Gros Morne

As soon as I got off the ferry I hit the highway for Gros Morne. There wasn’t really anything between the two that appealed to me so I planned on driving straight there. One thing I realized pretty quick while driving there is that Newfies either speed or drive insanely slow. It seemed like whenever there was no passing option I would be behind someone doing 15 under the limit but then as soon as it came time to pass people would just be flying past the slow cars. Due to the slow ones though it did take longer to get to Gros Morne than I had first planned.

I stopped at the first booth to get a day pass so I could summit Gros Morne Mountain. I realized that by the time I hit the trail it would be shortly after noon and I had class at 7. This meant I had less than 7 hours to do the hike, get to my hostel and check in. I do love to be busy!

This is probably one of the most popular and talked about trails in Newfoundland. I had joined some hiking groups to get advise before coming here and this one pops up more than anything else. The park is known for it's diverse views ranging from fjords and beaches to glaciers and barren cliffs. The park is also known for being a fantastic place to see wildlife which I'm hoping I get to experience.

The trail started off easier than expected, although I knew it wouldn’t really get hard until the mountain. It's a 16km trail with a summit of 806m, which doesn't sound awful but all that elevation is one spot. The first four kilometers all took me less than 20 minutes and I got to the base of the mountain in around an hour. That's when the fun really started.

It took almost 40 minutes to do the next single kilometer. I somehow ended up slightly off the main trail, since it's all just rocks going up a gully, and onto the larger rocks. I didn’t realize how much this was slowing me down until I saw a couple go up the towards the center of the path on the smaller rocks. I moved back over and kept going and sped up considerably. I didn’t really want to stop for a break on this part as I could see lots of spiders running around.

The path got a bit easier closer to the top as it almost winds its way to the summit. It was steadily getting chillier too and I stopped to put on my fleece and rain jacket. I knew from reading reviews that it would be considerably colder up top and they really weren't kidding. At the base, you'll be comfortable in shorts and a tank top but you're going to want a good insulating layer and wind breaker at the top.

Before I knew it, I had made it! At this point there was no one else around so I propped my camera up to take some photos. I did have my tripod with me but I was worried the wind would knock it over. It was quite beautiful up top but it was hard to enjoy it with the wind and cold.

It was too chilly to stay up there for long so I kept going. There were some half shelters built to block the wind but they were all taken already. Some people had brought camp stoves and were enjoying a warm drink, a definite must with how cold it was. The path around the top really had some stunning views. Even though it was so cold it was hard not to stop constantly for photos. The views really really reminded me of Iceland too!

I started to pick up pace a bit as the path started down, although I didn't want to trip on the rocks. There were even boardwalk sections which really helped with the pace. And then I saw caribou! There was a dad and then a bit behind a mom and baby. I immediately pulled out my phone and got a video. I was so excited at seeing them and watching them that I actually stepped off the boardwalk and fell bruising my knee.

The way down continue to be exceptionally scenic and I stopped a lot for pictures. It was also very muddy and of course I fell again. Thankfully neither fall really lead to any damage, just lots of mud.

I passed a camping area on the way down which I didn’t know was there. If I had, I probably would have tried to spend a night there. It had 3 camping platforms, some picnic tables, a washroom and bear hang. I did think I passed a couple heading in to it on my way out.

I actually got back to the parking lot with time to spare! A lot of the reviews recommend planning for 8 hours on the mountain and some even say to bring a headlamp in case you don't make it down before dark. I don't think of myself as an exceptionally fast hiker, and I feel as though I stop a lot for breaks, especially photos but it only took me 5 hours and 42 mins :)

I decided to head straight to the hostel as I really needed a shower at this point. This was my third day of hiking without one. I found the hostel easily enough but it was empty! There was a sign saying they were out adventuring with a phone number under it. I saw the Wi-Fi password posted around as well so I hopped on there first. Once I was sure it would work I called and left a voicemail saying I was there but in no rush. Since I had Wi-Fi I could do my class. I would have preferred a shower first but I’d live.

The hostel had a large communal area with couches and a kitchen so I made up a quick dinner and then did some catching up on the internet. Right before class started a woman came in and apologized for making me wait. She showed me to my room and said I could pay her son when he arrived. I said it really wasn’t a problem and then it was time for class.

It was really hard to focus on class when I just wanted to update friends and my blog on what I had done so far. It was made even harder when I heard people arrive back at the hostel and start playing a game. I made it out of class in time to join them for the last bit of jeopardy, I even got two questions right.

After the game they said they were going to have a bonfire. I still hadn’t showered at this point so I said I really needed to do that first. After a quick shower, I joined them at the fire. I really could have used sleep too but I will have limited options to socialize in the coming days. At the bonfire, I discovered that I was actually the only hostel guest. The others were friends just visiting with with the owner. It’s been a slow summer thanks to coronavirus and it usually wraps up around now anyways since it gets cooler.

It was a little strange to have the place more or less to myself but the owner said someone will be there Thursday with me!