East Coast Trail, Newfoundland - a Canadian Camino Contender?

[Northern Laurie]

Does anyone have any experience with the East Coast Trail?

It looks amazing, and the website I found alludes to lots of villages along the way. It suggests that a hiker carrying a backpack could go village to village across 300km of extraordinary Canadian Coastline, without carrying a tent.

It wouldn't have the Camino family - but I think there might be a few churches along the way. And communing with birds, whales and icebergs sounds awfully nice.

If anyone know the Trail, could you let me know what your experience was, and if it is possible to do a tent-free through hike?

 

[stratophile]

I haven't done the entire trail yet, but have walked much of it (very easy to do as a series of day-trips). Very beautiful. Great people in the communities.

Personally, I would rate it as one of the best hikes in North America. Highly recommended.

It can definitely be done without a tent (at least, all the sections I've done). Many of the villages have a limited number of accommodation options available so it might be necessary to book ahead. However, Newfies in the small villages will generally find someone who will put you up for a night (for a small payment) even if no formal options are available -- don't be shy about asking around / calling ahead.

It is also easy to use one village as a 'base' and do a set of day-hikes, returning to that village after each. It is easy to arrange rides to / from the various trailheads. Just move your base periodically as you work your way along the trail. Hitchhiking along the adjacent roads is easy.

Newfies are very outgoing and social. Don't be surprised if you get invited in for a beer at about every 5th house that you pass.

 

[Northern Laurie]

thanks @stratophile Looks like I might be heading east next summer

 

[stratophile]

Great! Let me know how you find it. I'll be spending a few weeks there (and in Gros Morne, on the other side of the island) in late spring.

 

[NovaSofi]

What a great suggestion, do let us know how it goes @Northern Laurie .

 

[TaijiPilgrim]

Does anyone have any experience with the East Coast Trail?

It looks amazing, and the website I found alludes to lots of villages along the way. It suggests that a hiker carrying a backpack could go village to village across 300km of extraordinary Canadian Coastline, without carrying a tent.

It wouldn't have the Camino family - but I think there might be a few churches along the way. And communing with birds, whales and icebergs sounds awfully nice.

If anyone know the Trail, could you let me know what your experience was, and if it is possible to do a tent-free through hike?

Newfoundland is one of my favorite places. I recently saw a video about this trail and wondered the same. Keep us posted on what you learn and decide to do. The video suggested mid to end of August as the best time to walk.

 

[John Sikora]

I have hiked a bit of this trail when we took to the Trans-Labrador highway. The big problem would be the same thing that you run into when you walk the national trails in Scotland or England (i.e. the weather). It can go from sunny to abysmal in minutes and stay that way for days on end. Also, the mosquitos in Newfoundland communicate by telepathy. Step outside, and they find you and carry you away But that said, the scenery is wonderful and the people are very friendly.

 

[Icacos]

I agree with what others have said about the East Coast Trail and I wish we could have walked more of it. We knew about the unpredictable weather in Nfld, but encountered only one day of rain in the ten days we were there in mid-September; the rest of the time the weather was spectacular. Didn't run into any mosquitoes, but perhaps the wind took care of that. The wild blueberries along the trail were in great abundance.

 

[t2andreo]

This could be a viable summer "camino" attraction for North American pilgrims, or anyone for that matter, who lives where it is "icky sticky" in the summer months. The climate in the Maritimes is wonderful in July and August.

Were I not tied into my annual volunteer stint in Santiago at that time, this would be high on my "to do" list. Living in South Florida, most locals find ways to get out of town from late June to late September.

Many folks should consider this. Is there a guide or web site one can go to for more information, especially on routing, and accommodations?

Thank you for posting about this North American alternative.

 

[Icacos]

Just google East Coast Trail, Newfoundland. I think the extra cost for accommodation might dictate the length of time one can spend walking this spectacular trail. But Newfoundland is more than worth a visit.

