Sunday 10/15/00 17 miles/4247 Total. 302 on IAT. 266 Trail Days. Matagamon Gate of Baxter State Park, ME to Shin Pond. We are back in Maine starting where we left off on 26 September 00 at the North Gate, Matagamon, of Baxter State Park. It feels good to be back continuing the unbroken trail northward. Unseasonably warm and sunny weather, beautiful autumn leaves just starting to fall, and a gently rolling gravel road all make for a great day.
Alas, I see signs of Indians. It appears that I am passing through Penobscot Indian territory. Fortunately, the signs are nailed to trees and in big bold print, so it is not a hair-raising experience. The signs are warning not to trespass or hunt on their lands unless you have bought a permit.
The miles slipped by quickly and Betty met me at the 17 mile point.
Monday 10/16/00 24 miles/4271 Total. 267 Trail Days. Shin Pond to Smyrna Mills.
Last night the temperature dropped to 17 degrees. The lights Betty bought for the basement compartments and the propane furnace running almost continuously, kept our tanks from freezing. At 3AM I checked a cold water faucet, it was only a trickle. After a few minutes it was back to normal, so I let it run slowly the rest of the night. This was our coldest night in the RV to date and we seem to have survived without incident.
As Betty and I were departing for the trail, I saw our neighbor outside with a hair dryer trying to thaw his pipes.
Most of today’s hike was on remote roads with almost no traffic. Moose and deer tracks were common along the edge of the road. Both on the drive to the start point and during the day’s hike, I would look to the west and see Katahdin, now partially capped with snow. We first saw Katahdin about 10 hiking days south. Now we are six hiking days beyond and she still looms large as the sun sets behind her.
Betty: After dropping Chuck on the trail, I headed south to Medway. We had some packages going to the Medway post office and I had talked with Jeff, the postmaster, while in Quebec and told him we would be coming back for them in October. He had them ready for me when I arrived at the post office. Great guy and very efficient postmaster. He had helped track down a package that was to be forwarded to Medway from Monson. I was in the Monson Post Office three days in a row and finally when we were just too far to keep driving back, they said they would forward it to Medway. They didn’t, but instead returned it to my parents. Since then I have found out that other hikers have had problems with Monson Post Office. Anyway, everything was in Medway and my Thanks to Jeff!
My next stop was at D & M Trailer sales and service, where David has agreed to winterize the RV on Wednesday and to either store it on their lot or move it to Katahdin Shadows Campground for storage, which Rick at Katahdin Shadows has said would be fine. We will then be moving northward and working out of motels. Packing is going to be a challenge, after having the whole RV in which to spread out.
Tuesday 10/17/00 19 miles/4290 Total. 345 IAT. 268 Trail Days. Smyrna Mills, ME to Houlton, ME. With a cloudy sky last night the low temperature was 23 degrees, a little warmer, but with clouds obscuring the sun today it was significantly cooler than the beautiful sunny day we had yesterday.
Today’s hike was a road walk, first on US2, then Ludlow Road, a little used back road, and ending on US1. Similar to the roadwalks in Florida, Alabama and Georgia, it is somewhat dull walking but permits consistently higher daily mileage. The feet take a beating due to the hard surface, the higher mileage and the feet striking the pavement exactly the same way with each step throughout the day. On a trail, each foot strike is a little different. One of the joys of roadwalking is the opportunity to meet more people; owners of country stores, road maintenance crews, rural residents and others.
This morning I stopped at The Pioneer Store, an Amish general store with hardware and supplies plus Amish made products. The owner, Chris Brimley and I talked at length about Amish farming and cooking and about my hike. He told me that “Spur” and “Silver Moon” had stopped at his store a couple of months ago.
By 11:30 AM, I was passing the Brookside Restaurant and Motel. we had arranged to park the RV in their parking lot for a day last month. Also, Betty and I had lunch in their restaurant then. The lunch today was even better, Shepard’s pie, but the company wasn’t as good.
This afternoon, as I was approaching Houlton, ME, two men were working at a railroad crossing. Bill Collins had a cable and connected it to both rails activating the crossing bell and lights. They explained how the system works. Bill and Noonan (I think) are railroad safety inspectors for the Federal Railroad Administration, a part of the US Department of Transportation. They took the opportunity to explain the dangers of hiking along the track. I suspect they thought me to be a vagrant. Anyway, it was interesting conversation.
The end of today’s hike was one of those rare times that I can hike directly to the RV. It is parked at My Brother’s RV Campground two miles north of Houlton on US1.
Wednesday 10/18/00 25 miles/4315 Total/370 IAT. 269 Trail Days. Houlton, ME to Bridgewater, ME. We packed the car with gear, food, etc. to support us for the next three weeks. The plan was for Betty to drive about 60 miles south to Medway, ME and have the RV winterized and stored. Meanwhile, I would hike north and Betty would find me before dark. We have now hiked all of the mountainous trails and all of the overnighters, so we plan to stay in motels when possible. We packed camping gear just in case Betty got the urge to sleep out or if we cannot locate a motel. We have been concerned about the water lines and tanks freezing in the RV and will feel more comfortable knowing it is winterized and stored.
Just north of the RV park, I pick up the rail-to-trail path that we had been told would lead to Bridgewater. Apparently, this trail was designed primarily for snowmobilers. Two couples with three “four-wheelers” stopped to chat. They said more “four-wheelers” are out on weekends, but when the snow falls the snowmobiles are out in force sometimes all night. There is a network of snowmobile trails here called “its” (interconnected trail system). I am hiking north on “its-83”. The miles go by fast on this type trail; mostly straight and level with a gravel or rock surface.
It is raining and cold, but good to be off of US1 where 18 wheelers send a wet cold blast as they pass by at a distance of only three or four feet.
