Wheelin' and Rockin' with DIanE

Our second full day in Gros Morne was centered around a boat tour in a fresh water fjord, Western Brook Pond. It was a 3km hike into the boat which was flat and with nothing really to see but once you got there…..It used to be a real fjord(salt water) but that was few years back. The day was windy, rainy and chilly but it didn’t take away in the slightest from what we saw.

This was majestic and jaw dropping. The glacial created fjord had many different aspects to it…from the shear cliffs to the tree covered hanging valleys to the 300′ depth of the water….awesome.

That evening I was planning to watch the Oilers/Panthers game as we are in a park that has great wifi(this will not be the case in all the parks). After dinner I did a few things in prep for the next day and got ready to stream the game. We are 1 1/2 hours ahead so the game started at 9:30 local time. watching the first period and sensing the Oilers are a little off…1-0….2-0….3-0…this is too painful( I really want the Oilers and McDavid to win)…I am going to bed. Wake up sometime in the night and decide to check the score…Edmonton wins in OT 5-4!!! Woohoo!

Our next day was supposed to be an early 9km hike at Green Gardens through a boreal forest to the ocean. The forecast wasn’t great so we tried to time it between expected rain periods…but mother nature is independent and cares little for what we would like. It was misty, quite cool and very foggy. We got to the parking lot and we were the only ones there and then saw this posting…

Now I have a bit of experience with bears from my almost 25 years of back country camping in Algonquin with Cody and a number of times Gary and Jordan. We have come across bears crossing our path in creeks and coming into camp at night. Nothing has ever happened but it’s always a little unnerving. Given it was just us, visibility was next to nothing and you don’t want to startle a bear – how could you not when you can barely see in front of you – we decided to head into Trout River, look around and come back if it cleared. When we got back there were a couple of cars that pulled in and Di got out to talk with others that were considering the hike. One couple immediately said nope. Another mother and daughter were contemplating. There was a woman who was a guide and was there on her off day and she said the problem really wasn’t the bears it was the conditions. The hike was 9km there and back – it isn’t considered an easy hike – and she said with the rain and given the slope it would be tricky. She figured 2 hours in – mostly down grade – and 4 hours back….and it was cold and windy. We decided we would look for another trail. Funny how one lost opportunity creates another that may not have happened. We decided to head to Green Point for a 6km hike along the coast. On our way there we went by Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse….very cool.

Once we got to Green Point the trail went right along the coast. Along the trail we saw local guys out pulling in lobster traps and saw some very nice coastline and interesting vegetation.

We then stopped in Rocky Harbour to pick up some Newfoundland scallops for dinner….yummmm.

Gros Morne was awesome…we have already begun talking about a possible return trip to the rock and we aren’t half way done yet!!!

Off to Twillingate…we wont be posting for a few days as connectivity will be suspect over the next few days.