From July 22 to 27, IATNL executive members Paul Wylezol and Arne Helgeland played host to American Hiking Society Founding President Jim Kern. Paul, Arne and Jim, who soon turns 88, are friends of Appalachian Trail Museum President Larry Luxenberg, who in 2019 joined Paul and Arne on an IAT 10th anniversary tour of Scotland, followed by an Appalachian Outdoor Economy Forum in Northern Ireland.
Jim, who is also founder of the Florida Trail, was in Newfoundland for the first time to do a little hiking and sightseeing, beginning on the Great Northern Peninsula where Paul and his wife Annie own a beachfront inn in Portland Creek.
The first adventure included a 45-minute hike into Western Brook Pond and a 2-hour boat tour of the inland fiord
followed by another 45-minute walk and seafood dinner.
Day 2 also included a tour of Western Brook Pond, but this time from the air, when the trio took a morning floatplane ride over the Long Range Mountains, provided by Portland Creek Outfitters.
The 1-hour round trip began at Portland Creek Pond and flew south down the back end of a series of inland fiords to Western Brook Pond, before returning via the coastline.
In the afternoon, the tour returned to ground and headed south, first to Gros Morne Mountain
then around Bonne Bay to the Tablelands, where they hiked Tablelands Trail into Winterhouse Gulch
before driving to Trout River, where they got a distant view of Trout River Pond, the south side of Tablelands, and Elephant Head, site of the IATNL Elephant Trail.
They then visited Trout River’s waterfront, with a stop at Eastern Point Trail
before returning to Woody Point to dine on a waterfront deck.
On Day 3 the trio headed to the Bay of Islands, where they toured the south side of the bay, with stops at Cape Blow Me Down Trail and Copper Mine Falls
as well as Bottle Cove, where they walked both the boardwalk and hiking trail.
While returning to Corner Brook at the head of the bay, the hungry hikers stopped at Saltbox Restaurant in Benoit’s Cove, site of a Cabox Aspiring Geopark Information Center.
Day 4 began with a hike to Steady Brook Falls
followed by a little bird-watching at Steady Brook Marsh.
The next stop was the Man In The Mountain viewpoint, a short distance downstream
and the trailhead for the Humber Valley Trail and Bear Head Trail, which lead to the top of the same old man!
From there, the trio took a drive along the north shore of Humber Arm and stopped at McIvers Island for more bird watching. (By now it is becoming clear that Jim is an avid bird watcher!)
Once back in Corner Brook, Jim took a short walk on Corner Brook Stream Trail, where he got a look at our resident swans, and not just on the signs.
The day ended with Jim and Paul going on another floatplane ride, this time with local pilot Robert Bradbury, who generously offered his time and plane.
The flight began with a ride around the Lewis Hills
and across the Blow Me Down Mountains
before flying past Corner Brook and the lower Humber Valley … then into the proverbial sunset!
The final morning of Jim’s visit was spent visiting James Cook at his National Historic Site on Crow Head
which also provides a nice final view of Humber Arm and the Blow Me Down Mountains, before Jim departs for home in Florida, near the Florida Trail (now Florida National Scenic Trail) which he established in the 1960s.
