend in the gorge and was met with beautiful sunlight. The sunlight had warmed the rocks beneath my feet.

“Perhaps this is what shod people feel” I thought to myself. My body was freezing cold, and I was bundled up, but my feet were warm!

Large sheer rocks towered overhead, and the trail followed a small pathway deeper into the gorge. Giant boulders were strewn about haphazardly over hundreds of years. Mosses grew on some of the rocks, while others had trees struggling to survive growing on them.

The familiar earth smell permeated through the air. The musty, almost sweet smell was very soothing.

Descending further, the trail made it's way to a set of giant, house-sized boulders which had rolled into eachother many moons ago. The boulders were only touching at the top. This created an arch which you could walk through. The stone had retained winters wrath and it was noticeably colder passing between them.

The pathway, cut out of stone led to a surprising sight. Patches of ice lay before me on the trail. Chuck went ahead of me and took some photographs while I walked barefoot over the ice. Surprisingly it did not feel very cold. The spring sun was slowly eroding it's power.

The ice quickly gave way to more flat stone, polished by thousands of hikers moving through this area over the years. Some areas felt cool, others felt warm. The texture of each rock was unique. Some were smooth like a hardwood floor, others were porous like a cement sidewalk.

Evidence of beavers in the area became evident. Several of the towering old growth trees, mostly birch, had an hourglass shape gnawed into them near the base. The Parks Commission had made short work of cutting down the trees that were victim to the beavers work. Possibly to prevent the trees from toppling over on unsuspecting hikers.

The birch trees have a beautiful white bark which curls slightly off the tree as it ages. The beavers work had exposed the trees inner wood. Glistening in the sunlight, an array of colours could be seen. The white exterior contrasted bright oranges, yellows, and even reds of the trees inner wood.

I decided to head up the trail, towards a small beach which led to the edge of the Niagara River. The river, is a massive torrent. Unbridled violence, Class 7 rapids, undertows, submerged rocks, back eddies, and whirlpools make this an extremely dangerous waterway.

This entire area is dangerous. Each year, inexperienced and unprepared hikers end up either dying or getting severely injured in the area. The area is so dangerous that a new helicopter rescue pad was build several years ago to extricate injured hikers.

Approaching the beach, I was surprised at the sight. The sun-bleached beach had a unique feature. About 2m from beach bottom, was a distinct dark coloured line which encompassed everything in the area.

“Holy Crap!” Chuck exclaimed “Look how low the water level is!” Chuck fumbled for his camera and started snapping pictures.

I made my way from the dirt and rock floor of the forest, to the normally submerged section of the gorge. I was surprised to see the unusual rock formations, fossils and glacier potholes that were visible. Over the thousands of years this massive, violent river has flowed through the area it wore smooth most of the rocks. Other areas were jagged and looked like pieces had been ripped away.

Many of the rocks looked like the surface of a sponge. When glaciers receded in the area about twelve thousand years ago, small hard rocks spun around in the torrent of the water and ground into the softer rocks, leaving amazing formations.

Of course, the low water levels also revealed scrap metal, beer cans, life jackets, and other human rubbish.

The terrain was varied as I made my way across the bare stones. Some felt warm and smooth, others were somewhat sharp and jagged.

Looking around at the low water levels, it was amazing to think I would be standing in water over my head if the river had returned to it's normal levels. To my left, something caught my eye.

Someone had taken the time to create two small Inukshuk's. Small stone structures made without any clay or bonding agents, that represent a human figure. Created by Native Americans in the north to as a representation that human settlements were nearby. I took some photos of the Inukshuks and noticed Luka had gone missing.

Off in the distance, Luka had found some new friends. A group of young people hiking in the opposite direction had come across her and was giving her attention. As usual, Luka enjoyed it very much.

Steep hills and a few flat areas left me wanting a rest. A large flat rock jutted out into the air over the raging river below. I removed my pack and enjoyed the beauty of the bright blue skies, sheer canyon walls, and raging river below.

Chuck dug through his pack to find a zip top bag full of mustard pretzels which he offered to me. I had several and a raspberry chocolate bar. The area felt so serene.

The sunlight warmed the rocks, but the air was still cold enough to see your breath.

Finishing my snacks, I put on my backpack, and headed up the trail. Steep hills covered in smooth rocks, pebbles, and of course mulched forest floor.

Each texture on the ground has it's own distinct temperature, and feel underfoot. Something shod hikers cannot begin to understand. From sandy, to sharp, to crunchy, the ground provides the barefoot hiker with an amazing experience.

Rounding a large bend in the trail, the new concrete heli-pad came into view. The large steel cables of the cablecar could be seen high above me anchored into the gorge walls.

The elbow in the mighty Niagara River creates a huge whirlpool surrounded by magnificent rapids which throw the water up to a metre in the air. The area is spectacular to behold.

“May as well head back” I said to Chuck. “At least we proved that it could be done, and the trail does exist between the two stair wells” Chuck agreed.

