On Saturday Nov 02, Eighteen of us drove down to Welsford to hike the Cochrane Lane Cliffs. We stopped at the guard house on Petersville hill and got day passes, and then continued on south to the Irving store in Welsford. Here we met up with 2 other hikers, giving us a total of 20 + 1 dog.

The weather was clear and cool, making for an AMAZING day for this gem of a hike! Our first stop was the red sign in box, and from there we all crossed the boulder field and checked out Gollums Cave. After that we climbed up the steep trail on the left of the waterfall wall and took in the views from the top of the cliff.

Once back at the bottom of the cliff, we went to the nearby waterfall, which had lots of water after last weeks rains. We then took the side trail back to the main trail and continued on to the Pyramid Wall and  had lunch at the beautiful lookoff on the opposite side of the trail. 

Time was moving on by then, so we returned on the main trail to the parking area. A few hikers had to rush back to Fredericton, but most continued on to Welsford Falls and were well rewarded by a great show of water.

It was a magical day of hiking.

At 8 am on Saturday Oct 19, seven of us left Fredericton and drove south on Route 7 towards Saint John. We pulled off the highway just past km marker 76; drove behind a guard rail and over a short rough road to a parking area. 
                                                                                                  Leaving the vehicle. we turned right and walked 200 meters to an orange gate, and then followed the road for 3.3 km to a rough bridge over what the locals call the Dardanelles, a short thoroughfare between Robin Hood and Little John Lakes. 

Beyond the bridge, the trail alternated between rocky and wet for a good part of the way. There were several short trails bypassing bad areas, always on the right as we hiked along.

3 km past the bridge, there is an open area where you can end up at the wrong mountain if you are not careful. The trail naturally leads left to Mahaney Mountain, while the trail to Turtle Mountain is hidden away on the far right. *there is usually red tape marking the correct route.

From there the trail continues for another 4.2 km to the bottom of Turtle Mountain. The trail up the mountain  resembles an inclined sidewalk as you make your way towards the top.

The top of the mountain has a grove of trees with campsites in the center, while the rest is smooth and flat with great views in all directions. You can see the ocean as well as several lakes from the top. I've made a few trips to the mountain now, and never seem to have enough time to take it all in. Perhaps I need to stay overnight :-)

This trip was a slower than usual, due to having to work around many wet areas. Our total time including lunch was 9 hours. Total trail mileage was 22 kms.

On Saturday Aug 31, eight of us began the Fundy Circuit hike from Fundy National Park headquarters. Day 1 finished at Marvin Lake. Day 2 finished at Tracey Lake, and Day 3 finished back at headquarters.There were 4 water crossing involving cable assists, and a very steep descent into the Wolfe River gorge. It is not as remote as Cape Chignecto since the trail crosses well traveled roads once each day. 

This was a challenging hike, which I believe is a bit more difficult than Cape Chignecto. It was an adventure and a hike worth doing!

Sharon and I hiked (more of a climb) up the Cathedral Trail to Baxter Peak, and then down the Saddle Trail to Chimney Pond, where we stayed the night in a lean-to. Baxter State Park is an excellent place, and it does you good just to rub shoulders with the awesomeness that is Katahdin!
​We hope to hike the Hunt Trail next year.

Eight of us hiked this trail together in August. We walked the beach at Red Rocks, and then hiked into Arch Gulch cabin on day 1. On day 2 we walked to Big Bald Rock cabin, and finished up day 3 at Eatonville bunkhouse. On the last day we hiked back to Red Rocks in 4.5 hours. The trail is nice because it is a loop, and because of the variety of terrain covered. This was my second circuit here, and I hope to hike it in the fall next time.

Four of us hiked Grand Manan Island from end to end over 4 days in July. This is a more adventurous hike than Cape Chignecto, and we camped on the top of high lookouts every night. The only negative was the section of trail between Big Head and Western Head that follows wet atv tracks through extensive bogs. Perhaps someday, a footpath that sticks to higher ground will be built through this area. All in all, the Grand Manan Red Trail is well worth hiking!

Five of us did this hike together on a beautiful day in July. We drove to St. Martins, and then travelled the Fundy Parkway to P15 parking area. A lot had changed in the 2 years since I was last here. We walked to the Walton Glen lookoff and grumbled about the high intrusive fence, and then made our way down through the gorge to the Eye of the Needle pool. I waded through the chilly water, thoroughly enjoying the awesomeness of this place. We hope to return next year and arrive at the pool from the opposite direction.

Feb 16: Dumfries Maples
March 2: Shogomoc Falls
April 13: Several waterfalls between F'ton + Woodstock
May 5: New River Beach trails
May 18: Third Vault Falls (FNP)
May 19: Black Hole trail (FNP)
May 25: Meduxnekeag trails
June 1: Mt. Douglas Bald
June 8: Eel River Falls
June 30: Fall Brook Falls
July 22: Five Fathom Hole trail
​Aug 24: Split Rock trail
Sept 17 - 19: FNP Coppermine, Matthews Head, Tippen S., 
​                             Kinnie Brook, Black Horse
Sept 21: McLeod Brook Falls + Hearst Lodge
​Sept 28: Vultures Bluff + Mactaquac Falls
Oct 06: Minister's Island Perimeter Trail
Oct 14: Coac Falls + Millseat Falls
Oct 20: Hikers Dream Trail + Shogomoc Bridge Loop
Oct 27: Vultures Bluff + Mactaquac Falls
​Nov 30: Irving Nature Park Loop
Dec 07: UNB Woodlot in Fredericton 

This was our first hike of the year, and a lovely day to make our winter pilgrimage to the Midland Ice Cave. It is amazing how many people congregate in this place on a sunny winter afternoon, showing how much folks appreciate getting outside into nature.

"Going to the woods is like going home, for I suppose we came from the woods originally" - John Muir