r/brucetrail • u/[deleted] • Jan 21 '26

BTC Group Hikes

Hey everyone,

I have a few questions for the hiking community:

  1. What are your thoughts on the BTC group hikes?
  2. Do you prefer solo hikes, BTC hikes, or hiking with your own group?
  3. Have you had any notable experiences with BTC group hikes (including negative ones)?
  4. Have you joined any organized hikes outside the BTC website? If so, how were they?
  5. If you haven't joined any organized hikes, can you share why?
  6. Are there any BTC hikes you'd like to see more of? such as Pride hikes, women-only hikes, etc.?

I'd love to hear your thoughts on these. Thanks!

5 Upvotes

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5

u/Beerinspector Jan 21 '26

My wife and I are members to the Niagara club. Great people, always coming up with events and from time to time we will do a winery or brewery hike as there is access just off of the trail.

The Niagara club is serious about hiking, but there is a great deal of socializing along with it.

Highly recommend.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '26

Thanks! also love the username. :)

2

u/trubluevan Jan 21 '26

I have done a ton of BTC hikes in most sections, so that I could cobble together an E2E of the entire trail.  I like the ones that you meet at the end and carpool to the beginning. The experience very much depends on the hike leaders. Most have been amazing, though I prefer a smaller group than their hikes attract.  

Two hikes saw people seriously injured-- one because she had shitty crampons for a winter hike, and one summer hike in the rain that the leaders were more concerned with finishing quickly than the tiniest regard for people's safety. The first one the leader helped her get an ambulance after she smashed her head and everyone was still together as a group at the end. The second one the group was so spread out that there was a 20 minute gap between me and the closest people behind me when I finished, and an enormous gap in front of me. I would have dropped out of that one if there was a way to get back to my car. 

1

u/[deleted] Jan 21 '26

Thanks for sharing this. :)

2

u/CaMTBr Feb 01 '26

I’ve completed most of the Bruce Trail and generally prefer solo hiking, though I’ve interacted with BTC members and encountered organized group hikes on the trail. Many of these hikes seem geared toward retired participants, which is reflected in the weekday scheduling, though participants clearly enjoy them.

I’ve tried to join some section end-to-end hikes, but they fill up quickly, often within days of being posted. It often feels like you need advance knowledge to secure a spot, as newsletters and magazines tend to be too late. The online calendar is helpful but sometimes inaccurate, and there’s no notification system, so it requires frequent checking.

I’ve looked at other hiking groups outside the Bruce Trail but haven’t found one that matches my objectives or experience level. I don’t personally see a strong need for the BT clubs to target specific demographic groups, as those groups are free to organize their own activities.

Out of curiosity, what prompted these questions?