Betty met me just south of Bridgewater, ME. She had arranged for us to stay at the Budget Traveler Motel in Presque Isle, ME. While I showered, Betty found some Mexican food to “take-out”. It was great.
Betty: The Budget Traveler was very nice, clean and offered a breakfast with the room. I now have unlimited use of a telephone and we have TV. Those two items we have had in limited quantities for many months, so I’m overindulging.
Thursday 10/19/00 21 miles/4336 Total/391 IAT. 270 Trail Days. Bridgewater, ME to Hersom Road in Maine. West on Snow Road, north on Buckley Road, then on Boundary Line Road and East Blaine Road, it was a day on the back roads of NE Maine. This morning, Betty spotted an IAT marker near Mars Hill, by 1:30PM I was back on the International Appalachian Trail. The morning had been cold and windy with rain. It was good to enter the forest on the southern slopes of Mars Hill, the trees buffered the wind. The trail up Mars Hill took more time than expected and the top half was in the clouds. I have heard that each day the suns rays first strike US soil atop Mars Hill. The summit is about two miles west of the Canadian border. It was socked in today, so no views across Canada. The Bigrock Ski Area is on the western slope and the IAT follows a summit ridge north about five miles and descends to Knoxford Rd. The trail markers at this point were confusing but appeared to indicate east toward the border. This led to a road leading to a farm house which seemed to stop at that point, but no marks anyplace. The route marked on my map indicated west and since it was on a road, I followed it even without trail marks. This route deteriorated to a series of mud holes with tracks between them. After about two miles of mud, I called Betty on the cell phone to have her meet me on Hersom Road, an east-west back road that I knew I would eventually cross. She arrived about two minutes after I stepped onto Hersom Road. I was cold and wet; it was good to be in the warm car heading for a hot shower. Unlike the RV, where we often have only a limited amount of water, this would be a luxurious shower with lots of hot water. This shower even had a sign warning users to close the door so that the steam would not set off the smoke/heat detectors and possibly the fire sprinkler system.
After cleaning up, we ate at Governor’s Restaurant in Presque Isle. This very popular place is part of a small chain in Maine and they feature many Maine grown dishes: potatoes, beans, lobster, etc. The meal and the service were good and the price was very reasonable.
Betty: We mentioned back at the finish of the Appalachian Trail, that Harold (Mississippi Hiker) had offered the use of his two way radios. Well, we have been using them and they are wonderful. There are many areas where our cell phones are not in a service area or where it’s just not important to use them, these locations are great for the radios. Thanks Harold!
Friday 10/20/00 20 miles/4356 Total/411 IAT. 271 Trail Days. Hersom Road to Perth-Andover, New Brunswick. On the way back to the motel last night, Betty and I had driven some of today’s route looking for IAT markers without any success. Therefore, my plan for the day was to walk a series of roads that would zig-zag around some swampy areas and finally get me to the Fort Fairfield border crossing. After about one mile, while on Riviere des Chutes Road which parallels the border, I saw a snowmobile trail that Betty pointed out last night. I thought this trail must lead to the border and the IAT is surely right on the border at this point. It worked. At the border, I turned north and about 15 miles later arrived at Fort Fairfield. It was interesting to hike along an international border. Every half mile or so there was a small granite monument with the word Canada etched on one side and United States on the other. The trail mostly stayed right on the line, but often veered to one side or the other to miss marshes, beaver dams or steep bluffs. After serving in countries that barricade their borders and shoot trespassers it is refreshing to hike along this open border. A grouse flushed on the US side and landed in Canada. Moose tracks followed the border for a few hundred yards then visited the US. Canada geese flew in formation overhead without regard for the border.
Upon arrival at Fort Fairfield, I was exactly on the border and between two border checkpoints. On my left was the US border station and the Canadian station was on my right. I turned right and processed into Canada. A backpack, long hair and a beard did not impress the agent on duty. He took my identification and told me to wait inside until they ran some checks. A few minutes earlier, while I was standing between the two border stations, I saw a US agent watching me with binoculars. When I started toward the Canadian side, he was immediately on the telephone. My bet is that he alerted his comrades across the border. Anyway, after lots of questions, some feeble explanations and a return phone call saying that I was not one of America’s Most Wanted, I was allowed to pass. I hiked to the Perth-Andover Motor Inn where Betty was patiently waiting.
Betty: Keep in mind as you are reading this, the IAT is still a work in progress. Everyone who hikes it, hikes a little different trail, some because it’s difficult in places to know where the trail is, and some because there are new sections of trail continuing to be built. Since the trail is continuing to change there are many areas without actual trail maps, only maps giving a general idea of where the trail is. It would be prohibitively expensive to print and reprint maps with every change in the trail.
Saturday 10/21/00 20 miles/4376 Total/431 IAT. 272 Trail Days. Perth-Andover, NB to Plaster Rock, NB. Up well before daybreak, I thought I would surprise Betty with a hot cup of coffee. This motel does not provide morning coffee, but not to worry, I can perk a pot on my camp stove. I part the window drapes just enough to allow a little light in from the night light just outside. The camp stove uses Coleman fuel and gets pretty hot, so I placed one of the two dinner plates Betty had brought along under the little stove to protect the table. In order to fire up this apparatus, you first pump up the pressure in the fuel tank that is connected to the stove with a small flexible metal tube. Then, open the valve just enough to allow a bit of liquid fuel in the little bowl under the stove, shut the valve and ignite the tiny (maybe 1/8 teaspoon) bit of fuel. The little flame will then warm the generator so that when the fuel valve is eased back on air and fuel will be forced into the burner and this efficient little blow torch will boil a pint of water in only three or four minutes. Somehow, in doing this without my glasses and in the dim light, not to mention the mental fog and cobwebs that come with pre-dawn operations, things did not go as planned. Apparently, when I cracked the valve to allow that little bit of fuel into the tiny metal bowl on the underside of the stove, I was getting more than anticipated. Actually, it overflowed and nearly filled the dinner plate, so that when I put a flame to it – VOILA!!!!
