Another trail is about to join the ranks of the world's great trails, such as America's Appalachian Trail, Turkey's Lycian Way, or South America's Inca Trail:
Cyclists in Canada will soon be able to pedal from Newfoundland on the Atlantic coast to Vancouver Island in the Pacific Ocean, without having to share a road with a single car. The Great Trail, as it's known, is set to open in 2017 in time for Canada's 150th birthday. Once complete, the trail will stretch 15,000 miles (24,000km) through each of the country's 13 provinces and territories and touch three oceans, becoming the longest recreational trail in the world.
Besides biking, hiking and horseback riding, the path will be open in winter for cross country skiing and snowmobiling. And with a quarter of the trail on water, canoes, kayaks or other water craft can also be used.
(Score: 2) by TheRaven on Wednesday September 14 2016, @12:43PM
sudo mod me up
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 14 2016, @01:10PM
This post [instagram.com] may help out.
The author stated that The Great Trail is one continuous bike path, which it is not. It is so much more than that! #TheGreatTrail is an epic trail of trails offering a wide range of outdoor experiences on land and water. You can enjoy walking/hiking, cycling, paddling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, through a variety of landscapes – urban, rural, and wilderness – along greenway, waterway, and roadway.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by EvilSS on Wednesday September 14 2016, @01:11PM
Yea it says 1/4 of the trail is "on water". How the heck does that work? Do I need to pack a canoe? That would be somewhat cumbersome.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Gravis on Wednesday September 14 2016, @02:43PM
isn't it obvious?! [imgix.net] (≧∇≦)/
(Score: 3, Funny) by butthurt on Wednesday September 14 2016, @03:23PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRMgMXA1xuc [youtube.com]
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday September 14 2016, @04:35PM
Think about it for a while: It's Canada. There is no such thing as water in Canada, only ice and beaver dams.
Just get some good really-deep-snow tires for your mountain bike, and yield to the moose-mounted hockey-playing police.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Wednesday September 14 2016, @04:57PM
just peddle REALLY REALLY fast, okay?
Jesus!
...
...
...that is you, right Jesus?
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 2) by danomac on Friday September 16 2016, @12:59AM
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday September 14 2016, @01:12PM
The trail goes from Victoria on Vancouver Island on the West Coast to Newfoundland on the east coast, so ferries would be required to reach those last segments.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 14 2016, @01:49PM
Those who don't pay attention to the signage at water's edge will be winnowed out so the rest of the trail will be less congested.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 14 2016, @04:52PM
yeah. did you see the part about 24000 kilometers? who the hell can take a vacation long enough to bike that? I mean... it would be something on the order of 6 months, right?
so... if anyone needs to travel the entire thing, I sincerly doubt they lack the resources to handle the watery parts.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday September 14 2016, @09:25PM
That's true of the Continental Divide Trail and Appalchian Trail, too. Few people hike the whole length because it does take a long time. The thought of an epic journey being there, though, for when you need a good long time to step outside the rat race and contemplate, is appealing. It seems to me 6 months crossing Canada is a much better way to spend that time than creating another ad campaign for soft drink company X or selling insurance.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 15 2016, @11:23AM
And I am pretty sure as a non-Canadian they don't provide tourist visas long enough to hike the whole trail in a single hiking.
(Score: 2) by art guerrilla on Wednesday September 14 2016, @01:02PM
...will it have wifi ?
8^)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 14 2016, @03:33PM
TFA has a great map, but since I'm unfamiliar with Canada I'm curious about the little squiggle of trail in the far north, unlikely to ever connect to the rest. Is there something worth packing up and driving up there to hike/bike it?
(Score: 3, Interesting) by vux984 on Wednesday September 14 2016, @03:59PM
Heh... I almost didn't see it, you're referring to the isolated piece on baffin island. The reason for that bit of trail is to give credence to the claim that their is trail in all provinces and territories; since that is also the only bit of trail in Nunavut. That bit of trail is also near Iquluit, the capital of Nunavut. (And the extra little wing on the western trail reaches to connect to Yellowknife (the capital) of the Northwest Territories. So it appears not only does the trail run through all the territories, but also connects all the capitals, which is kind of cool.
Although, as you noted Iqaluit isn't really connected... but Iqaluit isn't really connected to anything. It has no roads going in or out, its not connected to any highways; it's on an island, and there are no ferries there. The only reliable way in is air (and there aren't many places you can get flights to there); and depending on the ice conditions by sea. So...in practice if you were trying to travel the trail; you'd probably take the trail up to yellowknife and then take a flight from there to Iqaluit. Alternatively you could fly up from Ottawa (capital of canada).
(Score: 1) by korla_plankton on Wednesday September 14 2016, @05:48PM
For those obsessed with getting 100% completion, hiking the trail from Kimmirut to Iqaluit will cost you about C$3000 in air fare....
They could've gone up from Winnipeg to Arviat if they wanted to include Nunavut without requiring a flight. It's only around 1500 km, and you only really have to dodge polar bears for the last 300 or so... ;)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 14 2016, @11:04PM
Yes! Eskimos have a rule of hospitality that allows visitors to sleep with their wives.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday September 14 2016, @03:34PM
Couldn't they have come up with a real name for it? What they picked is totally generic and unconnected to geography or nation. It's like naming your son "Boy" with no last name.
(Score: 2) by shrewdsheep on Wednesday September 14 2016, @03:40PM
It is assumed it will be on Wikipedia soon, making it: The_Great_Trail_(Canada)
(Score: 2) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Wednesday September 14 2016, @07:51PM
It was originally called the Trans-canada trail [wikipedia.org].
I tried to look up my post about advertising being used to dumb down Trademarks, but could not find it.
(Score: 2) by goodie on Thursday September 15 2016, @01:13AM
lol, I was just thinking about that Transcanada highway sounds pretty lame nowadays, although back then it probably sounded cool :)
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 15 2016, @02:50PM
It was going to be Teh l337 pwn3d U, but the agency director took a new job at the skateboard shop.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Appalbarry on Thursday September 15 2016, @01:53AM
Wow. I hope that no unsuspecting tourists plan a trip based on that breathless article.
The exact terrain and trail conditions vary a LOT, ranging from nice level rail-trail adaptations to near abandoned Baden-Powell trail sections above West Vancouver.
It's all hikeable, but a lot of it is not bike friendly - unless you carry the bike.
(I'd love to know what idiot abandoned the "Trans-Canada Trail" name for "The Great Trail.")
"Cyclists and other users can find shelter and water in pavilions that dot the trail at regular intervals in some portions."
Make REAL sure you check on that one! Motel 6 may turn out to be your best friend.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 16 2016, @07:02AM
There's only one road in Canada.