Trillium Hikes

02/02/2025

New video has been published to YouTube!!

Rob and I head back to the Bruce Trail for our 2nd day on the trail. We pick up where we left off at the Welland Canal and make our way to Brock University.

https://youtu.be/ENSYeDQ6JRU?si=af_7rJubIB_0xC-H

Bruce Trail End to End: A Second Endeavor | Day 2 | Part 1 | Welland Canal to Brock University!Rob and I are back on the Bruce! Just before Christmas (2024) ...

01/14/2025

Part 2 of our first day on the Bruce Trail! Rob and I are tackling the 900 KM trail in segments and starting in the Niagara Peninsula.

Day 1 knocked off a little more than 18 KMs or hike and a mere 155m of elevation gain.

It was interesting for me retracing my steps from 2019 when I tackled my first End-to-End of the Bruce Trail. There were many rock formations, old landmarks (like an old radar station) that sparked those memories. So much of the trail looked foreign to me though. In hindsight, there was a tonne of mud on the trail from torrential rain we had in Ontario in 2019 and I think I was focusing more on my footing and keeping my balance than what was around me. This second attempt on the Bruce has been a real treat and has been a great outing with a good friend.

https://youtu.be/blGH1e11WBg?feature=shared

#

Bruce Trail End to End: A Second Endeavor | Part 2 | Screaming TunnelPart 2 of our first day on the Bruce Trail! This episode continues on and Rob and I chec...

01/12/2025

Falling behind in posting updates - sorry about that folks!!

To bring y'all up to speed, after many years of friendship and suggesting we go hiking together, my buddy Rob and I finally scheduled a day hike on the Bruce Trail in the Bruce Peninsula National Park. It was a long day - not just from hiking but to get there and back involved a 3 hour drive from our homes.

Shortly after our return home, Rob messaged me to indicate he started to research the Bruce Trail, and hiking the entire 900 KM course through Ontario. Now what kind of friend would I be if I didn't keep him company? 😁😎

The link below is Day 1 of our End-to-End of the Bruce - starting in Queenston Heights - the Southern Terminus of the Bruce Trail. Check it out!!

Bruce Trail End-to-End: A Second Endeavor - Part 1 - The BeginningSo after our "little" excursion to the Bruce Peninsula National Park, Rob let it slip that ...

10/13/2024

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

We have a new video out today and this one means a lot to me.

Paul and I had a really nice day in Inverie, casually taking in the sites, doing a little exploring through the village. We had lunch at the pub and had a chat with an American who also did the Glenfinnan-to-Inverie hike right behind us, and who was also staying at the
Knoydart Bunkhouse.

But the best part of the day was dinner. Our reservations placed us at the same table with some new friends and soon after dinner, a tall sailing ship arrived with a group of musicians for some entertainment at the pub.

Without giving away too much, here's a link to the video.

Enjoy, and turn up your volume if only for the last few minutes.

Cheers!!

https://youtu.be/KJWRv2lJVYc?si=uUrdofYEpVYfoFA6

The hiking is done. We made it to Inverie and had our pints at The Old Forge - the UK's Most Remote Pub. We spent our first night at the Knoydart Bunkhouse a...

10/06/2024

More pictures from an outing last weekend with my biddy Rob.

Love the Fall on the . Last photo dump was full of fungi, this one more scenic.

In May of 2022, I hikes the last 120 KMs of the Bruce Trail from Hope Bay to Tobermory. The views and scenery were absolutely stunning and the water was ice cold but refreshing .

Thanks for pulling me back Rob!

Great day for a hike!.

09/29/2024

Love the Fall on the and see all the fungi come up.

There were some tiny bright red ones but guess we need to wait another week or so to see those in number.

Great day for a hike yesterday.

07/05/2024

Day 3 highlights from our hike from Glenfinnan to Inverie and The "UK's Most Remote Pub"!

Paul and I woke up on the floor of the Sourlies Bothy on the coast of Loch Nevis. Although we were on the right body of water, Inverie was still 16 KMs and 775m of elevation gain away.

