Trans Canada Trail in Newfoundland Blog

 

Our cross-Canada #Hike4Birds began in 2019 at Cape Spear, Newfoundland, the easternmost point in North America.  With great excitement, we took our first steps on the 336 km long East Coast Trail, a series of footpaths that trace the rugged Atlantic Coast of the Avalon Peninsula.  From there we headed west on the 883 km long T'Railway Trail which connects St. John's, NL to Port-aux-Basques.  Atlantic puffins, whales, icebergs, colourful warblers nesting in the Boreal, caribou herds on the Topsails, being screeched in, kissing a cod, and meeting some of the friendliest people in Canada were among the highlights. 

"You are here 

At the start of a moment 

On the edge of the world where the river meets the sea

Here on the edge of the Atlantic

On an island in between there and here."  

                                                        Come From Away

This blog documents our #Hike4Birds on the Trans Canada Trail in Newfoundland. We invite you to Come Walk With Us by exploring our daily entries, where we share photographs and stories of the birds, natural landscapes, histories, challenges, and highlights we experienced while traveling across Canada on foot.  For additional adventures from our training hike in 2018, please check out our East Coast Trail blog as well.  Happy Trails!  

Hiking Eastern Newfoundland - where our cross-Canada walk began!

#Hike4Birds on the Great Trail / Trans Canada Trail Begins!

First Steps, Cape Spear to Fort Amherst Newfoundland

Terrific Beginning and a Huge Thanks! 

Mile Zero, St. John's to Conception Bay South 

Excursion Around The Bay, Conception Bay to Holyrood 

Rain and Rail Beds, Holyrood to Brigus Junction

Birding the Boreal, Brigus Junction to Whitbourne 

Darkening Skies, Whitbourne to Chapel Arm 

Magical Mists, Chapel Arm to Big Gull Pond 

Local Kindness, Big Gull Pond to Arnold's Cove

Warblers in the Woods, Arnold's Cove to Goobies 

Boreal Birds, Goobies to Clarenville 

Great Trail - The first 225 km of a 24,000 km trail

First Zero Day on the Trans Canada Trail 

Birding the Avalon Peninsula, Twitching The Great Trail

Cottage Country, Clarenville to Thorburn Lake

Cabin in the Woods, Thorburn Lake to Port Blandford 

Terra Nova, Port Blandford to Maccles Lake 

Wading down the Trans Canada Trail, Maccles Lake to Gambo

Slow Going, Gambo to near Gander

Leggin it West, Heading into Gander   

Dispatches from the Field

Butterflies, Bears, and Bridges, Gander to Salmon River 

Mornings with Moose, Salmon River to Norris Arm(ish)

Round the Rattlin' Bog, Norris Arm to Bishop's Falls

Halfway Across Newfoundland, Bishop's Falls to Grand Falls-Windsor

 

Halfway Across Newfoundland on our #Hike4Birds!

Newfoundland at the Halfway Point

Birding the Great Trail from Clarenville to Grand Falls-Windsor  

Rain Storms, Pies, and Kindness, Grand Falls-Windsor to Badger

Trans Canada Trail - Question and Answer Session

Blackflies, Badger to Millertown Junction 

Nearing the Topsails, Millertown Junction to Quarry 

“Day 4”, the day I wanted to toss it all in and get off the trail... 

Trekking the Topsails, Quarry to beyond Pond Crossing

Birding Central Newfoundland: Grand Falls-Windsor to Howley 

Black Bears and Pine Martens, Beyond Pond Crossing to Howley

 

A Slight Diversion - Presenting in Gros Morne National Park!

A Slight Deviation, Howley to Gros Morne National Park

Under a Rainbow, Gros Morne National Park

Enjoying the East Coast, Gros Morne

Presenting with Parks Canada, Gros Morne

Gros Morne Important Bird Area 

 

Birding, Photographing, and Blogging Western Newfoundland

Continuing Onward, Deer Lake to Rapid Pond

Some Trail, No Trail, Highway, Rapid Pond to Corner Brook

Local Kindness, Corner Brook to Big Cooks Pond

Crossbills and Cabins, Big Cooks Pond to Gallants

Into the Homestretch, Gallants to Stephenville Crossing

Birding the Coast, Stephenville Crossing to Flat Bay

Hikers on the Way, Flat Bay to Robinsons

Trailside Treats and Nature Reserves, Robinsons to River Brook 

Warblers and Woods, River Brook to South Branch

Waterfalls and Warblers, South Branch to Grand Codroy RV Campground

Important Bird Areas and Kissing a Cod, A Day in Doyle

The Wreckhouse, Grand Codroy RV Park to Cheeseman P.P.

Codroy Valley Important Birding Area 

Imporant Bird Area, Cheeseman Provincial Park 

Final Day Hiking in Newfoundland, Cheeseman P.P. to Port-aux-Basques 

Wisdom from the Trail, Newfoundland 

Birding Western Newfoundland from Howley to Port-aux-Basques

Farewell to Newfoundland

Ferry Voyages and New Provinces, Port-aux-Basques, NL to North Sydney, NS

Reflecting on The Great Trail in Newfoundland

The goal of our #Hike4Birds was to inspire people of all ages, physical abilities, cultural backgrounds, orientations, and identities to reconnect with nature through birds and Citizen Science.  To learn more about our project, how you can get involved, and ways to support our work, please visit the Come Walk With Us website.