Now, imagine Betty asleep in a nearly dark room awakening to see this flame reaching nearly to the ceiling. Sitting on top of a table that is nearly three feet high, a four foot flame must look pretty awesome as you look up from a bed that is only a couple of feet away.
There are some lessons here. First, it is amazing how long a plate of Coleman fuel will burn. Also, it is interesting how slowly or how quickly one can awake. Plus, Betty had some thoughts about lessons relearned, but I won’t bother to list them here.
Fortunately, after what seemed like hours, the flame burned itself out. The first alternative that came to mind was to snatch the blanket off of Betty and smother the whole thing, but a large black hole in a motel blanket would be hard to hide. Also, it was fortunate that the smoke detector did not work and that the room did not have fire sprinklers. If this had happened the previous night, the sprinklers would surely have activated and the entire building, about 60 rooms, would have been standing in the parking lot pointing at us and whispering bad things. As it was, just an hour later, most of the smoke had cleared and that stubborn sooty build-up that plates and stoves and tables tend to get on such occasions was beginning to scrub off.
Well, it’s good to be out on the trail where things are more predictable and safer than back in civilization. At this point the IAT uses the New Brunswick Trail. Here, this is an old railroad bed that has been converted to a hiking, biking and snowmobile trail. It is along the Tobique River and very scenic. In the early afternoon, I pass a log cabin on the river bank. A family is unloading fire wood and stacking it alongside the house. The father says hello, and soon I am talking to the very interesting Smith family. Alley, his wife, Julie, and their two teenage (or almost) sons, Hunter and MacKenzie, have a beautiful, rustic looking cabin that they use for weekends and vacations. They once lived in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Inuvik is north of the Yukon and the MacKenzie Mountain Range, and just inland from the Beaufort Sea and MacKenzie Bay. It is on a latitude similar to Prudhoe Bay and Point Barrow, Alaska, way up north. They moved from this frozen part of the country just after their second son, MacKenzie, was born. It was a lively conversation with me asking about their experiences and their interest in my trek. Hunter may do a report for his class about my trip, so I gave him a card with our website address. We hope to get an email from him. As I was leaving, Alley called me back and said that he and Julie would like for Betty and I to stay at their cabin if we could not find a motel. He showed me how the systems in the house work and I thanked him for the generous offer. I noticed that they heated with a pot-belly, woodburning stove. It did not seem like the time to go into the details of this morning’s stove experience.
On down the trail and in the late afternoon, I saw another log cabin. The back porch overlooked the trail and the river. The back porch had a huge Moosehead Pale Ale emblem on the wall. A man was sitting in a rocking chair on the porch. He waved hello, and I asked how the Moosehead was, he said “cold and good, you want one?” I replied that I shouldn’t, then walked up to meet Norman McCarty, who recently retired from the nearby Fraser Paper Company. Over a Moosehead, one of Canada’s best beers, we talked about the river and canoes and the joys of retirement. While talking, some younger (about 40) guy came out and asked if I did anything weird. When I told him I wasn’t sure what he meant, he said, “Like drugs”. I said “No” and he went back inside.
Meanwhile, Betty had found the Tobique View Motel right on the Tobique River, just outside of Plaster Rock, NB. She must have looked hard to find one with a kitchenette so I could make coffee on an electric range.
Betty: The Smith’s log cabin sounds wonderful and it sure would have been a neat place to stay. We thank them for their kind offer. As you will remember from the accounts in Florida, Alabama, and Georgia prior to the Appalachian Trail, one of the neat things about the trails that aren’t as finished and as busy as the Appalachian Trail, is the neat folks you meet along the way. We are finding this to be the case now as we are on the sections of the IAT that are on roads or trail close to the roads. All along, the best of the trail has been the wonderful folks we have had occasion to meet.
Now, for those of you traveling in New Brunswick on the IAT or for other reasons. The Tobique View Motel is right on the river and is very nice. We have a suite with a kitchenette. It’s the end of the season, so they gave me a better deal than would normally be the case. Many of the motels here in New Brunswick allow dogs, so Levi (the schnauzer) is happy.
Oh, by the way, the Corelle plate that Chuck set the stove on, saved the day. It got a bit sooty, but the table got warm and that was all. The plate eventually cleaned up pretty well, but now we know for sure which plate is Chuck’s.
Sunday 10/22/00 21 miles/4397 Total/452 IAT. 273 Trail Days. Plaster Rock (5 miles south) to Everett Road and Church. It was cold and windy as I started along the New Brunswick Trail that is also the IAT. The weather forecast called for 40km/hr winds (25 mph) and I believe it.
By early afternoon, I had crossed the Tobique River and was searching for the trail that showed clearly on the map. A man in a pick-up truck stopped and asked if he could help. When I told him I was looking for the New Brunswick Trail, he smiled and said I was on it. He went on to tell me that this portion had not yet been built and it was now a roadwalk. Then he surprised me by asking if I was staying at the Tobique View Motel in Plaster Rock. He was Tom Chamberlin, owner of the Tobique View Motel and Restaurant. He had talked with Betty yesterday when she was arranging for: a room, phone for internet access, permission to have a dog, and a place to do laundry. By now he had parked alongside the road and we were talking about local rivers that were good for canoeing, wildlife in the area and trails. He said snowmobile trails are very popular in this area.
