He’s been sniffed by bears, combined fields on the prairies, fished along the east coast of Canada, partied with the Rankin Family and run into a nonchalant naked man following a railway in Ontario. But these adventures are all part of a bigger journey for Dana Meise, as he continues his trek of the Trans Canada Trail.
A trek he began six years ago. More than 14,000 kilometres ago.
“I wanted to cross Canada in some way,” he said, his full backpack by his side. “I wanted it to be very challenging, but I also wanted to see the country; I wanted to take my time. So I started walking.”
Meise’s journey brought him to Cochrane this week, stopping his GPS at 14,326 kilometres. That’s how far Meise has come since May 6, 2008 — when he left Cape Spear, N.L., to achieve the goal of hiking the world’s longest recreational trail.
It’s a goal no one has accomplished before. And it’s a goal he’s accomplishing for his father, who is wheelchair bound.
“My father liked nothing more in this world than to walk,” said Meise. “I’m doing this hike for him too.”
By the time he finished the adventure, he’ll have travelled about 23,000 kilometres, stood on the shores of the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans, visited about 1,000 communities and heard the stories of countless Canadians.
“I stop and learn as I go,” said Meise. “It’s all part of the process. It gives you a unique perspective.”
He hits the trail for about six to seven months a year, and then returns to work. A resident of Thunder Bay, Ont., Meise works as a forest technologist.
“It’s not about being in a hurry — it’s about the journey,” he said, adding that he averages about 20 kilometres a day. “It’s a huge undertaking. To take the time to talk and learn, it all takes time. It’s about what I see and what I can give back.”
His dedication to the journey hasn’t come without challenges. He’s walked through treacherous weather conditions and blazed through portions of the trail that had yet to be developed. There’s also the loneliness — he said it gets to him to “always be the stranger among strangers.”
But the positives far outweigh the negatives for Meise. In fact, there were so many he couldn’t pick just one highlight, instead naming historical rivers, tourist spots and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.
Meise set off from Cochrane Sept. 17, heading down the highway to Bragg Creek. From there, he’ll be hiking into the foothills and mountains, travelling onwards to British Columbia. He has about 1,500 kilometres left before wrapping up that leg of the journey — about two to three months of walking.
But when it all starts again, he continues north on the Trans Canada Trail. He said he thinks he’ll wrap up the journey at the Arctic Ocean in two years, before sitting down to write a book about his adventure.
“There have been sacrifices, but I knew this undertaking would be huge,” he said. “I knew there would be a book involved and public speaking. I knew this would be a contribution I would always be proud of.”