The walk back seemed to go faster, as there were few photo stops. With the exception of short rests at the top of hills.

The long climb up winding switchback paths took me to the giant cold steel stairs, which led to the parking lot. I took some time to relax, and enjoy the beautiful day.

It was a fantastic day for my first six hour long barefoot hike of the 2010 summer season!

Complete photoset can be found here.

A Trip Through The Salt Flats

One beautiful autumn morning in September, I found myself cruising up Interstate 80 in Utah back in 2002. The sun wasn't visible. Only a faint orange glow crept over the horizon behind me. The whine of the engine was locked into place using the cruise control. Air made a roaring sound as it swept over the Jeep and the tyres rumbled as they clawed the road. Warm winds pressed against me and set my shirt flying, trying desperately to break free. Around me, the long expanse brown nothingness edged with flat topped mountains surrounded the narrow stretch of black road. The thin black ribbon of road seemed to dip into the dessert like the spine of an open book laying on the table. The road looked wet from the autumn heat in the distance. I hadn't seen another car on the road in almost seven hours.

Lupis, my husky sat buckled in the passenger seat with his tounge hanging out. He was panting lightly as his hair was blown around in the open air Jeep. Gazing into the distance, he admired the vast beauty that surrounded us. His big brown eyes fixed on the mountains reaching up to scrape the clear blue skies. In the back seat sleeping peacefully was Tori.

The large expanses of beautiful, featureless brown dessert started to give way. A strange white substance covered the ground. Looking like glistening snow on a cold winters day, my mind couldn't quite comprehend the scene.

“Salt” I said outloud to Lupis. This area of the United States was covered in a deep layer of salt. It looked identical to fresh snow. An hour or two of of white nothingness cut by the black road became quite hypnotic. The sun was shining brightly in the desert as I passed through the outskirts of Salt Lake City. For the first time today other cars and trucks came into view. I knocked off the cruise control and slowed down my big black Jeep and it's powerful v6 engine. The small black trailer swayed gently as the vehicle coasted and reduced speed.

Salt Lake City is a beautiful city. Like most metropolitan areas it was filled with tall skyscrapers and glass-walled buildings. Only a small part of the city was viewable from the highway. Passing through, a very strange sight crept up beside me.

To my right, a large lake known as great salt lake came into view. Temperatures outside were in the 20C range, but the edges of the lake looked like large chunks of ice had formed and deposited around them. Salt deposits!

The warm autumn day and the ice and snow like salt deposits gave the area a unique feel. My body said it should be winter, but it was warm. The Jeep top should be on to protect from the cold, but only warm, dry air circulated around us.

As quick as it came, the good sized metropolis of Salt Lake City disappeared into my rearview mirror. Ahead lay large expanses of white, baron nothingness. Some small mountains could be seen in the distance. The sight of other cars became less and less. Soon Lupis, Tori and I were alone again on the open road. Nothing around us for kilometres in every direction.

Off in the distance what looked like a giant tree rose up out of the ground. A short time later, a large brown pillar rose out of the salt-desert floor. The top of the pillar had large green orbs attached to it, and something on the ground beside it.

As the object grew near, it looked like a giant telephone pole with tennis balls attached to it at the top. I pulled the Jeep over to have a closer look. I unbuckled Lupis and Tori arose from her slumber to see why we had stopped.

I stepped barefoot out of the Jeep to have a very unusual experience. This was the first time I had stepped on a desert of salt. The salt beneath my feet felt rough, like sandpaper. Somewhat sharp on each step, I approached the large sculpture. The salt crunched at some points underfoot.

The large brown pole shot up out of the desert what looked like 60m! Around the top, large spheres coloured green and striped in yellow and red, identical to a massive tennis ball. To each side of the giant structure, large potato-chip shaped pieces of the sculpture lay beside it. In the distance, beautiful mountains edged the dessert like the crust of a giant white pizza.

“What is it?” Tori asked. “I don't know” I replied. “It looks like it must be broken as there are two pieces lying around on the ground over there”.

Lupis ran to the concrete base of the structure and relieved himself as Tori and I looked in awe of this giant piece of art standing in the middle of the desert. “There's a plaque on it over there” I said out loud, and walked towards the structure.

The plaque read “The Tree of Utah (Metaphor) by Karl Momen Completed January 1986” Under that was the phrase "A hymn to our universe, whose glory and dimension is beyond all myth and imagination"

I called Lupis, took a couple of photographs and returned to the idling jeep. “Wow” I said as I fastened Lupis into the passenger seat. “Such an unusual thing to see in the middle of a desert”.



Climbing back into the Jeep, Tori settled in to resume resting in the back seat of the Jeep. I pushed the shifter into first gear and pulled away from this magnificent sculpture.

Reaching fifth gear, I engaged the cruise control and settled in for another long ride. Our destination was Los Angeles, California. We had tons of time and no real agenda.