Late in the afternoon, a man on a bicycle came up behind me. He said his wife had seen me walk past their house and she remembered seeing my picture in the paper. I told him she had probably seen Nimblewill Nomad and that I was on a similar trip. He insisted that I come back to their house to tell his wife about our trip. I told him that when Betty met me we would return. About an hour later we met John Cannon and his new wife, Sandra. John is Indian (Native American), his mother was Algonquin and his father was Mohawk. John’s Indian name translates to Light Footed Running Bear. Sandra was raised in this area and is learning Native Indian crafts and skills from John. He had skulls of wolves, eagles, deer, moose, etc. He showed us some of the traditional ways his people use the bones, teeth and antlers of these respected animals for both decoration and function. Before we left, we took some pictures and John gave us each an Eagle feather. I think he felt the grouse feathers in my hat band were not worthy of the name “Swamp Eagle”. John and Sandra were preparing for an upcoming craft show and showed us many of the items they were making. They had many beautiful dream catchers, jewelry items and clocks that would be displayed and sold. Sandra’s artistic skills were evident throughout their home. What a wonderful time we had chatting with them and enjoying coffee and Sandra’s famous Molasses Cookies. Thanks to both of you.
Back at the Tobique View Motel, we stopped by the restaurant to talk with Tom and his wife, Debbie. They were not there, but we spent an enjoyable hour talking with two of the women who work there, Kendy and the cook. A large plaque hung behind the cashier’s counter:
*”Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Much”.
Monday 10/23/00
Betty: Yesterday, on my way to retrieve Chuck, I scouted ahead for a place to stay. There are not a lot of places on this stretch that we are traversing and it is now deer season, so there are many hunters looking for lodging, as well. When I drove into the village of Riley Brook I saw a beautiful log cabin lodge on the right. They had a room available and ordinarily they don’t allow dogs, but decided Levi could stay, too. So today we are checked into “The Bear’s Lair”, owned and operated by Don and Evelyn McAskill. Our room overlooks the Tobique river. What a beautiful, quaint lodge. We will be joining Don, Evelyn and some of the hunters for dinner tonight. I can hardly wait. I’ll go by this afternoon and see if I can help with anything.
After dropping Chuck on the trail this morning, I drove ahead to Mt. Carleton Park. There, I met Bertin Allard, Superintendent of Mount Carleton Park, Elaine Cote, Activity Coordinator, and Sandra. Bertin offered the use of one of their cabins during our stay at the park. Chuck should arrive at the Park tomorrow afternoon (Tuesday) and Wednesday he will hike some of the mountains in the park. New Brunswick is beautiful and once again we are experiencing the warmth and generosity of it’s residents.
Oh, I almost forgot — on the way into the park I saw a big black bear crossing the road. When I got to the headquarters office, he had left his calling card (bear scat) in their parking lot. I would like to get a picture of him – from the car! No night walks for Levi!! We also are seeing many deer. The deer here are much darker than those we see in the United States. They are a charcoal color which contrasts beautifully with the white.
Monday 10/23/00 23 miles/4420 Total/475 on IAT. 274 Trail Days. Everett Road to 11.7 miles north of Riley Brook. The morning was clear, cold and beautiful. The temperature went down to 19 degrees last night but the wind has subsided and it is a great day to hike in Canada’s back country. Today was the first day of deer hunting season here. I saw 19 deer before 10AM. However, some were so far away that I could not tell if they were bucks or does. Also, a lot of them were on property that is posted, no hunting. The custom here is to nail discs, that are about 10 inches in diameter, to trees or posts along a property line. A red disc means no hunting, a yellow disc is for hunting by permission only, and a blue disc prohibits motorized vehicles.
The trail in this area is along NB Road 385. This road is not well traveled, only hunters, logging trucks and a very few local residents. The road follows the Tobique River and in most places is picturesque.
Betty made arrangements for us to stay at the Bear’s Lair Lodge in the very small community of Riley Brook. Owners Don and Evelyn McAskill made us feel welcome. Don is a local guide and helped meplan an off-road route into Carleton park that will eliminate a lot of road walking and will save several miles. We had a great meal and enjoyed the tales told by Don and some of the hunters who were also staying at the lodge. It is a rustic log building, with wood paneled rooms and it overlooks the Tobique River that is just one hundred feet away. The large dining area has a high ceiling with lots of game trophies hanging on the walls.
We saw in their register book that “Spur” and “Silver Moon”, and “Nimblewell Nomad” and John O. also stayed here. Wonderful place, great atmosphere.
Tuesday 10/24/00 23 miles/4443 Total/498 IAT. 275 Trail Days. ll.7 miles north of Riley Brook, NB to NB Road 180. It is a clear cook day on a remote road through Fraser Paper Company forests in the middle of New Brunswick, Canada. The miles are slipping by as a pick-up truck with a NB Forestry emblem stops beside me. Mel Fitton introduces himself and tells me he is a coordinator for the IAT in New Brunswick. Betty had arrived just minutes prior to Mel and the three of us talked for almost one half hour. Mel told us about the challenges the NB Chapter of the IAT faces in trying to establish their portion of the trail. He explained a lot of the disconnections about the trail that had concerned us. I told him that I appreciated the tough job they had in front of them and that, for now, by job was much easier, “just keep moving”.
A few miles later, Betty returned to tell me that she had arranged for us to stay in a cabin at Carleton Provincial Park. While we were talking, Park Manager Bertin Allard stopped. He was eager to help us and was glad that I would be hiking through Carleton park even though it is not yet an actual part of the IAT’s continuous trace.
Later this afternoon, on the way into the park, we saw a black bear cross the road in front of us. Betty had seen one near this location a few days earlier.
For the evening, we moved into a warming cabin used in winter by cross-country skiers and snowmobilers. There were no beds so a staff member placed two mattresses on the floor. There was no water, but it did have generator power and best of all a kerosene heater. The door did not have a working latch. Betty insisted that I fashion some method to secure our sole entrance. I did.
