On May 31, 2017 Melanie Vogel set out on a hiking trip with an ambitious plan; to travel The Great Trail from one end of Canada to the other. Her departure point was Cape Spear, Newfoundland. Nine-and-a-half months and 4,000 km later, Vogel arrived in North Hatley. While in town yesterday, she stopped by North Hatley Elementary School to talk to the students about her journey. While Vogel was properly equipped for winter camping, she was not expecting the recent cold snap, which she said can make for some long nights shivering in the tent. “It’s part of the journey,” she said. While on the North Hatley bike trail, which is part of the country-wide network known as The Great Trail, she passed local Michael Munkittrick, who was doing some cross country skiing. When Vogel explained what she was doing, Munkittrick offered her a reprieve from the cold and an opportunity to regroup for the next leg of her trip. While in town, she contacted NHES and offered to meet with the students to share her experiences. She spent close to an hour at the school, discussing all aspects of her trip. Vogel explained that she was born in Germany, but moved to Canada ten years ago. The idea for her cross-country hike was inspired by her passion for travelling, her desire to see more of Canada, and her curiosity about The Great Trail, the longest network of hiking trails in the world. See full story in the Wednesday, March 21st edition of The Record.
North Hatley students learn about perseverance from a visiting globetrotter
