Ganaraska trail 2017

As I spend my summer on numerous day hikes, I think back to my three week solo hike on the Ganaraska trail. I reflect on what went well, and what I would change on future distance hikes.

The Ganaraska trail was established in the 1960's and continued to expand the trails until the 1980's. It begins in the highlands of Glen Huron and travels through the small communities of Creemore, Angus, Orillia, Fenlon Falls and ends in Port Hope. There is also two side trails into Wasaga Beach and Midland. This unique trail is a mix of little used trails, roads, swamps and some serious wilderness. Beaver dams are often the only way to travel from one area to the next.

Preparing for a distance hike, especially for a solo one, is time consuming. I spent almost a year sourcing where to find water, where to camp, and to create a network of people to support me. I also made sure to have a medical checkup and spent most of the spring gradually adding weights to my large pack to build up muscle. Often people think that it is the distance that is difficult on a distance hike. Sure, trekking 30 km a day is tiring, but throw on a 50 lb pack on your back and it becomes an entirely new struggle. Imagine piggy backing a six year old child for 16 hours, over rocky terrain. For this reason, I decided to go as light as I was able. This meant an ultralight tent, weighing less than an ounce and held up by my hiking poles, and only the size of a very small coffin. I left out many toiletries that others think are essential; no deodorant, no soap, no shampoo. Bring on the stink! Instead I had a travel size toothbrush and toothpaste and baby wipes. That's it. As for a first aid kit, you would assume being a nurse I would have the mother of all kits. Nope. Let's be honest, if it can't be fixed by duct tape, steri-strips, or a needle and thread, I should probably be heading out of the bush to a local hospital. Tweezers are the only other necessity, to pull out those blood sucking ticks.

We should talk about duct tape. It is a necessary item or life and for hiking. I wrap several feet around my hiking poles to lessen the weight in my pack. Duct tape can be used for everything from fixing a leaky tent, patching a hole in your pack, as a temporary fix on your shoes, and even as wound care. My other essentials are waterproof maps, waterproof matches and lighters that I put in several different containers, a whistle and a compass. I highly recommend learning to use a compass before heading into any back country area, as you won't always have a cell signal. As far as clothing goes, less is more. I had my daily hiking outfit of synthetic pants and top, with socks and hiking shoes. My other outfit was my camp clothing, one clean and dry fleecy outfit with warm socks and sandals to let my shoes dry out. A rain poncho for those wet days. I had an alcohol burning stove, one pot, one spork and one collapsible cup. I found that unlike most people, I did not have "hiker hunger" and the need for massive calories. Indeed, I had hiker nausea for most of my trip, and struggled to eat even a protein bar in one day, though would crave apples. Needless to say, I lost a significant amount of weight, as distance hiking often burns six to eight thousand calories a day.

Water was a constant obsession for me, and I would drink upwards of 8-10 liters every day. I still use the same filtration system, which is my Sawyer squeeze. No plug here, just saying this system is amazing, both easy to use and small to carry. I also carried an extra filter, my Lifestraw, which is tiny but acted as my back up. My last few items to fit in my Osprey pack where a ground sheet of plastic and a tarp for extra protection. Lastly, I had my sleeping bag and sleep mat. I quickly learned how to pack and unpack these items for easy access, and to better place the weight in my pack. Before this hike I didn't understand why my pack had so many straps. I was to quick to learn that tightening those straps to bring the pack as tight to your back as possible would make it much easier to carry.

Here is the reality moment that so many hikers either ignore or in ignorance don't know about. All toilet paper, wipes, etc, need to be packed out. Digging a hole and shoving your toilet paper in it doesn't work, and neither does throwing a rock over your waste. Please do dig a cat scratch, well off the trail, to do your business. Then take any paper waste and put it in a double freezer bag, and yep, pack it out. Seriously, no one wants to stumble upon your crappy toilet paper. If you love hiking, then you should respect both the environment you are travelling through and those following behind you.

Now I was ready to set off on a three week solo hike, thinking I was so prepared. Except I forgot something, something that in two weeks I would need to save my life, and I forgot to bring it....

Read on to continue to follow my journey