An hour or so after passing the Tree of Utah, a small exit came visible on the side of the road that read “Bonneville Salt Flats” I had to stop.

I geared down the Jeep and pulled into the small strip parking lot on the side of the road. “Hey! Wake up!” I exclaimed. “This is the Bonneville salt flats, Look!” I pointed to the sign “This is where cars break the sound barrier”. Tori seemed less than enthused.

I suggested that since it was still light, we should go for a walk into the dessert. Tori said that the mountains in the distance didn't look far, and maybe we could climb one, and make it back before dark.

After letting the Jeep idle while we grabbed out backpacks out of the trailer, we shut the Jeep down, and I placed Lupis' green pack over him, and we headed out for a short hike into the desert, passing the large concrete sign stating we were in the Bonneville salt flats.



I was surprised how rough the salt on the ground was. Infact, I wasn't sure it was salt at all. I was sure that it was some kind of sand. With the Jeep and trailer shrinking on the horizon, and my feet tingling from the salt beneath me, I grabbed my Swiss Army Knife and knelt down on the ground.

Taking a deep breath, the warm dry salty air filled my lungs. I looked out and could see the layers of salt which had taken form in the wind. I dug my knife into the ground. It was surprisingly hard. Hard like asphalt! A few moments later a small chunk of the white desert floor flicked off and I picked it up.

“Please don't tell me you're going to eat that” Tori remarked with a scowl. “I don't believe it's really salt” I replied. I examined the small white, crystalline rock in my hand. It had a few specks of dirt on it, but otherwise looked like a small piece of snow.

Opening my mouth, I popped in the chunk of desert floor. Not surprisingly the taste of salt filled my mouth. “Well?” Tori asked with eyebrows now raised. “Salty.” I stated. As nonchalantly as possible I grabbed my water canteen and drank some water to get rid of the taste. I could have sworn Tori was smirking at me.

A few hours later the mountains came into view. Far behind me was the small black speck which was my Jeep. It looked like a tractor-trailer had pulled into the parking area as well. My feet were starting to feel a little raw from wandering over the course salt barefoot for the last three hours.

“It's starting to get dark, we should head back to the Jeep.” I mentioned. Sadly, the mountains were very close but we didn't want to leave the open Jeep by itself for the night. I snapped a photo of the area and we headed back to the Jeep.

Arriving just after nightfall, My feet felt a little raw from walking over the rough, crunchy salt for almost six hours. Looking up, the stars above us were spectacular. Millions and millions of stars hung so low it looked like we could touch them.

“We'll sleep here for the night” I said. Tori dug out the sleeping bags and curled up in the back seat of the Jeep. I slept in the open trailer with Lupis, admiring the beauty surrounding me.

As I drift off to sleep under a canopy of countless stars on a cool autumn night, a shooting star cut through the cosmos.

Year's End Hike 2009

Year's End Hike
By Wolfmaan

It's been a delightful autumn for hiking. Cool temperatures and lack of snow made for great trail conditions. Mostly firm packed dirt with little mud and little rain.

Shortly after the Winter Solstice, luck ran out. Although I day-hiked for four days straight during the Christmas Holidays, Monday December 28th was by far today would be most enjoyable.

Morning came on December 28th to find the ground covered in a new blanket of shimmering white snow. The temperature was cold at -3C and blowing a gale across the peninsula.

My friend Chuck arrived early in his black sunfire, which stood out sharply against the glimmering background of white which surrounded my country home. After exchanging greetings as it had been some time since our last adventure. Chuck and I piled into his warm car and hit the road.

Our plan was to hike to a series of old mines in Queenston, Ontario about a 20 minute drive from my home. Sadly upon arrival the area had a sign up that someone, obviously disturbed, had been deliberately poisoning dogs in the area. Another area had to be chosen for Luka, my 3yr old Siberian Huskies safety.

Chuck and I settled on Rockway Falls, a large waterfall in the Pelham region of Ontario Canada about an hours drive from Queenston.

Not surprisingly, upon our arrival the parking lot of the Rockway Community Center had no tyre tracks in the parking lot on the glistening white snow. The nearby waterfall could be heard thundering as it was a quiet day.

Gearing up with my hob-nailed hiking boots, gaiters, base layer, outer shell, ski-mask, goggles, gloves, and backpack took some time. Winter hiking is always challenging as it requires a significant amount of equipment to keep warm and safe. Luka, ran around and played impatiently as I geared up. The snow was ankle deep and the cold wind cut through my base layers until I managed to get on my outer shell.

Locking the car and heading out onto the trails, Chuck and I came near the edge of the thundering waterfall. Looking over the edge of the large gorge carved over thousands of years by the waterfall was mystifying. The haze from the waterfall slowly rose out of the flowing chocolate milk coloured water, and covered the area in ice. The ice formations around the base of the falls made the water look like it was pouring over giant crystals with light shimmering off them.

