Go take a hike — on the Fundy Footpath

Mike Caines had better watch his mouth!

The rector in the Parish of the Nerepis and St. John made a statement in a February sermon that led to a challenge from congregation members.

He fulfilled that challenge in early June by walking the Fundy Footpath — successfully.

But let’s back up to the sermon that started it all.

“The sermon was on the Beatitudes,” said Mike. “I reflected on how tough a path it is to walk the Beatitudes, but at least every Beatitude comes with a promise.”

Not so with the Fundy Footpath, he said, by comparison. There are no promises — only hardship and danger: two tidal streams to cross, 12 ravines to negotiate, over 10,000 feet of elevation change along 52 kilometers. It’s Double Black Diamond strenuous.

“I made fun of the Fundy Footpath and said, 'at least God gives promises,'” he said.

Then came the turning point. In jest, he said, “So who wants to take on the Fundy Footpath?

“Five hands went up!”

PREPARATION
After church, these five men tried to talk him into the hike. The next week, it was the same thing.

“I said no. I didn’t want to. I was not in shape for it,” said the 46-year-old. “But it turned into me and five guys, so we started training.”

Once a week during Lent, he hiked with a 30-pound rucksack, because one has to carry in all food and necessities for the hike. While hiking, he meditated on the Beautitudes — the very passage that got him into this situation.

Mike also runs three times a week, and in April, on a run, he was bitten by a dog. 

“I wrenched my back shaking the dog off,” he said, adding he seriously considered cancelling the hike. “But I remembered Psalm 121 and felt God saying, ‘I’ll be with you in the prep and the path.’”

Finally, June arrived and the guys were ready. But one had a family obligation, so they were down to five. Another, Martin, had a medical exam and could only join them after that was taken care of.

ON THE PATH
So the four set out on June 4 from Point Wolfe in Fundy National Park.

Early on, Mike’s son, Ben, twisted his knee badly. He could bear no weight, so he was out. 

Fortunately, it happened only a few metres from one of the few access roads, and it had rare cell reception, so a friend was able to come collect him. 

Mike shudders to think of the difficulty that would have ensued, had they needed to carry Ben up and down ravines to get him help.

So the original six were down to three: Tim, Josh and Mike. But by the end of day two, Martin turned up, with steaks, no less!

The first three days came with perfect weather for hiking: sunny, breezy, with magnificent views.

“It was stunning,” said Mike. “It’s rare beauty you don’t ever see because you have to do very hard hiking to see it. I bent my trekking pole three times.”

Day four, the last day, came with unrelenting rain.

“When we got to the Fundy Parkway Interpretation Centre, we were drenched and sore,” said Mike.

It was 4:50 p.m. Though they wanted to change into dry clothes and get their gear into the car that was left for them, they were told the gates closed at 5 p.m. and if they didn’t hurry, they’d be shut in for the night.

Quickly on their way, they made their way back to Grand Bay.

“The trail is so technical,” said Mike. “It’s relentless the whole time. We can’t believe we did it. But we trusted God that we’d be OK.”

Mike has learned another lesson from this odyssey.

“It all started with a throw-away sermon that I’ve paid dearly for,” he said. “Be careful what you preach!”

JOSH KELIHER
Josh Keliher, 47, wasn’t sure about the hype of the Fundy Footpath.

“I’d heard about it and was curious,” he said. “Was it really that hard?”

Nevertheless, it was always tucked away on the software product manager’s bucket list.

“It’s a little bit scary, but it’s useful to get off the couch and push yourself,” he said. “So a bunch of us fools raised our hands!

“It was a sign that I needed to get up and do it.”

In preparation, Josh tailored his gym workout to match the skills he’d need for the climb. Things like balance training became important.

In the end, he had no drama, no unfortunate incidents and no regrets, just a bit of soreness.

“While on the hike, we said we’d definitely do it again,” he said. “Who you go along with on the journey matters.”

One of the spiritual benefits, as Josh saw it, was the notion of solitude.

In a men’s study group at the church, they’d been reading Richard J. Foster’s Celebration of Discipline, and the chapter they tackled before the hike was on solitude.

“Solitude as in listening to God,” he said. “I was conscious of that during the hike. The sole task there is what’s in front of you. The miles gone past don’t matter. The only thing you can do is take that next step and keep going.”

There’s no email, no phone, no work pressures, no demands — just the enjoyment of the solitude.

