Category Archive

In 2019, Memorial University of Newfoundland Adjunct Professor and Lecturer Dr. Andy Kerr set his sights on the Bay of Islands Ophiolite Complex, beginning with a July trek of the Blow Me Down Mountains with Cabox Geopark Chairperson Paul Wylezol, followed by an October article entitled ‘Exploring a Famous Ophiolite: A Guide to the Bay of Islands Igneous Complex in Gros Morne National Park, Western Newfoundland’ for Geoscience Canada, of which he is scientific editor. Andy, who is also a geological advisor for Cabox Geopark and the International Appalachian Trail, also accompanied Paul and fellow Cabox/IATNL director Arne Helgeland on a May 2019 geological tour of the IAT and Lochaber Geopark in Scotland.

Cabox Geopark is one step closer to coming to fruition. After a Corner Brook council meeting on Nov 18, the project now has the support of every community in the Bay of Islands region. The city council approved and accepted the Strategic Tourism Areas and Regions Plan (STAR) report, a strategic tourism development plan for the Bay of Islands, Corner Brook and lower Humber Valley Area. The plan included support of the development of the Cabox Geopark. The Geopark will educate visitors on the unique plate tectonics and geological history of the Bay of Islands ophiolites.

On November 13, 2019, IAT Co-Chairs Paul Wylezol of Newfoundland and Don Hudson of Maine joined Ulster Ireland mayors Michaela Boyle (Derry City and Strabane) and Nicholas Crossan (Donegal County) at a meeting with Appalachian Mountain Club President John Judge and Conservation and Recreation Director Heather Clish at their new headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. The meeting was a follow-up to IAT Ulster Ireland’s Outdoor Economy Forum held in June with the participation of the IAT, AMC and ATC.

During 2019, the IATNL made significant strides in completing its Cabox Geopark basecamp at Stone Brook (aka Stowbridges) in North Arm, Bay of Islands. The two-storey former fisherman’s house will serve as a start/end point for 2-3 day treks across the North Arm Hills to/from Trout River. This year’s work included the installation of bunk beds, new vinyl flooring, indoor plumbing, and the reconstruction of the damaged seawall.

In 2019 the IATNL added new signage to the Humber Valley Trail, including directional signage and memorial interpretive panels at both Scott’s Lookout on the west side of Wild Cove Valley and Barry’s Lookout above Humber Village. The latter two were designed in the James Cook inspired style of the new trailhead sign at Ballam Bridge, which was installed in 2017. Scott’s Lookout provides a spectacular view of the Humber Valley from Wild Cove to Deer Lake. It was named after IATNL volunteer Scott Datwyler who passed away suddenly in 2018 due to a brief illness. Barry’s Lookout also provides a fantastic view of the valley and is named after local naturalist and conservationist Dr. Barry May.

For many years now, Vermont maple syrup farmer and Appalachian hiker Lew Coty has travelled to Western Newfoundland in August to spend a month exploring the Long Range Mountains, the most northerly of the Appalachian Mountain range. In 2019, in addition to making a Gregory Mountain trek with IATNL/CABOX director Paul Wylezol and a number of other shorter hikes, Lew set his sights on another hike of the West Hills between Trout River and Chimney Cove.

During the summer of 2019, the IATNL made several exploratory treks into the Blow Me Down Mountains east of Blow Me Down Brook in search of new trail routes to connect the mountains to Benoit’s Cove and the new Cabox Geopark Information Center at Saltbox restaurant. Plan calls for routes to link to the IATNL Blow Me Down Mountain Trail and Cabox Geopark’s UltramaTrex. One route that requires little work begins at the Clarks Brook future bridge site below Benoit’s water supply and follows an existing ATV/snowmobile trail for approximately 1km before turning off to the left and following a 2km track across a beautiful and pristine wetland with a view of the mountains as far as the Sands above Blow Me Down Brook.

August 6-8, 2019, Appalachian explorer Lew Coty from Vermont, USA undertook a 3-day trek across the Bay of Islands north uplands in search of a St Gregory’s Arc hiking route from the southern end of the Gregory Mountains across the North Arm Hills to the IATNL basecamp at Stowbridges. He was joined during the first half of the trek by IATNL Chairperson Paul Wylezol who broke off midway to explore Lower Crabbs Brook.

On July 18, 2019, Cabox Aspiring Geopark honoured renowned Newfoundland Geologist Harold “Hank” Williams (1934-2010) by installing a large interpretative panel depicting his life and work at the Saltbox Restaurant and Information Center in Benoit’s Cove.   Much of the information was taken from E. R. Ward Neale’s tribute to him at the 1994 Nuna Conference in his honour, in Grand Falls, NL.

For one week in July 2019, long-distance hiker Geoff Rose of Ontario took on the challenges and rewards of Western Newfoundland’s UltramaTrex, a 6-8 day trek across the ultramafic sections of the four Bay of Islands Ophiolite Massifs, from Tablelands in the north, across the North Arm Hills, Bay of Islands, Blow Me Down Mountains and Lewis Hills to the south. “It was a photographer’s dream!” he said. “The UltramaTrex is a grand route. You experience many challenges and view a wonderful range of terrain, flora and fauna. … I loved the ultramafic sections (part of the earth’s mantle) for their surreal landscape.”