I last posted on Tuesday morning, just before we got our day started. The forecast for that day was calling for rain in the morning, tapering off through the afternoon, so we decided to take the drive into Corner Brook while it was still wet outside and hope for improved weather by the time we got there. It was a strategy that paid off spectacularly. We rolled into Corner Brook and made for the train museum on the closest end of town. It was still a little bit drizzly outside, but the bulk of that museum is spent on a train, out of the weather. I'm happy to report that despite all initial indications Finn was willing to return home with us and I still have my son here; I genuinely believed that I was going to have to leave him there for the remainder of the trip and grab him before our flight home next week. My boy loves trains, and they've got some beauties. The centrepiece of the whole museum is the Newfie Bullet, a steam train that will be turning 100 years old next year. You can't get up into the engine, but they've got several cars hooked up that you can explore, and they offer a guided tour with the cost of admission, which was well worthwhile. Our guide provided a huge amount of insight into what we were looking at, and I would strongly recommend opting for the tour if you visit here.
When we were ready to leave the train museum our guide recommended a small "train" (actually an automobile) that drives tourists around Corner Brook's downtown. We used the promise of more trains to lure Finn away from the museum and headed out to find the train. We had to wander around for awhile, but we eventually found the stop when Jay popped into a pizza shop to ask directions. The tourist train is $2 to ride and putters around the downtown area playing lively local music. It was a fun ride, and an opportunity to see a bit of Corner Brook while staying off your feet.
My selfie camera still works, so you'll occasionally get some of those shots.
We grabbed some lunch at a nearby restaurant and then made our way to Margaret Bowater Park, which is a lovely spot on the bank of a small river. They've got a splash pad and playground equipment for the kids, as well as a really nice facility with a snack bar, washrooms, and changing areas. They also have lifeguards on duty at the river if the splash pad just isn't doing it for you. Jay and I went out for a swim, which was really nice since by that point the sun was out and it had got quite warm. We even coaxed Finn out into the water for a bit, although I think the splash pad was more his speed. All told it was a great day in Corner Brook.
Yesterday was considerably less relaxing, but ratcheted up the AWESOME! Since we got here we'd been aiming at Wednesday for our trip up Gros Morne, and we managed to make it happen. When we woke up the forecast had deteriorated somewhat and was calling for more cloud cover than original. This can be problematic for Gros Morne since at 800 m over sea level the top can get covered in clouds fairly easily, and if the top is obscured it's considered unsafe to climb. Jay and I decided to head to that section of the park anyway to try our luck; the weather has been consistently better than what's being predicted, and there's a 4 km hike to the base of the mountain that gives the weather a chance to clear. The rest of the family walked briefly down the trail with us and then left to go do something less strenuous. Our strategy paid off and by the time we drove out to the trail head and hiked in to the viewing platform at the base the clouds were very obviously clearing. There were still some scattered wisps near the top, but they were blowing away and we were confident that we'd be safe at the top.
The trail at Gros Morne is an interesting beast. Once you've got to the base of the mountain you've gained a little altitude, but the bulk of the climbing happens all in one shot. The trail runs right up a rocky slope, and in less than two kilometres of hiking you've gained enough altitude to hit the 800 m peak. It's a tough scramble up loose rock, but it gets you to the top very quickly. The mountains on the east coast are very different animals from their cousins in the Rockies and don't come to the sharp peaks that you see on the west coast. Out here the mountains are older and worn down to gently rounded tops by the elements. The top of Gros Morne is a broad plain of low plants amongst great swathes of small rocks. This is the reason that you can't make the climb if there's any significant cloud cover, as it would be incredibly easy to get lost if the visibility was poor.
Jay and I at the peak.
Someone has constructed small, semi-circular walls of rocks at the top that you can sit behind to keep out of the wind, and we claimed one of these to cook our lunch in. Jay had scored some interesting hiking meals that self-heat in the bag via chemical reaction with the addition of some water. Very interesting stuff, and a great way to have a warm, hearty meal while adding very little weight to your pack.
After lunch we set off for the rest of the hike. One of the more challenging aspects of the Gros Morne hike is that because the ascent is so steep and rocky it would be ludicrously dangerous to come down the way you came up, and so the trail continues on across the top of the mountain and winds gently down the southeastern slope until it loops back around to the original 4 km stretch of trail. This adds a lot to the hike; the total loop from the base and back is about 9 km, after which point you're retracing your steps through the original 4 km hike in. It makes for a whole lot of walking, and by the end of it we were both pretty cooked. The views are absolutely stunning through the whole thing though, and it was one hundred percent worthwhile.
Okay, I'm finally caught up. I'll try to do my usual routine of writing tonight, without getting too caught up in monkeying around with my photos. I'm not sure what the plan is for today; the weather isn't supposed to be great, and my calves are killing me, so probably not a hike. Stay tuned for more updates to find out where we end up!
1 comment:
I will have to disagree on the "100 percent worth it" I give it a solid 98 percent.I was cooked for that last 2 KM. As of this morning my calves are quite displeased with me for our adventure. I got to say though, emotionally yet it was totally worth it. I have never pushed myself that hard for that long on a hike, frankly I don't think for anything. I felt quite satisfied by the whole thing.
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