National parks and natural beauty

Newfoundland and Labrador have three national parks, and I cycled through two of them; Gros Morne and Terra Nova. The third national park, Torngat Mountains, is rather inaccessible, being located waaaaaaay up at the northern tip of Labrador.


To get to Gros Morne I had to journey off of the TransCanada Highway (TCH). I pedaled north 70km through mountainous terrain and alongside a fjord to Rocky Harbour, pronounced "RAAcky Harbour" by the locals. The ride was spectacular but challenging; I faced off against a ripping headwind the entire way. It was so forceful that I had to pedal not only up, but down the slopes as well. The air was cool and crisp, the clouds peeling away to reveal the blue sky as I reached the harbour.

Ask anybody, and they'll tell you: Rocky Harbour is beautiful. I arrived during the Golden Hour, so it was especially brilliant. A large curved bay cut into the mountains, dotted with colourful homes and B&Bs. I cruised down to the beach to eat a sandwich and soak up the last of the sun, then I went about finding a home for the evening. I first three doors I tried were unresponsive; I guess no one was home. I continued up the hill scoping out lawns for possible tent pitching spots, and caught the attention of a couple of roofers. We got to talking, and one invited me to pitch my tent on his lawn down by Bakers Brook. The brook was a few kilometers from Rocky Harbour, so I was given directions, ("don't go over the bridge, turn left before it and continue down the path until the water meets the sea. My cabin is the green one, not lime green mind you. Light green.") and set out to find this place. Cyril, the gentleman who called out the directions to me, would meet me at his place after they were done shingling.

I arrived at the brook, which was actually in the national park, just as the sun was setting. There was a little wooden sign with the words BAKERS BROOK carved in it, pointing down the path towards a dozen little cabins in various colours. A boat or two leaned up against an old shed, lobster traps stacked outside. It was a windy day and the waves crashed up against the smooth rocks and boulders protruding out of the sand. "where the water meets the sea" was a beautiful place, and I was feeling pretty good about discovering yet another awesome place to camp, for the price of free.

I took in the sunset, set up my tent, and ate a tuna sandwich. Cyril (a 50-something fisherman/carpenter/handyman) arrived home from work, started up the wood stove, and invited me in for beer. We spent the night drinking and laughing and telling stories, since it was Friday and Cyril had the following day off. After spending the entire day in the sun and the wind, my face quickly turned an embarrassing tomato shade of red once I warmed up by the fire and had a couple beers. I was happy to be so far from home and find myself sitting at a little wooden table in the company of this friendly fellow with a sleaveload of old stories to share and a cooler full of beer.

I came in for toast (with home made jam) and coffee, a couple of fellows dropped in to say good morning, then I took off on my bike for the lighthouse at Lobster Cove. Before long I was pedaling back through Gros Morne (this time with a tailwind), reveling at the magnificent mountain scenery once more. I loved gazing up at the mountains and seeing where the tree line vanished and only gray rock remained at the peak.

The other national park that I visited, Terra Nova, was right on the TCH. I was staying with some friends of friends in Glovertown, just outside of the park, and rode right through Terra Nova on my way to St. John's. Much of the park was closed in the wake of Hurricane Igor; toppled trees and washouts wrecked havoc on the park. By the time I arrived, the washout on the highway were all fixed up, but I was shocked to see all the uprooted trees.

The beauty in Newfoundland isn't limited to the national parks. I've been loving the entire journey across 'the rock'. The brooks and ponds, the fiery colours of the fall leaves, and the quaint fishing communities built atop solid rock. It makes for splendid cycling, great lunch spots, and fantastic pictures.