Saturday September 10 – The Earth’s Mantle and small Harbours

The path from the parking lot to the Earth's Mantle

The morning was overcast, but the rain was gone as we headed out on the Viking Trail (which runs up the West Coast for 265 miles) to the southern portion of Gros Morne National Park.  Approaching the Discovery Center near Woody Point, we had a good look back at the mountain area from which we came.  Discovery Center, as in all the Parks Canada facilities, was filled with displays, information, a gift shop, and very helpful Rangers.  Our goal was to hike and explore the Tablelands area – a unique spot unlike virtually anywhere on earth – where one can walk on and view the Earth’s Mantle.  The Mantle is actually the core of the earth, what is under the dirt, mountains, and water we’re all used to seeing.  Newfoundland is one of the few places on the planet where it is visible, thanks to the cataclysmic changes that occurred 600 million years ago when the continents broke apart. 

Granite cliffs 

                                                                                                                                                    The walk is 2 ½ miles roundtrip, about 2/3’rds uphill on the going out section.  The weather improved as we  walked, and it was a comfortable 60 degrees.  As one walks the trail, it’s like approaching a moonscape, the hills and stone are so barren and of a yellowish color.  It was really quite beautiful, and fascinating.  The geology of Newfoundland is unlike any we’ve seen anywhere-the changes along the shore, the hills along the highway, have made for a fascinating trip.

End of the trail - seeing the Earth's Mantle

Barren rock - the Earth's Mantle

Barren rock with running stream over it

Walking back towards the parking lot

After Gros Morne, we drove another 15 miles out to the end of the road to Trout River, a small typical fishing village on the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Trout River. It features a boardwalk and a stony beach where hundreds of thousands of Capelin (small fish) beach themselves annually to spawn.  The fish are 6-8” long, and though they used to be bait they are now basically harvested for human consumption.  We gather they are quite tasty-if you like to eat bait! This happens in June and July though, so we missed it.

Town of Trout River

Norris Point Harbour & cruise boat

                                                                                         Next Harbour was Norris Point, at the end of our campground’s peninsula on Bonne Bay.  A cute little village, it features great views of the mountains and the Tablelands where we had hiked earlier.  They also run tour boats from there giving great views of the Park.

View from Norris Point - Tablelands in far background

Lobster Cove lighthouse

                                                                                          Last stop for the day was back in Rocky Harbour, where we again had great views of the surrounding area and of the Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse that we had visited last week.  The weather was beautiful at the time, sunny and 60 degrees compared with the 90 degrees we heard about in Bangor, Maine!

Rocky Harbor view

Rocky Harbour docks