Letter to the Editor
Editor,
On June 15th a young man from Copenhagen, Denmark, arrived at our door, on foot and carrying a large back pack. He had just arrived in Canada for a three-week visit and had spent his first day on the Bruce Trail (he had just hiked 32km).
Friends had dropped him off south of Walters Falls and he will hike all the way to Tobermory. The rugged beauty of the Trail blew him away, but what impressed him even more were the friendly locals who tooted their horns and gave him a big thumbs up as they passed him by. He said, “I can hardly wait to meet more Canadians, you are wonderful.”
He had booked with us at our B&B, in January. Although he will camp along most of the way, he knew he would have questions he needed answered after a day on the trail, so decided to stay at a B&B for his first night.
His dad, back in Denmark, is terrified that he will get eaten by a bear, so the first questions dealt with that.
Then he wanted to know what else he should be wary of. This led to a “Googled” photo of poison ivy (“Oh, but it is so pretty”, he said), and a rattlesnake (“I won’t tell my father about that”, he said).
Other questions were of a very practical nature, i.e. would he find ATMs along the way? Where could he buy portable food to carry on the trail and… where was the best cafe or coffee shop where he could sit and people-watch?
We asked how he had learned of the Bruce Trail. Last summer, he hiked the El Camino Trail in Spain where he met up with Canadian hikers who told him about Grey County, and the amazing Bruce Trail.
So, to all of you who gave a friendly toot of your horn and a big thumbs-up to this young man… thank you. Please know that the warmth of your support will be talked about in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Norma Collis, Woodford
