Rather than rain and wind and fog, today we woke to sunny skies. It was the perfect day to go on the two-hour boat tour of Western Brook Pond, which is really the size of a pretty big lake.
Technically, the steep mountains dropping off into the water are not fjords, because it’s freshwater and not saltwater. But a long, long time ago they were fjords. They also think once upon a time the mountains could have been higher than the Himalayas, though they’ve been worn down by time.
They are still pretty freaking impressive, mind you. And beautiful. Hidden waterfalls, astonishing rocky outcrops, lush green plants, it really had it all.
Then we drove much of the park, heading to a short hike to see the Tablelands, considered to be to geology what the Galapagos Islands are to biology. They are dramatic. And you can see why they get the name of the Tablelands, though the red soil also gives them a Martian feel as well. The rock is apparently thought to have originated in the Earth’s mantle originally.
There is more walking in that than it sounds, as to get to the boat ride you had to hike in and out.
Gros Mornes is really more beautiful than I can really do justice with words. Mountains! Picturesque bogs with wild irises and other splashes of colour! Ocean! Lakes! Quasi-fjords! It’s also a walking geology lesson.
Today we headed east, arriving in St. John’s late this evening, where I at last have a solid Internet connection and have been able to post the past week’s worth of blogs.
We also stopped in Terra Nova National Park and did some brief hiking along the ocean, which was lovely. Still no whales or puffins though, but I have plans to find at least the puffins soon.
Victoria Paterson 