The East Coast Trail

BACKGROUND

The East Coast Trail (ECT) is a stunning 336 km long coastal hiking trail located in Newfoundland, Canada. It winds its way through towering cliffs, deep fjords, pristine forests, and picturesque coastal communities, offering breathtaking views of the rugged coastline and the North Atlantic Ocean. The trail is divided into 25 wilderness paths, ranging from easy strolls to challenging backcountry hikes. Along the way, hikers can explore historic sites, witness spectacular wildlife, and experience the rich culture and hospitality of the Newfoundland people.

*“Often when someone travels far away, they face their future head- on, rather than simply excepting their fate”* - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

PREPARATION

My mother is known as the distant walker in the family. Between the ages of 60 - 66 she has completed 5 Camino’s in Spain and in Portugal and is currently walking 2000 km from England to Rome through France, Switzerland and Italy. When she initially suggested walking the East Coast Trail together I was confident it would be easy, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

It was my mother’s Christmas wish to do a long walk with me before she gets too old. With some back problems arising she has become a little fearful on how much longer she can do these distant walks. After a few google searches, we agreed to do the ECT. She was so excited leading up to it, constantly showing me photos and telling me about different things she discovered in her research. Personally, I like the spontaneity of things; going into it with the mindset of just spending time with her and exploring a new part of Canada.

A week before the trip she fell ill with covid, it then turned into pneumonia. I remember the moment she was faced with the harsh truth. The doctor walked into the room and said “yep, its pneumonia all right, you won’t be your true self for another month or two.” I looked over at my mother as she was trying to hold back tears knowing she was not going to be able to walk with me. I then had to decide if it was something I still wanted to do alone. This was her dream, I was just supporting her. Something to know about me is that I love a challenge. I love to push my body and mind to see where my limits are. So I decided to treat this trip as a challenge. To see how fast I could complete it! I also wanted to challenge myself to sleep in my tent the entire time.

Walking around St. Johns, I was amazed by all the beautiful architecture

STARTING THE ADVENTURE

Once I landed in St.Johns, I hopped in a taxi to go to my hotel. The taxi driver was an amazing guy named Darren, a local of St. Johns that I relied on a few times during my adventure. He dropped me off at my hotel; as I got out he offered to host me until I started the hike. He seemed slightly concerned for me. It was a nice offer but I declined as I had already booked 3 nights. As I walked to my room I noticed a lot of older guys were sitting around starring at me. I kindly waved and unpacked everything in my room. I later found out that this cheap hotel I booked was the place gang members would hang out to fuck prostitutes.

In St Johns I not only wanted to explore the city but also to experience the George Street Music Festival and the annual Regatta Boat Races. (The longest lasting organized sporting event in North America) These events were a lot of fun but while I was there I had a strange overwhelming feeling of loneliness. A quote I thought about a lot on this trip is “Happiness is only real when shared.” It is from the book ‘Into the Wild’ by Jon Krakauer. I don’t fully believe this is true, I was very happy doing this trip solo and doing a lot of my other adventures in the mountains solo but I do believe there is a sense of reassurance when there is a shared experience.

After my 3rd day of exploring St. Johns I called Darren to drive me to the beginning of the trail in Topsail Beach. I gave him a day pack filled with a few items I didn’t need. I sat on a bench at the trailhead trying to prepare my body and mind for the punishment I was about to put it through. I was nervous to take the first step but after some encouragement from some day hikers I put my bucket hat on and started down the trail.

DAY 1 | KM 18 | REALIZATION

I started with a pretty fast pace but I quickly realized how heavy my bag was. I estimate it was close to 70 Ibs with all my camera gear, camping supplies and food. After walking about 9 Km I was already exhausted. It was 33 degrees celsius (91 F) and I was soaked in sweat. I stopped at a small restaurant to eat my first serving of the classic Newfoundland fish and chips. This is where I had my first sense of doubt. My shoulders were already hurting and I still had 327 km to go. I sat for about an hour watching the ocean as I fully internalized the difficulty of this experience. I then continued on for another 9 Km where I set up tent in Portugal Cove.

Along the ECT it is legal to set up your tent nearly anywhere as long as its not in a protected park or someones property. My first night was probably one of the most beautiful camping spots I had. Right beside a big cliff, I fell asleep to sound of waves crashing into rock.

