Fundy Trek....18 Days to go!

The Fundy Coastline from Martin Head (photo credit Greg McCracken)

Join me on the Fundy Trek between July 26th and August 1st
for my 24th Birthday Challenge.

I decided that this year for my 24th birthday I needed to set a challenge for myself. I guess it all started last year when for my birthday I climbed the Cardiac Arrete Route on the Grand Sentinel near Lake Louise. At the time it was slightly over my head. I'd never tried anything like it before. My friend James and I hiked over 28 km that day, with 800m elevation, and froze our asses on a 4 pitch 5.10c sport route. We stumbled back to the car in the empty parking lot at dusk with smiles on our faces. It was the best birthday in a long time and an excellent way to start my 23rd year. Check out these incredible birthday challenges, http://www.birthdaychallenge.com/index2.html.

After throwing around a lot of ideas I have finally settled on attempting the Fundy Trek. It's a ~125km trail from Riverview to St. Martin's through the dramatic Fundy Highlands. I got the idea from www.fundyfootpath.info. This will be a challenge for me since (1) I've never completed a backpacking trip of this length. My trips in the past have been limited to 2-3 day hikes. (2) I'm unfamiliar with these trails.

The Trek links the 50 year old Dobson Trail (~ 60 km) with the renowned Fundy Footpath (~45km), with trails in Fundy National Park (~20km). The Fundy Trek traverses some of this regions most wild places. Last summer on an overnight hike to Martin Head, my Dad and I found Mossy Rainforests, Giant Hardwoods, Huge Waterfalls, beaches, incredible coastal cliffs. We are so lucky to have this wilderness in our backyard. In fact it was recently designated at a UNESCO Fundy Biosphere Reserve due to its unique biological and geological nature. This hike has garnered a reputation as a serious physical challenge with heady logistics due to the many river crossing near the world's high tides! As it says on the Fundy Footpath website, "This is where the Appalachians meet the Sea".

For practical reasons I decided to delay my "birthday challenge" until the end of July. (My Birthday is July 16th, I'll have a mini-challenge on that day). I'm taking the last week of July off work (27th to 31st), which gives me 9 days to work with. My current plan is to start in Riverview around the 26 or 27th of July. I plan to hike the Dobson Trail as fast and light as possible. When I arrive in Alma I'll pick up my extra gear and food before starting the Fundy Footpath. Mid-way along the Fundy Footpath I want to take a day to explore the Eye of the Needle and the cliffs of Walton Glen Canyon. Check out these links:
http://waterfallsnewbrunswick.ca/?p=210
http://doingstuffoutdoors.com/2007/11/19/through-the-eye-of-the-needle/

The trail has several sections, providing ample opportunities for others to join me for 1 to 4 day chunks. I've learnt that hiking is more enjoyable with people and my hope is that others will come along to share the experience. I've found that the best number for backpacking trips is 3-5 people.

Here are some Options for joining me:
Major Sections:
- Dobson trail (2-3 days)
- Fundy Park (1-2 days)
- Footpath (4 days)
- the whole thing! (6-8 days.)
Minor Sections:
- Join me from Hayward Pinnacle near Elgin and hike to Shepody Road in the Park. ~ 20 km?
- Shepody Road to Alma in Fundy National Park. ~15 km?
- Alma to Goose Creek in Fundy National Park. ~15 km?
- Martin Head to St. Martins (accessible by logging road with a truck). ~35 km

In the coming days I'll be providing more information about my itinery. Please contact me if you are interested in joining me or have advice on trail logistics. Contact me at grhmwgh@gmail.com or 506.647.6588


A Misty Morning at the Mouth of the Quiddy River near Martin Head. Look at the size of this Valley. Think about what it took to create that. Now look at the photograph below. My Dad snapped that photo near the start of our hike. Again its the Quiddy River but wait a minute, how did that little river create such a big Valley? The glaciers that flattened the tops of these appalachian mountains also eroded huge river valleys. And those valleys are what make the Fundy Foot path so demanding.

Trail Info
Fundy Footpath http://www.fundyfootpath.info/
Dobson Trail http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/rss/article/497528
Fundy National Park http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nb/fundy/index_e.asp

Tourism, Sustainability Attainability on the Fundy Bay?

Earlier this week I attended a conference on Sustainable Tourism hosted by the Fundy Biosphere Reserve. It was a gathering of tourism operators, government officials, town councillors, academia, hikers, and people who care about the area.

It was an opportunity for the Tourism Assoc. of N.B. to release the report entitled:

Upper Bay of Fundy : A World Biosphere Destination
Business Development Strategic and Action Plans

It pointed to areas of growth, tourism trends, and opportunities for the area. Its heavily based on a predicted surge in tourism due to the Fundy Trail Parkway completion in the next few years. And its about how to turn the wave of tourism into jobs.

Gary Clark, who some call "Canada's father of Sustainable Tourism" started each day with an inspiring lecture on sustainability and tourism. He lives true to his vision and demonstrates that sustainable tourism is possible, at the Inn he keeps. The Biosphere he worked to create in Ontario is striving for a sensible balance of conservation, cultural preservation, and tourism. The clear vision he drew in our minds each morning grew muddy throughout the day with talk of jobs, international tourists, and Fundy growth.

The conference left me with a lot to think about. How do we create jobs in an area without greasing the machine with jet fuel? How do tourists (some, the disdain of some locals) affect local pride and use of the Fundy Coast? How do we balance jobs and tourists? Can we all use it? How do we grow pride in our region? How can I personally do my part to expose local people (especially youth) to the wild fragile beauty of this area?

If Sustainable tourism is about reducing our impact on the earth, shouldn't it start by staying at home and learning to love the immensity of our wilds and appreciating our rich cultural heritage? What if instead of advertising overseas, we invested our time and money here. We could generate such a wide diversity of activities (adventurous and cultural) that every local has a life time worth of travelling to do right here in southern NB. Our enthusiasm and pride would draw world wide attention and inspire others to realize their own local potential. After all the best place to be is where you are.

The area's potential is boggling. There is tremendous opportunity for good and bad development. Luckily, the Fundy Biosphere Region has been formed which aims to preserve the area's unique natural and cultural communities. It's a giant first step. My impression is that there is willingness among towns and tour operators to work towards more environmental sound tourism in the area. Yves Gagnon, the interim Chairperson for the FBR, ended the conference with a reminder -You must remember that as individials we are all responsible for the future of this area. We all must do our part to make this region truly sustainable. No one else can do it for us.

http://www.fundy-biosphere.ca/

The FBR, designated by watershed divides actually has a fuzzy boundary. It is happy to include any area willing to adopt its mandate.