Over 20 years, this mother-daughter duo hiked entire Bruce Trail
Mary and Kristine Verbeek made 60 trips to get from Niagara to Tobermory in Ontario
It's taken 20 years for a mother and daughter duo from Kingsville, Ont., to complete a 900-kilometre Bruce Trail hike since first setting foot on the path.
Mary Verbeek and her daughter Kristine Verbeek started their hike on Sept 9, 2001 when Mary was 49 years old and Kristine was 25. The journey began in Niagara and finished in Tobermory, Ont. on Sept. 16, 2021.
Kristine called the ending bittersweet.
"It was 50 per cent pride that we actually finished it, but also 50 per cent relief."
"I am so proud of my mom for keeping in shape and for dedicating herself to completing the whole thing. It was not an easy task," Kristine said.
A high school chemistry teacher gave Mary the idea.
Both she and her daughter were looking for an activity to bond over since Kristine had moved away for her career. Since they both enjoyed nature, hiking the Bruce Trail became their next adventure.
The duo relied heavily on a map of the Bruce Trail Conservancy. Mary said it was isolated and easy to go the wrong way. The first few treks were day-long excursions.
During one of their hikes further north, they veered off the trail, but found themselves waist deep in the snow without a clear site on how to get back.
"The maps are constantly revised," Mary said. "We thought we could make it to this one spot and then exit down a road, and it had changed. It was just exhausting."
They were eventually rescued by a trail conservation officer.
How do you do it?
Over the years, one of the most common question Kristine was asked was how do you do it?
What worked for Mary and Kristine is breaking up the hike into 60 trips. They alternated between driving themselves, taking taxis when necessary, staying in Airbnb accommodations, and riding their bikes.
For those looking to do the hike, Mary stressed the importance of good footwear and foot care.
"Our feet were always our limiting factor," she said.
They wore moleskins when their feet became hot with blisters.
"We learned about stretching our feet, putting them in any cold water as you went along, constantly taking your shoes off, letting your feet air off," Mary said.
Overall, through the many challenges mother and daughter faced, they loved having the time together.
"If we could encourage one person to hike this trail at any age, it would be worthwhile," Kristine said.
They have already begun to plan their next big adventure, which might be short bike rides on weekends.
With files by Tony Doucette