Today was Betty’s birthday and our accommodations were pretty basic. We agreed to have a more appropriate dinner celebration at a later date. It was pleasant there in sleeping bags drifting off into dreamland while watching the flicker of the fire in the heating stove. Through the window, we could see a star filled sky on this cold, clear night.
Betty: Tuesday 10/24/00 Our little cabin here at the park has become home. Bertin, Elaine and the staff moved some mattresses in and fired up the stove and probably lots of other things of which we aren’t aware. By the time we arrived in the afternoon, it was nice and toasty. Inside we have a (probably) fuel oil stove for heat (it looks about like the one we had at the farm when I was a child), a propane cook stove and a counter for preparing our food. There are some chairs and two mattresses for our sleeping bags. There is a privy just outside the cabin. We made ourselves at home, cooked our meal and then Chuck surprised me with a cake, complete with candle, and some presents and cards to celebrate my birthday.
Betty: Wednesday 10/25/00 Things that go bump in the night —- a bear bumping into the porch of your cabin. Yes, that’s right – it was the return of the black bear and he came up to the porch or onto the porch, we aren’t sure which. Levi growled, I said “What’s that”, Chuck and I both looked out the windows and sure enough caught a glimpse of him heading across the road and toward the office. They have a bear trap over by the office and had put bread spread with honey in it. Well, this bear decided he liked the idea of bread spread with honey, so he managed to have it, but not get caught. The staff here at Mt. Carleton Park are trying to catch the bear and move it further from inhabited areas, since it is getting quite used to hanging around the buildings. Last night’s encounter was at 9:50 (EST).
This morning as I came back from dropping Chuck on the trail, a big moose (I think a cow), crossed the road in front of me. We had seen tracks in the road on our way out to the trail. Wow, it’s so neat to see all these animals.
Today we will be leaving the park. Our heartfelt Thanks to Bertin Allard, Elaine Cote and the kind staff at Mt. Carleton Provincial Park.
Wednesday 10/25/00 17 miles/4460 Total/515 IAT. 276 Trail Days. Hike over Mount Carleton and Sagamook, then on to NB Road 180 to 8 miles east of Five Fingers, NB. We had a guest last night. About 10PM, there was a noise on our little front porch. Levi was growling and Betty was in her alert mode. A few seconds later she saw a bear outside her window, then I saw it, outside another window, running across an open area. Later in the day, we learned that it had also visited the only other park visitors. After sticking its head in their tent, they spent the night in their little Jeep with three large dogs.
During the morning, I hiked up the highest mountain in the Maritime Provinces, Mount Carleton, 2689 feet. It was a great view, the park’s brochure says 10 million trees can be seen from here. Mount Carleton was named after the province’s first Lieutenant Governor, Thomas Carleton 1736-1817. Then on a trail along a ridgeline to the mystical Sagamook. Legend has it that this mountain was a spiritual meeting place of Indian chiefs. The view from Sagamook was also good. It was a steep trail down to meet Betty at Nictau Lake.
Ten more miles along NB Road 180 and Betty whisked me away to find a place to stay in Kedgwick, NB.
Thursday 10/26/00 20 miles/4480 Total/535 IAT. 276 Trail Days. 8 miles east of Five Fingers to Kedgwick, NB. This isolated road through the forests of Fraser Paper Company gets little traffic. This time of year, logging trucks and hunters are the primary users. The logging trucks here seem longer than in the “lower 48”. Most have either 22 or 26 wheels and they must get paid by the load because they fairly fly down the road. Even the hard surfaced roads have a rough gravel finish. As these big monsters blow by, they push a gusty wave of dust and gravel with them. I step well off the shoulder, grab my hat and turn away each time one passes. Even then, I sometimes get pinged with bits of gravel and usually have an eye full of dust, unless it is raining, then it is a cold shower blowing sideways.
Today, I noticed a snowmobile trail just a couple hundred feet inside the woodline. Since it was parallel to the road and had no trucks, it an easy choice. By 2:30PM, I was in Kedgwick, NB at the O’Regal Motel. This motel is directly across the road from the Forestry Museum and campground which links us to the portion of the IAT that we completed about two weeks ago.
While I was hiking this morning, Betty drove a couple hundred miles to the Fort Fairfield, Maine Post Office. She picked up our absentee ballots which she had arranged to have forwarded. She returned just as I was approaching the O’Regal Motel. Only minutes later, we were loaded in the car and headed north to Mont Saint Pierre, Quebec. This four hour drive will get us to the northern end of our hike at this time. We now have all the portions that have been hiked linked together in one continuous trek from Key West to La Galene near Mont Saint Pierre.
Betty had arranged for us to stay at the Mont Saint Pierre Motel. Owner/Manager Raymond greeted us and brought us up to date on local trail events since we talked with him about a month ago.
When we departed New Brunswick, we left Atlantic Standard Time. Here in Quebec we are back in a familiar time zone, but with a mostly unfamiliar language. As we move north it is obvious that many places are closing for the winter season. Many of the motels are closed with boards over windows, Carleton Park was shutting down to a caretaker status as we left and, our precious campsite, at the Forestry Campground in Kedgwick is now gated and locked. Another indicator of the coming winter season is that small fir trees are already being cut to ship south for Christmas.
