Meet Henry the Hiker, youth hiking ambassador

Henry Little is well on his way to reaching his goal of completing an end-to-end of The Bruce Trail, and he’s only seven years old.
Little, who goes by Henry the Hiker on social media, took up hiking with his mom Carola (who also manages the social media channels) as a way of getting out and stretching their legs while homeschooling at their Mulmur home during the pandemic.
The Bruce Trail crosses their property so it was easy to access.
Little can be seen on the trail wearing his custom Henry the Hiker T-shirts and his own backpack containing water and snacks, waving and saying hello to other hikers and passing cars. His adventures are being documented as a way of inspiring others to take a hike.
When we caught up with Little he had completed more than 100 kilometres of trail since September. At their most ambitious, they did back-to-back 10-kilometre hikes and they were pretty tired so they learned the optimal length is about six kilometres.
A highlight, said Little, was when he saw a porcupine climbing a tree. They caught the sighting on video which is posted on the Henry the Hiker YouTube channel.
Follow along and get in touch with Henry the Hiker on Facebook, and follow him on Instagram.

Programs promote youth hiking

Dufferin Hi-land Bruce Trail Club is now offering a free Young Hiker Badge to those 13 years of age or younger who complete one or more hikes on the Dufferin Hi-land section that is a minimum of three kilometres long, or that takes at least one hour.  
To claim the badge just send in a hike log with the date, location, distance and duration of the hike. Be sure to include contact information where an adult can be reached, along with a Bruce Trail membership number if the family has one.
Send the info with a self-addressed stamped envelope to Dufferin Hi-Land Bruce Trail Club, P.O. Box 698, Alliston ON, L9R 1V9, and the badge will be mailed out.
Take a photo during your hike – either a scenic photo or a selfie – and share it on Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #YoungHikerBadge and don’t forget to tag @DufferinHiLand on Instagram or @DufferinHiLandBruceTrailClub on Facebook.
Dufferin Hi-land Bruce Trail Club has also organized a COVID-friendly family treasure hike. Print out the Children’s Treasure Hike map at DufferinBruceTrailClub.org before heading to the Splitrock Narrows Trail (parking lot on 2nd line north of 25th SR). Find the 10 round plaques attached to trees along the path. Each plaque has a nature image carved into it. Write down the images you see and submit your answers online when you get home. They’ll mail you a free “Take a Hike” pin-back button with 10 correct answers. Ideal for kids up to 10 years old.