I’m thinking that this blog will need some serious editing but for now I will just try to get up to date. I am having some trouble finding where I left off but if I remember well it was just after relating the stories about Roy Payne, so here goes:
Not being able to get to St. Anthony or anywhere in Gros Morne I broke down and rented a car at the airport for two days to drive to St. Anthony. Having some research to carry out in and around Flower’s Cove my revised plan was to check into the only B&B there and then drive ahead toward St. Anthony time permitting. It appeared that there would not be time to take the ferry to Labrador but I did hope to hike into Western Brook since a few people had recommended it. The guy who cancelled his room at the B&B had visited Anse aux Meadows, the Viking settlement, and was allowed through by workers doing renovations to the building prior to its reopening in June. This would be a bonus because I had written it off knowing that it wouldn’t be open. Art drove me to the airport and I got a small Chevvy with unlimited miles for $115. It was a very pleasant and scenic drive through Gros Morne and north along the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Art and others had warned me about moose on or beside the road and there were signs exhorting caution because there had already been 12 collisions this year. I couldn’t see that they would be as big a hazard as deer because they are the size of a horse, they aren’t skittery and the brush along the road is cleared back a good way. I wasn’t disappointed because I noticed two on my way to Flowers Cove. Lunch was a cod burger in a little snack shop along the way. They said that the cod had been caught that morning.
At Anchor’s Point I located the cemetery where a friend’s acquaintance was buried in March 1946. I checked into the French Island B&B in Flowers Cove that was located right next to St Barnabas Anglican Church (known as the “seal skin church” because much of the money raised to build it in 1920 was from the sale of seal skin pouches). It is very well maintained. The B&B owners are the Chambers, retired school principal and teacher, a very pleasant and welcoming couple. They agreed that there was time to get to St Anthony and back before dark so I set off shortly to make the run. The coast at this point is the Strait of Belle Islewith Quebec and Labrador visible in the distance. There are several villages along the coast and it is very picturesque. Once the road turns inland the scenery is pretty boring but near Anse aux Meadows it becomes bleak and even eery especially in the rain. The temperature dropped to four degrees and a strong wind from the east make it very chilly. Nonetheless I made the short trek from the parking lot to the door of the building and was not surprised to find it locked. I peaked inside to look for workers but there were none because it was Sunday. I read the plaques and drove on around all the coastal roads that I could find (including Quirpon) hoping to see a glimpse of a whale or an iceberg. There may have been both but visibility was very limited so I wiped out on that score too. I moved on to St. Anthony and passed by the Grenfell Mission but I knew that it was closed too. St A. is a larger town that I had expected but not much of significance on a drive through (except a large hospital). Outside town again there is a very pretty raod skirting the coast that I would have liked to explore but my time was running out. I had dinner at a very busy family restaurant in Flowers Cove. Everyone there seemed to know everyone else but although I tried I couldn’t seem to pick up any of the conversations.
Back at the B&B it was time for the Oilers/Ducks hockey game. Although there was a TV in my room I watched the first two periods with Mr. C. because he is an avid and very knowledgeable hockey fan (and a Canadiens supporter). I was afraid that he would stay up for the third period just to keep me company but I found out in the morning that he watched it too.
In the morning I had a nice chat with Mrs. C. about the history of the community, her early teaching years and the seal pouch Church. On my way backI detoured into St. Barbe to see the ferry to Labrador (the Apollo) ready to depart. For a moment I thought about seeing if I could board and come back on the next trip but decided against it. I really needed to get some hiking in. For no good reason I made another side trip to the point of Port aux Choix. For a break I pulled into the Lion’s Club RV park and campground where two guys were hoisting flags by the beach. There were three flags, Canadian, Newfoundland and one other that I thought from a distance was the US flag. Then I noticed that if it was the stars and stripes it was upside down. Just as I was debating whether I should investigate by getting closer, they drove over to greet me, ask where I was from and what I was doing, etc. When I said that I was here to do some hiking in Gros Morne, they pointed to the point of land in the distance and said that there was a very good trail up there that would take a few hours. I thanked them for the info and asked what the third flag was. It was the US so i asked if it wasn’t upside down. They took a close look and the younger one said “Yep we got ‘er wrong way up” and went off to remedy the situation, thanking me for noticing. I found Philip’s Garden Trail in short order, well maintained, not too strenuous and right along the coast. I figure that I hiked about 5 km to Point Riche lighthouse and back. Along the way I saw four caribou and 50 Dorset huts as identified by archaelogists. I also navigated my way back leaving the marked trail and using the GPS. It worked well.
I pulled in at the trailhead for Western Brook trail but it was raining and getting late so I moved on to search for accomodation within an hours drive of the Deer Lake Airport so I could get the car back in the morning. I was sure that I had seen billboards advertising internet access in B&B’s on the east side of Gros Morne but although I started looking before that I didn’t see any. I got all the way back to Deer Lake and found that the Driftwood Inn advertised internet access. However you needed your own laptop and I didn’t like the rate anyway. The young lady on the front desk kindly allowed me to use their computer to send a short message home though. By the time I had finished a good dinner at the attached restaurant it was dark and I didn’t have a place to stay. I really didn’t want to go back to Art’s but then I remembered a list of new B&B’s that hadn’t made the regular tourist guide given me early on by the Vistor Information person. There was one in Cormack that I thought might be closer to the airport than Deer Lake so I called, they had room, the rate was OK and I took it. It was further out than I had figured, 6 km out of Deer Lake and about 8 km off the highway. Anyway, it was beautiful. The owners were from New Brunswick having sold their farm there to move to get close to Gros Morne. They have not had many guests yet and wondered how I came to find them. My room was large, immaculate and everything I could think of was provided down to a tube of toothpaste. I couldn’t understand how it had only a 2 1/2 star rating. I really enjoyed this couple. They were super hospitable and couldn’t do enough for you. Breakfast was fantastic.
To be continued
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