German-born adventurer set to become first woman to complete a solo hike across the Trans Canada Trail

Melanie Vogel is about to complete an epic cross-country voyage that has been five years in the making.

The German-born adventurer immigrated to Canada in 2008. Having read abut the Trans Canada Trail and feeling a deep longing for being out on the roads, she decided, almost spontaneously, to begin the incredible voyage of hiking the country.

That's right, the whole country. In 2017, she began at Cape Spear, Nfld, the easternmost point of North America, dipping her toes in the Atlantic Ocean.

From there, she set to solo-hike the entirety of the Trans Canada Trail, up to the Arctic Ocean in Tuktoyaktuk, NWT, then to Victoria and the Pacific Ocean.

Vogel expected to be in Victoria in 2020, to complete the journey in three years. However, her plans were thrown for a loop in early 2020, when the COVID pandemic forced her to stay in the Yukon for over a year and a half.

“When I set foot on the Trail in Newfoundland, I had no idea or expectation of how this walk would unfold," she said. "I did not know that kindness and my connection to nature and this land would become such major talking points."

"People stepped up when support was needed: the repair of gear, an invitation to stay at someone's home to rest up, a sandwich handed through a car window, encouragement from afar, or sometimes just a simple hug or high five on the roadside. Those moments and the stories we shared have shown me the true soul and spirit of this country.”

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Over five years, close to 20,000 km of land routes and more than 26 million steps, Vogel will finally complete the epic journey on Saturday, at the Trans Canada Trail Point Zero Marker at Clover Point.

Her anticipated arrival time is at 12:30 pm and anyone is welcome to show up and support her.

“I never felt this [hike was] too much for me," she said. "The freedom, the peace that I have on the trail and the beauty that I experience outweigh any struggles or suffering that I also experience."

When Vogel was in Manitoba, she adopted a dog, Malo, who has followed her ever since, hiking right along with her.

If you would like to financially assist Vogel's journey, you can do so here. You can follow her Facebook page here.