Backpacking the East Coast Trail in Newfoundland for 5 Days - E.12

Hey adventurers, welcome back to Tents.and.Timber!
In between video's make sure to follow us on Instagram @Tents.and.Timber
Join us on Days 15-19 of our 32-day journey from Ontario to Newfoundland and back. After two weeks of driving, camping, and living out of our car, we switched things up by leaving the car behind to live out of our backpacks on the East Coast Trail. This 336-kilometer trail runs along the Northeast shore of the Avalon Peninsula and offers a unique blend of natural beauty and challenge.
Our adventure began with a few days at Lockston Path Provincial Park, where we packed our backpacks for the upcoming five-day trek. After a morning of preparation, we headed to a Honda dealership to address a small issue with our car before driving three hours to St. John's. There, we met friends who kindly let us park at their place and shuttled us to Bay Bulls trail head, the starting point of "The Spout Path."
It was a beautiful afternoon with the sun shining as we set out on the 16.2-kilometer trail. Our goal was to reach a campsite about 11 kilometers in, and along the way, we passed towering sea stacks, impressive waterfalls, and even a few sea caves. The trail offered breathtaking views and was a perfect way to start our backpacking adventure. One highlight was the Bull Head Lighthouse near Dungeon Cove. After passing it, we turned northward and reached Little Bald Head Campsite, a gorgeous site with new tent pads and plenty of space. We were the only ones there, so we set up our ‪@durstongear‬ X-Mid 2 tent and enjoyed a dehydrated meal before bed.
Overnight, the rain started, and it continued well into the next day. Despite the wet weather, our tent kept us dry, and we had breakfast before heading to "The Spout," a sea-driven geyser that shoots water through a rock every 30 seconds. We spent some time admiring this unique feature before continuing our journey.
The rain made the trail slippery, so by lunchtime, we'd only covered 2.5 kilometers. However, the weather eased a bit, allowing us to enjoy lunch at Long Point Cove. We then made our way to the end of "The Spout Path" at Shoal Bay Road trailhead, where "Motion Path" begins. This path leads to Raymonds Gulch, where we saw beautiful dual waterfalls.
Miner Point Campsite was our next stop, and while it lacked tent pads, it was still a great place to spend the night. The rain returned, so we ate dinner early and went to bed. The next morning brought heavy fog, but we got an early start, eager to make more progress.
As we hiked through places with interesting names like The Tolt, Hearts Point Ridge, Burkes Head, and Lower Cove Head, the rain persisted, but it didn't dampen our spirits. We passed through Petty Harbour, a charming town, before starting down the "Cape Spear Path." Along this section, we found a lovely spot to set up camp near Deep Cove.
Waking up to sunshine was a delightful change, and we made good time to Cape Spear National Historic Site, the easternmost point in Canada. The trail then took us past the old 1942 decoy anti-aircraft battery, which added a touch of history to our adventure.
After 15.4 kilometers, "Cape Spear Path" ended at Blackhead village, leading us to the ominously named "Deadmans Bay Path." This path provided some of the most impressive views, with lookout points over Blackhead Bay, Sleepy Cove, and Windy Cove. We even took a side trail to Small Point, adding a touch of adventure to our journey. After covering over 20 kilometers, we reached Freshwater Bay, where we saw a seal swimming and enjoyed a cold dip to rinse off the sweat and mud from our hike. Dinner that night was one of the best backcountry meals we've had, and it was a perfect way to end the day.
However, the rain returned overnight, and by morning, it was coming down heavily. We ate breakfast in our tent and faced a tough decision: should we continue to Fort Amherst or exit the trail due to safety concerns? Over a cup of hot chocolate made with our ‪@MSRGear‬ Pocket Rocket 2 stove, we decided to exit via the Bay Path to Blackhead Road's parking lot. It wasn't an easy choice, but it turned out to be the right one as the rain continued all day.
Despite the challenges, our adventure was filled with incredible experiences, stunning landscapes, and unforgettable memories. Make sure to join us for the rest of our journey as we explore more of Newfoundland, soak in its natural wonders, and share tips for outdoor adventures.
Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated on our travels!
Until next time, happy trails!
00:00 Getting to the East Coast Trail
01:59 Bay Bulls to Little Bald Head
11:36 Little Bald Head to Miner Point Campsite
30:00 Miner Point to Deep Cove
45:28 Deep Cove to Freshwater Bay
1:05:25 Leaving the Trail
1:14:39 Bloopers

