Outdoor enthusiasts keen to clear hiking trails of Fiona debris

Fall is a popular time for outdoor enthusiasts on P.E.I. to hike and cycle on P.E.I. trails while breathing the crisp, fresh air and admiring the colourful leaves.

So it's no surprise many were eager to get out Sunday to help clear trails that were left impassible by post-tropical storm Fiona.

About 25 people showed up to remove branches and debris at the 13-kilometre Cardigan River Trail. 

Jordan Bober, the executive director of Cycling Prince Edward Island, said people are keen to get back to cycling and other activities, especially with many other parts of their routines disrupted due to Fiona.

"It's fitness, it's mental health, it's reconnecting with nature," he said.

"So a lot of people are kind of, when they found out about the state of the trails all over P.E.I., they were kind of in a panic that they wouldn't be able to engage in their favourite outdoor activities. So people really want to be involved and make sure that this gets done."

It's the same with Mooney's Pond Trail near St. Teresa, where volunteers began clearing the area last week.

Hannah Murnaghan, the watershed co-ordinator for Morell River Management Co-operative, said the devastation to the trail is "heartbreaking." 

Fiona kind of stole the fall colour show from us. It's disappointing.— Hannah Murnaghan

"Our crew spends a lot of time to maintain those trails because we know how much community members love it there, and this is the busiest time of year. We usually have thousands of visitors come in October to see the leaves change, so even just to see all the leaves blown off and Fiona kind of stole the fall colour show from us. It's disappointing."

Murnaghan said they'll be working hard to get the trail reopened as soon as possible.

"Unfortunately, the boardwalk sections will probably take a little longer to fix because the trees will have to be removed and then we'll actually have to go in and rebuild some sections of the boardwalk."

Andrew Lush, executive director at Trout River Environmental Committee, is hoping to get some volunteers — or funding to hire people — to help clear trails around Devils Punchbowl Trail near Granville.

Many of the larger trees fell during post-tropical storm Dorian in 2019, so most of the trees damaged by Fiona were leftover, medium-sized spruce and white birch.

"We've got to get these trails back up and running as soon as we can, obviously, because people are, during the fall and during the spring especially, out walking on the trails," Lush said.

The Trout River Environmental Committee is planting shade-tolerant trees such as oak and hemlock as part of the forest regeneration.

"It is going to eventually end up as Acadian Forest," Lush said.

"It would take about 200 years on its own, but we are helping it along by planting in the trees that would eventually take over from the spruce and the fir when they collapse and they are collapsing, so the process has started. So it's all good in a way, it's going to help things along."