Walking along the fenceline through hibernating trees and vines, stiff from the cold and missing their leaves was challenging. The frozen leafless branches and vines were stiff and took some effort to push through. The path was narrow with a chain link fence on one side, and a steep drop off into the gorge on the other.

Using my hiking poles, often referred to as “sissy sticks” I plodded my way through the snow feeling ahead of me for crevices covered in snow which could lead to a fall. The area, when not covered in snow is very rocky. After the last ice age glaciers receded in the area. All the soil and sand was ripped off the rocks, leaving them to stand lifeless and hope to collect soil and seed over the millennia.

Reaching the edge of a rocky section, a steep climb down to another steep hill lay before me. I had to convince Luka to jump over a couple of small crevices. This convincing included a short chase as Luka decided to abandon the hike for a short period of time and attempt to return to the safety of the car.

From the large rocky ledge, some of the Niagara Region was visible. Before me lay a large expanse of trees slowly dropping off tier by tier into the valley below. The sleeping brown trees, crowned with a layer of fresh snow made them beautiful to behold. In the distance large rectangular shaped farms could be seen leading out to a hazy Lake Ontario far off in the distance.

Descending a steep snow covered hill, partially on my bottom, and partially on foot led to a large treed plateau with a path to the fast flowing river below. Chuck suggested exploring some of the eastern sections of the park to which neither of us had been. I agreed and set out with Luka to blaze new tracks into the faint trail in the snow. Tall trees towered overhead and dropped snow onto me like a child playing a game.

The barely visible trail came to an open area where a beige rubbish bin was sitting upright near a tree. Nearby a small, light blue rectangle could be seen. “A Bruce Trail Side Trail” I announced to Chuck. Approaching the blue rectangle, a small sign stated that I had come upon a 1.9km loop and warned not to cross the river at high flow. This time of year, there was a significant flow in the river from run-off.

Following the trail through a series of pointless ups and downs (better known as “PUD”) the trail came to the riverside. “I guess this is what they were talking about” Chuck said as I looked across the river to see a blue blaze on the other side of the river. There was no way to cross the river safely at this point. “We can take our shoes and socks off, hike up our pants and make the crossing if you really want to” I said to Chuck. “Not likely” he replied.

In the distance I spotted a man crossing the river in tall rubber boots with his black dog. Chuck and I approached the man who said would be difficult to cross the river without waterproof boots. It was possible to follow some paths along the riverside. The mans dog was quite happy to see Luka and ran around being playful.

The riverside trail led to an old, dilapidated dam which may have been able to be crossed. A large 2m long section of the dam was missing, preventing a safe crossing.

While examining the area, an athletic woman in skin tight black pants came running up with her young son and said that there are more snow-covered trails running beside the river and off into the woods. I thanked the woman and she ran off with her son. I advised Luka to come with us, as she had started to run off with the woman into the distance.

A small hill following the river had a tree on it which caught my attention. At the base of the tree laid a good sized honeycomb. It must have fallen from the tree in autumn. It was very unusual and a striking orange colour.

Continuing through the tall trees and a bit more PUD the trail seemed to hook again towards the river. “Looks like the remnants of an old farm silo” Chuck said as he pointed to a large circle of rocks. “There's a fire pit inside” I said.

Chuck asked me to search his backpack and dig out some firestarters he had packed. The firestarter was a small brown brick. The brick was made out of sawdust, twigs, and glue then soaked in kerosene to make them ignite. They are available at most outdoor stores.

No longer being within the park boundary, Chuck collected some twigs and sticks and I set-up to make a fire. I cleared some snow out of the fire pit and set up the twigs into a tee-pee style. I took some toilet paper from my pack and balled it up and stuffed it into the tee-pee with the firestarter.

A single match later, the small fire came to life!

“Fire is like any living thing” I explained. “you have to love it, nurture it. You have to feed it and pay attention to it for it to thrive” I leaned over the small tee-pee and blew gently on the flames to get them to start to ignite the sticks.

“Snap!” “Pop!” I heard, and smiled. The sound of the fire taking hold.

Chuck brought a few more sticks which he broke into small lengths and settled in to relax and enjoy our small fire in the large ring of rocks. Chuck and I both ate an energy bar while enjoying the primitive act of sitting around a fire in the winter. I activated the SPOT unit and completed my journal.

The small fire, only a few centimetres in diameter snapped and hissed with a gentle orange flame emanating from it. A small area of warmth in this vast and seemingly baron, snow blanketed area.

Two young men came by with a backpack and bag of wood. I asked them if they were from the area, and they replied “Yes, I own this property and am happy to see someone using my fire ring!” Chuck suggested that if he had brought some marshmallows to our fire, it would have made for a much better experience. The two men smiled and went off into the distance.

After a while relaxing and enjoying the small fire, all the twigs and sticks had burned down. Chuck and I collected snow and dumped it over the fire to ensure that it was out completely. I took a stick and mixed the snow and ash around to ensure there was no smoke, then added more snow.