DAY 2 | KM 33.2 | THE PICCOS

I woke up to the sound of people talking. Local fishermen were walking past my tent with buckets of fish they had just caught. As I packed my tent I looked out at the ocean and saw a pod of dolphins swim right by the shore. The next part of the hike is called Piccos Ridge and it is known as the most difficult section of the trail. With only about 600 meter of elevation gain spread throughout 15 km I didn’t think it would be hard for a mountain man like me. I woke up early that morning confident I was going to crush it.

I hiked up the steep ridge and found a massive blueberry bush. I sat and ate a wild breakfast. I made a lot of progress in in the morning but as soon as the harsh sun started to beat down on me my confidence wavered. Slowing my pace and rapidly depleting my strength. It took me the entire day to hike 15.2 km, which was a significant blow to my ego and made me doubt if I would make it to the finish line. To add to my worries, this was the first day my feet started to hurt.

The only silver lining in this day was a cold river I was able to bathe in before setting up camp in Bauline.

DAY 3 | KM 53.3 | DEHYDRATION

Throughout the night, powerful gusts of wind kept me awake as I struggled to prevent my tent from caving in on me. I didn’t get much sleep. Right as the sun rose, I packed up my gear and continued down the path. I made a lot of progress in the morning. Ferns covered the ground and at times the trail, making it difficult to maneuver the terrain. This part of the hike especially reminded me of the tundra.

My pace slowed again with the heat. It was another day of 33 C but this time it became a serious problem. The map I was using showed all the available streams I could drink from. Along this part of the trail I was suppose to pass 4 viable streams I could filter my water from. Because of this extreme heat wave they were all dried up. By the time I reached my planned camp spot I was seeing tunnel vision. It was obvious I was extremely dehydrated. I was stumbling and felt my body starting to cramp up. Slight panic ensued when I realized I had almost no energy to keep going. I felt stuck and a little hopeless.

I took a break in some shade as I tried to form some rational thought around the situation. I decided to push myself and continue down the trail until I could find some drinkable water. About 2km later I came across a tiny stream of brown murky water. It looked disgusting but my body needed it. I started pumping the water through my filter and added 4 anti-bacterial tablets and 2 de-hydration tablets to each bottle. It tasted terrible but after 15 minutes I started to feel my body and mind become alive again. I kept hiking until I found a suitable place protected by trees to set up camp.

Middle Photo: Cape St. Francis, the most eastern point in all of North America

DAY 4 | KM 69.9 | THE START OF THE RAIN

I hiked 16.6 km. Today was a slow day but a good one! It was raining in the morning which was honestly a nice change from the +30 heat. I arrived in Pouch Cove and got a lot of snacks! The heat was definitely what was making it so difficult because today I felt like I could walk forever. I chose to have a relaxing day though. I stopped at a river to wash some of my smelly laundry. As I was washing my laundry the clouds moved in and covered the sun, I waited a while but my clothes never fully dried. Either I was getting stronger or my bag was getting lighter because I noticed it was a lot easier to carry. I ended the day early because the souls of my feet were starting to get pretty tender.

Whenever I do these long outdoor adventures, I get the strangest craving for Taco in a bag with cut up perogies in it. I have no idea where this craving comes from but I was thinking about how amazing it would taste today. For those that don’t know, taco in a bag is Dorito chips with hamburger, lettuce, onions, cheese, sour cream and salsa and in my case cut up perogies.

DAY 5 | KM 93.3 | A FRIEND

Today was a much needed socializing day. This entire trip I have been alone. I camp alone, walk alone, cook alone. My only interactions with other are brief as I walk by day hikers on the trail. I have yet to meet anyone else doing the full east coast trail, only a few doing small sections of it.

When I woke up I didn’t want to walk. I should say my feet didn’t want me to walk as they were very tender. I eventually packed up and hiked the 8 km to Flat Rock. Just outside of the town I met a Quebec girl named Marie as she was packing up her tent. I helped her and we continued walking and talking for the next 10 km. It was interesting finally talking to someone who truly understands what I am going through. Aching back, heavy bag, tender feet. We were able to discuss these commonalities. She also told me about life being raised on blueberry farm and all the different types of food you could cook with blueberries.

When we got to Torbay we went our separate ways. She went to her Airbnb and I went to the pub to get beer. It felt like a movie when I walked into the pub, I opened the heavy door dripping wet and everyone in the pub stopped talking and looked at me. I took off my 100 L backpack and placed it by a booth and ordered two beers. After a few hours of charging my electronics I briefly talked to the bar tender. I explained that I was down to one pair of dry clothes and he told me there was a bridge I could sleep under in the next town.