A short walk from the bothy was a massive rock that putted out into the water and we couldn't go around so up and over we went. Oh, and the first path we took was a dead end. So down and back up we went. On the other side of the rock was more shore and nearly a kilometer of bog. Bog started great with firm grass but that quickly changed to water soaked grass and mud. We filled our bottles at the site of a beautiful old ruin. After the ruin was a 600m climb with switchback after switchback. I had a hell of a time with the climb. I managed a few meters then had to stop. But then we finally hit the saddle and it was mostly downhill from there. Suddenly I had a wind in my sails and even left Paul in the dust. It was still a very wet descent but I had stopped caring and simply walked in the water filled ruts of the path.

Paul and I walked into Inverie and who was waiting for us at a picnic table outside The Old Forge? Our Dutch couple friends from the bothy. We sat down to our first cold pint. Other patrons at the next table were a pair of fishermen from Mallaig and were impressed by our 3 day endeavor to get to the pub (pint #2).

Our Dutch friends left on the next ferry and we were joined by 2 gents we met briefly at the bothy the night before. Roddy went into the pub, brought our a dram of Scotch for the 4 of us and played a few tunes on the fiddle for all to enjoy.

We dined and drank and finally hiked back up the road to the Foundation Bunkhouse where we met a lovely young Scottish couple (more on them in the next post) . It was a fantastic end to a tough day.

07/03/2024

Catching up on my posts from my trip to Scotland.

After arriving in Glenfinnan we spent the night at a very cute rail sleeper car-turned hostel. The next morning we got our packs and hit the trail. We took the road down to the and hiked under it, following a paved path deeper into the valley. We ended up following the valley and hiked up to its saddle.

Day one on our hike to Inverie and the "UK's most remote pub" ( ) ended up being the most difficult of our 3-day journey. 21 KMs and 800m of elevation gain (according to AllTrails recording)

I lost half my leg in a bog - Paul had to help me strip off my pack and help pull me out of the mud, both trekking poles bent on separate falls (there were many) and one even broke (good thing I had duct tape on the poles).

We finally rolled into the A'Chuile bothy muddy, wet and tired but we met a really nice Dutch couple who we would meet up with again through our hike. Try as I might, I couldn't get a fire to stay lit in the fireplace but we managed to dry out and get a good night's sleep.

06/21/2024

Pictures are from Glenfinnan. You'll recognize the viaduct from the Harry Potter films. Also pictured is the Jacobite Monument and the Glenfinnan House and Hotel where we had lunch - truly beautiful inside. Views from the viaduct trail were also spectacular with Loch Shiel in the background.

The next day, we start our 50 KM hike to the most remote pub in the UK.

06/17/2024

Train ride from Glasgow to Glenfinnan - some picture highlights.

Beautiful scenery from the train...terrain went from flat and boggy to hilly and barren to forested. More pics to follow.

06/16/2024

First visit to Scotland starting in Glasgow. Tonight we spend the night here but tomorrow we're off to Glenfinnan by train. The next day, we start a 3-day hike to Inverie / Knoydart to get to the "most remote pub in the UK".

Anxious to hike in the Highlands

Stay tuned...more to come.

05/18/2024

Just a few teaser pics from our journey along Pukaskwa's Coastal Trail. It's been challenging and had non-stop rain on trail night 1. Had rain again last night but not nearly as much.

Beautiful scenery

05/16/2024

Let the adventure begin!!

Last, last WIFI check in .... see y'all in 10 days!

05/16/2024

First pics from Pukaskwa National Park.

Today/tonight camping in Front Country - Tomorrow we start the 120 km out and back Coastal Trail!!

See ya'll in 10 days!!

05/02/2024

More supplies for upcoming hike in Pukaskwa National Park.

Is it odd to get excited over new Merino wool socks?

Nahhhhh

#

04/25/2024

...

04/24/2024

...

04/23/2024

...