The morning we left the peninsula in Saint George Bay (25th), we hiked to the top along the cliffs through dense low woods. The last of, what blanketed the ground, yellow Lady Slippers were blooming, Irises and others I can’t name. The cliffs are high and there is no warning of any kind if you are not careful one could easily walk off the edge, especially in the morning fog. The town's people have a traditional stone oven at the entrance and sell fresh baked bread for two hours each day.
On to Gros Morne. The Canadian Highway, the only main road, starts to get busy near Corner Brook and Deer Lake. Getting off the highway it is just like any crowded American park entrance area…folks zooming from gas stations and fast-food places gearing up for the camping experience. We decided to start with the most southern part of Trout River as the campgrounds on the edges are less full. The high season fills them all and reservations are needed. This is a real change from the last week of boon docking good luck in spectacular settings. That said I was happy to find a place to pop up the Eagle. There are heavy fines for boon docking inside the park.
It is jaw dropping beautiful. Mountains that look like the half dome in Yosemite. Moonscape areas and spruce and fir forests. The trees near and especially on the coast that take the brunt of the winter howling, icy wind are all stunted and bent away from down wind. The trunks are very thick like bonsai but only 6 ft tall and packed close together.
We arrived at the Trout River campground and though friendly and clean it was packed with travelers. We lucked into a site (15) that was well sheltered from the surrounding sites. Glad to be here. Showers and a walk to the waters edge…no one there and mountains all around. Rabbits and moose. We decided on what hike to do. There is a place (Tablelands) that is an easy walk/hike…an hour or so to see the geology special only to this place on earth. Discovered in the 1970’s, rock that was first thought to be a special basalt turned out to be part of the earth’s mantle pushed out from the depths. Very odd looking figure and color. The hike there is through marshy ground and stone, runoff from the snow pack still visible on the mountain top. More pitcher plants and mosses. We had the walk to ourselves and escaped as a massive tour group arrived…the throng.
More decisions were made at the last junction…either north through Gros Morne or to head east to the jagged peninsulas of the northern shores. These are long convoluted peninsulas more easily ventured to by boat as the villages are invariably at the tips. Once a decision was made to commit to one it would take hours to drive to the tip of another though close by as the crow flies .
The choice was made … and it was the wrong one…happens. But as they say MISTAKE QUOTE. We found after a few hours drive that there was a festival in the area we were on our way to.
The lure of crowds and associated ‘fun’ was not what we sought.
The village of Twillingate and the nearby Provincial Park…. by the name ….Dildo Run…. no kidding. We were stuck in a miles long traffic of campers and sightseers… road construction…time to think…. this is not why I came here…. RETREAT!….. The paving boss let me turn the truck around and go back whence we came using our so wonderful list of possible boondocks sites to shoot for. We took a chance on a private campground at the end of the peninsula at the village of (I could not make up these names) “Leading Tickles”. Not a boondocks site but just as good!
An incredible find. We are camped on the water and there are a few others nearby…. super clean and remarkably beautiful. The photos below will attest to an inkling of that truth. We also found en route a ‘chipper van’ and ate cod and chips. The sunset on the cove stone beach was sensational.
There is angst in traveling each day on the fly. It isn’t all tra-la-la-la… I should have more faith that what comes along will be what it is but my nature is a “planner”…. so I put a lot of energy …will… into making things happen the way I want… that is a recipe for woe if not tempered with a sense of humor. Still in all we have had good luck. My heart goes out to the man ahead of us pulling a camper at 100 Kph yesterday… heard a bang and clouds of black smoke from the engine…oh that can’t be good. There was nowhere to stop for us so had to keep going… there was cell service at least for him.
This place here at Leader Tickle is so nice we stayed a second night and booked a third. (26,27,28)…. can’t imagine a better find. AND… after 10 days of sun and some cloud (days)… looks like a few days of rain coming in so best enjoy the seaside in a beautiful spot.
Oh and yes that is an iceberg in the last photo.
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