DATE: September 9, 2026
On one of their first outings together, six Nova Scotia hikers set off expecting to walk from one community to another. One member assured everyone she knew the way.
Two hours later, they arrived somewhere unexpected: right back where they had started.
“We had just done a complete circle,” recalls Kay Whelan, laughing. There was just one problem: they had left a car waiting at their intended destination.
The mishap inspired a name that stuck: the Lost Soles.
Fortunately, they’ve become considerably better at finding their way since then.
937 kilometres hiked and counting
The Lost Soles group formed in 2018, and they've hiked an impressive 937 kilometres of former rail beds that are now hiking trails in Nova Scotia, including many sections of the Trans Canada Trail.
“We just sort of got fascinated with the trail and with the rail beds,” Kay says. “It was a great thing to do when they took up the railway years ago, to put in hiking trails.”
Finding their people and their stride
This group of friends originally met in a fitness class. Kay recalls one woman she barely knew approaching her after a workout and simply saying, "I hear you like to hike. Would you be interested in going on a trail hike this weekend?"
Kay said yes and others did too. Before they knew it, their group of six was outdoors together, exploring the Harvest Moon Trailway section of the Trans Canada Trail in the Annapolis Royal area in Nova Scotia, where they live. section of the Trans Canada Trail in the Annapolis Royal area in Nova Scotia, where they live.
Today, the core group is six women, ranging in age from their 50s to their 80s. Kay, a retired teacher, recently celebrated her 84th birthday.
For her, staying active has long been a priority. After retiring from teaching in her mid-50s, she decided it was time to make physical activity an important part of her life.
But with the Lost Soles, the benefits go far beyond exercise.
“It’s just a whole lot of fun,” Kay says. “For me, it’s the combination of walking, being outside and keeping active. And it’s also the camaraderie.”
Their adventures include shorter outings throughout the year and longer hiking trips twice per year, when they cover about 100 kilometres over several days. Group member Jane B. finds accommodations to rent together near the trail and Rachael C. maps out a route so they can combine days of hiking with shared meals and time spent together.
Even winter weather doesn’t keep them indoors. When conditions don't allow for hiking, they head outside on snowshoes.
Photo credit: The Lost Soles
When staying connected matters most
The importance of their friendship became particularly clear during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Several members of the group live alone. Determined to remain connected while respecting public health restrictions, the Lost Soles established Saturday morning hikes. Each woman drove separately to the trailhead. They walked physically distanced and spaced themselves apart when they stopped for lunch.
“We followed all the COVID rules but we didn’t stop hiking,” Kay says.
They’ve created other traditions too, including a New Year’s Day hike followed by dinner together.
Photo credit: The Lost Soles
Giving back to the trails they love
Sometimes that means stewardship. When group member Karen B. notices an area that needs attention, the women return with bags and spend a few hours collecting trash and debris.
And when members reach a particularly significant milestone — their 80th birthday — they celebrate in a way that benefits other trail users in their community.
"Being of the ages we are, we always like to be able to sit down and rest during our hike," says Kay. "When we're hiking all day, we bring our lunch and snacks and it's nice to have a place to rest and refuel. Eileen K. And Karen B. keep us very well fed on our outings! However, there were very few places on our local trail for us to sit and take a break."
When Kay turned 80 years old, the group pooled their money to place a bench along the trail between Annapolis Royal and Bridgetown. It includes a plaque with an inscription that celebrates her special day and her love of hiking trails.
Kay was the first member of the group to reach this milestone birthday but the Lost Soles have continued the tradition and as each member turns 80, a new bench is installed and dedicated to them. There are now two benches on this well-used and well-loved trail, with a third coming soon. They benefit the many people who spend time there.
Kay frequently hears from people who have discovered her bench. “They’ll tell me, ‘I saw your bench. I sat on your bench,’” she says.
She asks people to send her photos of themselves sitting there and has accumulated quite a collection.
Photo credit: The Lost Soles
Making the Great Canadian Hike their own
Their approach demonstrated one of the simplest ways to participate: they made it work around their own lives.
The women didn’t need to complete every kilometre on the Trans Canada Trail together. Instead, members could get outside when their schedules allowed and report their distances back to Kay, who compiled the results of their efforts as a group.
Whether someone did five kilometres in one day and someone else hiked 30 kilometres over the course of a week, it all added up and contributed to the national goal of collectively reaching the 30,000 km length of the Trans Canada Trail.
Following her lead, an invitation to a friend or someone in your community could be as simple as, “We’re hiking at 9:00 Saturday morning. Why don’t you join us?”
After all, the Lost Soles themselves began with one invitation to go for a hike.
Eight years, hundreds of kilometres and countless adventures later, they still love their trail time.
