Morven to Kingston | Hotel: Confederation Place Hotel, 237 Ontario Street, Kingston
I wake at 4:30 am. First of all, this is the latest I have slept so far during this walk, and the sleep was needed. I think that I am still absolutely wrecked from yesterday, but after breakfast is eaten (a cup of GreensPlus, a cup of powdered milk, trail mix), after I begin to move around organizing gear, and after stretching, I realize that my body had repaired itself effectively over the night. Lesson: the body will fix itself if given the opportunity. The bag is packed by just after 6:00 am, and I am walking down a very pretty stretch of Highway 2 before long. I reach a small town called Odessa by 8:00 am. This is a great sign—11 km by 8:00 are great numbers to be reaching, completely opening up the afternoon for more frequent rest stops, snacks, and even slowing down the pace if desired. I push through, with Kingston beginning to materialize far off over the horizon. There are some beautiful marshes and grassland areas along this stretch of highway with the calls and songs of many creatures. A long, steep climb has me lying down in the grass under the shade cast from a young Maple tree growing in a well-manicured park when I reach the top of the hill. Ten minutes I am back out, and in 30 minutes I am relaxing in the climate-controlled interior of a Loblaws grocery store. Fruit. Pepperettes. One cold, cold pint, and a 45-minute rest with some journalling made before heading back out to finish off the remaining 10 km into Kingston. A woman named Denise approaches me on the sidewalk, walking with trekking poles. She stops me, and we share stories. Hers is that she’s walked the Camino de Santiago four times, taking different routes each time. She prefers to walk alone, as she says it provides more opportunities to meet new people. She and her husband will be traveling to St. John’s next month. I joke that maybe I’ll see her there. Two hours later I arrive at the lovely motel, where unbeknown treasures await. Today is wonderful—bright, sunny, with a refreshing breeze. This is a reminder that each day is so much different than the previous! I walk through a nice, new area of town, then through an older one currently experiencing new building developments in various stages of construction. An hour of walking brings me to “Trailhead”, an amazing store. The upper floor is focused on clothing, while the lower floor focuses on gear, with a split level between the two serving as entrance and check-out. I have a brief discussion with staff in both areas, letting them know what I am looking for, and that I’ll return tomorrow morning to pick up what I need. Some much-needed upgrades are needed, and it looks as though I’ll be able to pick up most—if not everything—I need here. Walk to the hotel with a lovely six pints acquired along the way, taking a few photos of newly-risen architecture. I check in, the room is ready, and I elevator up. 1:30 I am officially a temporary resident of wonderful Kingston. So excited, happy, and grateful to be here seven days into this walk. This evening in a hotel will serve as part rest and part celebration. I fill the tub with warm water and immerse the clothing to soak for a few hours. I watch a SportsNet rebroadcast of a Carolina-New Jersey playoff game, watching as I input recent expenses into a Numbers file. Upon scouting the neighbourhood on Apple Maps I discover a Food Basics and a BulkBarn within three blocks, and these will serve well for restocking the food bag for the upcoming stretch between Kingston and Montréal. I find a Cambodian restaurant around the block, and duck out into the 5:30 late afternoon to pick up two dishes: one composed of beef and vegetables, the second of chicken, shrimp, and rice—both of which are tasty, filling, and pleasurable to eat. It was interesting to talk to the owner while ordering. He was saying how difficult it has been operating over the course of the pandemic. They are still running, and making a go of it, and he is pleased to have survived such a hard time for his business, the most difficult in his 17 years of operation. A few more pints are acquired just to be on the safe side, and I return to the hotel. Eat. Steadily wash all of the clothing, hand-washed in the tub and hung to dry around the room—using the heater cranked up to high to help expedite the process. All new photos are backed up to the external hard drive, with voice memos recorded over the day. Some strategic snoozing is then enjoyed made with one eye open to the game, leading to one of the best sleeps humanity has ever enjoyed.
