The Island Walk carries on after post-tropical storm Fiona

Post-tropical storm Fiona left a lasting mark on many of Prince Edward Island's natural areas. But the group behind The Island Walk is hoping that won't deter future visitors from coming to enjoy the 700 kilometres of trails that cross the province.

After seeing the devastation caused to trails across P.E.I. by post-tropical storm Fiona, Cindy Zimmer wasn't sure she was going to be able to walk along the Confederation Trail near Montague.

"I definitely thought about cancelling, and I almost did," she said. 

"But then I reached out to the places I would be staying and asked what they would like me to do … because I didn't want to cause any hardship for them. They all said that they would be open by the time that I was arriving and to come."

Zimmer said she's glad she did. She was able to do sections of the walk over her seven-day stay on P.E.I. — but it wasn't always easy. 

"When I arrived, the Confederation Trail was closed because there was a lot of damage, a lot of trees down," she said. 

"I had to find my own route."

Launched in 2020, The Island Walk is a connecting series of trails that allows walkers to hike around the perimeter of the province. It includes parts of the Confederation Trail, beaches, red dirt roads, and paths along the ocean.

Founder Bryson Guptill said the storm put a damper on what would have been a banner year for the trail.

He said nearly 300 walkers set out on The Island Walk this year, many of whom were from off-Island. He said international attention for the walk meant that nearly 25 per cent of visitors were from the U.S., along with a large number from Western Canada.

"It's going to be a challenge to get the momentum back," he said.

"To try to get those folks back and let them know that The Island Walk is a safe place to go now, and that you'll see some of those beautiful scenes that you saw before, and be able to interact with your friends along the way, that's really going to be the challenge going forward."

Guptill estimated there were just over 100 walkers out on the trails when Fiona hit. Many of those returned home without finishing their journey – but Guptill said from what he's seen on social media, they'll be back.

"Those that did a lot of posting are very keen to come back. So I expect we'll get very close to 100 per cent of those folks," he said.

Guptill said he's already been hearing from people wondering about doing The Island Walk in 2023.

He said the Confederation Trail is already almost clear, and will be ready when walkers arrive next May. He said the landscapes along the walk might not look exactly as they did before, but walkers will still be able to enjoy breathtaking scenery.

"If you go on some of the beaches,the beaches actually look beautiful at the moment," he said.

"They're pristine, you know, white sand has come back on them. So anybody who's doing beach walks is going to be blown away."