This spring I’ll complete my third circuit of the 73 km hiking trail through Killarney Provincial Park. I already know the trail well. I was hoping that this guide might provide a little extra inspiration for late-winter training. I was disappointed.

The booklet covers what you’d expect: brief write-ups on hiking etiquette, short sections on wildlife and geology, and a description of every section of the trail. I was disappointed for a couple reasons:

1. The booklet is aimed at people with no hiking experience. I understand that you need to cover the basics, but this guide made me feel foolish for having read it (I get it, pine needles on rocks are slippery). If you need that sort of coaching, you should probably hike an easier trail before tackling the La Cloche Silhouette.
2. McCulloch could have used an experienced editor. There were enough exclamation marks in there to make me wonder whether this was an email conversation. (!) There were also major proof-reading mistakes like missing spaces between words. This just detracted from the majesty of the trail it was describing.

That said, the descriptions of the trail are accurate. I could picture many of the sites, sections, and hills I’ve hiked from reading McCulloch’s description. I suppose that’s what I bought it for after all.

Friends of Killarney Park. Killarney Provincial Park La Cloche Silhouette Trail Guide. 2006.