News and Events

February 19-21 IATNL Chairperson Paul Wylezol, Communications Director Greg Wood, and Treasurer Kevin Noseworthy attended the Boston Globe Travel Show.   The IATNL was  an exhibitor with its own booth to promote the International Appalachian Trail.  On February 19 they were joined by IAT Maine members Richard Anderson, Will Richard and Walter Anderson.

Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Limited and the International Appalachian Trail Newfoundland and Labrador have entered into an agreement to protect five areas of western Newfoundland where the trail network plans to expand.  The special management areas, to which the paper company holds the timber rights, will have an indefinite moratorium on operations and development.

 On January 25, IATNL Chairperson Paul Wylezol and Treasurer Kevin Noseworthy had the good luck of driving to Port aux Basques on a beautiful winter day to attend an IATNL information session.  The meeting was well attended by stakeholders from   Newfoundland's southwest coast, and the drive provided good views of the IATNL's planned trail along the Codroy Valley's Long Range Mountains.

The IATNL recently received news and photos from the first complete non-stop Devil's Bite Trail hike. Though the entire route was bushwacked by IATNL Chairperson Paul Wylezol over three separate occasions, French adventurers Matthieu Currat and Simen Andersen made the first non-stop 4-day trek in July 2009, before much of the trail was completed.

On a sunny October afternoon IATNL Chairperson Paul Wylezol made a trail blazing trek to the top of the Hummock, located 2kms southwest of Frenchman's Cove in the beautiful Bay Of Islands.  This 1,000ft hill provides fantastic views of the Blow Me Down Mountains, Bay of Islands, North Arm Hills, and Humber Arm.

The IATNL held its 2009 Annual General Meeting at the Greenwood Inn in Corner Brook on Saturday, November 21.  Both the AGM and AGM Dinner and Slideshow were well attended, including representatives from the provincial departments of Innovation Trade and Rural Development (INTRD) and Tourism, and 4 of the 5 Western Newfoundland Regional Economic Development boards.

With 3 inches of snow on the ground and more falling, IATNL Chairperson Paul Wylezol and trail workers Caroline Swan, Katie Broadhurst, Curtis Payne, Tyler Grant, David Simms and Trent Foster set out late one October afternoon across Parsons Pond for a week of trail work inside Western Brook Gulch and Parsons Pond Inner Pond.  

In late August local outfitter Randy Parsons gave IATNL Chairperson Paul Wylezol and trail workers Curtis Payne and Trent Foster a boat ride across Parsons Pond to the Devil's Bite Trail southern trailhead.   From there the three hiked deep into scenic Western Brook Gulch while flagging the trail's southern access route.  It was a beautiful day, with great views of mountain and moose.

Read the account of Keith and Heather Nicol's recent hike along the IATNL's Humber Valley Trail, as reported in the Evening Telegram, November 14.

On October 13 IATNL Chairperson Paul Wylezol and Trail Director Arne Helgeland attended a meeting in Conche to discuss the development of the Conche to Croque section of trail, and to officially rename it the French Shore Trail.   Also in attendance were community leaders from the historic French Shore, as well as representatives from the French Shore Historical Society and the Nordic Economic Development Corporation.