13-day Rideau Trail hike an ‘OktoberQuest’ WEBSITE HOST RECHARGED HIS LIFE
Backpacking the Rideau Trail end-toend in 13 days “almost killed me … yet it gave me new life,” says Bruce Watts. The trail between Ottawa and Kingston is just over 326 kilometres, and Watts is in a good position to assess it. He got his first tent from his grandfather when he was five. “I’ve been hooked ever since … I’ve camped in every Canadian province and territory less Saskatchewan and Alberta, and covered much of the Adirondacks and Appalachians.” A retired Ottawa police officer, Watts is the creator of campology.ca, an online magazine, and while on the trail last fall, he posted a video diary of each day on the website; it makes hiking the Rideau Trail come alive. He says his adventure – he calls it “my OktoberQuest” – was “a profound personal challenge, yet extremely rewarding,” and he’s planning more. In the remaining months of 2013 he’ll hike the Chilkoot Trail with his wife, Tracy, paddle the Yukon River with buddies, and complete the Ottawa/Temiskaming Highland Trail. Watts, 54, says the “real world” out on the trail is far more 14 ottawa
outdoors
PHOTO BY DOUG HARVEY
BY SHEILA ASCROFT
interesting than the “pretend world” of YouTube videos and the banalities of television. Camping memories are locked in the brain and “can never be lost during the next computer server crash!” He’d been thinking about “through hiking” the Rideau Trail for years, but life kept getting in the way. Work, family, doctor’s visits, you know the deal. However, when he became a full-time “campologist” these obstacles vanished – kids grown up helped – and the only barrier was his resolve. So the planning began, with the aim of keeping his backpack under 13½ kilograms, including a small portable studio to record
voice and video, and a computer to edit, upload and share his daily video to the Internet. Here’s his trip. Day 1: Kingston City Hall to south of Sydenham, 29.1 kilometres covered Camping spots difficult to find, so I slept on public land just off the K&P trail, a local semi-urban and rural trail which the Rideau Trail hitches a ride on for about 4½ kilometres. Day 2: Sydenham to Gould Lake. 23.4 km Spent two or three hours Sydenham’s Trios Restaurant and its excellent public library. Had to recharge batteries before moving on. I underestimated battery life and had cellphone problems. Day 3: Frontenac Park, 22.7 km Met up with friend Bob and hiked Frontenac Park. Logistics were tough. He parked his car at the “end” of the park and took a cab to the “beginning” of the park to start our day. Huge $$$ and a wonderful hike. Thanks Bob. Day 4: Frontenac Park to Bedford Mills A long, tough 30-km day. Trail diverse, some of it extremely hard. Feet, legs, hips and knees all sore. This was the only part of the trail without cellphone coverage, so I pushed on to call family to say that all was OK. Spent the night on private property with permission of the land owner. Day 5: Bedford Mills to the Narrows Locks Another crazy 30-km day. Very fulfilling but I’m exhausted. Thanks to Parks Canada for allowing campers to use the property. Day 6: Narrows Locks to Murphy’s Point. 16.2 km. Hiked only a half day. My wife picked me up at Murphy’s Point Provincial Park for a lift to the www.ottawaoutdoors.ca