[@oracleocp]

Good on you for doing that section of the ECT, parts of it are quite difficult. As for the weather, yeah, welcome to Newfoundland. Last week of July first week of August is your best bet for decent summer weather. Here we call June Junuary because it can be so cold (and occasional light snow) and August is Fogust for...well...obvious reasons. Glad you enjoyed your time here!

[@Tents.and.Timber]

Haha, we absolutely loved our 3 weeks travelling around and wish we could have stayed longer. We will be back for a longer visit 😀

[@YourJourney2Wellness]

I love that you are doing this. I did 230kms of the trail over 14 days last summer - the maps and google sheet were invaluable! I felt really rushed through this hike last yearand didnt get to enjoy it like I wanted. I want to give myself and extra week and do it again! Thanks for this!!

[@Tents.and.Timber]

That's always a tough decision to make, do you do long days and see more or short days and enjoy what you see more? We struggle with that with each adventure.

[@terrainUL]

Great video! I have had more mice and chipmunks chew holes in my food bag that I always hand even if there is not much risk of bears. What scenery!

[@Tents.and.Timber]

Yeah, that's probably always a good idea. Luckily we have only had one chipmunk get into our food bag over the years.

[@richeretrudeau226]

Thank you for practicing the LNT principles.

[@Tents.and.Timber]

We honestly wouldn't have it any other way.

[@KhurshidsChannel]

Great video. Thanks for sharing. 👍26

[@Tents.and.Timber]

Thanks glad you enjoyed

[@adambane1719]

That was great thank you. Ireland looks so beautiful this time of year.

[@Tents.and.Timber]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@bRad96699]

Next time check out Red cliff Battery it's also part of the east coast trail only its further east. There is an old bunker in the Clift there and an old observatory. It's a really cool part of the trail most don't start at!

[@Tents.and.Timber]

Awesome that's for the tip. We only had enough time to spend 5 days along the trail. Maybe one day we will be able to hike the whole thing. Thanks for taking the time to leave us a message.

[@Thatcanadianguyhey]

Working on doing all the ECT trails this summer. 9 trails in now from Cape St. Francis to Maddox Cove. Hoping to do Motion and Spout this weekend.

[@Tents.and.Timber]

That's awesome! It's a stunning area, we hope you have better weather then us. Enjoy

[@Thatcanadianguyhey]

Thanks. April is a bad time for weather in Newfoundland. Lots of sun and warmer temps since June 10.

[@nickcollins4268]

Haha giant glaciers tossed them there! Ya it's a hard spot on eastern side of the Avalon... It just juts out into ocean so much. You could probably drive inland 20 mins and it's sunny whole time lol.

[@Tents.and.Timber]

Hahaha, we were blown away at how quickly the weather can change and how different it can be only a few min away. Gorgeous area either way

[@nickcollins4268]

@@Tents.and.Timber haha oh yes have to be ready for 4 seasons in a day. It's the land of the isolated weather conditions. That being said, I think you guys got a bad stretch even for there that time of year. Glad you enjoyed it! It's certainly not for faint of heart or the unprepared.

[@Tents.and.Timber]

@@nickcollins4268 we were prepared for rain, but not 18 days of it out of 21, hahaha.

[@chrisbarrington798]

Fiy anyone planning on hiking the east coast trail just a friendly local reminder it's foggy as fawkk

[@Tents.and.Timber]

Hahaha you got it mate, maybe a little rainy as well.

