August 15, 2024 · 1 Comments
By Brian Lockhart
An Orangeville family has completed a goal that was nine years in the making. It took them across some pretty rough terrain in southern Ontario.
Jake Smith and his sons Jadon and Noah, began a quest to walk the entire Bruce Trail from Queenstown to Tobermory – that’s 890 km, (550 miles) in 2015. Jadon was just three years old when they started the adventure and is now one of the youngest hikers to complete the entire trail.
Jake, who grew up on the East Coast in a remote area, has been hiking since he was a kid and was used to navigating his way along trails. When he moved to Ontario, he learned about the Bruce Trail and decided it would be a good challenge to give it a try.
“I grew up out east, and my father always took me hiking,” Jake explained. “It was something I grew up with. I wanted my kids to be able to experience something like that. When I moved to Ontario I heard about the Bruce Trail. I bought the book on it, and it came with 42 maps that showed you where to park and where all the trails were.”
The Bruce Trail goes through forests, swamps, rocky terrain, farmer’s fields, and along some spectacular cliffs along the Niagara Escarpment.
They started their trek at the beginning of the trail at Queenstown, Ontario.
It was necessary to plan a route properly so that when they completed a section, they would have a ride waiting for them.
Jake’s wife, Lyn, would drive the car and meet them at the exit point.
“My wife would drive us to point A, and we would agree on point B, and to be picked up at a certain time.” Jake explained.
By the time the path led them to the Milton area, Lyn started joining in on the walk so they would have to take two cars – one to get to the start point, and one waiting for them at the endpoint. They tried to average 15 km on each of the hikes, although sometimes they as much as 25 km depending on the next exit point on the trail.
The Bruce Trail is not a flat easy trail. There are some very difficult rocky areas, swamps that have to be navigated, and some cliffside areas where you have to be careful.
“There are places you have to use ropes to climb up, and ladders to climb down,” Jake said.
They found it to be a challenging and rewarding experience.
The final leg of the journey found them in inclement weather and rough terrain which turned a two-day hike into a four-day adventure.
They made the final 7 km, hike on Aug. 5, and their adventure ended at the stone cairn marking the end of the trail – nine years after they made their first hike.
Great article! I’ve lived in Southern Ontario and had heard about the trail. This gives an excellent picture of what the trail is all about. Congrats to Jake and his boys. i met Jake’s father, while walking at a new indoor track in Florenceville New Brunswick. He always sets the pace for us, and we love his enthusiam. Thanks for the article!