Western Brook, Tuckamores and Caribou

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Today we left Woody Point and headed to Western Brook Pond for our boat tour through the fjords. We had been looking forward to this for months, so when we awoke to heavy rain and fog, we were concerned that the tour would be cancelled. We had to drive extra carefully and slowly as the rain was coming down in sheets on the winding mountain roads and we encountered numerous construction sites along the way, so on top of everything else, we were now running late. An hour and a half later, we screeched into the parking lot, about 20 minutes behind schedule, and we still had a 45 minute hike on a boardwalk through a bog to to get to the boat. At least it had stopped raining. We've never hiked so fast in our lives. We did the 45 minute hike in 25 minutes and as we came over the crest, we could see people boarding the boat. We ran and bought our tickets and just made it in time. Whew!

We got seats on the top deck of the boat for the best view and we were off. After catching our breaths, we had time to really look around. The boat took us through soaring fjords and dramatic, sheer-walled gorges. We viewed moody, misty mountains and cascading waterfalls. It was absolutely breathtaking. I wanted to break out into Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic". Our hike back to the car through the bog was much more relaxed and we had lots of time to read the interpretive signs and take in the view.

Northern Newfoundland's flora includes many tuckamores. A tuckamore is a Newfoundland term for gnarled and tangled stands of stunted spruce and balsam fir. Trees are dwarfed and weathered into swept-back, sculptured shapes by harsh coastal growing conditions. Most of the growth occurs on the lee sides, the windward branches having been nipped and wrenched by wind, salt air, and cold. We saw many of these at the Broom Point fishing exhibit. The three Mudge brothers and their families fished here from 1941 to 1975. The tiny cabin where 10 family members lived during fishing season was donated by the family and remains as it was in 1975. Wooden buildings, hand built boats and fishing gear recall the inshore fishery that once sustained Newfoundland's coastal communities.

And then a surprise - "The Arches" Provincial Park. We turned at the sign, curious. Walking down the hill from the parking lot, three spectacular natural limestone arches carved by eons of pounding surf came into view. Fifteen feet high, they towered above us and as we stood in the arches, we felt dwarfed by the rock above and around us. There used to be four arches, but one has collapsed, as will the other three eventually, so we felt that we were experiencing a snapshot in geological time.

We continued on to Port Au Choix, where we were staying for the night in a B&B. Jeannie, the owner, greeted us with a big bear hug and a wealth of information. She was short and robust, hale and hearty. But best of all, she had a washer and dryer. Our pile of dirty clothes had been getting bigger by the day so I was beyond excited. It's funny what becomes important to you when it's not readily available.

The first load was churning away when Jeannie excitedly told us that her sister had just called her with news that she had seen caribou at the lighthouse. We jumped into the car and got there lickety-split. We were not disappointed. Six caribou were working their way down the hill, heading toward the long grass near the lighthouse and at the shore. They were within 75 yards of us, big bucks with huge antlers and the smaller, quieter does. They were magnificent and we felt so privileged to have seen them as it didn't happen too often there. After they trotted off, we were treated to a glorious sunset.

After catching a supper of fresh mussels and cod at the restaurant down the road, we retired to bed. Sleep came quickly as it does after an action packed day.

Tomorrow we drive to Newfoundland's northern tip.

(Scroll to bottom of page for more photos.)

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Comments

[Barb]

Simply fantastic
Stunning, Eileen. Loving (y)our endless adventures.

[Eileen and Tim Crossing Canada]

Wish you were here!
Thanks, Barb. I am so happy to share our amazing adventures with you. I've only taken about 3000 pictures so far. I am getting quite behind on my blogs. So much to see and say!