OVERLANDING THE WILD IN NEW BRUNSWICK
Following the passing of Hurricane Dorian, we explore the Cape Spencer Trail among the highest tides in the world.
New Brunswick is my home province. I’m from the north-east but in terms of exploration, I still have unfinished overlanding to experience there, while the southern part of the province is still relatively unknown to me. I had heard about the Cape Spencer Trail and had seen a YouTube video from North Bound Expeditions exploring the area. I couldn’t help but think how cool it would be to test my 2019 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk in the region. But would it survive the adventure?
Last summer, I contacted Virgil at North Bound Expeditions to take me out to Cape Spencer and he accepted. He explained he had already been on the trail with a previous client driving a Jeep Cherokee KL, but it suffered some trail damage – mostly because it was bone stock with no rock sliders. However, my Trailhawk has a two-inch lift and is equipped with slightly larger and better all-terrain tires, OEM skid plates, and rock sliders. Virgil warned that I would still rub occasionally, but I was okay with a couple of pinstripes.
Leaving from Ottawa, I planned to explore southern New Brunswick for about three weeks so I coordinated a weekend trip to Cape Spencer with Virgil. As the departure date came closer, Hurricane Dorian was on its way to the area so we had to push the trip back to the following weekend. On our new departure date, I met with both Virgil as well as Nick, who are co-owners of North Bound Expeditions.
We met at a Tim Hortons in Saint John, and planned our trip for one night at the Cape. They mentioned an optional water crossing at the beginning of the trail, but I decided to skip that part. While the Cherokee KL has proven that it can hold its own on the trail, it’s still not a Wrangler and doesn’t come with floor drain plugs, probably for a reason.
The trail was very narrow right from the start as it was overgrown and the vegetation was scratching the paint on both sides. But I just said goodbye to the paint and kept driving. I bought my Jeep to use on the trails, so I knew this was inevitable. It took us about three-and-a-half hours to travel the 8 km (5 mi) and reach our campsite on a beach. During our run to the cape, Dorian modified the trail slightly as he had to cut down a fallen tree at one point.
Our original plan was to set up camp on the cape, but after bumping into some local Jeep club members, they advised against it due to apparent high winds. However, they mentioned a nearby beach area, which would provide shelter. While it was unknown to Virgil and Nick, we decided to check it out.
It turned out to be one of the coolest campsites we had ever seen. It was rocky but could easily accommodate our three rigs.
Nick managed to find a spot a little higher on the shore, while Virgil and I parked our rigs on the rocky terrain and set up camp, next to a small creek. This is the beauty of using a roof top tent – you can set up camp pretty much anywhere you can park – as long as you can level it (sometimes you just have to place a few rocks under your tires and you’re all set).
We enjoyed our evening around a nice campfire and were grateful we had found such a great area to cook dinner and spend the night. But sleeping beside the Bay of Fundy comes with one caveat – it has the highest tides in the world and you need to make sure you set up camp high enough. We assessed the area and determined that the tides wouldn’t reach us. We were good for the night.
After packing up the next morning, we now had to go uphill. Virgil and Nick were both driving JK’s sitting on 37” mud tires, but my modest 30.5” all-terrains quickly filled up with clay just as we got back on the trail. I eventually came to a stop as it ran out of traction and its belly got caught up.
I always carry my own recovery gear including a kinetic strap but since I was traveling with a set of MAXTRAX, we decided to give them a try to see how they would perform in the thick of things. It was the first time I got stuck since I purchased them and they worked great. We managed to get my Jeep out of its sticky situation by just using a few additional ramps from my trail partners.
I then experienced another obstacle. When I mounted my roof top tent, I installed it slightly off-center by the passenger side to provide more room for the annex. While it’s a great setup if you use your annex often, once you go off-road, it’s another story. We came upon a tree leaning over the trail and I couldn’t clear it. So, Virgil and Nick came up with a plan. Nick used a strap to pull on the tree while Virgil spotted me through until we managed to clear it. It worked great – mission accomplished, once again.
Nick had to leave early, but Virgil was able to take me right to the Cape. While it’s a popular location for off-grid camping due to its stunning scenery, it is exposed. Sleeping in a roof top tent when it’s windy wouldn’t make for a great night of sleep. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help but appreciate how the seashore of southern New Brunswick differs from the north. The south is more rugged and rocky. As I climbed on the cliff to snap a few pictures before we left, I thought to myself, “New Brunswick is so underrated – this is my home province and it’s freaking beautiful.”