Amélie hikes the East Coast Trail – DAY 33

COMPLETING THE BRIGUS HEAD PATH 
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Brigus Head Path is one of a handful of East Coast trail hikes that can easily be hiked as a loop, adding two kilometres of hardened ATV trail to the hike. Since Amélie had already done the first 2.2 kilometres of the trail last week (starting from Brigus South), we felt it was reasonable for her to try hiking the remaining 4.3 kilometres. Amélie is now an able hiker. A lot of the progress she’s made is simply from being five months older than when we started this thru-hike project. But there is no doubt that the days we’ve spent on the East Coast Trail with her have greatly helped improve her balance, her stamina, and her judgement about how to overcome the constant obstacles she’s presented with on the trail.

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Amélie was full of energy for most of the hike, running down some of the hills excitedly, hopping up some of the climbs. She started to run out of gas at Hares Ears Lookout – five hundred metres from where we’d stopped the day before. Thankfully, playing hide-and-seek was enough of a distraction for her to want to keep going. I would run up the trail as Séb and Amélie counted to 20 out loud. By the end of their slow count, I’d crouch behind a tree and wait for them to find me. After a few games where they’d find me immediately (my bright red coat made it very difficult for me to not be found!), we switched roles. Amélie and Séb ran up the hill to hide from me and Évangéline, and I’d pretend to have difficulty finding them.

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When we got to Hares Ears, Amélie was immensely happy to get plunked into the backpack carrier, where she at a half sleeve of soda crackers. and the many handfuls of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries we picked on the way back to the car. Évangéline certainly appreciated these as well, pointing out blueberry bushes as we came across them.

There are now only two “breaks” in her progress between the Bay Bulls lighthouse and Cape Broyle’s Riverside Restaurant: The middle section of the Flamber Head Path, and the one-kilometre community link between the Admiralds Cove trailhead and Pagoda Projects. Driving back from Cape Broyle, it’s difficult not to be amazed by the fact that Amélie’s little legs have walked all this way.

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AMÉLIE’S PROGRESS

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  1. 0.15km (Our house to Alder Hill)
  2. 1km (Alder Hill to Bears Cove Inn)
  3. 1.65km (Bears Cove Inn to Tobin Memorial)
  4. 1.5km (Tobin Memorial to Otter Cove)
  5. 1km (Otter Cove to Upper Red Cove)
  6. 0.6km (Upper Red Cove to South Head)
  7. 4km (South Head to Bay Bulls Trailhead parking lot)
  8. 3km (Bay Bulls Trailhead to Captain Wayne’s Excursions)
  9. 5.8km (Captain Wayne’s Excursions to the Bull Head Light)
  10. 7.2km (Fort Amherst to The Battery)
  11. 1.3km (Our house to Harrigan’s Grocery & Convenience)
  12. 3.5km (Harrigan’s Convenience to Camel Cove Beach)
  13. 1.8km (Mobile Beach to Herring Cove)
  14. 500m (Deadman’s Bay Trailhead to Lookout Point)
  15. 4km (Herring Cove to Camel Cove Beach)
  16. 2.5km (Mobile Beach to Cape Canine)
  17. 3.3km (Cape Canine to The Cribbies)
  18. 2.9km (The Cribbies to Burnt Cove Beach)
  19. 800m (LaManche Bridge to Herring Cove Point)
  20. 1km (Riverside Restaurant to the Cape Broyle Wharf)
  21. 2.7km (Bauline East Wharf to LaManche Bridge)
  22. 3.1km (The Battery to The Quidi Vidi Village Plantation)
  23. 1.5km (Quidi Vidi Village to Bawden’s Highlands)
  24. 4km (Cape Broyle Wharf to Pagoda Projects)
  25. 2km (Burnt Cove Beach to Bauline East Wharf)
  26. 5.4km (Cappahayden to Island Meadow)
  27. 800m (Blackhead village to Bull Cove)
  28. 3.5km (Brigus South to Hares Ears)
  29. 1.5km (Chafe’s Landing to Big Hill)
  30. 2km (Island Meadows Path Trailhead to Renews Bridge)
  31. 1.8km (Chafe’s Landing to Cape Spear Path trailhead)
  32. 2.5km (Flamber Head Trailhead to Hares Ears Point)
  33. 4.3km (Hares Ears Point to Admirald’s Cove trailhead)
  • Amélie’s total progress: 82.1km/316km
  • Distance walked by the adults today: 8.5km
  • Total distance walked by the adults: 161.7km

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