2018-08-09 & 10 Day 11 & 12 - Climb Gros Morne, Tour the SW Coast
So, yesterday morning (Day 11) dawned as a blue sky day - and I decided I would try the Gros Morne Climb. The sign said 4km to where the loop starts, and the total hike is 16 km. Well according to my Google Fit phone and watch - it is 24 km. Yikes. Plus - after the 4km - about the next 3 km is a very steep scramble up a gully full of broken stone. My light duty hiking / running shoes are really not sturdy enough. At the top - the sign says you are at 806 m - which sounds about right - I think 650 of those are the scramble up the gully!
The trails loops around the top and and then down the back. And a ton of it - maybe 45% is on this broken scramble - so hard work. As I sit here waiting for the ferry 24 hours later - my feet and hips are still sore. The views were just spectacular - it is worth the work - but if you had asked me that yesterday - I would have spit on your shoe - assuming I could work up the moisture to spit.
So - let me tell you what I did wrong. The info said to take 2 liters of water. The 2 containers I had added up to about 1.5 liters. The 3 apples I had planned to take for trail snacks - got left in the cooler at the camp.
I was on the trail at 8:35. I was on the summit at 12:45 I was off the back of the summit around 13:30. Shortly after that I was at about the 12 km mark - and finished off my water. I already suspected that it was way more than 16 km - but when I finally arrive at the car at the 24 km mark at 17:15 - you have never seen anybody more thankful than me for the piss-warm water in the blue jug in the back of the car. I drank about a liter right then and there. My mouth had been so dry for the last hour - when I found a clean stream beside the trail - I would but some of that water in my jug and used it to rinse my mouth - and probably swallow a teaspoon full to wet my throat. I did not want to drink a bunch of it - because who knows?
When I got back to camp - ice water - followed by beer - followed by ice water - followed by beer - followed by a quick fry up of italian sausage and pasta sauce, cleanup the camp - and I was literally in bed at 19:30.
Slept really well - except for the fact that i was acing so much that every time I moved it brought me pretty much awake -and the fact that around 02:00 - the rain came just pouring down.
I snoozed off and on, and then at 06:00 - I heard the rain stop. Bingo - up and at - got camp broken and loaded - and was driving out the campsite when the rain started again. A bit of a challenge for a quick load and go when you consider how stiff I was this morning.
A strange thing happened - this new Ford Edge has a rain sensing system - which is supposed to allow you to leave the wipers in automode. Well- not sure what went wrong - but the wipers would not operate - not in auto or manual. So - pulled over, shut of the car, started the car, and all was well. I will need to follow up with Ford - this could be a real safety issue if it happened again at the wrong time!
So, down the road I went - and I started my tour with a quick run over to Cox's Cove
Then - over for a loop of Cape St George, followed by some of the sideroads down to Stephenville, Stephenville Crossing, and down the coast a bit.
Next, down to Port a Basque - and just past it for a really nice meal at the Seashore Restaurant.
Pictures from the two days:
The trails loops around the top and and then down the back. And a ton of it - maybe 45% is on this broken scramble - so hard work. As I sit here waiting for the ferry 24 hours later - my feet and hips are still sore. The views were just spectacular - it is worth the work - but if you had asked me that yesterday - I would have spit on your shoe - assuming I could work up the moisture to spit.
So - let me tell you what I did wrong. The info said to take 2 liters of water. The 2 containers I had added up to about 1.5 liters. The 3 apples I had planned to take for trail snacks - got left in the cooler at the camp.
I was on the trail at 8:35. I was on the summit at 12:45 I was off the back of the summit around 13:30. Shortly after that I was at about the 12 km mark - and finished off my water. I already suspected that it was way more than 16 km - but when I finally arrive at the car at the 24 km mark at 17:15 - you have never seen anybody more thankful than me for the piss-warm water in the blue jug in the back of the car. I drank about a liter right then and there. My mouth had been so dry for the last hour - when I found a clean stream beside the trail - I would but some of that water in my jug and used it to rinse my mouth - and probably swallow a teaspoon full to wet my throat. I did not want to drink a bunch of it - because who knows?
When I got back to camp - ice water - followed by beer - followed by ice water - followed by beer - followed by a quick fry up of italian sausage and pasta sauce, cleanup the camp - and I was literally in bed at 19:30.
Slept really well - except for the fact that i was acing so much that every time I moved it brought me pretty much awake -and the fact that around 02:00 - the rain came just pouring down.
I snoozed off and on, and then at 06:00 - I heard the rain stop. Bingo - up and at - got camp broken and loaded - and was driving out the campsite when the rain started again. A bit of a challenge for a quick load and go when you consider how stiff I was this morning.
A strange thing happened - this new Ford Edge has a rain sensing system - which is supposed to allow you to leave the wipers in automode. Well- not sure what went wrong - but the wipers would not operate - not in auto or manual. So - pulled over, shut of the car, started the car, and all was well. I will need to follow up with Ford - this could be a real safety issue if it happened again at the wrong time!
So, down the road I went - and I started my tour with a quick run over to Cox's Cove
Then - over for a loop of Cape St George, followed by some of the sideroads down to Stephenville, Stephenville Crossing, and down the coast a bit.
Next, down to Port a Basque - and just past it for a really nice meal at the Seashore Restaurant.
Pictures from the two days:
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