Melanie Vogel was the first woman to complete a coast-to-coast hike on the Trans Canada Trail.
The solo adventurer wrapped up a five-year trek from Cape Spear, Newfoundland, to Victoria Zero on Saturday morning (November 12).
She started trekking across the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific Oceans on June 2, 2017. Since then, she has covered nearly 20,000 kilometers, with only brief stops due to pandemic restrictions.
The German-born hiker reached Zero Point at Clover Point at around 12:30 p.m., with her partner Malo, a lab husky mix she adopted on a trip to Manitoba three-and-a-half years ago.
For those of us struggling to hit our step goals on our smartphones, Vogel’s epic journey of 26 million steps is unimaginable.
She was in tears as she was greeted by cheering crowds from across Canada, and she accepted her achievement.
While her travels are solo, Vogel insists she’s never alone, and she feels encouraged through social media and supported by the community she experiences.
“People would keep asking me in. I wasn’t new to them, so it seemed. So I started talking about this, and people would come back to me and say, ‘You know what, you’ve got my humanity back again. belief, because with all this bad news, this is your story about the kindness of people across Canada.’”
The kindness didn’t stop there, Vogel said, leading her to give her walk a name — a walk powered by kindness. Everywhere she experienced open hands and open hearts as she traveled from province to province.
After immigrating to Canada in 2008, Vogel had just 10 days to head to the Annapurna base camp in Nepal to prepare for the trip. Regardless, she is driven by a deep appreciation of nature and a desire for freedom.
“Life gives you the chance to be whoever you want to be,” Vogel wrote in her first essay. blog post May 2017. “I decided a long time ago that I wanted freedom.”
By sharing her experience, Vogel also wants to let other women and young girls know a little secret: the outdoors is for you, too.
“When I was growing up, I always felt that there was a barrier to women going outdoors and walking across Canada, and I’ve also experienced that there are a lot of women or young girls who don’t get enough encouragement to do their own thing outdoors. We’ve always thought we needed more protection Women not boys. I always say that the outdoors is for everyone. It’s not about power or “having the ball”, it’s about learning, watching and using your senses fully again. What gender you are doesn’t really matter. .”
Her adventures bring her closer to nature, and with every step she takes she is advocating sustainable lifestyle choices and eco-friendly living.
in a blog post Starting in April 2018, Vogel shared her shock at the level of pollution in some areas’ water sources, but explained why she only accepts plastic water bottles in some cases.
“So far, what I have observed when asking for water in communities and cities in all five provinces is that many people hand me 500ml plastic water bottles,” she wrote. “It made me change my approach and specifically ask for tap water, except for bottled water only if people are really concerned about their water quality.”
Our connection to the planet is linked to our experience here, and Vogel aims to continue to advocate for eco-friendly solutions to human problems.
While this adventure is over, it’s not hard to imagine we’ll see Vogel again soon.
Whether she shows up on a hiking or camping trip, pops up on social media, or maybe just pops into your head the next time you hit the trails, she’s a reminder to embrace all that nature has to offer how important it is.
@HL Ferguson
[email protected]
like us Facebook and follow us Twitter.
hiking across canada
<!– View Comments –>