Friday 10/27/00 24 miles/4504 Total/559 IAT. 278 Trail Days. La Galene, Quebec to Mont Louis, Quebec. Raymond whipped up a good breakfast for us and gave us an update on the weather. Due to recent snowfall in the higher mountains and with even more last night, he recommended that I hike from La Galene on the road rather than the new trail. Probably a good call since I could not locate the new trail when I descended from Mount Jacque Cartier last month. Several other hikers had reported difficulty with this new stretch of trial and had advised against using it until it is better marked. The road was great. A gravel road with no traffic- zero, and high mountains all around. It descends down a picturesque valley with great views of a stream alongside. Waterfalls cascade from the adjacent mountains. The roadway gives enough visual clearance to see these panoramas without obstruction. Also, the surface is smooth so no rocks and roots to stumble over while looking up. It was an enjoyable and fast (downhill) 17 miles into Mont Saint Pierre. I met Betty at the motel, rested for about an hour and continued along the coast of Quebec Highway 132. A very different setting, but also enjoyable. This highway is only a few feet from the very wide St. Lawrence Seaway. A seawall keeps the waves from eroding the highway. The water is about 12 feet below the road level and signs warn that waves may be a traffic hazard. Today, the waves gently lap against the seawall. It is brisk and a little windy as the sun drops behind me. I am walking with the wind and on a wider than normal shoulder. I like this, hope I still like it after the 112 miles to Cape Gaspe’.
Saturday 10/28/00 23 miles/4527 Total/582 IAT. 279 Trail Days. Mont Louis, Quebec to 10 miles east of Grand Vallee. Another good breakfast, however, Raymond’s weather report was not as good. He said to expect rain, high winds, cold weather and possibly as much as two feet of snow.
The first few hours were fine, cold and windy but the road along the Seaway was exhilarating. About noon, Betty drove by with a couple of baguettes (small loaves of French bread) and some cheese. As we were eating in the car, it started raining.
As the afternoon unfolded, the weather deteriorated. Cold, windy and rainy turned to cold, very windy and sleet. My guess is that the winds fluctuated from 20 to 30 mph, plus the wind direction changed. It was at my back but now it is a quartering head wind. Angry waves were now rolling on the St. Lawrence Seaway and surf hitting the seawall splashed 20 or 30 feet into the air. This is not a good time to go for a walk.
The road has moved inland and now weaves around and over hills and cliffs along the coastline. We have been told that this roller coaster will continue the remaining hundred miles or so as we go on to Cape Gaspe’.
Betty came by at 4PM, about an hour early. I accepted her offer to go find a warm, dry, place with a hot shower and cold beer.
At 8PM it was snowing sideways. The weather report calls for more of the same and with winds reaching over 50 mph.
Sunday 10/29/00 0 miles/4527 Total/582 IAT 280 Trail Days. Snowbound at Grand Vallee, Quebec. Unfortunately, Raymond’s weather forecast yesterday was correct. All night long a blizzard raged. This morning, the wind had subsided to about 20 mph and it was still snowing. The snow was between 18 inches and three feet deep. A snowplow made a pass through the motel parking lot blocking our car. I borrowed a snow shovel and within an hour or so had the car out and on the road for a test drive. The previously plowed road now had about eight inches of fresh snow on it and visibility was less than one hundred feet. After some difficulty, I found a place wide enough to turn around and returned to the motel. In over two hours, we have not seen another vehicle moving. Even though I have the gear to hike in reasonable comfort in this weather, it is not safe to be on the road. It is a ten mile drive to get me back to the start point. Betty had been outside earlier to walk (???) Levi and since has been looking out the window occasionally to check my progress. She gave a sigh of relief when I returned to announce that we should stay put for the day. When I returned the snow shovel to the motel owner, he was concerned. My best guess is that he was telling me the road was only plowed through the middle of this little village, but not through the countryside outside the village.
The snow continued through the day, dropping another foot or two. The power and phone went out during the afternoon. Our little room has electric baseboard heat , but we have down sleeping bags and lots of warm clothes. Fortunately, the outside temperature had risen to right around freezing and the motel room is weather tight.
Just before dark, Marie Josee, the motel owner’s daughter, brought us some candles. We already had some large camping candles, but did not have a little candelabra. We are all set.
Betty: 10/30/00 Our little motel room stayed quite warm all night. We never did break out the sleeping bags. The power came back on at about 4:00AM, it had gone off at about 3:30PM yesterday. What next?
Monday 10/30/00 22 miles/4549 Total/604 IAT. 280 Trail Days. 10 miles west of Grand Vallee to 2 miles east of Pointe a la Fregate. The roads have been cleared and Betty gets me back to the start point without a problem. Along the coastline it was raining, at our starting point, higher in the coastal hills, it is sleeting. We are in the clouds with a thick fog. Later the sleet turns to wet snow, then thick mist, then rain again. So it went all day.
Repeatedly, the road overlooks the coast, descends to pass through a coastal village then climbs back into the hills in order to bypass sheer coastal cliffs. Up and down with a light rain sums up this day.
Tuesday 10/31/00 22 miles/4571 Total/626 IAT. 281 Trail Days. 2 miles east of Pointe a la Fregate to Pointe-Jaune. The morning was an easy walk with winter scenery all around. The one meter of snow that we received a couple days ago is starting to melt, but the woods and hills are still white. Toward the end of the day I could feel a blister developing under a toe on my left foot. It was probably due to damp socks, maybe a combination of sweat and the damp road. Anyway, it was good to see Betty coming to get me. During the day she drove to Forillon Parc and talked with the rangers there. They told her the last 20 miles of our hike are still covered with deep snow and will take more time than normal. Ranger Ben Gagnon loaned her a pair of snowshoes that I can use for that last 20 mile bit in the park. He recommended that we plan three days for it. The final day will be short and he will take Betty to the cliffs at the end on either a snowmobile or a 4 wheeler. We hear that the Cliffs of Forillon are 300 feet high and plunge dramatically into the sea (Atlantic Ocean). Can’t wait!!
Betty: When I dropped Chuck of on the trail this morning, I drove around the end of the Gaspe’ peninsula, wow, what a dramatic drive. You can see some of the cliffs as you make your way around the eastern end. I checked several information centers for the park, but all were closed. When I arrived at the south eastern side of the peninsula I found the operational center for the park and their office was open. I first talked with Stephanie about the trail and asked if Benoit Gagnon was available, we had heard from Nimblewill that Ben had helped him greatly with his trek. Park Wardens Ben Gagnon, Stephanie and Daniel Sigouin were extremely helpful. Ben loaned us the snowshoes for Chuck, and Chuck was able to try them out this afternoon. What a wonderful group of folks.
