On Wednesday, Trevor and I hike our last miles together, along the Fundy Trail up to the start of the Fundy Footpath. This is one of the most scenic stretches of trail I'll hike in the Maritime Provinces, except that it is foggy all day and the views are nonexistent.
The upcoming Fundy Footpath is a rugged trail. Several of the St John Outdoor Enthusiasts know the trail very well and caution that it is steep and slippery even for advanced hikers, drop-offs are perilous, and tidal river crossings are tricky. The Guidebook echoes the same cautions.
Unfortunately the weather is deteriorating. A very wet system is arriving from Ontario, followed by Tropical Storm Gabrielle from Bermuda. The Fundy Footpath cautions against some of the river crossings after heavy rains. Heading into such a challenging and remote wilderness for four days by myself with this upcoming weather does not seem prudent. But I don't want to just sit for three days waiting for the storms to clear.
I finally think of a great alternative. I'll flip flop. That is, I'll drive to a point far ahead and then walk back. I can drive to Moncton and work my way down the Dobson Trail back to Fundy National Park and then the Fundy Footpath. By the time I get back to the Footpath it will be safe, and in the meantime the storms can dump on me on the Dobson Trail without the same safety concerns.
There are many secondary benefits, including a second chance to see the views that I missed today, and hiking in the same direction that the Guidebook was written for.
We're off to Moncton.
Sep 11 - 11.8 miles to Fundy Footpath Interpretive Center (9.2+9.8km)
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