I walked another 5 km through the pouring rain to the bridge. There was a giant mural of terry fox and fisherman using a net. I felt safe under this bridge but that didnt last for very long.

DAY 6 | KM 111.8 | PART 1 | FEAR

The wind picked up through the night and the bridge acted as a perfect wind tunnel. I woke up to my tent folding in on itself hitting me in the face. I spent about 45 minutes holding the tent up with one arm as I tried to fall back to sleep. A vehicle then pulled under the bridge and the lights lit up my tent. I quickly looked at my phone and it said 1:30 AM. I grabbed my knife as I heard footsteps walking towards my tent. “Don’t be scared boy” I heard the man yell out. “That doesn’t make me feel very good. Who are you?” I yelled back. I got into a squat position as I held my knife ready to defend if I had to. “I saw you at the bar earlier today and heard you talking to the bar tender.” This made me feel more uncomfortable. He knew I was here and decided to come late at night. I thought “I was having a smoke on my deck when I saw the storm come in and felt obligated to come help you. I heard you had no dry clothes” I paused and I tried to take in what he just said. I had to decide quickly if I trusted what he was saying “Come on out and put your stuff in my truck, you can stay at my place” He cut off my thought and forced me to decide fast.

I generally have a very good judge of character but I felt like I needed more time to evaluate the situation “I wanted to challenge myself and sleep in my tent the entire hike” I said still in my defence position. “You wont make it very much farther without dry clothes” I paused, Fuck, he’s right. It was suppose to rain for the next 5 days. I unzipped the tent and all I could see was his silhouette. He walked over to his truck and opened the tailgate. “Put your stuff in here, take your time”. I put the knife in my pocket and started to pack everything up.

I threw my bag into the back of his truck and got in. There was another man in the passenger seat. They introduced themselves and we started driving. We stopped at a gas station and they were talking about how there was no cameras at this specific gas station. I quickly texted my girlfriend and shared my location with her. "If I don’t text you by the morning call the police and give them my location” I texted her. I walked into the building and bought them a 12 pack to say thank you for their kindness but also as a sort of peace offering.

We arrived at their place around 2:00 AM. He shows me the washer and drying and told me I could wash everything. A cute dog came running out to greet me and for some reason that calmed almost all my nerves. I hung up my tent in his boot room, put my clothes in the washing machine and jumped in his shower. The hot water felt amazing. When I got out, the house smelt great He cooked some pork chops. I ate them as the two men told stories. I could barely understand what they were saying through their strong Newfoundland accent but I tried to listen politely.

At 4:00 AM I fell asleep on the couch. He then drove me right back to the bridge by 9:00 AM where I started down the trail again. Looking back at this experience, I realized that he was genuinely wanting to help me the entire time. It all came from a place of love. Genuine Newfoundlander hospitality. Although it was scary in the moment, I probably wouldn’t have been able to finish the ECT without being able to wash/ dry my clothes that night.

DAY 6 | KM 111.8 | PART 2 | EMOTIONS

The grass and trees were soaked from the storm. My feet and pants got wet again. At this point on the trail my feet were extremely tender. At times I was scared of getting trench foot. I explored some abandoned military bunkers. As I walked, I fell deep in thought about my future. I was so excited to move to Jasper and experience winter there with my girlfriend. I wanted to learn how to Ice climb so my brain was racing with possibilities of the adventures I would go on. I broke out of those deep thoughts when I got to a part of the trail I was dreading. The St Johns dump was right above it and the wind would carry trash on the trail. The entire forest was polluted by plastic bags, paper and other trash. As someone who cares deeply for nature, it was difficult to see.

The sea looked angry as I walked along the coast. Massive waves crashed into cliff faces forcing water 10 meters into the sky. I sat and watched as its temper grew. Amazed by its emotion, I pulled out my drone and tried to capture it. This drone has been on many adventures with me and has captured some of the most spectacular views and this one was no exception. Two waterfalls flowed off a cliff into the ocean. As I flew by these waterfalls the waves crashed into the rock shooting water up almost as if it was trying to grab my drone. It was a spectacular scene. Right as I was about to fly the drone back to me, I made an error and flew it into the cliff: losing it to the ocean. I sat for a few minutes realizing that I needed to respect the ocean’s power by being aware and attentive.

