An Auditor and a Gentleman: Goin' Walkabout (Fundy Trail Parkway)

View of Big Salmon River from the Interpretation Centre

Today, I took some time out from my busy schedule of not doing a damn thing, in order to go hiking with the family at the Fundy Trail Parkway.

To be a little more specifically, we hiked from the parkway's Interpretation Centre up to Hearst Lodge - Yes, named for William, who purportedly owned the place. The trail, which is rated by the parks service as "Challenging", is a trek of about 3 km either direction, and the outbound trek is upriver. I spent a fair amount of time on all fours negotiating unfriendly rises and drops, and on the return trip I did so with about 15 pounds or so of kit on my back (the first time I did it with just my canteen).

Big Salmon River

I thought I wasn't all that fit in middle school, but I was definitely in better shape then than I am now.

More or less, the path follows Big Salmon River - there's one section that is optional which actually crosses the river bed - and winds its way up through the hills toward the Lodge. Along the way, there'll be smatterings of guard rails and plastic-coated steel cables, all intended to help with some of the steeper grades.

That being said, it's definitely not a beginner trek, and if its your first time in the woods, or you're a recovering chair-o-holic, you might want to consider a different hike. We plugged it in about an hour, but we're a group whose average land speed is closer to four or five clicks, and we also had my grandfather with us, who, much as we all hate to admit it, isn't in the shape he was when he was a hunting guide in the British Columbia mountains.

Tia and Papa at the Riverside, Eighth Bend

If you're not comfortable with the idea of getting dirty, I wouldn't take the route either, since you're going to have to haul yourself up at least twice, and slide down on your backside more frequently, in order to reach the top. Map My Walk, which is a fantastic GPS app, couldn't get a proper fix along the trail, so I'm not sure, in either direction, what the overall change in altitude is, but it's fair to say the effective change is three times that amount, by the time you account for all the ups and downs along the way.

Swimming in the River!

Reaching the top, however, is rewarding in and of itself. The Lodge is situated very close to a natural pool in the river, which is suitable for swimming, despite what the various advisory notices say. The lodge itself is also a visitor utility, with bathrooms and fresh water. Those who book ahead (we didn't) can also have their meals at the lodge, which can be helpful after an hour's hike.

"Jacuzzi" current formation in Hearst Pool

I'm told that it is easier and faster to return by the road - the park staff can even drive you to the top of the only hill in the path if you request it.

We didn't, however. Intrepid things that we are, we returned the way we came, and that time, I took the lead. The trail can be deceptive at times - it's not marked other than by its own presence - but we made it through without any actual complications, though a few ascents were difficult when compared to the descents they had been before. Over all, a very fitting exercise.

The rest, of course, is just picspam.