Maritime Canada Expedition

[Rocksylvania]

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Hey guys - as the guy who started this thread almost two years ago, it's nice to see it gain some new traction.

Nope, never did make it back up to the Maritimes, though have done NB, PEI, and Nova Scotia several times in the past, before there was a bridge over to PEI. Also been up around the north side of the St Lawrence to French-speaking Sept-Iles, Quebec, too. I really want to get back up and explore that area much more in-depth.

I ended up doing a couple trips from Maine to the backcountry borderlands of West Texas (exploring the same hundred mile off-grid area for 17 weeks on one trip). Then got pretty excited about testing gear and a variety of basecamp setups in New England lake settings two summers in a row. I've had my adventure rig out over 600 nights in the last two years. Little to no cell service a lot of the places I like best, so rarely check in here during those times.

I'm on the coast of Maine right now, and headed back to Cajun Country and the Mexican border soon for more of my photo-journalism South of I-10 project.

I think 3 weeks or more would be wonderful to have to explore the Maritimes, with a few more to better explore Newfoundland/Labrador and northern Quebec.

I've learned in the last couple years I tend to be a slow travel guy, and for that reason don't usually fit in too well with group runs. I like to dawdle and explore and get to know an area in a more in-depth way than most folks have time, or desire, for.

Certainly wouldn't mind running across a few of you here and there if I'm around along the Maine coast when you come through, or up in the Maritimes and Newfoundland/Labrador if any of you do that. Other than spending a few months along the border, the rest of my year is not yet committed.

I'd love to re-explore a lot of the Maine Coast and North Maine woods, too.

View attachment 138839

~ Road

I desperately want to be a slow travel guy but I haven't figured out how to leave the office job behind just yet. Hope you're well, greatly enjoy your IG when I check in. I figured a month on the road total for this trip was the longest I can get away. I'll be taking it slow enough to feel like I got to explore by rig, foot, bike, and Hornbeck. Yours has been getting a lot more use than mine the last few years. So we'll see how far I get. I could easily get distracted in Maine and stay stateside. But the Maritimes are on a short list.

Roaddude - On the Road In North America - ROADDUDE

Roaddude - Traveling Photographer/Writer/Artist On the Road In North America. Gear, reviews, people, places, and culture.

roaddude.com

I smiled as you spoke of 3 weeks.. I did 4,000 miles in 46 days and felt I went way to fast! LOL.. I did get the broad picture and know where I wish to explore in depth. I am so looking forward to this year and doing so!

Now, that you're here, let me ask ya all: There's a run between Cape Spencer to West Beach, according to Gaia it looks like you could go all the way to Black River? Has anyone done this run? What can you tell me about it?

View attachment 138893

Blue line is the intended route.. Green marker is a POI and Red (supposed to be blue) as possible overnights.

Wow you're getting and sharing some great info here, thank you.

 

[RJ Howell]

I do love planning stages and researching possible routes!

Here's yet another: This is a spot that makes me go back to the byway and around. I see two roads that lead into Foley's Cove (both seem to be named Foleys Cove Road) and looks like they may be connected by a 2 track woods run..

Anyone familiar?

Getting color codes together... Blue is the current route, Yellow is the roads in question.

 

[Road]

I desperately want to be a slow travel guy but I haven't figured out how to leave the office job behind just yet. Hope you're well, greatly enjoy your IG when I check in. I figured a month on the road total for this trip was the longest I can get away. I'll be taking it slow enough to feel like I got to explore by rig, foot, bike, and Hornbeck. Yours has been getting a lot more use than mine the last few years. So we'll see how far I get. I could easily get distracted in Maine and stay stateside. But the Maritimes are on a short list.

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Good to see you here and commenting on this thread, @Rocksylvania !

I don't think you'll have any problem filling a month exploring NB, PEI, and NS, and could include as much or little of any of it, and around the Gaspe and coming back down the other side of the St Lawrence as you want. I could easily spend a month just in any one of those provinces.

The thing to avoid, in my mind, is to have such a strict itinerary you spend more time packing up and driving to the next place than you do enjoying where you any given day. When you only have a definite alloted amount of time, you have to structure your time away somewhat, but it doesn't have to be down to the half day.

If I'm back around from the borderlands in Sept and have the pesos, I may very well be up in the Maritimes somewhere and would love to meet up and get our boats in the water together. If I'm around Maine or New Hampshire I'll take you out paddling here. I'm forever grateful to have been steered towards Hornbeck. I adore mine and having such a lightweight, portable, canoe has made all the difference in getting out on the water as much as I have.

Hope you get yours out on the water a ton when you get up to Maine and the Maritimes.

Wherever you end up and however much time you spend in a place, you'll be figuring out which places you want to explore more when you can leave the office behind.


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For this thread in general:

You might want to check out the guys at insta: @nb_expeditions - in New Brunswick, the makers of the great spare tire GARB (Garbage And Recycling Bag) I use. They've been doing a hell of a job introducing folks to what NB has to offer.

Here's a good thread they started here on OB about New Brunswick:

NB Overland

One thing I've noticed over the years is that a lot of people heading east to explore the Atlantic region are often headed towards NS and NL. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it seems to people just don't know how much NB has to offer for overlanding enthusiasts. It is probably...

www.overlandbound.com

Here's another interesting thread where Virgil from NB Expeditions chimes in, that includes some intel for a Maritime adventure:

East Expedition to the Rock!

Hello All, Rookie overlander Pete from Ontario here. It looks like the stars have aligned and I was able to get approximately 3 weeks off in August. I am trying to plan an eastern Canada overland trip and definitely would love to hit up Cape Breton and Newfoundland. I've been fortunate...

www.overlandbound.com

Y'all might want to consider starting a thread in the Atlantic Region section of the forums:

Atlantic Region News, Events, Q&A

www.overlandbound.com

Hope to see you all out here somewhere, someday!