Wednesday 11/1/00 13 miles/4584 Total/639 IAT. 282 Trail Days. Pointe-Jaune to IAT Trailhead on PQ Road 197 in Forillon Parc. Betty drove me back to the start point in a mist and fog. This will be the last road walk of our entire trek. The route today is east along the coast on Quebec Road 132 then south and inland on Road 197. The trailhead here is still covered with snow and Betty parked on the shoulder of the road. At this point the trail goes east into Parc National Forillon (pronounced Fore-e-on). It is a three or possibly four day hike across the park to the cliffs at the end of the Cape. This will be the lands end of the Appalachian Mountain chain. The land drops off with steep cliffs into the sea. At this point the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, on the north, and the Bay of Gaspe’, on the south, come together with the Atlantic Ocean reaching eastward.
Today was a shorter walk than normal and we finished early in the afternoon. We drove to the operations center of Forillon park and Ranger Ben Gagnon gave us a detailed explanation, using a topographic map, of the trail across the park. We have three tough days on snowshoes ahead of us.
Betty: We moved to Motel Adams in the town of Gaspe’. The motel is wonderful. Our room has a sofa, bed, and a little kitchen area (no stove), but with a coffee maker and refrigerator. Wonderful!! We will stay here while Chuck finishes his trek. He will finish either Saturday or Sunday.
Thursday 11/2/00 10 miles/4594 Total/649 IAT. 283 Trail Days. IAT Trailhead on Quebec Road 197 in Forillon Park to Le Portage Trail near Forillon Park Operations Center.
We knew this would be a difficult day with a lot of unknown factors so we were at the trailhead at 7AM. Only a quarter mile from the trailhead, the snow depth increased from about eight inches to eighteen inches and the trail started climbing. The higher the trail ascended the deeper the snow. The trail topped out on a ridge at about 1500 feet above the trailhead. The depth of the snow fluctuated from two feet to four feet and even deeper in drifts.
I was fortunate to be wearing snowshoes, but they are tiring in deep wet snow over a long distance. It occurred to me that using snowshoes is so much like work that it is not surprising that they have not caught on as a popular winter sport. First, I took off my parka, then hat and gloves, then unbuttoned my shirt and finally unzipped the side vents on the legs of my snow pants. Still, I was getting soaked with sweat. The trail had many ups and downs, on the climbs. I often stopped momentarily to let my heart rate subside; this also helped with cooling.
It has now been three days since the last heavy snow stopped falling and the trail has no other human tracks but many animal tracks. Birds, mice, voles, chipmunks and squirrels have been busy skittering about. I saw one snowshoe hare hopping across the trail in front of me and lots of snowshoe hare tracks. The hare’s primary predator is the lynx and I also saw many of their tracks. The lynx has very large feet for their body weight and can usually walk on top of the snow without breaking through the surface, ideal for hunting the snowshoe hare.
Often the large deep tracks of moose follow the trail for a quarter mile or more. These large animals push down deeply into the snow, so deep that their feet and legs do not clear the surface between steps and leave long furrows in the snow. Sometimes their chests and bellies push through the snow leaving a sled like track.
Tracks of bear cross the trail eleven times, some are a day or two old and some quite fresh. One set of fresh tracks were much larger than the others. No bears were sighted.
The snow filled woods were still and beautiful, only the sound of my snowshoes crunching and dragging broke the silence. The Penouille (Pinwheel) Lakes were nearly covered with ice. They marked the start of a gentle descent to a point on the Le Portage Trail. I hiked south on this trail one kilometer to meet Betty at a trailhead. The Forillon Park Operations Center is only a few hundred meters from this trailhead. We went to the Operations Center, as requested, to let them know that we had returned safely. We are, currently, the only back country hikers in this large park and it is comforting to know that the park rangers are following our progress with interest.
On the drive back to the town of Gaspe’, we stopped at the IAT office to see Henri-Paul Molaison. I met Henri-Paul a few days ago west of point Jaune. He and his crew had just finished working on a new section of the IAT. Unfortunately, Henri-Paul was not at the office this afternoon, but two of the men there showed us their construction maps and progress charts. They explained that the recent heavy snow had really slowed their construction effort even as they near completion of this long section of trail. If our interpretation is correct, they have nearly one hundred people working full time and a budget of over one million Canadian dollars. Their total commitment of this project is obvious.
Friday 11/03/00 8 miles/4604 Total/657 IAT. 284 Trail Days. Le Portage Trail near Forillon park Operations Center to Quebec Road 132. This is a great day. The sun is shining for the first time in at least a week. Also, it was cold enough last night to freeze a crust on the snow that was melting yesterday. This crust keeps the snowshoes mostly on top gliding along instead of sinking down several inches with each step. It is a good feeling to be deep in a snow covered woods on a sunny day. The smooth white path is a narrow passage that twists and turns its way through thick stands of spruce and fir. The climbs are not too steep and it is a low mileage day. In addition to all of this, I am on a natural high just knowing that we are within a couple of days of finishing this little trek.
Even though I want to finish, I’m not sure I want this special time in our lives to end. Forty-six hundred miles and we are still having fun, meeting interesting people and visiting new places.
Back at our motel in Gaspe’, Cynthia Dow, a reporter for The Gaspe’ Spec, met with us. She wants to do a story about our trip, especially the portion on the Gaspe’ peninsula. We learned much about this area from her.
