Photos from Day 1 on the trail
It was a challenging day for some with the steep elevation gain and, what was for some a “bad bug day”, while for others it was a minimal bug day. We started off with a 3 km hike from our drop-off point along Route 1, aka the Viking Trail, to the tour boat that would take us to the trailhead at the end of Western Brook Pond. The low clouds had lifted as we set sail, revealing the stunning fjord-like topography. An hour later we were dropped off and starting what we trained the past 3 months for. On this day we were gifted with meeting up with a moose, Maurice who apparently resides in the gorge, and absolute jaw-dropping scenery. The group quickly fell into the task of setting up their homes for the night, prepare a much needed dinner as the evening brought drifting clouds up through the gorge then a stunning sunset to cap off an epic and tiring day.
Part 1
Part 2
Photos from Day 2 on the trail
A calm morning welcomed us to Day 2 on the Long Range Traverse. Collectively the group found day 2 to be one of the more difficult days of the trip. We had hot weather, calm winds and the bugs came out in greater force than Day 1. Does one dress minimally for the heat? Or cover oneself totally clad themselves in a layer of clothing and bug netting to keep the biting flies and stinging mosquitoes at bay? Also, many had sore hip bones and shoulders after a full day of pack weight the day before as the body begins to adapt to the regiment of backpacking. Having gained the high plateau meant greater sections of mud and a fair accumulations of elevation gain as we rose and fell with the varied topography. Regardless, all persevered and in their own way found a beauty in the process and environment.
Photos from Day 3 on the trail
Our day started off with a disappointment. One of the students woke to a progressively over-reaction to bug bites and stings. With eyes swollen shut and general facial swelling the staff decided that further medical care was warranted. Less than 2 hours later the student and one chaperone were whisked away and taken back to Rocky Harbour. We were happy to receive updates that they were recovering well. It was sad to lose 2 members of our group but the trail wasn’t going to walk itself, so walking we did. We added one more creature to our count this day, a majestic racked caribou! Later on we came across an Arctic Hare that sent us laughing as it frantically ran around upon seeing us. The scenery built on its beauty from the previous day and the increasing clouds made landscape appear more mysterious. The bugs existed, and at times they were frustrating, but the day also brought some winds that gave us fleeting relief. By the time we arrived at our next camp the weather made a turn. The high winds and driving rain had sent everyone for their tents with some choosing snacks over cooked dinner. Our thoughts were occupied for our friends in Group 2 who entered the park today and they were fairing. We were leaving the Long Range Traverse the next day but they had wet gear that would hopefully dry for their second night. Although we situated ourselves on the leeward side of shrubs the wind still battered our tents until 3:00 am, then it died down and all that was left was the torrential rains until 5:30 am.
Photos from Day 4 on the trail
Checking on the weather forecast at 4:00 am it showed a break in the rain from 6:00 – 8:00 am so at 5:30 am a wake-up call was made at each tent. The students were troopers, waking and began to pack up their gear right away. Everyone exchanged stories on how their nights went, how dry they stayed or how wet they had gotten. It’s inspiring to see how well the students have been rolling with the punches, becoming more efficient with camp tasks and demonstrating new-found backpacking skills. Once on the trail the we had some intermittent light rains and thankfully less than called for. The winds were strong at times but they were welcomed for their bug clearing abilities. With the clouds and rain at the end of Day 3 we never really saw the beauty of 10-Mile Pond and it’s broader gorge, broader than that of Western Brook Pond. But it was on this day that we saw it in all its grandeur. Absolutely breathtaking with numerous streams of water and falls draining the surrounding ponds. This was also the day that the National Park namesake came into view, ish… At first the summit was shroud in clouds but that changed throughout the morning. After working our way through our largest section of tuckarmore (spruce trees bent and entangled by winds) we had on the trail, we soon were dropping back off the plateau and down, down, down into Ferry Gulch. When we passed the sign stating 4 km’s to the parking lot we were told we were on the final stretch. The term “final stretch” in this case felt like forever to the group. As with any backpacking trip the last stretch is mixture of relief soon be done, sadness having it coming to an end, the start of the processing of the experience just had, and what creature comforts everyone was dreaming about for days.
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