 

[JohnCP43]

This sounds like a wonderful trail for a hike. As to being a "Canadian Camino" with a capital "c", at the risk of stepping in it and generating untold negative replies, the Camino de Santiago de Compostela (all variants), Jakobsweg, Chemin de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle, all are pilgrimage routes to a religious site. One can walk a path which is a pilgrimage route for nonreligious reasons but I don't think the reverse is true, i.e., walk a non pilgrimage route not including a religious site for religious reasons, other than whatever individual practices, religious/spiritual, one chooses to engage in. The Appalachian Trail and Pacific Coast Trail are wonderful hikes but I don't think anyone would refer to them as pilgrimages or "Caminos"....he said boldly and with a provocative wink and then stepped back for the fur to fly.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I haven't done the entire trail yet, but have walked much of it (very easy to do as a series of day-trips). Very beautiful. Great people in the communities.

Personally, I would rate it as one of the best hikes in North America. Highly recommended.

It can definitely be done without a tent (at least, all the sections I've done). Many of the villages have a limited number of accommodation options available so it might be necessary to book ahead. However, Newfies in the small villages will generally find someone who will put you up for a night (for a small payment) even if no formal options are available -- don't be shy about asking around / calling ahead.

It is also easy to use one village as a 'base' and do a set of day-hikes, returning to that village after each. It is easy to arrange rides to / from the various trailheads. Just move your base periodically as you work your way along the trail. Hitchhiking along the adjacent roads is easy.

Newfies are very outgoing and social. Don't be surprised if you get invited in for a beer at about every 5th house that you pass.

This sounds like a rather interesting trail with at least "some" lodging infrastructure. What month/s do you typically hike portions of this trail? Are there very many mosquitos or other insects to contend with? And what are the best times to hopefully avoid inclement weather? I am curious, but apprehensive!

 

[Northern Laurie]

This sounds like a wonderful trail for a hike. As to being a "Canadian Camino" with a capital "c", at the risk of stepping in it and generating untold negative replies, the Camino de Santiago de Compostela (all variants), Jakobsweg, Chemin de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle, all are pilgrimage routes to a religious site. One can walk a path which is a pilgrimage route for nonreligious reasons but I don't think the reverse is true, i.e., walk a non pilgrimage route not including a religious site for religious reasons, other than whatever individual practices, religious/spiritual, one chooses to engage in. The Appalachian Trail and Pacific Coast Trail are wonderful hikes but I don't think anyone would refer to them as pilgrimages or "Caminos"....he said boldly and with a provocative wink and then stepped back for the fur to fly.

The only fur that flies on this pilgrim is whatever was left by my cat

I agree - to a point? Pilgrimage is as a much as a state of the individual's mind and preparation as it is the route traveled. But the shared experience - both with contemporary travelers of the Way and with historical travelers - makes a historical, religious pilgrimage very different. Having a clear destination at the end, with "rewards" (certificates, registration, penitence), also makes it different than just a hike. But a lot of the benefit I received from the Camino is not tied to the Camino, but to the preparation and thought along the way. Gratitude, Grace, Companionship & Community, Beauty and Music. All of which seem to be available along the East Coast trail I hope.

The West Coast Trail in British Columbia is a short through hike (150km), but it has many of the trappings of a pilgrimage too. I haven't done it, and I probably won't - mostly because there is no accommodation along the way, and I am not confident about my ability to carry my own food and lodging. But if I did decide to do it, it would become a wilderness pilgrimage for me. But it wouldn't be the Camino.

I am thinking about starting a type of pilgrimage for Reconciliation locally, but I don't know exactly what it would look like - more of an event than a route many people followed on their own schedule. If I could choose the end, it would be the Reconciliation Pole at UBC. Different from the Camino again - both in purpose and form - but I would hope it could capture some of spirit and learning I experienced.

 

[Northern Laurie]

I have hiked a bit of this trail when we took to the Trans-Labrador highway. The big problem would be the same thing that you run into when you walk the national trails in Scotland or England (i.e. the weather). It can go from sunny to abysmal in minutes and stay that way for days on end. Also, the mosquitoes in Newfoundland communicate by telepathy. Step outside, and they find you and carry you away But that said, the scenery is wonderful and the people are very friendly.

I haven't met the Newfoundland mosquitoes, but I am familiar with the Northern Saskatchewan breed. Looks like I'll be wearing long sleeves and repellent on my behind (because lessons learned - didn't get anywhere exposed, but when nature called...).