The end of the day lead me back to St Johns to a brewery in Quidi Vidi. There, I enjoyed some Fish and chips, a live improv show and about 4 beers. I wrote about the day and all the emotions I felt. Scared, anticipation, adventurous, disgust, sadness. I wrote in my journal “What is life without all the emotions and feelings? Life isn’t just about always feeling happy. It is about fully feeling!” I stumbled out of the brewery with my 100 L backpack and set up tent beside their parking lot.

Left Image: Improve show at Quidi Vidi Brewery. Right Image: Exploring an abandoned military radar station

DAY 7 | KM 142.4 | FINDING RESILIENCE

I woke up early and walked up Signal Hill. It felt like a dream as I walked through thick fog. I got to the top and sat for about 30 minutes contemplating if I wanted to give up. My feet were in an extraordinary amount of pain and it was a huge mental challenge just to take a few steps; I was still less than half way done the trail. I thought about how disappointed I would be looking back at this trip if I didn’t push my mind and body to the limit. So I decided to keep going until I literally could not take another step. I called Darren the taxi driver. He picked me up and I told him about all the stories I already had within the week. I gave him a garbage bag of more gear I didn’t need including a heavy pair of pants, an extra propane tank, 3/4 of my oatmeal, drone remote and unnecessary medical supplies. He drove me 8 km through St. Johns to the start of the next hiking trail.

I noticed a huge difference after giving Darren more of the gear. I felt lighter and more agile. Continuing passed Cape Spear Lighthouse for several kilometres, I set up my tent in the middle of nowhere. I sat and looked at the landscape and felt a sense of power. My soul was where it belonged. I was going to finish this hike no matter how much pain I was in. I wanted to find my limit and cross it. I was rewarded by being able to pick fresh blueberries for my breakfast each morning.

DAY 8 - 9 | KM 182.7 | ONE MUST CONTINUE

Day 8 was uneventful. The only thing notable about the day was that I realized how much my body craved sugar. I arrived at a connivence store in Petty Harbour, bought 5 chocolate bars and instantly ate them all. After about 15 minutes, I could feel my body re-energize. I realized that almost all my food lacked sugar. I find it amazing how our bodies can demand certain foods if we listen. I hiked to Campers Campsite and set up tent. It rained all night again.

I woke up early and started down the trail. For the first 5 hours of the morning I was cold and drenched down to my underwear. I arrived at The Spout, a sort of geyser that shoots water into the air every time a wave came in from the ocean. I took off my socks and clothes in hopes of it drying. after about 30 minutes I put the damp clothes back on. About 100 meters down the trail I was crossing a river on a log, slipped and fell straight into the river sideways getting entirely soaked again. I was so pissed.

Farther down the trail, I met a man walking the entire ECT barefoot. He explained how it is better than hiking with shoes because his feet don’t stay damp for very long. He was raising money for a cause so I gave him all the cash I had. I also met a 63 year old named Marie from Jasper. She started the same day as me and we had been leap frogging most of the way without knowing it. She reminded me of my mother.

I came to a town and went to a grocery store for food. I sat outside exhausted and in pain. A man walked across the street and handed me a beer and a joint. Only saying “you look like you need this”. I just said “Is it that noticeable?” He smiled, nodded and walked back to his house. Another example of the amazing Newfoundlander kindness.

DAY 10 -13 | KM 308.8 | NAVIGATING THE CROSSROADS

Day 10 started with a shock. I talked with my girlfriend on the phone and our conversation made me question our entire relationship. My sense of future with her became uncertain. I had to sort out my part of the relationship. This was the start of the greatest challenge of the entire walk; I had to now see how far I could push my mind. Had I been home, I would have been able to deal with the situation directly and then distract myself with different activities or friends, but on the ECT I was alone with my thoughts.

The next 4 days were a blur. My mind fell deep into these meditative thoughts and my body went into autopilot. Each day I would wake up early and walk until I couldn’t take another step, set up my tent, and instantly fall asleep. My average distance per day jumped from 19 km to 31 km. Getting ready for bed on day 12, I noticed how skinny I was. I could see all my ribs. It then hit me — I had forgotten to eat for 3 days.

Suddenly, I was struct by a moment of clarity, free from the deep grasp of my mind. I looked at my feet and noticed how bruised and tender they were. They were entirely wrinkled with a few purple bruises on the soles. They smelled disgusting. Looking back I must’ve been on the brink of trench foot. That night the hunger and pain set in. In that moment, I was at my physical and mental limit. The world felt like it was crashing down on me. I lied alone in my tent, deep in the forest.

