Couple Preparing to Hike: Last fall I shared a story about the completion of The Great Trail, Canada’s spectacular hiking route that crosses the entire country east to west, and stretches all the way north to the Arctic. The route is the culmination of more than 20 years of work and links up a network of existing trails to create a single 24,000 km (14,912 mile) through hike that is amongst the longest and most varied on the planet.
Of course, it wasn’t long after that that we received word of the first thru-hiker to complete the entire route. Now, a Canadian couple is preparing to set out to hike the entire trail as well, although rather than doing it in pieces they plan to hike it end-to-end in a single go.
Sonja Richmond and Sean Morton hope to set out in June of this year on what promises to be a three-year odyssey along the entire length of The Great Trail. They’ll begin their journey at Cape Spear in Newfoundland and begin walking west, with the goal of reaching Victoria in British Columbia.
That would complete the east-west route of the GT, but the trail also loops north to the Arctic as well. So they’ll also eventually hike from Edmonton, Alberta to Tuktoyaktuk in the Northwest Territory as well.
On their website, Richmond and Morton describe themselves as “passionate about nature, hiking, photography, birding, and exploring new places.” This sense of wonder and connection with nature is helping to spur on their decision to trek the GT. In order to do so, they are quitting their jobs, have sold their home, and are now in the final stages of preparation. As of now, it looks like they are on track to begin their massive hike in June as executed.
A major component of Sonja and Sean’s thru-hike is to experience some of the important bird habitats that Canada has to offer and the Great Trail passes through. They hope to raise awareness of birding as a pastime and the impact that being outdoors can have on our health and general well being.
To that end, they’ll be posting regular updates throughout the length of the journey, both on their website and Facebook page. Once underway, you’ll be able to follow their progress at both locations and experience the wonders of The Great Trail yourself.
Find out more about the two hikers and their goals here.
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