Picture Time

As Mr. Lee from Sci-FiveProductions has requested, here are some photos along the way of my trip. This will be my last post for a bit because I have unfortunately had to return home for a week. A very close family friend died of cancer on Thursday and so I took the first flight from Deer Lake home to attend the funeral. I would like to mention how wonderful the employees at Deer Lake Airport and WestJet are, as they helped me get home on such short notice. My bike is safely stored until my return and I was able to get away earlier than I originally thought possible. I am extremely grateful for all their help.

Although Grace was not related by blood she was in every way a part of our family, extremely loved and will be missed immensely. I feel very fortunate that I was able to see her the day before I left on my journey and I know that she was following me and will continue to follow me along the way when I return to my travels on Friday. The rest of my cycle I dedicate to Grace, who has always been a constant rock of support throughout my entire life and I am so far beyond fortunate to have been able to have had such a loving, caring, and wonderful person a part of my life.

Good bye Toronto!

Hello Newfoundland!

St. John's really is as colourful as they say :)

I made it to the ends of the country! :p

The newest Cape Spear Lighthouse

The original Cape Spear Lighthouse

View from Signal Hill

My official certificate that I'm an official Newfie :D

Where I stopped to camp after my first day of cycling

First off road campsite!

View during second day of cycling, just before stopping for the night

Almost the second off road campsite (thank goodness I was saved from this one!)

Made it to Terra Nova!!!

I took this picture just in case that was going to be the only moose I got to see on this trip :)

The starfish I held at the Visitor Centre in Terra Nova National Park

View on the Goowiddy Path in Terra Nova

Made it to the first lookout point on the Outport Trail in Terra Nova

Bear track along the Outport Trail....

I'm guessing this was that bear's meal...

Newman Sounds Campground in Terra Nova. Yes, that's right, I hung up my laundry to dry! I'm amazing ;)

Possibly the best sign ever. Let it be known, the moose always wins!

The Tickle full of fog in Gros Morne National Park

Berry Hill Pond, Gros Morne National Park

BEAVER!!!! (In Berry Hill Pond)

Bakers Brook Falls, Gros Morne National Park

Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse, Gros Morne National Park

At random places within Gros Morne Park there are these lovely deck chairs. I thought it was pretty great :)

Norris Point, Gros Morne National Park

Neat wood formation along the James Callaghan Trail in Gros Morne 

View along the James Callaghan Trail

First rest stop along the James Callaghan Trail

Me in front of Gros Morne Mountain on the James Callaghan Trail. Believe  it or not, but I'm not actually trying to pose for this picture. The wind was so strong I was catching my hat from flying away at the same time as trying to stop my shirt from getting blown upwards.

Gros Morne Park

Yes, I am still alive :) I don't have reception at my campsite here in Gros Morne Park so I've been unable to contact people in any way but I'm doing wonderfully so please do not worry :)

I made it to Gros Morne on Saturday without any problems. The ride in was gorgeous once I hit the park entrance, there was even a section where I got a beautiful look at the East Arm fjord and the Tickle which was full of fog. Just stunning! The Tickle, by the way, is the small opening connecting the two fjords ( I thought that was pretty funny, hee hee). The ride in wasn't so bad in terms of hills - I think nothing will ever be able to compare to Terra Nova - however, the headwinds coming up this way were the strongest I have had to deal with yet. Good Lord, it was difficult! Good thing the scenery makes up for it :)