“It was helpful for me,” he said.

TIM LESLIE
Tim Leslie, 49, is an engineer, warden in the Parish of the Nerepis and St. John, and an avid hiker.

So when his rector, Mike, mentioned hiking the Fundy Footpath, his hand shot up.

“It has been a goal of mine for a long time,” said Tim. “I spend a lot of time hiking, but I don’t think Mike was expecting the response.”

The Nova Scotia native had heard of the Fundy Footpath long before he ever moved to New Brunswick. After convincing Mike to go through with it, Tim got busy training.

He hiked the woods, he hiked the hills of Grand Bay-Westfield. He carried weight to get used to a heavy backpack.

“I thought I was ready,” he said. “I hike a lot anyway, but I was not as ready as I thought I was. I was probably in the worst shape of all the guys.”

Still, he had a successful hike, though he was taken aback by the geography.

“The sheer magnitude of the hills and the ruggedness of the terrain were more than I anticipated,” he said. “It was hard. Not just going up, but going down too.”

The paths were often covered with a thick layer of spruce needles. During their last day, the rain made the paths a slippery mess that had the men falling frequently. They didn’t dare lose their focus.

“Everything had to be done with intention,” said Tim. 

Each morning began with prayer, helping the guys feel grounded and ready for the day, he said.

“It was more than just physical exercise,” he said. “It felt different than a normal hike.”

He’s also still in awe of the scenery.

“Standing on top of the big ravines, you could see God’s paintbrush on everything,” he said. 

MARTIN WIGHTMAN
Martin Wightman, a third-year medical student, has hiked some rather daunting trails in his life: The Chilkoot in Alaska/BC, the Austrian Alps and the north shore of Lake Superior. 

So the Fundy Footpath was right up his alley. However, as experienced as he was, he admits to not being as ready as he might have been.

“I probably undertrained,” he said. “I was medical-student busy and kind of lost track.”

Even so, he hiked Eagle Rock near his Welsford home, carrying his two-year-old son on his back to simulate a full backpack.

But on the second day of the trip, Martin had a commitment he couldn’t get out of: a medical exam.

He wrote the exam, met his family in St. Martins for lunch, and arrived at the meeting point with 45 extra pounds in his backpack: steaks, water and asparagus — all to share.

He found that unlike the Alps trails, there was no place where he felt his life was hanging in the balance. Still, the relentless up and down nature of the hike was challenging. 

“It’s a very significant trail,” he said.

In the end, the 37-year-old came out with just a sore knee.

“I did get out with the help of God, Ibuprofen and lots of cold water,” he said. “I think we did well.”

Martin especially enjoyed the peace of being in the wilderness.

“The prophets and Jesus went into the wilderness to receive peace, messages,” he said. “I’m not putting us in that category, but it can be incredibly helpful to be away from responsibilities, studies — just focusing on one foot in front of the other.”

He also found his friendships from church were further deepened by the experience of the shared challenge.

But he has one suggestion for Rev. Mike.

“The next time he makes fun of something from the pulpit, maybe it should be the Caribbean!”

FUNDY FOOTPATH
From tourismnewbrunswick.ca
The Fundy Footpath is a challenging wilderness trail that starts at the Fundy Trail suspension footbridge at Big Salmon River, near St. Martins, and hugs the coastline to Fundy National Park, near Alma. 

The eastern and western sections of the Fundy Footpath form a continuous trail from beginning to end. 

The rugged Fundy terrain leads up and down from an elevation of 0 to 300 m (984 ft.) across a dozen ravines and two tidal rivers that can only be crossed during low tide. 

One of the last remaining coastal wilderness areas between Florida and Labrador, the views and wilderness experience are spectacular. The trail is between 41 and 64 km, depending on your starting point, and can be hiked in four to five days. It is considered strenuous. 

Camping conditions are primitive (no designated campsites), water treatment is necessary, fires are not permitted and a backpacker stove is recommended. 

All hikers are required to register. The footpath is also accessible from the Point Wolfe parking lot at Fundy National Park. 

Photo captions:
1. Josh, Mike, Martin and Tim arrive at Seely Beach.
2. Martin and Mike on the precarious descent to Little Salmon River.
3. Overlooking the descent to Little Salmon River.
4. Josh, Tim, Martin and Mike at "The Dragon’s Tooth” balanced rock.
Submitted photos courtesy of Mike Caines