Saturday 11/4/00 7 miles/4611 Total/664 IAT. 285 Trail Days. Quebec Road 132 to Anse Aux Sauvages. The weather is back to normal for this area, cold and raining. Minutes after Betty put me on the trail, I was climbing up a snow covered slope. Yesterday’s sun and today’s rain have melted several inches of the snow. There are some bare spots and the snow is seldom more than a foot deep. I started with the snowshoes strapped to my pack. Only at the higher elevations are snowshoes required. Once on the higher ridgeline, the going was easier, almost enjoyable, even in the light rain. This is a beautiful trail in a very scenic Canadian National Park; it makes me wonder why others aren’t out here. It is a natural for cross-country skiing. However, I have it all to myself, it’s a good feeling.
Last evening I had a phone call from Dick Anderson, President of the IAT. During our conversation, he told me the view from the tower at Mont Saint-Alban near Cap Bon-Ami is the best on the trail and should not be missed. Unfortunately, I am in a thick fog with rain and visibility is less than a couple hundred feet. The view from the tower will be limited today.
Too soon, the trail is descending, next bare spots in the snow start appearing and it is time to get out of the snowshoes. Going downhill in the shallow snow and without the cumbersome snowshoes it seems that my feet have wings. Out in the fog somewhere in front of me, I hear a strange sound. After a short pause, I realize that the sound is the gentle rhythm of waves lapping at the shore. A few minutes later I intersect a park road that parallels the Gaspe’ Bay coastline. I turn eastward and a half-hour later I meet Betty at Anse Aux Sauvages.
From Anse Aux Sauvages, it is only three miles to the cliffs of Forillon and the end of our journey. It is not yet noon and we could easily hike to the end, descend the cliffs to the water’s edge, and return before dark. However, previously Ben Gagnon, a park warden, had expressed an interest in joining us for the grand finale. Plus, we’re not ready for it to end.
We use the free afternoon to visit the Museum of Gaspesie (Musee de la Gaspesie). The Jacques-Cartier exhibit was especially interesting. Cartier was the French explorer who first laid claim to this part of the world. For centuries, what is now Quebec and the surrounding area was known as “New France”. Consequently, Jacques-Cartier is held in very high esteem in Canada. It is believed that Cartier first came ashore on the Gaspe’ peninsula and he is even more revered here.
The most revealing exhibit at the museum was one displaying the agricultural history of the Gasp* peninsula. For centuries, these determined people, coming from many nations, have struggled to make a living in this harsh land. Apparently, they are slowly losing the battle on the agricultural front. The fishing and forestry industries are on the decline and there are only about 300 farms remaining. This is down from over 12,000 farms just a few years ago. Young people are moving to Montreal and Quebec City and entire villages have been vacated. Many of the people here are either unemployed or under-employed. Their plight is somewhat similar to that facing small farming communities in the U.S.
Tomorrow is the big day!!!
Sunday 11/5/00 3 miles/4614 Total/667 IAT. 286 Trail Days. Anse Aux Sauvages to Cliffs of Forillon at Cap Gaspe’. LANDS END.
As planned, we met Park Warden, Ben Gagnon at the Forillon Park Operations Center at 8AM. Betty and I had a pleasant conversation there with Ben and two other wardens, Marie-Eve Foisy and Stephanie. We decided that I would drive to the start point then hike to the lighthouse at the cliffs of Forillon. Ben would bring Betty and Marie-Eve to meet me at the lighthouse.
A cold light rain was falling as I started this last short segment that would complete our trip. I must have been numb with exhilaration. The cold, the rain and the small climbs along the trail went unnoticed. It seemed an instant later, the lighthouse was only a couple hundred feet away with Betty and the wardens waving to me.
Ben had brought along some climbing gear which we would use if the route down the cliffs was icy or slick. As we started down, we stopped often to watch a young humpback whale performing just a few hundred feet off shore. What a welcome to the finish. The show continued the entire time we were at the point of Cape Gaspe’. Breaching and rolling, often completely clearing the water, the whale stayed close to us. Ben told us that, at about 30 feet, this was a young whale. He said adult humpbacks can be twice as long. We followed the switchbacks on the trail down to an observation platform that was about 75 feet above the surf. Then it was over the rail and down to the rocky shoreline. Ben and I let the waves surge around us as Betty and Marie-Eve snapped some pictures. Marie-Eve had the foresight to bring along a digital camera. Later in the day she would email them to us and Betty would put them on our website. We watched the whale a few minutes then climbed back to the overlook at the top of the cliffs.
It was still cool with a light mist but no one seemed to notice. We got more pictures and watched the whale a few minutes while Ben and Marie-Eve told us about the development and natural history of this special area. These very old cliffs are considered to be the northern land terminus of the Appalachian Mountain chain. Of course this point is significant to us because we have been hiking along the Appalachians since Alabama. As we loaded into the park vehicle, the whale rolled out of the water several times waving first one flipper then the other. Betty and I waved back.
Note: Our trek is over, it has been 4,614 miles since we left Key West, Florida on 14 November 1999. In nearly one year we have spent 286 days “on the trail” (about 260 actual hiking days). The time off the trail was during Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Easter and Betty’s high school class reunion. Of our total mileage, 667 miles were on the International Appalachian Trail (IAT).
We will no longer update this website with daily journal entries. If you would like occasional email blasts of follow-up information relating to the hike, please send us your email address. We hope to post evaluations of the equipment and other gear we used plus info about hikers and other folks we met on the trail. Betty will also be posting more pictures of the finish as she gets them developed.
Also, we would appreciate your comments about our trip and especially the website. If we ever do something similar to this again, your suggestions will help us put together a better plan.
I personally want to thank all who have followed our trip, your encouragement has helped keep us going. Just knowing that there were others interested enough to follow our progress was inspiring.
THANKS, it has been a trip of a lifetime for us.
PS: We just thought it was over – the next year we headed for Newfoundland and the hike continued.