It rained throughout day 10-12 and day 13 was no different. A huge storm was set to role in. I had no dry clothes. I continued walking. Falling back into deep meditative thoughts, I walked 28 km to Port Kirwan. A man named Nic was working in his shed and I asked if I could use an allen key to tighten a screw on my tripod. He handed me one and I then asked where the closest bar was. He said “Its about another 7 km down the road, I can drive you there”. I accepted the generous offer as I worried I wouldn’t have enough energy to make it.

Seated in a vacant bar, I indulged in a plate of fish and chips, a couple beers, and sat for an hour to re-charge. The last few days had really worn me down. The isolating nature of the trail was overwhelming, I felt sad and lonely. Uncertainty echoed through the deepest parts of me. It was here in this bar I was able to find the clarity I needed. Moving forward I felt prepared to take the road less travelled.

Outside, the rain was pouring down. I sighed and walked into the gale. Within a few minutes my underwear was already wet. I walked along the road for 3 km and saw the next trailhead about 100 meters away when a truck pulled up beside me. I heard a voice “Get in”. It was Nic.

I jumped into his truck and he drove me back to his place. “We have a bed you can sleep in, it’s a lot better than sleeping out here!” We arrived at his place and he introduced me to his wife Denise. I hung up my tent in his garage to dry. He explained that once the rain started to downpour he felt concerned for me. He phoned the bar and asked if I was still there. I had already left so he got into his truck to come look for me. I was extremely thankful for his kindness and hospitality. I put my clothes in his washer and dryer, took a shower and instantly fell asleep.

DAY 14 | KM 326 | NEWFOUNDLAND HOSPITALITY

I woke up to a huge breakfast made by Nic. We shared some stories and I got to learn more about his life. He told me about his time working on boats and about his son who was training to be a boat mechanic. He then offered to take me out on his boat to see if we could find some whales and puffins. I couldn’t turn the opportunity down so we set off. The water was calm as we drove out of the fjord. We travelled along the coast for quite awhile. We didn’t see any whales but I did get to see some puffins! Nic also showed me some ship wrecks and told me about all the history behind them.

Once we arrived back to his place, I said goodbye to Denise and Nic drove me back to the trailhead where he had picked me up. I said goodbye and continued. It seemed like a beautiful day but another storm quickly moved in soaking me to my underwear once again. I tried to set up my tent but it had filled with an inch of water in the short time it took me to set up. Feeling helpless and defeated, I phoned Nic to stay another night. I felt terrible, I did not want to take advantage of his kindness but I had nearly no other option. He agreed and allowed me to stay another night at his place.

DAY 15 | KM 336 | THE FINISH LINE

Nic once again dropped me off at the trailhead in the morning. I only had 10 km left of the ECT. The trail had turned into a small river from the storm. I tried to avoid the water at first but making almost no progress I decided to walk straight through it. Finishing the trail by noon, I was filled with emotion. It felt like I had accomplished something huge but it also felt extremely anti-climatic. A sign marked the end of the trail with the the beginning (Topsail beach 336 km) scratched in with a knife, barely visible. I sat at the sign marking the end of the trail and held my head in my hands. I thought about all the struggles I went through, mental and physical. I thought about the amazing people I met along the way but also felt the profound loneliness in the moment of victory. I knew I had accomplished a great feat but it did not feel like it. I called my Mother and told her I had completed the walk. She was proud and said “I feel as if you were meant to do this walk alone, I was never meant to join you”. I agreed. In some ways, this walk felt like a spiritual journey I was sent on. One to re-make myself.

I started walking down the road and hitchhiked my way back to a bar. I got some ice cream and a massive meal of fish and chips. I set up my tent at 3pm behind the bar and arranged for Darren the taxi driver to pick me up the next morning. The next day Darren picked me up and allowed me to stay at his place until my flight home.

CONCLUSION

Looking back at this trip, I am amazed by Newfoundland hospitality. I would not have been able to complete the trail without the kindness and generosity of strangers along the way. I struggled immensely: losing 20 pounds in 15 days, blisters across the souls of each of my feet, getting lost deep in my own mind and the relationship with my girlfriend ending. But, I think this was the point of this trip for me: I found what I thought were my limits yet, I was able to push past them each day and continue to walk through the pain. I have gained a new knowledge of what is possible. These lessons will serve me well in my future adventures as I challenge myself to explore the unexplored.