Final Progress Report

The fall of 2011 has featured some exceptionally fine hiking weather. True, there were two days in October with more than 100mm of rainfall, and another on November 11, but the majority of days were sunny with warm days and nights that were not too cool. As a result, I actually had my busiest month of walking in September, despite the trip to Australia. All three months were active, and by the time I finished my last hike, on November 10, I had hiked more than 700 km, including many of the most challenging terrain.

September's highlights included Cape Smokey, Cape Breton, Capelin Cove, the new Louisbourg Lighthouse Trail and the the Coxheath Wilderness Trail near Sydney. On the mainland, I visited Brier Island for the first time, and other trails in the South Shore and Annapolis Valley, but also trekked through Guysborough County, including a re-visit to a favourite, the old Queensport Road. In total, I covered approximately 315 km of trail.

Despite its two impressive downpours, October was almost as good, and I hiked another 250 km then. The weather could not have been better when I visited Fishing Cove, Skyline, Polletts Cove, and Roberts Mountain. Even more surprising, but very welcome, was the sunshine and comfortable temperatures when I hiked the Cape Chignecto loop on October 26-27. True, the high winds roaring up the Bay of Fundy were daunting (see - or maybe, listen to, my video: Cape Chignecto 3), but it was a tremendous experience.

In early November I tied up loose ends. What this meant was that I still had trails far from Halifax, including Lowland Cove, Money Point, and Wilkie's Sugarloaf, all north of Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Again, the weather cooperated with sunshine, although by now there was a little snow on the ground and the nights were cold in my modest tent. I completed my final routes with a trip on Nov. 8-10 in Kejimkujik National Park, where I explored the Liberty Lake Loop and the West River Trail. Sadly, despite the magnificent weather and a full moon, I apparently had the entire backcountry of Kej, more than 300 sq. km., all to myself.

So, I have completed all my hikes. There will be 100 of them featured in the newly revised Hiking Trails of Nova Scotia, 9th edition. The plan is for Volume 1, Cape Breton Island, to be completed for May/June 2012, and for Volume 2, Mainland Nova Scotia, for August/September. When they arrive, you can be confident that I have travelled every trail found in the book, and in the year before that book was published. With luck, not too much will have changed, and you will be able to use the new books with confidence for at least the next five years.

I look forward to hearing your comments!