Do you have any favourite obscure trails you’d be willing to tell me about? I’m looking for places on Gabriola where I can pretend I’m in the middle of wilderness — some trail where I can pretend nobody’s walked this path in months or years. Overgrown is fine!

I’ve had a favourite loop in the woods for a while now. The trail entrance was so overgrown that few people found the way in, and there were no trail markers. I loved that. I walk before the coffee’s had a chance to fix my headspace, so solitude and woods, pure woods, are what I want.

But recently it’s been going all wrong, at least from my perspective. Somebody’s trimmed the bushes at the entrance so now the entry is obvious. Worse, there are odd trail decorations appearing. Plastic shower curtain rings chained together, a bow made of toilet paper, and stuff like that. And parts of the trail that were gently covered with maple leaves have been swept clear and delineated as if it’s a make it like the city competition. Huh. I’m sure this is somebody else’s idea of a good time, but it’s not mine. I want to hike on trails that haven’t been cleared and decorated. I like trails that are not used so much, and maybe even overgrown.

Any ideas? If you share your secret trail with me, I promise I won’t tell anybody else. Also, I promise not to put up trail markers or decorations of any sort. I use a GPS unit and have no need or fondness for things that stick out in the woods.

If you’ve got suggestions, please drop me a note. Thanks.