"Abysmal" weather intrigues me. As in damp fog, or waves of wind and rain blasting in the face, or snow chilling the bones. Or all of the above?

 

[C3 to Camino]

I was looking into doing this before I fell ill - another long trek that I have dreamed of for quite some time! The East Coast Trail is mostly remove and very undeveloped. The East Coast Trail Association has a very good web site http://www.eastcoasttrail.com/en/index.aspx . They organize group trail hikes, volunteers to maintain the trail, have a directory of accommodations, sell maps, advise when parts of the trail are impassable for some reason, and generally provide great all round advice. There are a few good You Tube videos from thru hikers. And, as an aside, I was once told that when the contents were all together, what is now Newfoundland and Galicia were very close so the coastlines are very similar.

 

[oursonpolaire]

The only fur that flies on this pilgrim is whatever was left by my cat

I agree - to a point? Pilgrimage is as a much as a state of the individual's mind and preparation as it is the route traveled. But the shared experience - both with contemporary travelers of the Way and with historical travelers - makes a historical, religious pilgrimage very different. Having a clear destination at the end, with "rewards" (certificates, registration, penitence), also makes it different than just a hike. But a lot of the benefit I received from the Camino is not tied to the Camino, but to the preparation and thought along the way. Gratitude, Grace, Companionship & Community, Beauty and Music. All of which seem to be available along the East Coast trail I hope.

The West Coast Trail in British Columbia is a short through hike (150km), but it has many of the trappings of a pilgrimage too. I haven't done it, and I probably won't - mostly because there is no accommodation along the way, and I am not confident about my ability to carry my own food and lodging. But if I did decide to do it, it would become a wilderness pilgrimage for me. But it wouldn't be the Camino.

I am thinking about starting a type of pilgrimage for Reconciliation locally, but I don't know exactly what it would look like - more of an event than a route many people followed on their own schedule. If I could choose the end, it would be the Reconciliation Pole at UBC. Different from the Camino again - both in purpose and form - but I would hope it could capture some of spirit and learning I experienced.

Professor Matthew Anderson of Concordia University's religion department has done work on a reconciliation trail to Batoche, in south Saskatchewan-- here is a recent blog post on it (https://somethinggrand.ca/tag/matthew-anderson/)

Two other Canadian caminos which might interest readers are: 1) The Chemin des Sanctuaires (http://www.chemindessanctuaires.org/ ) will take you 375 km from from Montréal to Sainte Anne de Beaupré, staying in parish halls, rectories, senior citizens’ residences, requesting a donation of $15 at each stop; and the 2) Chemin des Outaouais, from Ottawa to Montréal (http://www.chemindesoutaouais.org/ ) with twelve stages covering the 250km. Given that accommodation is arranged locally, only six pilgrims per day can register-- departures are between late May and late June. Both are RC in focus, the longer route beginning at Saint Joseph’s Oratory in Montréal, the sanctuary of Saint Marguerite de Youville in Varennes, and the shrine in Cap de la Madeleine, to the Basilica of Sainte Anne. The latter place is a major centre of pilgrimage for First Peoples from eastern Canada. Both routes are navigable in sports wheelchair.

A third Camino, on which there is very little web-available information, is the pilgrimage to Lake Sainte Anne in Alberta, where mainly RC First Peoples gather in the thousands for a week of potlatches, feasts, church services and retreats. Most come by bus or floatplane these days, but I gather that some still walk– given that the feast of Saint Anne happens in mosquito and blackfly season, I can only stand in awe at the dedication of the walkers.

 

[C3 to Camino]

I had to share this... what Newfoundlanders do when their plane is late and they have to wait at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. It pretty much illustrates the attitude you find on the East Coast (not just Newfoundland)!
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfo...tchen-party-toronto-pearson-airport-1.4411678

 

[Northern Laurie]

@oursonpolaire this is fantastic information. Many thanks and definitely food for thought - I spent four years in Montreal and still have extended family and friends there. A pilgrimage that starts, finishes or meets in that town would be particularly special for that reason.