Category trekking

You May Not Believe This, But It’s a Fact

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

I stand at low tide at the home of the world’s highest tide, at Fundy Bay, New Brunswick, Canada. I can see the shores of Nova Scotia.

A question for you: How much water flows into the 94-mile-long funnel-shaped channel to reach high tide, a rise of up to 48 feet?

The stacks are referred to as the Flower Pots and a provincial park provides access to the beach twice a day during low tides. If you wait about six hours (from a safer viewing point), you can witness the contrast.

Now the answer: 100 billion tons of water. Or, and I didn’t believe this at first, it is equal to all the water that fills the world’s rivers combined.


Suspension Bridge Kicks Off Canadian Adventure

Reg Spittle Leave a comment

Can you spare four days? Do steep climbs, stunning coastal scenery, and Canadian wilderness sound like your cup of tea?

New Brunswick, Canada offers the 27-mile Fundy Footpath that begins on a suspension bridge over the Big Salmon River and ends at Fundy National Park after traveling through 12 ravines. You’ll need to pack everything you need, including a tidal chart for getting by two tidal rivers.

Sue and I walked the bridge, which swayed with each step. While we visited the nearby Fundy Trail Parkway interpretive center, four young backpackers listened to trail tips from a woman who worked at the center. Then they were off under a cloud layer that turned to rain that afternoon.

They faced more than 10,000 feet of ascents, no developed campsites, and the world’s highest tides.

More on the last part later.