The (rough) Route
Here is our rough route! There are so many considerations when planning a journey of this distance, and the most significant one is that plans change and it is impossible to plan for all eventualities. Therefore my strategy when approaching this has been to look at the big picture and try to identify major challenges, rather than minute day-by-day planning.
The biggest challenges have been:
Distance and weather. This journey is so long and the climate in Canada is so extreme that considering timings of seasonal changes and where we might be when they happen is essential. That is the reason we are going East to West: doing so gives us the bets chance of completing this in one go. Leaving from the West would mean we would probably be unable to cross the Rockies until June at the earliest, which would mean we would be unable to make it to the East Coast before winter. Leaving the East Coast as soon as conditions allow means that we have a fighting chance of getting through the Rockies and Cascades before the snow makes them impassable. This is also the reason we plan to start on the coast of Maine, US - it cuts off approximately 600km, and avoids some high-snowfall areas around the St Lawrence River area.
Traffic and cities: We all know horses and traffic don’t mix. Therefore picking a route that avoids as many busy roads and major cities as possible is essential. That being said, we also want to be going through some kind of civilisation every one to two weeks to resupply, so we don’t want to get too remote.
The Canadian Shield: This rocky expanse of lakes and pine forests left me stumped for weeks! There are only a few major highways running East to West here, and all minor roads I could find did not link up in a Westerly direction. The highways are winding monstrosities of narrow shoulders, embankments, causeways and transport trucks - not something I want to subject my horses to! At first I was thinking of an epic meandering route far north, but even that did not solve all problems, as the section W of Thunder Bay could not be got around… until I had the epiphany of going South of Lake Superior! This section looks less highway-like, less rocky, more backroads, and rather straight in our desired direction of travel. It does of course involve the logistics of a border crossing and the associated customs and vet checks, but ultimately is the only solution I can see to making this trip possible without the use of vehicle transport.
Horse feed: we want to stay in areas that have good grazing along the route, and/or frequent access to resupply points. If we find that sections of limited feed are unavoidable, I will organise feed drops, but I am hoping to keep this to a minimum or preferably avoid it altogether!
That is some of the rationale for our route choice!
Here’s a quick summary of the planned legs:
Nova Scotia: Meet the horses, get them legged up and fitted out for the trip. Make any necessary modifications to tack and set up. Ensure they are suited for the journey!
New England: Set off from the coast in mid-April, depending on the conditions. Head NE through Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, crossing into Quebec south of Montreal.
Quebec and Ontario: Cross the St Lawrence river West of Montreal, meander through the countryside of Ontario heading towards Lake Simcoe, and then decide whether to head for Tobermory and the ferry across to Manitoulin Island, or stay N of Georgian Bay… either way, we will wend our way to Sault St Marie, where we will undergo our necessary vet checks and head for the US border.
Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota: We will continue W and then NW through Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, south of Lake Superior, heading for Manitoba and back into Canada. We have 60 days to complete this section due to horse import requirements.
The Prairies: We will continue to head W through Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, dodging tornados and sticking to quiet back farm roads. We are aiming to be in Pincher Creek, Alberta no later than end August.
The Rockies: We aim to cross the Canadian Rockies at North Kootenay Pass, and continue on to pick up the Trans Canada Trail.
Trans Canada Trail to the BC coast: we will follow the Trans Canada Trail through BC, picking up the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, a 600km car-free route. There are a few difficult sections through here, but we will work it out!
Finish: West Coast of BC near the Peace Arch, hopefully by the end of October or early November.
And that is the plan! If we experience any major delays, we will have to over-winter the horses and then pick back up again when the winter is over… but we will cross that bridge if we come to it!
If anyone has any questions or suggestions for the route, please get in touch!
Our rough route East to West