[@adventureswithjosie]

What amazing and beautiful landscapes along that trail! Wow! Rugged rocky shorelines are my favourite!

[@Tents.and.Timber]

It's was gorgeous, the fog and rain made it so much more dramatic. If you like rugged coastlines, Newfoundland is the place to visit Josie.

[@adventureswithjosie]

@@Tents.and.Timber Oh I know!

[@Meandering_Newfoundlander]

Great video! I'm a military veteran in Newfoundland and I have been trying to build up the motivation to tackle the ECT as you two have. I currently ride my motorcycle to different communities and capture video from my action camera and drone, but really have a strong desire to hit the trails. Your video may have been the inspiration I needed. Good job! PS: What camera are you using? What mic? Thanks!

[@Tents.and.Timber]

Hey thanks for your kind words. There is always the option to start small and do sections of the ECT before tackling the entire 300 kms. Either way we look forward to checking out your adventures along the trail. For all of our trips we are currently using GoPros for video and audio. Safe travels mate.

[@ErraticExcursion]

Oh man, Jess got a tan hiking in the rain😁🤣. These campsites look amazing, and the views OMG, that would have been an exhausting hike. It's unfortunate to see garbage in such a pristine environment. Don't get these people.. Another fantastic video, and we appreciate you taking us along. Cheers✌.

[@Tents.and.Timber]

Hahaha thanks for your kind words mate.

[@supergoodcamping]

Great video! Fun fact - Petty Harbour is where Alan Doyle from Great Big Sea calls home. Bummer for no campfires. Feels like that's how this year here in Ontario is going to play out. Also, stop with the ear to ear grins, wouldya?

[@Tents.and.Timber]

Can't stop won't stop. It's no fires at anytime on the East Coast trail, that's what they promote on their website anyway. There was certainly lots of fire pits.

[@supergoodcamping]

@@Tents.and.Timber Sad to see the rule breakers - fire pits & garbage. Great to see 2 of our favourite smiles. Also kind of weird to think about mice on the trail. That's a new one. Keep rocking you two!!

[@colleenmerwin695]

You two are amazing with all your hiking and thru all that wet weather ! And what views ! Wish my legs were younger. We did sit in those same red chairs at Cape spear last June and yes experienced lots of wet cool weather. Canada has so much to see and experience. So happy for you having this lifestyle together 💜💙

[@Tents.and.Timber]

Aww thanks so much!

[@DerekSOutdoors]

Great hike there, the lookouts were amazing when you could see the ocean😅. Really liked that little spire with the trees on top, makes me wonder how trees can grow up there. You guys are troopers hiking through so many days of wet weather!! It's always hard to do big distance days when it's bad weather.

[@Tents.and.Timber]

We thought the same thing. It's impressive to think of how many thousands of years it took to erode that rock and also how little those trees are holding onto. Such a cool landscape. Thanks for stopping by our channel mate.

[@tomkrzyt]

What did you do with your garbage?

[@buckets_on_bridges709]

When you see huge random boulders it's a good chance they were left there by glaciers!

[@Tents.and.Timber]

So crazy to think about that. How the land was once covered by so much ice.

[@buckets_on_bridges709]

@@Tents.and.Timber I know it's crazy! Also I love your positive attitudes while hiking. It's great to remember to appreciate the little things. And thank you for being considerate about taking your trash with you. Unbelievable what people think is ok to leave behind. Glad you had a somewhat nice day to visit Cape Spear and that you did eventually get some sun!

[@Tents.and.Timber]

@buckets_on_bridges709 thank you so much, leave no trace is one of our core values. Also, it's not an adventure without a little rain, or a lot of rain in our case, hahaha.

[@alanbierhoff6831]

Aren’t slugs just homeless snails? 🤔 🧐😆

[@Tents.and.Timber]

Hahaha