The IAT in Québec: Where the Mountains Reach the Sea

International Appalachian Trail at a Glance:
Length: 650 kilometers (404 miles) Location: Canada, Province of Québec, Gaspé Peninsula Trail Type: Thru-hike with many options for day hikes and section hikes, divided in three territories
The Valley (115 miles) The trail goes through some forests and farmland, the first few days sees some steep climbs and a couple of river fords, but it smooths out afterwards.The Chic-Chocs (156 miles) The trail follows the peaks of the Chic-Chocs and McGerrigle mountain ranges. Very remote and rugged section, especially in Matane Wildlife Reserve. Some of the best views are in Gaspésie National Park with summits above treeline.The Coast (134 miles) The trail goes from village to village along the St-Lawrence river. This section is generally easier, but it still climbs from time to time in the mountains near the coast.
Navigation: Official guidebooks and maps can be found on the IAT website

From the Trail… Sharing Space

Trails are often designed and built for a specific purpose. The first 50 or so miles along the IAT, heading south from the border crossing, has become a multi-use trail, but not by any grand design or plan.

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Earl’s Alidade

After two years of planning, construction, and cajoling, Earl Raymond, Maine IAT’s official surveyor and trail router extraordinaire, was joined by a group of Maine IAT board members and friends on Deasey Mountain to install a replica of the original alidade used by wardens to pinpoint the locations of forest fires in Maine’s north woods.

When installing an alidade, alignment is key!

An alidade consists of a circular map, oriented to align with true north, and a center mounted horizontal bar with two vertical sighting vanes.

Close look at the circular map. Note the mountain profiles and compass points around the outer edge.

The bar is rotated while the fire warden sights through the vanes on a distant object (a wisp of smoke, for example). The warden can then note the bearing of the object on the map. When a second warden on a different mountain sights on the same wisp, the two bearings can be be used to triangulate the location of a fire.

How many people can you fit into an 8×8′ cabin? (l to r) Nate Norris, Dan Swallow, Chunzeng Wang, Dave Rand, Kirk St. Peter, Earl Raymond, Nancy Hathaway, Ford Stevenson and Susan Adams.

After installing the device, Earl gave his group of helpers (all of whom managed to squeeze into the small 8 x 8-foot lookout cabin) a quick lesson on alidade use which you can see on this YouTube video.