As the East Coast Trail marks its 30th anniversary, its caretakers warn it's falling apart
Trail association president says they need more money for maintenance
As the East Coast Trail celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, the president of the association that looks after it says parts of it are in desperate need of repair.
The 336-kilometre trail, which stretches along the coast of much of the Avalon Peninsula, has sections with structures such as bridges and steps that are falling apart, says Randy Murphy, president of the East Coast Trail Association.
"It's not widespread but it's enough to be significant that it needs our immediate attention," he told CBC News in a recent interview.
The association has put out a call for donations on its social media pages, with pictures of trail structures. One shows a former wooden bridge, now reduced to broken, rotten planks with muddy patches exposed. Another shows the remains of a deteriorated wooden staircase.
Structure damage is caused by three main things, Murphy says: wear and tear from an increasing number of hikers, severe weather, and age.
Repair work on the trail's thousands of structures is done by workers, he said, paid for by trail memberships and donation programs. The association manages a budget of $150,000, Murphy added, but they need double that, $300,000, to keep up with the increased amount of work this year.
The association's having an "emergency" fundraiser June 1 to help bridge the gap. The Trail Raiser Community Hike in Bay Bulls is inviting people to hike one of six trails and then join a post-hike party, with a minimum donation of $50.
Murphy said the longer they wait to fix the damage, the worse it'll get.
"We want to repair now rather than wait till next year," he said.
Not just a place to hike over the weekend
Laurel Moore, visiting Newfoundland from Michigan, was recently walking down the end of the Cuckold's Cove trail after the long hike from Signal Hill. She says she came to enjoy the many hikes on the East Coast Trail.
"It's stunningly beautiful," Moore said. "It's amazing that you can be in St. John's and walk five minutes to be on a hike like this."
The appeal of the trail to tourists like Moore is one reason Murphy says investing in the trail is important. Another reason is the money that tourists bring to local businesses.
Mallard Cottage owner Blair McIntosh was on the other side of the trail, on Signal Hill, on his own hike.
"We are big promoters of the trail because it starts down there at the Mallard Cottage," he said, adding he and his team set with the trail association team to work together.
If the association can't afford to replace a structure on the trail, Murphy says, they'll have to remove it rather than risk hikers' safety.
And he's appealing to hikers directly, noting that the trail offered a sanctuary for people when the pandemic hit in 2020.
"The trail was there as your refuge of hope, it supported you to get outdoors in that time. The trail needs you now."
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