'It felt like a waterbed': Fundy Footpath campers wake up to flooded tents - Action News
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New Brunswick

'It felt like a waterbed': Fundy Footpath campers wake up to flooded tents

When Colin McLean and three friends decided to hike the Fundy Footpath last weekend, they decided to tent in a clearing near the Little Salmon River on Friday night. Waking up in flooded tents forced them to cut their trip short.

Camping close to any body of water on Fundy coast a risk, says Fundy Hiking Trail Association

A dark photo taken outside at night of several small camping tents in a flooded field.
Colin McLean estimates 15 to 20 centimetres of water soaked their tents, sleeping bags and clothes. (Submitted by Colin McLean)

When Colin McLean and a group of three others hikedthe Fundy Footpath on theweekend, they decided to set up their tents in a clearing near the Little Salmon River in southern New Brunswick.That was on Friday night.

It's picturesque, not far from the river and McLean had tented there before. So he wasn't prepared for what happened next.

The next morning, about 2 a.m.,he was startled awake by acommotion as everyone in the group woke up toflooded tents.

"I think I thought I was still dreaming because I put my hand on the bottom of my tent and it felt like a waterbed," he said. "And then I pushed down and I couldn't feel the ground. There was so much water."

A group of people standing on a gravel hiking trail in hiking gear. A man on the left of the frame is close to the camera, holding it in selfie mode, while three others stand in a line further back.
Colin McLean, left, was on the Fundy Footpath on the weekend with his sisters, Anna and Haley McLean, and friend Phil Caissie before flooded tents cut their trip short. (Submitted by Colin McLean)

McLean estimates thewater soaking their tents, sleeping bagsand clothes was 15 to 20 centimetres deep.

"Initially we thought maybe it rained," McLean said. "But then we realized we didn't hear any rain or anything, so I assumed it must have been the tides.

"So we weren't sure how much more water was coming, or if there was any more, so we quickly kind of salvaged what we could and moved to higher ground."

The Fundy Footpath is a wilderness trail that winds from the Fundy Trail Parkway in Big Salmon River to Fundy National Park in Alma.

It's considered a fairly advanced trail and the Fundy Hiking Trail Association, whichmanages the trail, recommends on its website that hikers plan for a four-to-five-day trip.

A dark photo taken outside at night of a person standing in the distance in almost knee-high water in a flooded field, carrying camping gear.
Haley McLean photographed not far from where the tents were partially submerged. (Submitted by Colin McLean)

McLean said after managing in wet gear overnight, his group decided to cut their excursion short and head home.

He said he doesn't think people should be deterred by his experience, but he hopesmore information about the specific sitewillbe added to the hiker's guide book published by the trail association.

Marc Leger, president of the Fundy Hiking Trail Association, said the book does warn hikers to be cautious about where they campin relation to tidal areas.

A man wearing a dark coloured tuque sits on a rock on the coast of the Bay of Fundy. He's wearing a light tee-shirt and dark coloured pants.
Marc Leger, the president of the Fundy Hiking Trail Association, said Fundy Footpath users need to check tidal forecasts. (Submitted by Mark Leger)

Leger said the biggest challenge is to get people to read and use the guidebook instead of just buying it and using the map.

"These are public areas, public lands," he said. "I can't tell people wherenot to camp, but I can provide the best information that I can for those that choose to access it."

Leger said that the area, which he described as an estuary only a few inches above sea level, floods several times each year during high-tide events, so he generally wouldn't advise using it as a campsite, but it can be used if people monitor the tide forecasts.

McLean said he had read the guide book and thegroup thought they had done their research,but he has some advice for others wanting to camp near the river.

A photo taken at night of a flooded grassy area, where a person stands in ankle-high water, shining a light from their cell phone towards the camera to light up the flooded area.
Ankle-deep water at the site where McLean and his group pitched their tents near Little Salmon River. (Submitted by Colin McLean)

"Definitely pay attention to what the moon has been doing and is doing," he said. "Really take the time to look at the high watermarks, and don't assume anything."

Leger said personal experience on the Fundy Footpath isn't enough to teach someone all of the risks.

"It takes years of experience to be a successful backpacker," he said. "But but also it takes years ofpersonal knowledge to get to know a particular area that's very dynamic, and you won't find a much more dynamic area thanintertidal zones on the Bay of Fundy."