Benjamin Pinch is not the same man he was 44 days ago. The woods, he says, have a habit of changing you.
ItB次元官网网址檚 dusk, and his silhouette bobs as he ascends the Kettle Valley Rail Trail towards the Little Tunnel, overlooking the South Okanagan town of Naramata. Weaving around him is his canine partner, Jade, carrying her own food in a makeshift saddlebag.
The arid, rocky landscape is covered with desert grasses, bushes and cacti. Turkey vultures fly overhead, some landing to take shelter from the impending rain in the distance.
Clad in a wool poncho and jeans, itB次元官网网址檚 the twinkle in his eyes that catches your attention.
With over 700 kilometers now behind him, every day Pinch comes one step closer to his final destination: Newfoundland. His reason for walking across Canada? To fulfill a lifelong dream.
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Now through Penticton, Pinch has but 23,221 km to go on his eastbound adventure.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 my second dream, I already accomplished my first dream: I got my self-sustaining cabin out in the woods,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淲hen I was younger, probably elementary school, Terry Fox was going across Canada, ever since then, it stuck in my head.B次元官网网址�
ItB次元官网网址檚 at this cabin in Winnipegosis, MB, that the Campbell River native plans to hunker down for the winter, before completing his walk by the end of summer 2021.
| Campbell River native Benjamin Pinch has been hiking since May, his final destination, Newfoundland. To stay safe amid COVID-19, he has been keeping his distance, only been stopping when essential, washing his hands and also carries sanitizer. (Phil McLachlan - Western B次元官网网址) |
The 32-year-old has been walking his entire life. In fact, he didnB次元官网网址檛 feel the need to get his driverB次元官网网址檚 licence until he was 25. In Campbell River, he ran a cleaning business, Static Cleaning, off of his bike.
At the beginning of May, Pinch sold some of his possessions, and with the support of his kids, left home.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 kind of like a big spiritual journey too. Something just told me at the same sense, this is the time to do it, itB次元官网网址檚 the time to go now. Just go,B次元官网网址� he says.
Sticking to the Great Trail (also known as the Trans Canada Trail), Pinch covers about 30 kilometers a day. Coming out the other side, he hopes to gain a deeper understanding of himself.
It wasnB次元官网网址檛 until he starting walking, and had time to think, that Pinch realized he had already accomplished his first dream. Time on the trail has allowed him to slow down and examine himself.
B次元官网网址淚 had a tough time to slow down and process, and go through the things in my life, because I was always a super, super busy person,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淚 worked days; I worked nights.B次元官网网址�
So far heB次元官网网址檚 been blessed with good weather, good people, and just a few wild animals. One section, however, caught him off guard.
B次元官网网址淐oming over Paleface Mountain [East of Chilliwack Lake] I wasnB次元官网网址檛 expecting there to be a whole bunch of snow. There was snow probably up to my neck. I had no snowshoes or nothing, it was nice and hard at least, but in the sun it was soft, and I dropped into a couple of wells and stuff like that,B次元官网网址� he says.
B次元官网网址淚 had the trekking poles that are on the side of my bag and I bent one of them trying to catch myself, so I didnB次元官网网址檛 break my leg on the ice on the inside.B次元官网网址�
At this point he knew he had to slow down if he was going to get through the section safely.
B次元官网网址淚 was in a rush to get down the mountain because it had taken me too long, and I didnB次元官网网址檛 want to be stuck on the top.B次元官网网址�
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It was on this mountain that Pinch also encountered two black bears. He saw two more once he entered into the Okanagan region.
He also came across another predator that wasnB次元官网网址檛 as skittish as the bears.
Pinch rounded a corner and saw a cougar stopped on the trail in front of him. After discharging a bear-banger, the cougar weaved from side to side, and disappeared.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been pretty epic,B次元官网网址� says Pinch.
| The view from Little Tunnel, down to Okanagan Lake, looking North. (Phil McLachlan - Western B次元官网网址) |
Along the journey so far, Pinch has met some interesting people. Those that take the time to stop and say hello will hear his story; others who walk or ride past will never know.
B次元官网网址淎 lot of people, they think itB次元官网网址檚 an impossible journey, but realistically when you actually think about it, youB次元官网网址檙e just walking. And how much walking do you do every single day,B次元官网网址� he says.
B次元官网网址淛ust go and do it. Because if itB次元官网网址檚 one of your dreams, youB次元官网网址檙e going to be working towards somebody elseB次元官网网址檚 dream the rest of your life, so you might as well stop what youB次元官网网址檙e doing and do what you need to do, to get your dreams out of the way.B次元官网网址�
Pinch has no plans of stopping once he completes the Great Trail. Next he hopes to take on the Pacific Crest Trail, a 4,270 kilometer trail winding down from the Canadian border, through Washington, south to the U.S./Mexico border.
B次元官网网址淎fter all this is done, I think IB次元官网网址檓 just going to keep on walking.B次元官网网址�
Throughout his journey, when he has service, Pinch updates his Facebook page, Stacking The Steps. Follow him on his adventures .
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