Visited: June 1, 2016
Excelsior The Van: Gros Morne National Park (Part 2)
- S.S. Ethie @ Martins Point -
In December of 1919, the captain of a coal-burning steamer (stout ship) purposely ran his ship ashore at Martins Point during a harsh blizzard in order to save the lives of the 92 passengers aboard. The story is part of the lore and history of the island of Newfoundland; a story that to this day stirs the imagination with tales of a daring rescue attempt, a "hero dog", a baby taken off the boat in a mail sack, and of a captain that was weary about setting sail with the threat of bad weather but was coerced by the company to do so anyways. Remnants of this ship, the SS. Ethie, are strewn about this rocky beach at Martins Point; the iron scraps oxidizing and rusting, some pieces have even been lost to the sea. The shipwreck is one of many destinations in Gros Morne National Park, but funny enough, its not even listed on the park map. So after lunch and play time at Arches Provincial Park up the road, I decided that the shipwreck of the SS Ethie - only a short jaunt from the main road - would be my next destination. And these are the pictures from that excursion:
- Lobster Cove Head -
Drove down to Lobster Cove Head to check out the lighthouse there, and was able to get some amazing views of the mouth of Bonne Bay. Also I parked next to this cool van (#searchingforsero) that was traveling around Newfoundland as well. Unfortunately I did not get to talk to the vandwellers (they were actually sleeping inside), but its cool to see other members of the vanlife community out and about and enjoying the same areas as me.
- Norris Point -
On the way to Norris Point I felt the urge to pull over and take a picture of this water slide, set against the beautiful backdrop of this pristine lake and in the distance, Gros Morne - the mountain for which the national park gets its name (pic 2 is another angle of the mountain). I can't tell you just how serene this looked, and I wish the slide would have been operational because I would not have been able to pass up the opportunity to take a few slides down it just to have that memory to take with me - another time, perhaps. When I got to Norris Point, it was the end of the road. It wasn't clear in the brochure, but I found a local who told me two important things: one, the ferry was not operating this time of year, and two, the ferry between Norris Point and Woody Point was only a passenger ferry - not a vehicle ferry - so I couldn't go any further in the van. I parked and took some pictures at the point then headed back the way I came. My destination for the night was on the other side of beautiful Bonne Bay, and there was only one way to get there: back along the main road.
- Southeast Brook Falls -
As I was heading along this main route towards the park entrance - where the road forks and you can either exit the park or visit the Western side of the park - I pulled over and stopped at a parking lot to use the restroom. I noticed that there was a trailhead attached to the parking lot for the Southeast Brook Falls trail. After looking over the details of the trail, I reasoned that it was fairly short (around 700 meters round trip) and since I had a few hours of daylight left I could do this hike to the falls. Man am I glad I chose to do this hike; not only for the exercise but I was pleasantly surprised with the falls itself. The trail winded through a balsam fir and white birch forest, with minimal elevation gain. The falls were raging with water from the Spring run-off, and I sat for a little while near the top of the falls listening to the water and looked out on the horizon. It was truly magnificent, and I had this moment all to myself.
- Trout River -
Ended the day traveling to Trout River, a small village on the Gulf of St. Lawrence and at the edge of the park. Got a great tip from a local that the next day a new tax was being implemented on fuel and gas prices would soar all over the island of Newfoundland, so I filled up my tank. Took some pictures of some local farm animals, some pictures of Excelsior in front of the Trout River Pond, and then drove just outside the boundaries of the park on a windy dirt service road. I think the road is mostly used as an ATV/4x4 road, as I witnessed a few dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles pass where I pulled off the road. I'm glad the van made it up there, because my cheap ass didn't want to pay for a campground spot for the night. And when I woke in the morning I was greeted by this majestic horse eating some grass right outside the van, so that was pretty cool too.