The Rideau Trail Association has put out a a challenge as part of this year's sesquicentennial celebrations of Canadian Confederation.
It is called the Rideau Trail Canada 150 Challenge. Basically, you need to hike a total of 150 km (93 mi.) over the course of 2017. You can hike any portion of the 387 km (240 mi.) Rideau Trail, including the so-called blue side trails, like the Cedar Grove Trail I hike in the Marlborough Forest. You can also hike the same sections multiple times; which I am currently doing.
When you complete it and submit your logs to the Association, they send you a special crest and a free one year membership in the Association.
This is awesome.
Not only can I shoot for my century goal for hiking the Rideau Trail-Cedar Grove loop, which I will make some time in June of this year, I can complete this challenge and celebrate this great nation at the same time.
As of today, I have already completed 54.57 km. One third completed. By the end of this month, if I do not miss any days and still maintain at least 4 km a day, I will have at least 82 km. Over half done. If I maintain the daily hikes of at least 4 km for each outing, I will complete this challenge by the middle of April of this year.
The boy is keen to participate in the challenge as well. It will take him longer, as he cannot go out every day like me, but he will get it done before the end of the year for sure. An added bonus, our Scouting Area has our own annual Rideau Challenge. It has three levels: Bronze, normally about 10 km, done in one day. Silver, normally about 15 km, done with an overnight portion. Gold, more than 20 km, overnight and completely self-contained. The boy is doing the Silver level this year, his second year doing the challenge. So, that one event will complete at least ten percent of the 150 Challenge for the boy. Hopefully, the rest of the Scout Troop will be interested in participating in the 150 Challenge as well.
I highly recommend participating in this event if you live near the trail or plan to visit anywhere near the trail. Even if you cannot complete the challenge, you can still win by being in the outdoors, being healthy, and enjoying everything nature has to offer. Who knows, you may even run in to me. That is the best bonus of all. I do not think you even have to be Canadian to do it either, so this gives any visitors to the Great White North a very intimate way to celebrate with us and, as far as I am concerned, makes you an honourary Canadian.
I checked if the Bruce Trail Conservancy, in Southern Ontario, is doing their own version of the challenge. Alas, it appears not to be. I cannot find any information online that they are participating in any such events. Too bad, I logged 30.28 km (18.81 mi.), twenty percent of a 150 challenge, when I was just down there this month.
Oh boy, I cannot wait to go out tomorrow and get even closer to both my goals. See you on the trail.
are you going to be nearby? take the challenge (courtesy rideautrail.org)
to check out some great free maps, with side trails too, click this)
No comments:
Post a Comment