Big Changes in HRM Trails

It will probably be no surprise to anyone that the greatest change I have noticed to the trails in the HRM is the damage caused by Hurricane Juan and Tropical Storm Noel. The first time that I rewalked Point Pleasant Park, Oakfield Provincial Park, Hemlock Ravine, and several others I was shocked - that is not too strong a word - by the extensive and transformative destruction of their forests.

In most cases it has been 10 years since I have hiked these areas, and because of the increasing interest in walking and hiking I had expected to see trail conditions improved from that time. Instead, many sections of trails in provincial parks still remain closed, six years after Juan, and on many of the trails that are open they pass through extensive areas of truly devastated landscape.

My compliments to the trail managers who have surmounted those challenges to reopen their trails. It may never look the same in our lifetime, but viewing the storm-ravaged woodlands cannot help but remind us of the power of natural forces.