Today’s distance walked: 36.81 km | Total distance walked: 291.94 km
Reflection on Week 1
• Thankful for the training made for this effort over winter.
• Waiting for a window of good weather was a great decision to make before beginning — a full week with only a few millimetres of rain having fallen overnight.
• Beginning to learn strategies for water refilling, finding and setting up in free camping spots, and setting up / pulling down tent quickly and effectively to get walking and sleeping earlier.
• Planning ahead: it is very helpful to understand distances to towns and the amenities each of them contain.
• Meeting interesting, caring, inquisitive people!
• Using free coffee cards collected for this specific purpose are wonderful daily treats.
• Feeling strong, walking consistently longer than ever before.
• Realizing the importance of taking breaks and drinking water periodically.
• Knowing when to hustle in order to open up future comfort and relaxation.
• Experiencing the importance of small victories, larger celebrations, and more major milestones experienced along the journey.
Belleville to Morven | Campsite: 44.23749° N, 76.84264° W
I don’t think I get a wink of sleep all night. The green space camped in last night was actually a good one: close to the route and well-hidden. It was the large industrial building just to the east of my location that kept me awake. There was a machine that made loud sounds (similar to a gun being fired) every minute, either intended to scare away animals or to disturb homeless people enough to force them to leave the area—either way, the intention was fairly inhuman. Begin to prepare for the day by 4:00 am, and by 5:00 I am at the coffee shop across the street to fill up the water bottles, check my email, and charge the laptop. By 5:45 I am out walking. Highway 2 takes me to a very small hamlet called Shannonville. From here I transfer onto York Road, a route that connects Highway 2 back onto itself after taking a 90-degree left turn north. I follow York Road as it continues eastbound, saving time and reducing distance. It also runs through a town 27 km down the road called Deseronto where I should be able to refill water. I arrive after a walk in which I was chewed apart by a revolting number of flies. Eventually, I had to hang my bandana down from my hat fully wrapped around my head to find any sort of relief from them. Anyway, I will never walk that road ever again. I find a nice small park downtown by 11:00 and decide to stop at this location to cook lunch. During the last hour of walking, I was very close to not having fun—just frustrated at not having any defense against the pests. By 11:30 I am cleaning cookware, followed by a quick stretch. Off by 11:35. The walk to Napanee is a grind! The sun is hot and bright, and there is not much cover to hide from it. But I push on, enjoying this stretch infinitely more than the fly-infested one now behind me. It dawns on me as I enter Napanee that I could see a doctor here instead of in Kingston, as this will free up more time to get to the hotel as early as possible to rest and launder clothing. The reason for a doctor’s visit is due to a burgeoning case of poison something: poison ivy, poison oak, poison turnip. I arrive at the hospital, inquire at the emergency wing, and they confirm that they are able to see me, right away in fact. By 2:24 I am seated in a patient room awaiting the doctor. I have also taken the opportunity to fill up all bottles at a filling station here in the hospital with clear, cold water. The wait for a doctor is longer than desired, but I am still grateful to have the opportunity to attend to this issue sooner than later. At 4:20 the doctor enters for a chat, and by 4:52 I am submitting a script to the pharmacy for Prednisone and a few tubes of skin cream. I am again walking, this time with the strongest 95% I am able to give for another eleven kilometres down the highway. I have a location in mind, and in order to arrive before dark I need to turn the jets on, even after a full day already of walking. A big, steep hill greets me ascending up out of town at a gravity-defying angle. At the top of the hill, a chorus of flies awaits me with a greeting of constant swarming, harassing me the entire distance to the camp area. I again wrap my bandana around my head and cinch it under my hat to keep it in place, sealing off access as tightly as possible. With two kilometres left to walk, I am feeling absolutely drained, with nothing left in the tank. I arrive at the cemetery, which has no bordering fence, and I am able to find a wonderfully flat and manicured area to lay down the tent. The evening is descending, and as the area is completely quiet and still, there is no chance of being discovered. Today was a tough day, beginning without sleep last night, only to slide steadily downward—a day without much fun. I don’t eat any dinner. I read for a few minutes, but mostly, I just need sleep. Tomorrow will be a different day.