Bending over to listen for any hissing or see any smoke, Chuck snapped a photo of me and said it looked like I was doing the “Vulcan Mind Meld” with the fire ring. I laughed and put on my kit to head out for the journey back to the car, parked 5km away.

The journey away from the fire ring was uneventful. The PUD seemed to be steeper on the way back to the car than I had remembered.

While stopping for a rest, a few people passed us by. “See, that's why people often get hurt and die out here” I pointed out to Chuck. One couple was grossly under-dressed in just thin, cotton pants and thin jackets. The woman had running shoes on. They looked uncomfortable and cold. The other couple with them was elderly, both looked miserable and under-dressed. None had a backpack, water, or any supplies whatsoever. The elderly lady was limping and the wet-spots on her pants indicated she had fallen into the snow at least once. I hoped they would make it safely back to their car. “We're behind them and will help out if they get in trouble” Chuck replied.

The snow covered hills with towering trees led to the giant hill which I descended a few hours earlier. Chuck decided to take a short cut and took another hill. I followed my earlier tracks with Luka and slowly ascended the steep, snow covered hill. The hob-nails on my boots made for a sure grip and prevented slipping. The hiking poles helped stay upright while ascending the hill.

Reaching the top of the hill, I assisted Luka in climbing a steep rocky section and scrambled up myself. Shortly after I heard a loud whistle in the distance. Chuck was signalling he had successfully made it to the top on his detour.

I waited atop the ridge. The snow now blowing harshly in the cold. The wind cut through my layers easily and it was getting nasty looking. I moved slowly along the trail to a fork in the trail where I heard a second whistle. I returned the whistle again. Luka went running off as she had spotted Chuck sitting at the base of a tree. Chuck stood up and followed me to the parking lot and to his car. There were two pick-up trucks now in the parking lot. One of which was still occupied. A good choice to stay warm and dry in the weather, I thought.

Arriving at the car, I stripped off most of my gear and stowed it in the boot. Chuck helped Luka into the car and headed for home for the day.

It was a great and unusual thing to have a fire on a day hike. The act of sitting around a fire in the woods seems to invoke a primal part of our psyche lost aeons ago. As 2009 comes to a close, it leaves behind 1,000km of hiking I did throughout the year. Hopefully 2010 will have some great trips and stories to come.

Photos from the trip can be found here.


Wolfmaan relaxing by the fire

Decew Falls Tunnel Exploration 200809-30

Decew Falls Tunnel Exploration
August 30, 2009

This weekend, I was supposed to be hiking the Bruce Trail in Collingwood, Ontario but the weather report stated lots of rain so I decided to call it off.

I searched the internet for any details of this area which has fascinated me for many years but I dared not enter because I wasn't cave certified previously. The best information I could find about the Decew Falls mine was that it was an old mine from the 1800's and ran about 1,200 metres long and came to an abrupt end. Speaking with my step father-in-law he stated that the tunnel was used by the Decew Power company to discharge water from the turbines back in the 1800's and may lead into the current sewage treatment plant nearby. Either way it sounded like a great adventure!

A Weekend Warrior friend of mine arrived around noon and we headed out to Decew Falls, in the Southern End of St. Catharines. We parked in the parking lot and I packed away my helmet and Petzl torch and we made the journey to a section of the park which has some ropes attached to it for easy access to the gorge floor where a small stream runs alongside a hiking path to the base of the falls.

Taking my Siberian Husky Luka to the bottom of the gorge was easier than expected. We made our way down to the hiking trail which had quite a few people on it as it was a nice weekend, although a good chance of rain.

We arrived at the entrance to the tunnel to find an unexpected visitor was sunning himself on the rocks near the falls – a good sized Eastern Fox Snake. My friend kept Luka away from the snake and I grabbed a few photos.

Approaching the entrance to the old tunnel we were enveloped in the mist of the waterfall which gave an exotic feel to this location. I put on my helmet and Petzl LED torch, my friend decided to forgo any head protection.

The water was surprisingly warm and very clear as I walked barefoot through the entrance to the old shaft which was closed off by a steel door which had long been forced open. There was a set of cart tracks which seemed to run the length of the tunnel. I was a little concerned about broken glass laying in the silt of the tunnel, and kept to walking on the steel cart tracks and moved along slowly.

Being enveloped by darkness, sounds of the Decew Falls quickly faded away leaving us to hear only our footsteps through the water and Luka running around in the tunnel.

The tunnel walls felt cool to the touch and slimy, and we could smell a musty mildew-like smell which is common in areas like this.

Heading deeper into the old tunnel we could see something reflecting in our torches up ahead. The tunnel got wider at one point, then narrowed again. The walls in some areas were covered in rust coloured slime with water slowly dripping off them to form stalactites on the ceiling. I turned to my friend and said “Lick it... LICK IT! You know you want to!” to which we both laughed.

The water and railroad tracks came to an end, buried under some hard mud and we made our way past some old scrap metal left in the tunnel to the end of the tunnel.

