On June 12, IATNL executive members Paul Wylezol, Arne Helgeland and Kevin Noseworthy took Hugh Barron, Marketing Sector Manager with the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh, Scotland, on a day-hike into Simms Gulch on the north side of Serpentine Valley. The 24 km (15 mile) trek was under ideal conditions, including clear blue skies, good…

The International Appalachian Trail Newfoundland & Labrador has taken a page from the IAT Europe playbook with plans to establish a Global Geopark, spanning the Bay of Islands Ophiolites from Lewis Hills to Gros Morne National Park. Other stakeholders include Western DMO, Corner Brook Pulp & Paper Ltd, and all towns in the Bay of…

On April 10, 2014, IAT Chairperson Paul Wylezol and IATNL Finance Director Kevin Noseworthy set off on a 16-hour snowmobile/hike duathlon across the North Arm Hills. The purpose of the adventure was to check out the condition of a remote fishing outpost at Stowbridges in North Arm of the Bay of Islands. It will be…

In August 2013, Appalachian Explorer Lew Coty of Vermont, U.S.A. returned to Western Newfoundland to continue his exploration of Mount St. Gregory, overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence just north of the outer Bay of Islands. It was the follow-up to his first trek of the mountain in August 2012.

On November 9, 2013, Appalachian long-distance hiker Cotton Joe Norman from North Carolina, U.S.A. became the first person to complete IAT Scotland, from the Mull of Galloway in the south to Cape Wrath in the north. It was the continuation of an 800 mile (1,280 km) journey that began at Slieve League on the west…

On a beautiful Saturday, November 16, 2013, McIver’s Mayor Warren Blanchard guided IAT/IATNL Chairperson Paul Wylezol and IATNL Finance Director Kevin Noseworthy on a 3.7 km (2.2 mile) round trip hike of the new community trail to the top of Bound Head overlooking the scenic outer Bay of Islands.

On November 1-3, 2013, IAT/IATNL Chairperson Paul Wylezol attended the 8th Northeast Alpine Stewardship Gathering at the Sargent Center in Hancock, New Hampshire. There he learned of the latest developments in northeast North America alpine ecology and gave a presentation on the International Appalachian Trail and Global Geoparks.

On October 31, 2013, IAT/IATNL Chairperson Paul Wylezol and IAT Maine President Don Hudson met with Appalachian Mountain Club President John Judge at the AMC headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. The purpose of the meeting was to bring John up-to-date on new IAT developments and to discuss ways in which the AMC and IAT can cooperate…

On October 30, 2013, IAT/IATNL Chairperson Paul Wylezol was in Washington, D.C. to meet with officials from the U.S. Department of the Interior to discuss international DOI – IAT cooperation. Of special interest is Morocco, where the DOI is helping to establish a National Park – Toubkal – and the IAT is in the process…

On September 20, 2013 during the IAT AGM, IAT/IATNL Chairperson Paul Wylezol joined a small group of walkers who departed Balloch, Scotland and traveled to Maidens on the southwest coast to walk a 6-mile (10-km) section of the Ayrshire Coastal Path (ACP). In addition to strolling sandy beaches and clifftop paths, the group walked the…

On September 13-14, 2013, IAT/IATNL Chairperson Paul Wylezol stopped at England’s North York Moors National Park on his way to Balloch, Scotland for the IAT AGM. While there, he met up with Park Ranger and IAT England Director Jay Marrison, visited various points of interest, and walked sections of the IAT Cleveland Way National Trail.

On September 27, 2013 long-distance hiker Cotton Joe Norman from North Carolina became the first walker to complete the recently launched IAT Ireland, from Slieve League to Larne. From there he crosses the Irish Sea to IAT Scotland, where he plans to walk from the Mull of Galloway to Cape Wrath. Cotton Joe volunteered with…