I’ve now completed 5 sections of the Bruce Trail (there are 9)!
What’s the Bruce Trail? According to the Bruce Trail Conservancy website, the Bruce Trail is “Canada’s oldest and longest marked footpath. Running along the Niagara Escarpment in southern Ontario from Niagara to Tobermory, the Bruce Trail spans more than 890 km of main Trail and over 400 km of associated side trails.”
- Niagara – Queenston to Grimsby (Maps 1-5) (read summary)
- Iroquoia – Grimsby to Milton (Maps 5-11) (read summary)
- Toronto – Milton to Cheltenham (Maps 11-14) (read summary)
- Caledon Hills – Cheltenham to Mono Centre (Maps 14-19) (read summary)
- Dufferin Hi-Land – Mono Centre to Lavender (Maps 19-21) (read summary)
- Blue Mountains – Lavender to Craigleith (Maps 21-24) (read summary)
- Beaver Valley – Craigleith to Blantyre (Maps 24-28) (read summary)
- Sydenham – Blantyre to Wiarton (Maps 28-35)
- Peninsula – Wiarton to Tobermory (Maps 35-42)
DUFFERIN HI-LAND SECTION
Started the Dufferin Hi-Land section: June 3, 2019
Finished the Dufferin Hi-Land section: October 19, 2019
Run details
June 3, 2019 – Hockley Road to Highway 89 – 25k (solo)
June 29, 2019 – Highway 89 to 20 Sideroad/Prince of Wales Road – 27.4k (with Kris)
October 19, 2019 – 20 Sideroad/Prince of Wales Road to 2k north of the Mulmur-Nottawasaga Townline parking and back to the parking by the cemetary – 18k (with Kris)
Run stats
- # runs: 3
- # solo runs: 1
- # runs with my husband Alasdair: 0
- # runs with friends: 2 (Kris!)
- shortest run: 18k
- longest run: 27.4k
- average length of run: 21.1k
Run highlights
Perfect running conditions: On June 3 the ground was almost completely dry, there were no bugs, the sun was shining, the wind was blowing, and the temperature was a comfortable 15C or so!
Wrong turns: My friend Kris and I were clearly too engrossed in conversation to follow the blazes. We missed trail turns a couple of times, running a little more than we needed to!
Best post-run cooling station: The little waterfall at 20 Sideroad/Prince of Wales Road! We doused our faces with cold water. So refreshing.
Most gorgeous fall colours: Starting around 8 AM, it was around -2C on October 19 at 20 Sideroad/Prince of Wales Road. The frost just added to the beautiful fall colours!
Wildlife sightings: The most memorable wildlife sighting in this section of the Bruce Trail was a Great Crested Flycatcher – I had no idea what kind of bird it was when I spotted it, but found out through some google searching. I also sought confirmation from other members of the Bruce Trail Facebook group.
Single vehicle run: My husband dropped me just south of Hockley Valley and then parked at my end point just south of Boyne Valley Provincial Park, and then while I ran 25k, he biked and then ran, with me picking him up at his end point. Most of the time, my runs have involved a running companion and 2 cars.
Neat finds: A Bruce Trail log book!
Follow me on Facebook: Kyra on the Go: Adventures of a Paddling Triathlete
Follow me on Twitter: @kyraonthego
Follow me on Instagram: @kyraonthego
Kyra On The Go 