The end of the tunnel was blocked by a large black powder-coated pipe which protruded into the tunnel surrounded by large wooden timbers on all sides. Blocking our path was a convex steel plate, keeping whatever was behind it secured. The bottom of the steel pipe had an old valve, long rotted out and rusted from disuse. The tunnel was at most 500 metres long, nowhere near the 1,200 metres I had read about on the internet.

Luka enjoyed her huskysploration of the tunnel, and my friend and I took some photos and then slowly made our way through the slimy water, and musty smelling air back to daylight at the end of the tunnel.

There was a bit of rubbish in the tunnel from aluminium pop cans, and plastic water bottles but thankfully all the glass we saw was intact and posed no danger to Luka and my bare feet.

Arriving back at the entrance to the cave, we were met by a young gentleman and several children who were quite fascinated by the cave, but had no torches or equipment to explore it as we had.

Making the trip back up the gorge walls to the paths above, we stopped in at the Decew Falls museum and spoke with the volunteers there. They had little knowledge or information about the tunnel we just explored. They did, however comment on how well behaved Luka was and said they loved her blue eyes.

Full photos of the adventure can be found here

Wolfmaan's barefoot Bruce Trail Expedition 2009

Wolfmaan's Bruce Trail Expedition 2009
Week 01

Barefoot adventurer Wolf Starchild, who goes by Wolfmaan left June 01^st for a solo expedition up the Bruce Trail. An 850km long footpath from Queenston, Ontario to Tobermory, Ontario. The trail is broken up into nine individual clubs which maintain each section of the trail.

During the first 7 days on the trail, Wolfmaan has completed over 100km of the trail which included the 80km Niagara Club section. The weather was cool with no rain. He had friends and his wife join him for “short” 20km day hikes on the trail.

When asked what the biggest complaint was about the trail, Wolfmaan promptly said “there needs to be more overnight rest areas [or campsites] available for through hikers of the trail. When asked about going barefoot over the entire 100km he stated the most difficult sections were the loose gravel paths. Wolfmaan stated “They aren't that painful, but really slowed me down to a crawl”

Wolfmaan is the first person in the 40 year history of the Bruce Trail to have completed the Niagara Section barefoot. He is currently waiting for recognition from the Niagara Bruce Trail club.

To see the full slideshow click here

Northbound Bruce Trail Hike - 2009

Norbound Bruce Trail 2009


I have been an adventurer and explorer my entire life. From a young age I set sail from the comfort of my home seeking new places and meeting new people. These adventures have taken me across the globe and to some of the most desolate places on earth.

One area of Canada has always stood out to me is an 800km footpath which runs from Niagara Falls Ontario Canada to Tobermory Ontario Canada. The path was created in 1967 to help promote biodiversity and protect the last dying wilderness of the Niagara Escarpment from development.

Like a lot of people, I hold down a mediocre, going-nowhere dead-end job at a call center which pays some of my mundane expenses but lacks fulfillment and uses few of my talents.

On June 02, 2009 I will be leaving my job and embarking on an 800km journey. Starting off in Queenston, Ontario I will be casting-off and heading toward Tobermory with only my dog, Luka.

By the time you read this blog, trip planning will be well underway using the latest technology and cutting-edge products to keep me safe and in touch with my support network of friends and family who will re-supply me every 10 days along the trail.

Inspired by great adventurers like Todd Carmichael, Dot Butler and Tom Perry, I will set-off on my journey focused on completing the trail in 60 days. While this is by no means record breaking, it will set a new precedent in my life and allow me to use all my outdoor skills in my first long distance solo hike.

I'll be subjecting myself and my gear to some of the toughest, grueling conditions in the Canadian sub-arctic climate.

Traveling barefoot, the trip will be a triumph of mind as well as body. When completed I will be one of the few who have completed a single-trip northbound hike of Canada's oldest and longest hiking trail.

Eramosa Karst Park 200812-26

Friday, December 28 – 2008
10:00 – 16:00
Start: 12:00
Roads: Ice / Snow
Visibility: +10km
Temp: -2C
Area: Eramosa Karst
Vehicle: Black Sunfire
Weather: Overcast
Trail Conditions: Mud / Ice / Snow
Hikers: Wolfmaan, Wolfsgrrl, Deciduous Rockwell, Luka
Plan: Visit the Nexus Cave
GPS: 43.187394 -79.809049

When most people think of Hamilton Ontairo Canada they think of big industries. Steel production being the largest product of the city from companies like Stelco and Dofasco.

What is unbeknownst to most of the residents of the area is that there is a good sized cave system sitting on the top of the Niagara Escarpment, right in the middle of a housing development.

The Niagara Escarpment is a massive ridge of fossil rich sedimentary rock which began its formation 450 million years ago as the outer rim of a shallow sea known geologically as the Michigan Basin, it soars 510 metres at its highest point and stretches 725 km from Niagara to Tobermory. It has a rich mosaic of forests, farms, recreation areas, scenic views, cliffs, streams, wetlands, rolling hills, waterfalls, mineral resources, wildlife habitats, historic sites, villages, towns and cities and includes some of Ontario's best skiing, camping, swimming, fishing, boating, hiking and viewing. The Escarpment is also home to Canada's longest footpath, the Bruce Trail which was established in 1967.