The past few days in Gros Morne have been one of the best experiences I could ask for. The views here are unforgettable and so majestic I am envious of the people who live here and get to experience this natural beauty every day. I'm half tempted to move here myself :) take adventure tourism  in Corner Brook and just make a living that way...ah the possibilities ;) back on track: I've had to bike everywhere because nothing is too close to each other so I'm experiencing the hills on a daily basis, but I guess that's good, it keeps me in shape for when I'm back on the road East again. I'm camping at Berry Hill Campgrounds which is in the middle of the woods which is kind of neat, though it's a bit of a trek to get to off the main road. When I arrived I just biked around the area for a bit after stopping of at the camp so it was a heavenly "no gear" ride :) My first full day I hiked around the three trails in the campground itself which was quite enjoyable. I got to see a beaver and a hare! That was pretty great! It made me laugh to watch the beaver swimming around because every time it went underwater it thwacked its tail and dove, not the most graceful looking thing but I loved it! :) One of the trails was to Bakers Brook Falls and that was just breathtaking! I had such a hard time leaving that spot. Watching the water and listening to the rumble of the falls was so fantastic I felt like I could stay there forever. Along the way I got to see a mother hen...I think a partridge...walking along the trail with her five chicks, it was so adorable! I tried to take a photo but they're all blurry because the little things wouldn't stop moving, hahahaha. After the trails I went to the Lobster Cove Head Lighthouse and walked the trails around there as well and then biked around Rocky Harbour (the closest town to the camp). It was a very enjoyable day. Yesterday I woke up and it was raining but it ended up turning into a decent day. The rain stopped by the time I got to Norris Point but the winds didn't. You know it's rough when you're having to still cycle DOWN an incredibly steep hill...oh good golly, that was a rough ride. The marine station in Norris Point is amazing! I took a tour and got to hold some really neat sea creatures. The tour was very interesting and the guide was very knowledgeable. What was extra neat is that I ran into family friends there! That was completely unexpected and a lovely surprise. So after chatting with them for a bit I waited around to catch the shuttle to Woody Point and once I arrived ended up hanging out with a lovely lady from Toronto, Sherry :) Sherry and I walked up to the Discovery Centre, which is another neat place, very informative and very interesting, and took the hike behind it up the mountain. Holy crow! The top of that trail has to be one of the most beautiful lookout spots on the planet! We got to see Gros Morne Mountain and the fjords on one side and the Tablelands on the other. Another breathtaking view! I anticipate I'll be using that adjective a lot :p And so that leads me to today. On my bike ride back to Norris Point this morning I saw a coyote cross the road and then as I was walking to Gros Morne Adventures for my kayak tour I saw a minke whale in the water! What was even better was that when the group of us were out on the water in our kayaks we got an even closer view of the whale because it swam right by us!!! Amazing!!! :D We also got to see a couple of jellyfish, starfish, Connor fish, and two bald eagles!!! My list of must sees is seriously getting checked off!! It's fantastic!! I really enjoyed the kayak tour, it was a lot of fun! After the tour I took the shuttle again to Woody Point and biked up to the Tablelands where I walked along the trail there. It's incredible these formations! I wish I could have walked right up to the top but you need a guide for that and I didn't have one :( Oh well, I've already decided I have to come back, so I'll make sure to do that next time :)

So that's it, now I'm at the Woody Point library just waiting for the shuttle back to Norris Point and then I'll bike back to camp. Hopefully it won't rain like they are saying it will tomorrow and I can do a couple more hikes but if it does I'll just hang out around Rocky Harbour.

Well, this was an extra long entry, now to do is comment on the comments people have left :) I'm so productive, lol. :p

Deer Lake

I've arrived in Deer Lake, only a days ride from Gros Morne Park!! No, I did not cycle at top speed, I decided to take the bus here from Terra Nova because it seemed a bit ridiculous to cycle the same section twice. Unfortunately this forced me to pay for a motel room because by the time the bus arrived in Deer Lake and I finished my grocery shopping it was too late for me to start biking towards the park, and I had no idea if there would be any place to set up camp along the way so the safest bet was to stay in town. I was kind of upset about this but I guess sometimes I have to bite the bullet, on the bright side I get a comfy bed indoors :)

My stay in Terra Nova was wonderful! The hike up to Mount Stamford was beautiful and I got to see a moose run away from me! :) The view at the top of the mountain was fantastic but unfortunately the picture doesn't do it justice. I ended up hiking over 25 kms, such a relaxing experience :)




I left the park early this morning because I wanted to get to where the bus stops with time to spare, so I cycled out around 7:30 which is earlier than I usually start. As I was leaving th park I heard a branch crack and I looked to my right to see what is was and there were TWO black bears chowing down on some trees. I didn't stop to take a picture but it was pretty cool :D So I've seen a moose and two bears now all that's left is an eagle and an iceberg. Three weeks left Newfoundland, you can do it!

The bus ride was uneventful but at least I got to see the road I'll be riding back on. Now off to sleep since I apparently have the worst hill to tackle tomorrow.

Terra Nova

Holy crappers! There are a lot of hills in Newfoundland!! :) Sooooo, because I'm a lazy bum and was totally unprepared for this type of cycling (though I'm not really sure if I ever could have prepared myself for these hills, hahaha) I'm not doing as many kilometers in a day as I'd like, BUT I somehow managed to make it to Newman Sound campgrounds today :D I'll be staying here for the next couple of nights to do some hiking which I'm looking forward to :) I'm telling you though there was the Grandmother of all hills in this park! I started singing "this is the road that never ends, it just goes on and on my friends" I came up with some pretty good lyrics to it too, hehehe. Non-stop uphill battle, I swear it's half the length of the entire park section. In any case, I've been informed that this is one of the worst sections which makes me feel better, though apparently the road between Deer Lake and Gros Morne Park is mighty challenging to say the least. Good thing I'm stubborn :p hahaha.
The past couple of days have been beautiful!! Perfect for cycling, thank goodness. I have to say I'm glad I'm cycling here instead of back home since apparently the humidity is already awful there :) one of the things winning me over here is the lack of humidity. Oops, side tracked...so the cycling, it's been absolutely fantastic, I'm dead tired by the end of the day but the scenery I've seen has been breathtaking. My first day I traveled along the Conception Bay Highway which was beautiful and then eventually got onto the TCH. For the most part there have been great views among this highway as well but once I got into Terra Nova there were a lot more dull sections. That's ok though, just cycling is great. I can't even begin to explain how free it feels to be cycling, it's wonderful! (Though I've realized I can do without the panniers :)  ) And I'm really surprised, I'm the type of person who feeds off other people's energies and loves being sociable but I'm finding I really enjoy the alone time I get during these rides. Though I do find I'm talking to myself a lot more than usual, hahaha but what can I say? I'm good company, :p lol.
I've had a bit of an incident (not accident...just clarifying) every day so far but nothing to dampen my spirits. Things happen and we deal :) and thank goodness it was nothing dangerous!
Last night I got spoiled beyond belief thanks to Ruby and Len! They were so kind to take me in for the night instead of me camping out by the highway. They introduced me to Newfoundland music - which I find I quite enjoy :) - fed me, let me use their shower and gave me a bed to sleep in! Thanks again Ruby and Len!!!!
Alright, I'm writing all this on my phone so I'm heading off to sleep, I haven't been checking autocorrect so hopefully this remained pg friendly :) Thanks for the comments guys! I wish I knew how to respond to each individually...maybe I can figure it out when I have a real compy :)
Until next time!