Today’s distance walked: 49.9 km | Total distance walked: 255.13 km
“And miles to go before I sleep.”
– Robert Frost, Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening
Brighton to Belleville | Campsite: 44.16651° N, 77.35391° W
I have a good and rejuvenating sleep, even if it is not long. Breakfast, pack, and pull down the tent under another bright, clear moon. I am walking into Brighton by 5:30 am, arriving at a Tim Hortons by 6:15 for a coffee and water refill. Files are backed-up to the external hard drive, so everything is up to date. The walk to Trenton is nice, though with lots of fast, loud traffic. I arrive by 9:00, walking 16.39 km. I spot a Walmart, heading in for fruit, a pit stop, and later eating my snack on a picnic table out front. Apply sunscreen as the sun is beginning to get hot during the mid to late afternoon out on the road. By 9:30 I am moving eastward through the town of Trenton. It is interesting to be in a place I’ve never been. I have heard stories about all of the towns I have been walking throughout my life. Seeing places for the first time that, up to this point, had been visualized based on personal fantasies and daydreams, putting images to the stories that other people told. Now, I am able to affix my own imagery to these places, having walked to them for the first time, and seeing them in physical form. I am very excited to be able to see these places this way—the most “me” way of experiencing these places I could possibly have. I walk quickly through the town; it isn’t as picturesque as some of the towns I’ve been moving through over the past few days. It wears an old, aging, outdated suit that is wearing thin and faded. The Trenton military base is massive! 2.6 kilometres the highway cuts straight through it, high wire fencing topped with barbed wire flanking both sides of the highway. Personnel barracks, massive airplane hangers, domed weapons depots, and multi-story administration buildings line every square inch of the facility. The roadway out of town is fast and loud with automobiles. I walk close to an hour and a half, to 11:30 am, until I find a shaded area of green space scattered with trees. I cook rice for lunch and settle in to enjoy 45 minutes of rest. I take some time to stretch. I was able to fill up on water before leaving town, so I am confident to have enough for both walking the rest of the day out and cooking dinner. I return to walking by 12:15 pm. Approaching the city limits of Belleville, the scenery improves. This city seems much more taken care of, with homes in better condition, with much nicer trees and green space, all the while the shoreline and the water can be glimpsed between properties. I take a quick look around downtown—it is very quiet and still, without much activity. I make my way to the west side of town where I charge the Fitbit and plan out tomorrow’s walk. It will be roughly 35 km, walking to a town called Napanee. Of note: the distance between Napanee to Kingston is 44 km, so I should be arriving in Kingston in two days — on Friday. I look around online and reserve a hotel room for one night downtown. I am very excited to find a room in this location, as the hotel is a short ten-minute walk from an incredible hiking gear and clothing store called “Trailhead”. I’ll be buying a new shirt, new pants, and a number of other gear items that have either broken or worn down extremely thin. Finish up, cross the street to the green area situated between two buildings that are now closed for the day. Set up the tent. The location is not bad, as it provides instant access back out to the highway I’ll be following to Napanee tomorrow while also providing good cover. I perform some late-day finger care and apply some after-bite for insect assaults. By 6:44 pm I get some reading made until the sun sets. Put the rain fly onto the tent. This Friday will constitute my first minor milestone—that of walking for a week to Kingston. Spending a week on the walk, living in nature, and making my way on my own has been incredible! I believe that I have needed this time and space to myself for a very long time. A well-earned day arriving in Belleville.
Today’s distance walked: 41.55 km | Total distance walked: 205.23 km
“I was spending much less money than I had planned, even eating three meals a day. It was time for an extravagance, time to give my body the same treatment I had been giving my stomach.”
– Paulo Coelho, The Pilgrimage, p.116.