The cave system is well hidden, and was quite difficult for us to find. We rounded the park several times before seeing the parking area, because as noted before – it's in the middle of a housing development. The caves were discovered in 1999 and the Toronto caving group investigated and explored the system and got Canada's outdoor watchdog, the Ministry of Natural Resources involved in a plan to preserve the 32 hectare area.

In 2008 the park was officially recognised as the Eramosa Karst Conservation area by the Hamilton Conservation Authority.

I visited the park on a cold December's day with my partner Wolfsgrrl and fellow adventurer Deciduous Rockwell. We arrived in the area around 11:30 but could not follow the directions we had gotten from the web, and asked a local police officer who stated she had no idea where the park could be located. We resolved to visit an electronics store called Best Buy and use their demonstration computers to have another look at the google maps. Shortly thereafter we arrived at the park using directions cross-reference by a map from Wolfsgrrl.

The park was empty except for a single car and our black sunfire. There cold, windy day was too bleak for most to take to the trails. There were several pavilions with information boards posted on them explaining how important this area is as well as some of the people who helped initially explore the caves and get the park preserved, up and running.

All around us were vast sheets of ice, recent temperature fluctuations had caused the snow to melt and freeze, making the trails a bit challenging for us, although my Husky Luka had no trouble.

We got a small printed map from one of the pavillions, and made our way down the ice and snow covered trails to our first destination which was the Potruff Homestead. The ruins of the homestead were covered in ice and snow and not really visible to us on this particular visit. We continued on to find the Blue Hole. Other than what appeared to be a partially frozen marsh, we could not find the Blue Hole. We passed a marker post which was clearly labelled "Blue Hole" but still could not find anything, we pressed on.

To ensure we were going in the right direction, I took a compass bearing using Deciduous's compass/whistle combination to find we were indeed on the right track and headed towards the Nexus Cave Window.

Arriving at the Nexus Cave Window, we saw a large tree, with a few rocks piled at the base, and a gaping hole in the ground. Upon closer inspection we could see the marker post stating this was the Nexus Cave Window. As we approached we could hear the distinct sound of running water. The entrance was quite large, we approached with caution.

Descending into the cave we could see it was fairly shallow at about 1.5m in depth, and had shallow water maybe 20cm deep flowing through it. We could smell sulphur deposits in the rock, and the distinct earth smell as the cave was not frozen over.

Light penetrated into the opening and we didn't require torches except to examine some of the deeper sections of the cave which had frigid water flowing through them. We decided in the interest of safety not to venture into the cold waters to explore the caves until summer where the temperatures would be slightly warmer and water levels hopefully lower. Someone had discarded a set of red gloves in the cave with the name "Buck" written on them in black indelible marker. We decided to remove them and dispose of them properly.

Deciduous decided to head along an old field line and head on out to visit some of the other sinks and windows in the park. Shortly thereafter we came upon the Stewart Creek Sink and decided to loop back and visit the Nexus Cave entrance.

Arriving at the Nexus Cave entrance we saw what appeared to be two large stone fingers protruding out of the snow covered ground, like that of giant who had lost his fingers to a butchers knife. Between the giant rock fingers lay a large, black hole – the Nexus Cave.

Slowly entering the Nexus cave over the packed snow, again we heard water flowing and the distinct earth smell as we entered the depths of the cave. After a brief inspection we decided to brink Luka into the cave for some huskysploration – a term coined by a Toronto based Urban Explorer with an affinity to huskies.

The primary entrance to the cave was small, again only about 1.5m high, not enough to stand up in, only to crouch and look around. We could see the water flowing into another area of the entrance which would require a belly crawl to pass through. Cold waters and frigid temperatures made us decide to stay as dry as possible, so we could explore the rest of the cave entrances in the park.

Spending some time examining the entrance to the Nexus Cave, we took some photographs and then returned to the surface to take a compass bearing and head back to the Stewart Creek sink, which this time of year was iced over, although we could hear the creek dropping underground to some unknown depths.

Following the snow packed pathways we passed the Potruff Blind Valley and headed to the Potruff cave which even in winter, was impressive on our approach.

The Potruff cave had a beautiful earth smell, and the sound of a gentle waterfall rushing and cascading to some unknown depths. We took some photographs and did our best to stay dry, there didnt' look like any deep cave access here at this point in time, perhaps in summer.

We headed back to the trail passing the Amphitheatre and Potruff Springs, which we could not see due the cold icy blanket of snow which covers the park at this time of year. We rounded the bend and headed back towards the car, where Wolfsgrrl fell on some large boulders and whacked her knee good. The next day she had quite the bruise from her fall.