~ Road

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Roaddude - On the Road In North America - ROADDUDE

Roaddude - Traveling Photographer/Writer/Artist On the Road In North America. Gear, reviews, people, places, and culture.

roaddude.com

 

[RJ Howell]

I moved my conversation over to Run planned for this summer. Saint Stephan to Hopewell Rocks.
I have the Gaia map up and a .gpx file on the Northern section of the run.

 

[SPRINTERAE86]

I'll be moving to PEI and leaving Florida this weekend. I'm excited to find out more about the trails you've visited in NB and a contact information of your guide so I can plan a route.

My project during quarantine is to source material and applications for adding insulation to the roof and floor of my camper build. Or, just rebuild the whole thing from the ground up to suite winter weather.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

I'll be moving to PEI and leaving Florida this weekend. I'm excited to find out more about the trails you've visited in NB and a contact information of your guide so I can plan a route.

My project during quarantine is to source material and applications for adding insulation to the roof and floor of my camper build. Or, just rebuild the whole thing from the ground up to suite winter weather.

Moving to PEI for good?

 

[SPRINTERAE86]

Yes, for good.

 

[Autism Family Travels]

Right on. east coast is the best coast contrary to popular culture!

 

[RJ Howell]

Right on. east coast is the best coast contrary to popular culture!

You have me curious! I didn't find one to be better than the other.. Northshore may have slight advantage to me.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Been to Charlottetown and several other points of interest between there and St Chysostome. I found the people kind and generous, the land beautiful and fertile, and the waters very warm. Charlottetown is a nice city.

 

[RJ Howell]

I was partial to the beaches along the north shore. Singing sands though east shore really does start it! It became a joke for us.. If you ask a local a question, pull out a couple beers and chairs!

 

[Autism Family Travels]

You have me curious! I didn't find one to be better than the other.. Northshore may have slight advantage to me.

I mean the Atlantic provinces. Pop culture the saying is the west coast is the best coast meaning California. It's a joke.

 

[RJ Howell]

I mean the Atlantic provinces. Pop culture the saying is the west coast is the best coast meaning California. It's a joke.

To this I agree! West coast has much greater dispersed camping opportunities, yet those are a bit inland. When it comes to seafood, our salty water really brings out the flavor! I doubt I'll find much better than the Canadian Rockies for size and beauty, yet I'm a salt water guy and love the Atlantic Maritimes!

I'm truly hoping we can go back up there next year. I'm now looking too skip the NB portion and run straight up to NFLD! Only decision on our part is if we go by way of Labrador..

 

[Road]

I smiled as you spoke of 3 weeks.. I did 4,000 miles in 46 days and felt I went way to fast! LOL.. I did get the broad picture and know where I wish to explore in depth. I am so looking forward to this year and doing so!

Now, that you're here, let me ask ya all: There's a run between Cape Spencer to West Beach, according to Gaia it looks like you could go all the way to Black River? Has anyone done this run? What can you tell me about it?

View attachment 138893

Blue line is the intended route.. Green marker is a POI and Red (supposed to be blue) as possible overnights.

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Yeah, exactly. Don't know if you were responding to me or CampWithChin, though I was replying to him saying "3 weeks is a lot to spend in NB, NS and PEI." Having been up there before and spending weeks, I could easily spend three weeks or more in each province exploring both back country wherever possible and all the small towns and villages, etc.

I'm far more prone to slow travel then moving through an area quickly. A bit of great advice that's stuck with me for years is along the lines of "the slower you travel the less money you spend and the longer you get to stay out." Especially with petrol prices being what they are.

Haven't gone digging around much in recent posts on this, but am wondering where you are in planning for the Maritime and Atlantic provinces.

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[RJ Howell]

I'm still awaiting word that the Maritimes are opened up to travel.. For that matter, when I can enter Canada again to explore..
My feeling is it won't be this year either..

 

[RJ Howell]

What are you folks hearing from Canada? My latest news is it's actually getting harder to travel Provence to Provence now.. Never mind enter the country. I see may hopes of this year heading back up disappearing fast.

 

[Road]

What are you folks hearing from Canada? My latest news is it's actually getting harder to travel Provence to Provence now.. Never mind enter the country. I see may hopes of this year heading back up disappearing fast.

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I've been keeping an eye and ear on it, as I had hopes of scooting up to tour the Maritimes again this summer and fall, and to start scouting/planning for Labrador & Newfoundland.

All in the last few days:

- The US/Canadian border closure was extended yet another 30 days, with no real plan in place for reopening.
The border will remain closed until at least 21 May, says Canadian Public Safety Minister Bill Blair: Canada - U.S. Border Restrictions Extended.
- Nova Scotia limits travel in and out of province to essential travel only.
- New Brunswick has new, stricter, regulations on coming into their province.
- Newfoundland & Labrador are restricting entry to allow only residents, those from the Maritime Provinces, and those who are essential workers or who have special permission from the Chief Medical Officer of Health.

Other provincial restrictions can be found on the Canadian government's Travel, Quarantine & Border pages here: Provincial and Territorial Restrictions.

Here in Maine the state govt is doing much the same, and even Mainers who travel out of state further than just surrounding New England states must have proof of testing negative or quarantine for ten days once entering the state.

No idea how enforced all the inter-province restrictions are, though I know in Maine all kinds of tourists are showing up from as far away as Florida, are not being checked at the border or airports, and are not self-quarantining.

Crossing into Canada from the US would be another matter entirely.
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[RJ Howell]

Falls within the reports I'm getting from friends up there. I have friends that own a place lakeside and can travel to, but can not even go on the lake till after quarantine. They were called a couple times a day, on the landline to prove where they were.. Quebec...