Last Day in St. John's

Although the weather was foggy, cold, (quel surprise) and very windy it was a fantabulous day, full of fun times! Briony, Sabrina and I drove to Cape Spear where I got to witness history in the making, they both have traveled coast to coast in Canada! I was also lucky enough to step foot on the most easterly point in North America which was pretty darn neat :) Although we didn't get to see any whales or icebergs the beauty of the cape was still visible with crashing waves against fantastic rock formations, a bit of Canadian history with the gun batteries built to protect the area in WWII and a lighthouse that has been around since 1835. I was very happy to get to use my Discovery pass for the first time and take a tour of the lighthouse. Interesting fact: each lighthouse shows its light for a specific amount of time within a minute which is it's signature, so at Cape Spear the light is flashed for 7 seconds every minute. This signature allows the sailors to know what lighthouse they are near and make their plans accordingly. I thought that was pretty neat :)

After Cape Spear we went to Signal Hill which was lovely as well, especially since by the time we got there the fog had lifted and we could actually verify that there is a harbour in St. John's, until then we really were only suspicious since we couldn't see it ;) It was extremely windy at both Cape Spear and Signal Hill but made for wonderful hair-in-the-wind pictures, hahahahaha :p The view from Signal Hill was great, looking out at the water and St. John's was quite a sight to see. I really like this city and will have no problems coming back for another visit :)

After Signal Hill came Quidi Vidi which was pretty from what I saw of it....I kind of fell asleep in the car, hehe, oops. In any case I picked up my bike (yay!!!) and met Travis back at the hostel. He's been traveling the east coast for a while already and is nearing the end of his trip. It was really great chatting with him and getting a bunch of tips (if you're reading this Travis, thanks again!!). With those tips as well as a few pointers from the lovely employee at Canary Cycles I have for the umpteenth time changed my route but I'm looking forward to it.

Today was all about running errands andgetting prepared for tomorrow. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! I'm starting my cycling in the morning!!!!!!!!!! :D I'm so excited!! Hopefully I won't faint after the first kilometer, lol. I've planned out my route to be in Terra Nova National Park in three days so there will be no more postings for at least that long but hopefully I'll make it there without a hitch and find it to be as gorgeous a park as I expected :)

Happy Father's Day tomorrow Dad!!!! (In case I don't have reception tomorrow :) ) Have a fantastic day!!! I love you!!!!

St. John's, Newfoundland

And so the journey begins....well, sort of :) I haven't started biking yet but I landed in St John's yesterday afternoon without a hitch. After an incredibly frustrating evening of trying to pack my bike for the flight we weren't sure whether or not Porter would actually accept it as luggage but as luck would have it I was able to bring everything with me and at half the cost I expected! (Bonus!!) Everyone was so helpful and the information desk lady was able to find a very nice bike shop here called Canary Cycles which has taken on the task of reassembling Sonic (my bike, for those of you who don't know I named it :) ). The employees are very nice and quite helpful and very knowledgeable, so if I come back to St. John's with my bike I'll definitely make a stop there.

After dropping off my bike I found the HI hostel no problem and everyone there was wonderful as well, (I feel like this may be a trend here) and the rooms and facilities are quite nice. I ended up meeting a few girls at the hostel (Katherine, Sabrina and Briony) and we went out to dinner at a local pub called O'Reilley (I think) on George Street which was nice and had some great music! I love the fiddle!! :D Before meeting up with them I walked around the city for a couple hours or so and it was quite enjoyable. Although it's foggy and cold (apparently typical summer weather) it was everything I expected it to be, just like out of a picture book! It was really nice to see all the fishing boats along the foggy shores and the different coloured houses, cute little stores, very relaxing.

Today I'm heading out with Sabrina and Briony to Cape Spear (the Eastern most point of North America), Signal Hill and any other kind of trouble we want to get into ;P

Ciao for now!