In Spring 2024, work will begin on the East Blow Me Down Trail, a 4km backcounty hiking route that will connect the Forestry Access Road above Benoit’s Cove on the south shore of Humber Arm to the eastern end of the Blow Me Down Ophiolite Massif.
The new International Appalachian Trail Newfoundland and Labrador (IATNL) trail will be developed by Cabox Aspiring Geopark, with funding from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), provincial department of Industry, Energy and Technology (IET), and Trans Canada Trail (TCT), of which it will form part of a spur line linked to the Newfoundland T’Railway, the principal TCT route in Newfoundland and Labrador.
After crossing a shallow section of Clarks Brook, the trail will wind its way approximately 1km up a gentle scrub-forest slope, before breaking out onto lowland barrens at the base of the Blow Me Down Mountains.
To the right is a foothills hummock, where a side trail will lead to a scenic vantage point that provides spectacular views of the Blow Me Down Mountains and Guernsey Island, aka Weeball, in the outer Bay of Islands.
From here the trail will wind its way around a small wetland mosaic
before crossing onto a long rust-colored rocky slope composed of oxidized peridotite from earth’s upper mantle, which was forced to the surface by plate tectonics during the closing of the Iapetus Ocean (pre-cursor of the Atlantic Ocean) more than 400 million years ago, when this region on the edge of Laurentia (i.e., ancient North America) was located in the Tropics.
Before long, the grade increases and the hike becomes something of a climb
providing terrific views of East Blow Me Down’s mantle, which seems to glow under direct sunlight, especially May to July when the mountains’ northeast peridotite slopes are still covered by winter’s snow.
After rising to a height of 550 meters (1800ft), the trail will reach a peridotite plateau, the edge of which provides an awe-inspiring panoramic view of Humber Arm and the glacier-carved cirque below.
Behind is a series of mountaintop ponds, which make an ideal place to cool off on a hot summer day.
At this point, we will have reached the end of the East Blow Me Down Trail. Those wishing to continue on can choose from a number of backcountry Blow Me Down treks, including the long-distance Ultramatrex, a 4-stage backcountry hiking “route” spanning the ultramafic (i.e., high in magnesium and iron) sections of all four Bay of Islands Ophiolite Massifs, including Lewis Hills, Blow Me Down Mountains, North Arm Hills and Tablelands.
Scenes from the Blow Me Down section of the UltramaTrex
Whether hikers continue their Blow Me Down trek or had enough for one day, we highly recommend they complete their adventure at nearby Saltbox Restaurant in Benoit’s Cove, where they can learn more about the Bay of Islands Ophiolite Complex at Cabox Aspiring Geopark’s Information Center, while enjoying an ice-cold refreshment and/or delicious meal on their covered deck with spectacular view of Humber Arm. If the timing is right, they might even have the opportunity to be “Screeched In” and/or enjoy foot-stomping local entertainment!
For those interested in a guided tour of the Blow Me Down Mountains, be sure to inquire about Everoutdoor Adventures’ backcountry treks, or plan a zodiac tour of the Humber Arm or Bay of Islands.