Bruce Trail: Starting from the end. Map 42

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On Friday, September 22, 2023, we formally began our attempt to cover the full distance of The Bruce Trail, around 900 kilometers. We started at what is considered the end of the trail, Tobermory, and we will continue our journey through it as the occasion presents itself, according to the weather and the budget. I would have liked to do it in reverse order, from north to south, from Lake Huron to Niagara, but financial and pragmatic facts have challenged my plan. Everything indicates that we won’t follow the initial sequence.

From this weekend's experience, I got clear that walking 20 kilometers per day, which was the distance I had planned for attacking each section of the route, could be too long for enjoyment. I had estimated that each of the 42 maps that make up the Bruce Trail could be completed in one day, meaning that the entire route would be completed in 42 days; Assuming two days per weekend, we would be dedicating 24 weekends to this project. Calculating one weekend per month, the entire trail could be completed in a little bit more than two years (assuming that during certain months you get distracted in other adventures).

Based on that plan, during this weekend, we should have covered maps 42 and 41 of the guide; one on Friday and the other the next day; but the walk on the first day consumed all the fuel for the second one. Now we know that a reasonable assumption to cover the distance between Tobermory and Cyprus Lake, which are located at either end of map 42, is between 6 and 8 hours. My initial estimate was that we could complete this route in 5 hours: four hours walking at a good pace and one for lunch and rest.

The second learning is that I must improve my logistics. Leaving one car at the end of the trail, and going to the starting point, requires time. My calculations based on Google Maps and simple arithmetic fell short. One of the reasons is that I did not include the time it takes to register the car at Parks Canada, nor the distance between parking lots.

Let me explain: If all the drivers in your group are going with you on the trekking, to start in Tobermory and finish in Cyprus Lake, you will need to leave one of the cars at the ending point. It happens that Cyprus Lake has a parking lot for those on a daily visit to the park to see the Grotto (P1) and another for those who are doing The Bruce Trail (parking P2). These parking lots are far from each other, and they are also far from the registration office. In my initial estimates, I did not calculate the time it would take me to register our group at the park office, nor the minutes to cover the distance between the parking lot and the park office. The result is that we started walking 2 hours 20 minutes later than I had planned.

Here is another note for those who are planning to do this section of the trail in the future. The Bruce Trail guide indicates that you must call to reserve parking in advance (however, it does not say who to call). Anyway, I called Parks Canada to reserve the parking spot, and the person who answered my call assigned me a 4-hour block, even though I told her that my purpose was to walk the Trail and that I didn't know how long it was going to take me. Once I got to the park’s office, on the day of the excursion, the person at the front desk told me that the reservation I had made by phone was for those who visit El Grotto (those visitors parked in P1 which has a limit of 4 hours per vehicle). She kindly changed my reservation to allow me to park at P2 which is intended for those hiking the Bruce Trail (and has no limit of time). The next day at the Visitor Center I was informed that if I join any of the Bruce Trail conservation clubs (there are nine clubs) I would not need to reserve parking in advance; just come to the park’s office, let them know my intentions to trek the trail and pay the fees.

This section of the trail was long but easy. Maybe some areas could be classified as moderate but nothing I would cosidered hard. The hardest part of the ruote is to walk on boulder beaches, and some short sections with steep steps. Other than that is mostly flat terrain. We had a good day, sunny and cool, but since most of the route went through the forest, we didn't even need sunscreen. The only nuisance was the biting flies, especially active on the rocky beaches, in one of them we stopped for eating and be eaten.

Without further to add, I leave you with the technical Datasheet of map 42:

Datasheet:

Map: 42	Date: Friday September 22, 2023
Start:	Stone cairn / Tobermory. 11:20 am
End:	Boulder Beach / Cyprus Lake 7:05 pm
Distance:	GPS Odometer: 17.9 Km Google Earth: ·         From the Stone Cairn to Little Cove Beach (lunch) 7.1 km. ·         From Little Cove Beach to Boulder Beach 13.4 Km. ·         Total 20.5Km
Speed / Rest:	·         Average speed: 3.2 kph ·         Time moving: 5:33:11 ·         Time stop: 2:27:48
Difficulty:	Easy to moderate
Parking:	One at Cyprus Lake (P2 parking lot) other in the Visitor Center in Tobermory.

Mapa:

The video of what it happens: