I read this book expecting an exhaustive guide to the Bruce Trail, but what I got was much, much more. This is a book for hikers and armchair hikers. It is a book of local history and a guide to the local flora and fauna. It is a meditation on the beauty and simplicity of hiking and being in nature. It is a subtle and not-so subtle manifesto on the necessity of actively protecting natural places, and particularly the Bruce Trail.
“the Bruce Trail is such a quiet but powerful presence in so many people’s lives.”
Nicola Ross is the bestselling author of The Loops & Lattes Hiking Guides which are seven different travel guides to all the sections of the Bruce Trail. 40 Days & 40 Hikes, (which was published in 2024), is a bit different in that the premise is to explore the entire Bruce Trail from tip to tail in 40 hikes. These hikes are considerable efforts as Nicola explores the many side trails and loops that connect the local area to the Bruce Trail to make the hikes a loop rather than an ‘out-and-back’ hike. As a hiking guide, each one can serve as a future goal or inspiration given that they cover 20+ km’s in each outing.
What was impressive to me about the book is that it covers so much ground, literally and metaphorically. It is a practical hiking guide for the more intrepid hiker, but also serves as an excellent arm-chair travel book for anyone who has an affinity for the landscape and natural history of Southern Ontario. You can dip in and out of the book as you research your next hike or explore any specific part of the trail. Taken as a whole, the book tells a winding story about her love, respect and wonder for nature, the people who protect and enjoy it and all the living things and amazing geological features that are found along The Bruce Trail. Miraculously, Nicola manages to pack an incredible range of information and stories in an entertaining and accessible manner, all the while completing 40 hikes and travelling 900+ km’s on foot.
Throughout, there is a real priority placed on the sanctity of our natural places and the past and present efforts to maintain the Bruce Trail as it is today. It reminds us that preserving these spaces requires vigilance, as they are all under pressure from industry and government.
In reading the book front to back, I was reminded of how the Bruce Trail is such a quiet but powerful presence in so many people’s lives. The escarpment is ever present for millions of residents of Southern Ontario, and it is a stunningly beautiful feature of our landscape. It is a living thing, offering nourishment and sanctity to those who hike upon the trail, but also those who view it from a distance. I was also reminded that with the constant pressure to develop parts of the Bruce Trail it is not something we can take for granted.
In writing this book, Nicola Ross has offered us all a wonderful way to enjoy and help protect The Bruce Trail for generations to come. As a starter, simply go for a hike and then tell all your friends to do the same and admire the majesty and the great gift that is the Bruce Trail.
Below are just a few facts which were new to me. They may be new to you, too:
- Southern Ontario’s mild climate is in the ‘Carolinian Zone’. It is only 1% of Canada’s land mass but home to more flora and fauna diversity than anywhere else in Canada.
- When hiking the Bruce Trail, the ‘white’ dashes indicate the main trail. The ‘blue’ dashes indicate a side trail, (or a loop).
- Ontario in the 1950’s had one of the highest rates of urbanization in the world, which spurred the motivation to protect the escarpment and establish the Bruce Trail as a safeguard to protect the land.
You can find Nicola Ross’ 40 Days & 40 Hikes: Loving the Bruce Trail One Loop at a Time here.
Written by Carey Low
Photos from Nicola Ross
