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The Adventure Zone

Past stories Children of Winter Bruce Peninsula Mountain Bike Adventure Frontier Adventure Challenge MEC Big Chop Summer Paddle Series The Calgary Stampede Moraine for Life Adventure Relay Monarch Redux Rockies Bird Festival Arctic Winter Games Bolivia's Acotango Mount Kilimanjaro The Drambuie Pursuit Canadian Aboriginal Festival Mountain Mania Adventure racing Manitoulin Island Star Party Celebration of Light Algonquin Park Ottawa Race Weekend Maple syrup festival Cain's Quest Have Snowshoes, Will Travel Quebec Ice Hotel In the Eye of the Storm Arctic Aurora Borealis Canada's 'Deep South' Agawa Canyon Ablaze Mahone Bay Boat Festival Vancouver Island's rocky trail Wild Women Expeditions Eco-Endurance Summiting Canada Gourmet getaway Yukon Arctic Ultra Canadian Wind Riders Winnipeg's urban pathways Canoeist/artist Bill Mason Take a hike Whitewater kayaking The 2005 Sea Cavalcade Moonstruck - Adventure racers Delta Marsh Birding Festival Climb for conservation The Eagle has Landed Gold Rush Trail Whistler Film Festival Fit to ski Whyte Museum of the Rockies Cheakamus Challenge "Super Dave" Norona Ontario's French River region Cabot Trail Relay Race Point Pelee Festival of Birds Canmore Ice Climbing Festival Winterlude Yeti Mountain Snowshoe Series Golden Horseshoe Orienteering Club Banff Mountain Book Festival Haliburton Highlands Sand Sculpture Championships BC Mobility Society Bathtub Race Championship Bike Month Running off the road Birds of a Feather Grand Plans in Grand Cache Le Festival du Voyageur Raid Ukatak Around the World Alone November culinary adventure Mountains in Miniature In the Belly of the Dragon Raid the North Extreme!! Making a splash! Volunteer for nature Cycling for sustainability Working for Wildlife Whale of a time Canadian Death Race Mont Tremblant Skiing Nanook of the North Eco-challenge Climate Change Caravan Royal Regatta Unleash the hounds World Cup mountain bike race Yukon River Quest On top of the world Canada's World-Class Heritage Gliding across the silver screen Marathon Madness National Ski and Snowboard Week Christmas Bird Count Banff Festival Adventure racing Coast-to-coast trek Whitewater rodeos In praise of parks Watching Canada's wildlife Canada's Highest Peak Alaska Adventure Racer

Photo courtesy the ALS Society of Canada

"We're asking Canadians to take to the trails in support of ALS research and client services for those living with ALS," says event director Joe Mangoff. "And hiking in the fall will make for some spectacular views and scenery."

ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neuromuscular disorder that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord and ultimately causes loss of muscle control, making breathing and eating — even smiling — impossible. Some 1,500 to 2,000 Canadians currently live with this crippling disease, and every day, two or three Canadians die of ALS.

Targeting outdoor enthusiasts of all fitness levels, Hike 4 ALS has scheduled events in four provinces in its inaugural year. Participants will hike some of the prettiest trails in the country, all for a great cause. The 10-kilometre Vancouver, B.C., hike follows the Baden Park Trail under a gorgeous canopy of trees and alongside waterfalls and brooks. Albertans have their choice of two sites: the picturesque Shirley Lake Trail east of Edmonton (12.6 kilometres) and the figure-eight Jumpingpound Loop in Kananaskis Country (9 kilometres), with a 60-degree view of the foothills, prairies and peaks. Ontario plays host at the York Region's Kortright Centre for Conservation, with 16 kilometres of trails that run from forest to meadow and marsh, while Haligonians are treated to the 8.5-kilometre Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park Trail, with the Atlantic Ocean as their constant companion.

For those who are unable to make the October 15 date, there are also opportunities to sponsor a "virtual" hiker. Log on at www.als.ca/hike4als/ to find out how.