Love of the trail keeps hiker moving
There’s no sweeter sound to Ruth Moffatt than the crunch of a fresh trail beneath her hiking boots.
Moffatt recently hiked the entire Bruce Trail for a fifth time, which is the equivalent from her front door in Grimsby to Vancouver.
She has the certificates and badges — 50 of them — to prove her accomplishment.
“The thing about achieving an entire trail, is you start to think about the next trail to conquer,” she said. “For me, hiking this 900-kilometre trail five times is enough, but never say never.”
Moffatt is a member of the Niagara Bruce Trail Club and also sits on the volunteer board and serves as a land securement secretariat with the Bruce Trail Conservancy.
Their mandate is to preserve wilderness for everyone, forever, said Moffatt.
“There are many new residents in our Niagara neighbourhoods, and it would be helpful to many of them to bring attention to the beauty we have at our boots, so to speak,” she said.
The Bruce Trail begins in Queenston, runs along the Niagara Escarpment, which is recognized as a World Biosphere by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and ends in Tobermory.
“I’ve learned many things by hiking the trail. It’s a rugged and tough trail in all seasons, but, at the same time, very rewarding,” said Moffatt. “You pick up little things. Just the other day, I learned from my friend Bill that wood sorrel tastes a little like lemon and jewelweed is an antidote for poison ivy.”
All of her hikes have also taught her why it’s important to conserve and save the trail for future generations to enjoy.
“Hiking, like many things that are enjoyable, gets a hold of you,” she said. “It’s addictive but great for body, mind and overall health.
“Hiking combines a form of the simplest exercise, walking, with
an environ that is way more pleasant than city streets,.
“It also allows for longer uninterrupted stretches of walking.”
Moffatt began filling her time with hiking after watching her father spend five years in a longterm care facility.
“I’ve spent a great deal of time on the trail, reflecting back on those years with my father and others that have had an impact and influence on my life,” she said. “Hiking gives you a lot of time to think about things, brainstorm ideas and generally solve world problems.”
In 1970, Ruth’s sister Donna bought a Bruce Trail Guide when she was eight years old.
“That was my first introduction to the Bruce Trail,” she said. “Then, on a whim, five years ago, on the May long weekend in 2013, I decided to participate in the Niagara Bruce Trail Club End-toEnd event.”
The event is three concurrent days of hiking Niagara’s 80-km section of the Bruce Trail.
“I was in way over my head and ended up with blisters and very sore muscles,” she admitted. “Since then, I have discovered that epsom-salt baths are very beneficial for sore muscles and feet.”
At the time, hiking the Bruce from beginning to end seemed out of reach for Moffatt.
“It never really entered my consciousness before or after that first three-day event; however, completing the trail the first time was likely the most special, but each time was certainly memorable,” she said.
She set a goal of completing the hike five times in five years, and almost to the day, she achieved it.
Now, she’s lacing up her hiking boots for another conquest.
“By the time you read this,” she said. “I’ll hopefully have completed most of the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland, but the Bruce Trail will always be nearest to my heart.”