NEWFOUNDLAND PHOTO DIARY: JUNE 17-25, 2017
Situated on the west coast of the island of Newfoundland, Canada, Gros Morne (which in French means large mountain standing alone) is a UNESCO world heritage site. Part of the Long Range Mountains, and 1,805 km2 (697 sq mi), Gros Morne is the remains of a mountain range formed 1.2 billion years ago. “The park provides a rare example of the process of continental drift, where deep ocean crust and the rocks of the earth’s mantle lie exposed.”[1]
Because of its incredible geological history, this Atlantic national park is a hiker’s paradise with phenomenal scenery: 
a landscape dotted with thousands of lakes, waterfalls, sharp cliffs, endless meadows and bogs, mountains, coastal lowlands, and alpine wonders. Each daily hike provides different topography and challenges. And the Newfoundlanders are equally as interesting, diverse and culturally rich.
The Sole Sisters:
The Details:
ADVENTURE COMPANY: Gros Morne Adventures (www.grosmorneadventures.com)
FLIGHTS: In Canada, you can fly directly from many cities straight to Deer Lake, or you can arrive via St. John’s, Newfoundland’s capital city
OUR LODGING: Burnt Hill Cottages, Norris Point and a odd house belonging to an old lady named Doris
FERRIES: These will take you from Norris Point to a number of ports.
ARRIVAL IN NORRIS POINT
Norris Point sits on stunning Bonne Bay and looks out at the snow-capped Tablelands. They look like barren plateaus, due to the ultramafic rock called peridotite. Geologists believe that the Earth’s mantle was forced up during a plate collision several million years ago. The Tablelands are formidable and you can hike them: however, they are devoid of most plant life because the earth is so heavy in magnesium, and the trekking is on loose scree.
Our first night, we dined at Earl’s Mug Up in Rocky Harbour beside a long table of international musicians.
The menu included moose meat (delicious), deep-fried cod tongues (very fishy) and other local staples like turnip and mashed potatoes.
Fellow hiker Pat asked our seemingly 12-year-old, naive waitress, “Can you tell me which of the two Chardonnay is oakier?” Joked Pat’s friend Janis, “Oh shut your cod trap.” After, the girls tried out some Newfie instruments in the adjoining gift shop.
DAY 1: HIKE GREEN GARDENS, (11 KM, EASY)
Who needs an exfoliation at the spa when Mother Nature can provide it for free? Despite some initial pelting rain, we had a magnificent hike to the coast. Enroute, there was lots of wild sheep poop; their tufts of wool were caught in the long grass. We explored the beach and washed-up lobster traps, via a slightly hazardous slanted set of stairs.
DAY 2 MORNING: KAYAK BONNE BAY (MODERATE)
We paddled the bay of strong tides and surging rock walls, learning the history of the local sealers, fisherman and Burnt Hill.
BONNE BAY MARINE STATION
After paddling, we got hands-on at the marine station which is manned by Memorial University students and staff. The tour included an urchin squirting on Sue, blue lobster, the wolffish and a rare 4-clawed lobster.
DAY 2 AFTERNOON: BAKERS FALLS (12.9 KM, MODERATE)
DAY 3: HIKE GROS MORNE MOUNTAIN (16 KM, CHALLENGING)
- No, this is not the Middle East: it’s Gros Morne Mountain
NIGHT 3: S.S. ETHIE DINNER THEATRE IN COW HEAD
We travelled to the Shallow Bay Motel in Cow Head (pronounce ‘Ca Hed’) in the north end of the Park to attend dinner theatre at Gros Morne Theatre Festival. After seeing a boisterous show about the wreck of the S.S. Ethie (all survived), and eating more “cawd,” we visited the actual wreck in Sally’s Cove
DAY 4: WESTERN BROOK POND (6 KM, EASY + 16 KM BOAT TOUR)
An easy, windy hike over a fragile coastal plain 
that was once below sea level led us to a boat which took us on a majestic and awe-inspiring ride. 
Western Brook Pond fjord, in the Long Range Mountains, the northernmost extent of the Appalachians, contains numerous glacially carved fjords.The “pond” is a 16 km lake with a depth of 165 metres, home to Atlantic Salmon, Brook Trout and Arctic char, as well as cliff nesting gulls.
Celtic music was played and the Sole Sistas ROCKED the boat with dancing, spoon-playing and jigging with the crew, singing and laughter, so much so that the other tourists were filming us. 
NIGHT 4: ANCHOR’S AWAY SHOW IN ROCKY HARBOUR
In Rocky Harbour, we saw a rollicking show called Anchor’s Away, a real tribute to Newfoundland and Celtic music. Again, more dancing and singing by the ladies…
DAY 5: BIG LOOKOUT (16 KM, CHALLENGING)
We loved the beautiful hike up to Big Lookout through thorny bushes called tuckamore, spongy bogs and endless, sharp scree, and steep terrain. It was sunny! At the top, many dared to stand on the treacherous point for the best photo op of the trip. We lunched looking out over the majesty of Newfoundland.
Afterwards, we had fresh lobster in Woody Point.
NIGHT 5: OPEN MIC NIGHT AT RUDY’S PUB & GRUB, NORRIS POINT
Que Sera Sera! The musical by three crazy hikers! The world-wide, tone-deaf sensation straight from a raid of Doris’s closet! The student audience of Rudy’s Pub & Grub was at first dumbfounded by this impromptu performance and choice of costumes but then sang along and danced to the dulcet tones of Janet W, Deb and Colleen (who read the lyrics from her phone.) Cheek-hurting laughter ensued. Then, Janet O, Janis and I sang back-ups on Bob Marley’s One Love. Wait, was our mic even on? Sue got down on the dance floor with the local drunk lothario.
DAY 6 & 7: ST. JOHN’S ON THE WAY HOME
A good portion of the group flew in a little puddle-jumper to St. John’s on the way home and we stayed four-to-a-room at the gorgeous Luxus Hotel (www.theluxus.ca).
Our most delicious meal was at Chinched Bistro (www.chinchedbistro.com); the girls loved the deep fried, thinly shaved pig ear fries. (I didn’t partake — ew).
We took the worst iceberg tour on Iceberg Quest. The name is a misnomer as, once aboard, the captain exclaimed that they’d not had icebergs near St. John’s at that time of year for 10 years. The only saving grace was seeing the harbour from the water and laughing hard with a gregarious US army troupe en route to Germany.
If you visit St. John’s, be certain to go to George Street at night. It is the rowdiest, most musical street I’ve ever seen, with live bands in a long row of bars. We jigged to incredible Celtic music at O’Reilly’s Pub (www.oreillyspub.com) and four of us were screeched in. This involves doing a disgusting shot of screech, a short recitation in Newfie dialect, and then kissing a real cod. (This one was frozen… and God knows how many lips had been on it!)
We wrapped up this side-bar trip with a yummy breakfast at the historic Mallard Cottage in the quaint village of Qidi Vidi. Make your reservations well in advance! (www.mallardcottage.ca)
Newfoundland, you are in our hearts.
TREDSUP 
Ummm.. are you missing someone from the sole sistas list???
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I just caught it!!! Was reviewing and thought — hmm — why does Kathy look like Juli? LOL. It has been corrected, my friend. xoxo
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