First-time hiker goes all-in on the Fundy Footpath

Craig Norris set out to make a instructional video on one of Canada's most ambitious wilderness hiking trails, theFundy Footpath, but ended up witha six-part web documentary called Surviving the Fundy Footpath.

"Over the years there's basically been a lot of instances where people have underestimated that trail and when you do that you can get yourself into trouble."

He and conservation scientist Ben Phillips with the Fundy Biosphere Reserve wanted to make a more ambitious project because of an uptick of hikers needing to be rescued along the trail in recent years.

"YouTubeis filledwithinstructional videos and we thought that was kind of boring so, a more interesting way to come at that was, get a first time hiker..."

From there the idea was to shoot a five day hike with a novice and create a more engaging how-tofor the hike,which weaves along the coastal boundary ofFundyNational Park.

First time for everything

It was Phillipswho found their hiker, Bruce Persaud, a Torontonative living in Alma, who certainly fit the bill as a neophyte.

"In the beginning I wasn't totally sure that Bruce was going to be the right person for the job," said Norris."But then I met Bruce one night in Alma and just after ten seconds of talking to him,I was just like, 'Shut up Bruce,I've got to go get the camera.'"

Persaudhad never slept in a tent or even gone to a campfire in his entire life. He had to do all those things and much more for the documentary.

Hislearning experiences provide the rooting interest in the film,saidNorris.

"He's from the city, he grew up walking in downtown Toronto," he explained. "Just walking around on rocky,rooty, steep, steep terrain was foreign to him.It took him a couple days just to get his feet under him."

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Norris has run into a number of hikers who "packed too light," but he and Persaud'ssupport crew weren't about to let that undermine him.

"For his meal plan Bruce had intended to bring a bag of apples and two jars of peanut butter and that's a ridiculous food plan to do the Footpath ...I think it gets [the audience]thinking about what they would bring on a footpath mission."

Catching the bug

Norris also thinks Persaud picked up the outdoorsy bug from living in Alma, where many residents have outdoor hobbies.

"He was probably feeling a little left out," he said."I think the idea of going on an adventure was really appealing to Bruce."

Persaud thought of this opportunity as "diving into the deepend of the pool."

Norris does cautionthat the FundyFootpathcan be dangerous if you're not prepared, due to its remoteness.

The stretch of coastline is largely undeveloped aside from logging roads. It can take hours or days just to get to help.

Surviving the FundyFootpath will be submitted tofilm festivals this fall. You can attend a screening of the film at Adair's Wilderness LodgeSaturday night.