We stripped off our boots, gaiters, outer shells, backpacks and stored them in the boot and headed back towards the Niagara Region where we came from earlier in the day.

The experience at this park was phenomenal. The cave system which runs through here defiantly warrants a return trip in warm weather with proper caving gear. These caves are small and shouldn't be attempted by anyone without proper caving experience or equipment.

The area is cared for by the "Friends of Eramosa Karst" which is a non-profit organisation dedicated to fighting to keep the area clean, pure, and preserve it for future generations to explore. Although the caves have been designated an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI) as well as Environmentally Significant Area (ESA), The biggest challenge they face is to ensure that the water which flows through the caves does not become contaminated and prevent safe exploration.

Eramosa Karst is a great area to visit and enjoy, even if you are not a caver. hopefully enough people will care about the caves to ensure the government of Canada acts to protect this cave system for future generations.

A Week At Elora Gorge 200806-23 to 200806-27

Monday, June 23 – 2008 to Friday, June 27 – 2008
09:00 – 22:00
Start: 09:00
Roads: Dry / Clear
Visibility: 24km
Temp: +25C
Area: Elora, Ontario
Vehicle: Black Toyota Matrix
Weather: Mostly Cloudy
Trail Conditions: Damp from rain
Hikers: Wolf, Tori, Brian
Plan: Spend a Week Camping in Elora
GPS: 43 40.50N by 80 26.97W

200806-23: We woke up early around 07:00hrs and Brian arrived around 08:00hrs and we loaded his Toyota Matrix more full than it had ever been, full of tents, sleeping bags, food, and other camp gear we'd need over the week. We left the dogs at home with me mum so we could have a week without them. We arrived at the campsite around 10:00 and set-up our tents and then head into Elora to buy a few food supplies. With my back still very sore from the injuries of last week at camp, We went on a bit of a slow hike around the gorge and got some great photographs. After the short hike we went back to camp and Tori massaged my back for a while, and we made a nice campfire, sat around and talked the night away. We headed to bed around 23:00hrs

200806-24: We got up around 09:00hrs and headed into Elora for Brian to get some supplies for himself, then went back to the campsite and decided to go on the tube ride. It was a blast going through the rapids barefoot with just a shorts, a lifejacket and innertube! We had a wild time, followed by some easy floating to the end. The scenery in the gorge was phenomenal. There were a few rough spots in the gorge, and both Brian and I fell out of our tubes at one point but none of us got any serious injuries, but it sure didn't help my sore back. After the tube ride we returned the tubes to the rental place and went back to camp and relaxed for the rest of the evening and exchanged stories and ate marshmallows and hot dogs cooked over the campfire. We went to bed around 22:30hrs

200806-25: We woke up and relaxed for a bit and went to head out to renew our campsite for the rest of the week. Unfortunately Brian's car had picked up a nail or something and had a flat tyre on the rear drivers side. We limped into town and got it repaired at a local shop, then Brian went into town to buy some more supplies for himself and Tori and I explored some of the little shops in the area who were all barefoot friendly. We bought a few small things like a dragonfly necklace for me at a store called "Jammed Lovely". We also visited a very cool Japanese Tea Shop. After our visit to town we had a quick lunch and then went out for a hike around the gorge itself. We'd been on the hike before, but with my back still troubling me, we took our time to poke around and relax and grab some great photographs. We also met a very cool tattooed couple. The girl had full bangs and blue streaks in her hair, but the rest of her head was shaved! After our long hike we headed back to the campsite to have dinner of roasted hot dogs and marshmallows as well as some freeze-dried camp food. We relaxed by the fire and headed to bed around 23:00hrs.

200806-26: We woke up around 09:30hrs and decided since it had been 4 days, we really need to seek our some showers. A quick drive to the shower facilities made us realise that even at $27.00 per night, the showers were PAY showers! We decided to not shower here and try to go out and find some hiking trails. We ended up finding Ontario's last covered bridge just outside of Elora, as well as a few parks, but no real trails to enjoy. We went back to camp and sat around enjoying the solitude as we were the only ones in the area at the time. I had a chance to rest my back and read Tom Browns Guide to Living With The Earth – a book on bringing spirituality to survivalism, and listen to my iPod. As night came upon us we had a fire and had freeze-dried food for supper then headed to bed around 23:00hrs

200806-27: We decided as there was not much in the way of hiking in this area, we'd pack up and head home. We packed up all our gear, cleaned up the campsite as well as cleaned some of the rubbish left there by previous visitors which included a damaged barbecue unit which we put into the dumpster. We took one last check of the camp to ensure we had not forgotten anything and left camp around 10:00hrs and arrived home in a little more than an hour and a half with Brian at the helm.

It would have been a much more enjoyable week had my back not been still troubling me since camp, at some points I could not properly stand. The hard ground under the tent was a big help in straightening it out. It would have also been a much better trip had there been some hiking trails more readily available to us. The first thing we did after unpacking all our gear from Brians car was go and shower.