TrekEast's Wildlands adventurer John Davis who was in Maine earlier this month is now 300 miles from the conclusion of his historic trek, to Forillon NP at tip of Gaspe Peninsula.

All John Davis needs to do to complete one of the most amazing outdoor adventures ever is to follow the rugged, and possibly snow-bound, International Appalachian Trail (IAT) through the wilds of northeast Quebec for 300 more miles (480 km). But achieving that final destination -- the tip of the Gaspe Peninsula's rocky, wind-blown "Lands End" coastline -- will be no cakewalk.

"These final days could be some of my toughest," says Davis, who is now 6,700 miles (10,800 km) and 37 continuous weeks of backcountry travel from his starting point in the Florida Keys last February, and his prediction may be accurate. That long-awaited arrival at Forillon National Park is still three weeks of challenging overland travel away, and late fall is quickly turning to winter in the mountains of Gaspesie National Park, through which Davis must walk (or ski) to reach his ultimate goal.

Davis' colleagues at Wildlands Network, the sponsor of TrekEast, and supporting conservation partners in Canada are not only keeping a close eye on his travels, but are also preparing a final event to honor the legendary explorer and his mission when he arrives at Forillon National Park on November 14. According to Wildlands Networks' Eastern Director, Conrad Reining, TrekEast is both a tribute to Davis and a hugely successful public awareness campaign to create an "Eastern Wildway" -- a mosaic of connected wildlife habitat from Florida to Canada. "John Davis is delivering a message to all that the last remaining wilds of the East need protected and that the wildlife that depends on large, connected landscapes needs help to survive into the distant future," says Reining.

That message -- including regional actions that people can take to help create wildlife-friendly habitat connections -- is clearly being heard. Since the launch of TrekEast last February, Davis' adventures and observations on the need to create an Eastern Wildway have received national attention through hundreds of regular Facebook and Twitter posts, 58 detailed on-line blogs, and through major media coverage, including interviews on all the major television networks, 75 print and online stories, and dozens of radio interviews including NPR and Voice of America.

Kelly Diedring Harris

Creeping into New Hampshire's White Mountains by John Davis on Thu, 2011-10-06

Follow John's daily movements and blogs here.

Hi-res images of TrekEast can be downloaded here.