What the Walrus said . . .

Photos and Anecdotes from a vagabond!

Gros Morne National Park, Bonne Bay, Newfoundland

Hi . . . and I hope this finds you all doing well with a smile on your face!

I am sitting in my tent and YES, it is raining again . . .but I am finding that rain in some ways is beneficial to my state of mind. I do get lots of rest because walking around outside, when the rain is getting blown sideways, in not conducive to any good photographs. I totally understand that a slightly overcast day does knock down the harsh shadows and can be very good for some styles of photography, but constantly needing to wipe your lens dry is a true pain in the back side. So, I opt to accomplish tent kind of things.

I write out postcards to the grandkids that I have been wanting to do for days, but like yesterday, thought about momentarily as I passed out, dead tired at 7:15 PM! I put on my rain gear, dig out some loonies, and walk up to the park comfort Station and do laundry. I cooked myself breakfast (sausage and eggs, with ice cold orange juice) and dinner (Chili Macaroni Soup). I slept through lunch! LOL

And . . . most importantly I process photos and try to assemble this blog as a very rough draft in my mind! With luck, I will be able to upload this to WordPress as I sit outside of the grocery store tomorrow morning, add the photos . . . voila . . . another blog successfully published!!

I wanted to take you all back a few days to a very incredible place in Gros Morne National Park.

Quite the valley in the distance across the peat bog and through the forest.

On my way north to the ferry to go to Labrador, I found a pull off that led to a rather large, but totally empty parking lot. It may have been empty because the temperature was3 degrees Celsius, the wind was blowing at about 35 mph, it was incredibly foggy, and the drizzle was coming down horizontally. This was my first introduction to Bonne Bay! I took the short walk through the trees, out to the elevated walkway and viewing platform, and in front of me was nothing . . . well almost nothing . . . I could see the start of a very broad bog and a solid wall of fog. There was supposed to be mountains and a valley, even a lake . . . NOTHING! I trudged my way back to the car, made a mental note to check again on my way south to see what the big deal was, and I headed north again.

After a 2.5 kilometer hike, you top a low ridge, and suddenly the bay appears.

I did remember my mental note, and I did stop again at Bonne Bay, but this time the parking lot was jammed full of cars and RVs of every size, shape and configuration. When, again, I walked to the viewing platform at the trees, the sight before me was strikingly different and warranted more investigation. Plus, now I could see people heading down a trail, towards the valley in the distance . . . and I was forced by my curiosity to follow.

There are two tour boats on the bay (that isn’t a bay since it does not connect to the sea anymore) that take trips up the fjord (that isn’t a fjord because it is fresh water not salt water, and it no longer connects to the sea!) The first boat was hauled here in winter, over the frozen bog with minimal damage to the environment. However, when the second boat was needed to handle the number of visitors, the Canadian Government would not allow the boat to be dragged over the bog because of “environmental damage”. Instead, the second boat was cut into sections and lifted into the lake in pieces, where it was reassembled.

Lo and behold, at the end of the trail is the lake, or what is called Bonne Bay. There is also a small restaurant and trinket store, but mostly there is a ticket booth for the boat ride that goes across the lake, up the valley and into the glacial fjord. I HAD TO GO!!! However, I did not have reservations!! Bummer!!

I explained to the very nice ticket lady that I was just passing by and asked if I could go on a waiting list. She looked at me like I had two heads, mumbled something under her breath and wrote my name on the back of the list of reserved names. I was told she would speak to the captain and see if he could fit me onboard. Luckily, thirty minutes or so later, the same woman tracked me down and handed me a ticket. I was going!!

When I wass allowed to board the boat, I ran to the bow knowing that this was going to be the best spot for photography.
We proceeded across the lake and into the mouth of the glacial formed canyon with a very common “U” shape. The water is amazingly pure and averages between 500 to 600 feet in depth, with a constant temperature of about 38 degrees.
The cliffs are impressive and very jagged.
Obviously, the weather was perfect for the boat ride and the colors were fantastic!
We were told to watch for Caribou and Moose, but unless they are part mountain goat I doubt they could be on these cliffs.
As we progressed deeper into the canyon, the views just got better and better!
The snow runoff from the plateaus above the canyon, cascade into the canyon at various points. These will slowly dry up and then disappear as the snow melts away. In a month, the waterfalls will all be gone until next year!
Still moving deeper up the canyon.
The walls of the canyon appear shattered in places, with cracks running from the top of the plateau all the way down the rock face, and disappearing into the water, Here you can see a spire that has cracked and then been eroded by nature. This canyon is in constant motion and change even today.
I marveled at the rock walls and the grandeur of the canyon. I could not help but think that this is what yosemite valley might look like if the Merced River was dammed, and the valley allowed to flood.
The end of the canyon, but the jumping off point for those hardy souls that wasnt to hike the unmarked trail over the plateau and back to the coast. To do this, hikers need special permission from Gros Morne Park Rangers as well as excellant orienteering skills with a map and compass.
A panorama taken with my phone. I hope it shows the width and depth of the canyon better.
Another of the many waterfalls that pour into the canyon.
Two waterfalls in one photo. The first is towards the upper right where you can see the wind lifting the water as it falls off the plateau. The second is cascading off the plateau on the left.
One waterfall, cascading off of the plateau, only to disappear through a snow pack, the reemerge along the cliff face, running down into the canyon.
The last waterfall in the canyon, and possibly the prettiest. However, it is called a very socially unattractive name that does not, in any way, do the waterfall justice!!

We had been on the water for about 2.5 hours, and it was time to head back. The Captain kicked the little boat into high gear, and told those of us on the bow to be prepared for a little breeze. By the time we reached the dock, I not only had a sun burn, but a nice wind burn on top of it! LOL

The day was now significantly later than I realized, and I had hours yet to go to my next stop. I hit the road, headed south and then west, but that is another blog. The boat trip on Bonne Bay was well worth the detour and I hope you will add it to your list of places in the world to com

majik756

One response to “Gros Morne National Park, Bonne Bay, Newfoundland”

  1. Dad this is awesome! I’m so glad you were included on this adventure! The pictures are amazing!
    Lynn received her Puffin card and she was so excited! She loves the post cards! I wish I could journey with you daddy. We miss you always and pray for your safety. Love you lots-Beth

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment