You don’t need to go to the Rocky Mountains for spectacular scenery and wildlife. Gros Morne is a little known gem with spectacular mountains rising over 700 m (2,000 ft.) right out of the ocean, waterfalls dropping 500 m (1,500 ft.) from primitive lakes in sub-arctic conditions, and it abounds with woodland caribou, moose, fox, arctic hare, ptarmigan and black bear. You should see them all in their natural habitat so bring your camera. Our timing for this trip usually eliminates most of the bugs and provides an ideal backpacking temperature. This trip visits the wildest parts of the park where the wildlife is.
Gros Morne became a national park in 1973 and was declared Canada’s 10th World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1987. It protects some of the most spectacular scenery and wildlife in eastern Canada. In fact, the back country hiking, wildlife, and breathtaking scenery are unparalleled in eastern Canada. Atop the Long-Range plateau, there are no marked or manicured trails and no fabricated features to assist hikers in navigation. Most of the hike is across muddy bogs and arctic-type barrens with many ups and downs often following well-used moose and caribou trails. The terrain is rugged and it is necessary for your guide to find routes through or around, almost impenetrable growths of tuckamore and away from steep cliffs and bogs. Hikers will pass waterfalls and countless ponds, and cross wet bogs, dry heath land, and alpine barrens. Our campsites will be on wooden tent platforms or on the grassy tundra. We don’t understand why people spend so much money on arctic and western trips when Gros Morne has so much to offer.
We usually start the day early rising around 6:00 hrs to get on the trail before 8:30 hrs. We try to finish early (between 15:00 and 17:00 hrs) each day and this allows plenty of time for relaxing, snoozing, swimming, reading, photography, etc.
The Long Range Trail is very rugged. Trippers must have previous overnight backpacking experience, be in good physical condition, and have room in their packs to be able to carry some food, tent parts, and other supplies. Packs will likely weigh upwards of 15 -18 kg (35 - 40 lbs). The temperature may go slightly below freezing at night (even in August), but the days should be warm with the possibility of some black flies. Rain and fog are definite likelihoods.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: After picking up our rented vehicle and doing a small grocery in Deer Lake we will head for Gros Morne National Park. We will spend the rest of the day visiting the south end of the park with a short 4 km (2.4 mi.) round trip walk into the extraordinary moonscape topography of the Tablelands where the peridotitic rock is chemically inhospitable to most plants and the area looks like the Arizona desert. We may also visit the new Discovery Center at Woody Point to learn more about the features of the park. A visit to the small fishing village of Trout River is also a popular option. Trout River is steeped in Newfoundland traditions and culture. We will spend the first night at Trout River campground.
Day 2: We will head for the Green Gardens on the Gulf of St. Lawrence with its volcanic coastline. It is a 9 km (5.4 mi.) round trip to the sea coast. On the way down we should see some moose. We will see many sea stacks as we arrive at the shore. Watch for sheep put there by the locals. Tides permitting we will descend a stairway onto the beach and head north a short distance to a sea cave, then south to a waterfall on Wallace Brook. We will have lunch after climbing back to the parking lot or perhaps at the Discovery Center. We will then head for the Park’s Visitor Center at Rocky Harbor where we can visit the interesting displays before meeting the Park Warden at 15:30 hrs who will explain the difficulties to be encountered on the Long-Range trail. We will view a video and obtain our permits and an emergency transmitter locater. We may have time to visit an old lighthouse at Lobster Cove Head that has been restored as a museum near Rocky Harbor. Then we will be off to Berry Hill Campground where we will set up our tents and organize ourselves to spend the night. Berry Hill has running water (flush toilets), hot showers, picnic tables, fireplaces, and kitchen shelters. Food and gear will be distributed and we will have time to organize our packs for the backpack on the Long-Range. Time and weather permitting we will do a short hike around Berry Hill Pond and/or climb Berry Hill to get the seaward and mountain views as the sun goes down.
Day 3: We will pack up and drive to the James Callaghan Trail parking lot where we will leave our vehicle. A taxi will take us to the Western Brook Pond parking lot where we will hike about 3 km (2 mi.) on a flat trail to the boat dock. We must board the boat by 10:00 a.m. for the 16 km (10 mile) boat ride to the other end of the fjord-like pond surrounded by 500 m (1,500 ft.) cliffs. We then climb about 600 m (2,000 ft.) in 4 km on a very steep, rugged trail to the top of a ridge and then descend to an elevation of 530 m (1,740 ft.) in another 2.5 km (1.5 mi.) to our tundra-like campsite among the moose, caribou, and tuckamore beside Little Island Pond. This hike usually takes about 4 - 5 hours with our heavy packs. This is usually the most difficult day. Be sure you are capable. If you have to abandon the trip on this first day, everyone has to go with you.
Day 4: Today we will backpack 12 km (9 mi.) dodging tiny lakes and ponds and crossing many tiny brooks on easier terrain. We should see some moose and ptarmigan on this hike and maybe some caribou. Leaving our campsite we climb, 100 m (325 ft.) followed by a similar descent to Mark’s Pond where we must nimbly cross a brook on boulders. Then we will climb another 200 m (650 ft.) and descend about 130 m (425 ft.) to Harding’s Pond where we will have lunch. After lunch we will climb 120 m (400 ft.) to our campsite on the edge of a small lake, near a beautiful waterfall which is the headwater of the Upper Humber River.
Day 5: Another 9 km (5 mi.) across the tundra-like environment with magnificent views all around us. We will be traveling on rugged terrain with many ups and downs. We start by climbing 120 m (400 ft.) and descend 100 m (328 ft.) to Green Island Pond. Here, we must cross another brook by hopping from rock to rock (or remove your boots and wade). From here there are many short climbs and descents around many small ponds and across many bare summits with only low scrubby vegetation (tuckamore) in small patches to impede our progress as we backpack along the edge of the escarpment with magnificent views all around us. If the weather is clear we will have Gros Morne Mountain ahead of us and a 400 m (1,300 ft.) waterfall tumbling into fjord-like Ten Mile Pond on our right. Awesome! Shortly after passing around the north side of an unnamed pond we will climb towards caribou rock where caribou (up to 35 of them sometimes) are usually basking in the wind to escape the flies. There are usually many caribou in this area. Soon we will reach the top of our very steep 150 m (400 ft.) descent to the headwaters of Ferry Gulch Brook and our campsite. We may see or hear water pipits, horned larks, and rock ptarmigan.
Day 6: This is the day we will leave our packs at the campsite and climb the rounded top of Gros Morne Mountain at 806 m (2,643 ft.) on the James Callaghan Trail with its wooden stairways, walkways and laid stone path. We will descend the mountain the way we went up. Pick up our packs at the campsite and then head down the trail through heath and eventually boreal forest to a parking lot where our vehicle was parked. We will make our camp at the Berry Hill Campground, have a hot shower, and eat a well-earned sunset dinner (price not included) at a restaurant offering great seafood in Rocky Harbor.
Day 7: The trip officially ends at 3:00 p.m. at the Deer Lake Airport. We might consider a 10 km (6 mi.) return hike on manicured trails without packs to Bakers Brook Falls, a series of three substantially beautiful waterfalls, on this last day of our trip depending on the time of flight departures.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Camping fees, tents, guide, instruction;
- All transportation in Newfoundland and all meals except dinner in Rocky Harbour on Day 6 (between CAN $25 - $40).
Notes:
- Trippers must bring their own backpacks, sleeping bags, and mattresses;
- A deposit of 20% of the trip cost is required to reserve; balance is due 60 days before trip departure;
- All payments by cheque or money order payable to Bill Pollock in Canadian funds;
- For further information and a list of clothing and equipment, contact Bill Pollock;
- To minimize impact tripper limit is 4. Minimum is 3.
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Canada
Newfoundland
Hiking & Trekking
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