Part of our rather complex travelling schema is to spend more time in Canada during the summer. We envision short trips, allowing us to get back home before the garden dies from neglect. Back in 2005, I hiked in the Gros Morne area and memories of the incredible scenery remain with me to this day.
I should mention that our only air travel hiccup was a 1 hour delay for the flight home (both flights were direct). Nickie and I rented a car at the airport and a house in Rocky Harbour. Mike, our landlord was very helpful, especially when the power went out. I don't think power outages are common in Rocky Harbour, but lightning did strike an electrical pole, causing the first outage. The next day there was a "planned" outage, probably to correctly repair the damage from the first outage. Neither caused us much trouble, aside from an issue I had trying to find my pants in the dark, in order to answer the door. Mike had thoughtfully dropped by to provide us with a flashlight.
Hiking in Heaven
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| On our way to the top! |
For more information on these hikes, click on Gros Morne Hiking.
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| Baker Brooks Falls |
We started with a warm-up hike; a moderate 10K out-and-back trail called Baker Brooks Falls. The trail notes warn of biting insects, but in late August we encountered none. Probably a warning for the Spring and early Summer. The falls were quite beautiful and there was considerable shade along the trail. One interesting aspect was an "exclosure" (new word for me!) which is a fenced area to keep out moose. Since the introduction of moose to Newfoundland back in 1904, they have been playing havoc with the flora. There was a distinct difference between the moose grazing lands and the exclosure.
Go Big or Go Home
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| Almost at the top of the scramble |
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| Don't look down! |
Western Brook Pond
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| Several waterfalls into the Western Brook pond |
A day off from hiking was in the cards, so we booked a boat tour on the Western Brook Pond. I understand that in Newfoundland, "pond" is used to describe even large bodies of water. The WB Pond is 16K long - a lake in my vocabulary. It was carved out by glaciers during the last 2 million years (Pleistocene Epoch). The almost vertical cliffs rise over 600 meters from the water. Most people have seen photos of the cliffs, but experiencing it in person is something else! It was unfortunate that it rained for most of the tour. Bring warm and waterproof clothes unless you really enjoy hypothermia. I did get a few good photos near the eastern end of the pond.
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| Mist and rain along the cliffs |
The next day we hiked along the Old Mail Road trail near Cow Head. The only reason we went on this hike was so that I could write about a town called "Cow Head" in my blog. To be fair, we saw some sand dunes along the trail, which are rare in Newfoundland. The trail was formerly used by mailmen, as there were no roads in the area until about 1952. That afternoon was also hiked the Coastal Trail, although we turned back early as the rocks were bruising our feet.
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| View of the Tablelands |
Next up was the Lookout trail, a nice climb up from near the town of Bonne Bay / Woody Point. We took the ferry from Norris Point (near Rocky Harbour) to Bonne Bay. As we were about to depart Norris Point, the captain quickly went through the ferry and counted the people. He then asked us to disembark and get on a bigger ferry. I wonder if this happens anywhere else in the world? The lookout provides excellent views of the area and of the Tablelands. We encountered 2 teenagers playing chess at the top of the mountain. I would of taken their picture, but was too afraid...
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| Hiking the Tablelands |
The tablelands are a rather bizarre geological feature. They are supposedly one of only 2 spots in the world where you can stand on mantle rock. Click above for more information. Mantle rock is normally found below the earth's crust. If you were to dig at the rate of 10 meters per day, it would take you about 10 years to reach the mantle. You would encounter some difficulty as most shovels would melt, requiring considerable time to climb out of the hole and get a new one.
The Tableland trail is quite easy, until it is not. We chose a rather hot day for this hike, which was one factor in our decision not to climb to the summit. Another factor was that our knees were not talking to us. My left knee grumbled something about wanting a day off "or else". There is an easy well-made trail along the bottom of the tableland. You are asked to stay on the trail to protect the flora, but If you want, you can also scramble up to the top. It did not look easy and we only saw a few people doing so. Most were holding a bottle of Islay scotch.
The rocks don't support vegetation and I think most of the frail plants we saw were growing on dirt blown onto the orange rock. The formation is incredible as the area has undergone glaciation. Very cool!
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| Sideways striations |
Well, it was then time to bid adieu to Newfoundland and head back to Ontario. As mentioned above, our flight was delayed by about an hour. This landed us at Pearson too late to take a train home to Innisfil (Barrie), so we took a taxi. To be honest, it was nice to get from the airport to home in only 55 minutes. That way, we didn't have to take UP (train to Union Station), then GO (train to South Barrie), then a taxi home.
Next is Italy. We booked with Air Canada and out flight leaves on September 16 and arrives in Venice on September 17. Yup! Air Canada pilots are poised to strike on September 17. Should be fun!
