Edmonton woman hiking across Canada to set record

Sarah Jackson is taking the trail less travelled.

If she completes her long walk, she'll be the first woman on record to complete the trek.

After graduating with a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Alberta, the 24-year-old from Edmonton decided to walk across the country.

Jackson is hiking from Vancouver, B.C., to St. John's, N.L., on the Trans Canada Trail, the largest network of recreational trails in the world.  

"There so much of Canada that I don't know; I think it's such an interesting way to see the country," Jackson said.

"Going to bed in a different place every night is incredible."

Initially set to be finished by 2000, large portions of the 24,000-kilometre trail remain incomplete, something which can be unnerving for a novice navigator such as Jackson.

"There are parts where you bushwhack a little bit, and you're not sure if you're going the right way and the sign looks like it's pointing right in the middle of the fork in the road."   

Some 115 days and 2,000 kilometres into her journey, Jackson has arrived back in Edmonton for a short break before she carries on toward the East Coast.

She's been walking up to 40 km a day and has already worn through her first pair of hiking boots, and for most of the trip, friends and relatives have joined her along the trail.

Hoping to reach the Atlantic Ocean by fall of 2016, Jackson will spend the bitter winter months trekking through Saskatchewan.

"Everyone is saying El Nino is here, so hopefully that helps me out a bit, but I'll hold up somewhere if I have to."

Jackson hopes the trip will help her decide what she wants out of life.

For now, she's just taking it one step at a time.

You can follow Jackson's journey on instagram @sarahrosewalks

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