Western Brook Pond Fjord Boat Tour, Gros Morne - Arches Provincial Park - Port Au Choix Historic site - St. Barbe, Great Northern Peninsula, Newfoundland

Biking the 3 kilometre trail to the boat dock

Today we are booked on the 10 am Western Brook Pond Fjord boat tour in Gros Morne National Park. It is a 2 hour boat cruise on a 16-kilometre-long, land locked freshwater fjord carved by glaciers inside the Long Range Mountains.

To reach the dock, there is an easy 3-kilometre gravel walking trail from the parking lot across bogs and forested ridges. A girl at the Parks Canada visitor centre a couple days ago said the trail is open to bikes so we take the opportunity to save 45 minutes of walking.

Bontour Boat dock

Heading across Western Brook Pond

Entering the fjord

We leave the dock and head across Western Brook Pond (lakes in NFLD are called ponds) with unassuming views all around. Soon we are inside towering, 600 metre (2000 foot) billion-year-old cliff walls, deep gorges and massive hanging valley waterfalls. 

Wild rock formations on top towering cliffs

Blue Denim falls

The first waterfall we come to is called 'Blue Denim' falls. It's a striking waterfall that cascades down glacier carved cliffs. 

Pissing Mare falles

At the far end of our 16-kilometre ride are 'Pissing Mare' falls, the highest waterfall in Newfoundland and Labrador, plunging 343 metres (1125 feet) into the glacier-carved fjord of Western Brook Pond.

Far end of the pond

 

Back country hikes left at far end

There is a group of hikers who get off at the end of the pond. They are taking on the back country hike from the end of Western Brook Pond to the parking lot at the Gros Mountain hike. It's a 35 kilometre, completely unmarked, exceptionally rugged trail that will take them 3-5 days depending on hiking ability. Good luck all :)

Heading back 16 kilometres :)

Exceptional lunch spot

Once back at the trailer we start the journey north along route 430 (the Viking trail), up the 'Great Northern Peninsula'. We stop at 'Arches Provincial Park' for lunch. Wow, what an unexpected treat. It's a small, roadside coastal park famous for its massive natural sea arches carved by the ocean waves. 

Fun in the arches

Port au Choix fishing village

Next is 'Port au Choix' a vibrant fishing town and major archaeological site of the Dorset Palaeo-Eskimo. The rich natural resources of the area have drawn people here for thousands of years. They lived by hunting, fishing and gathering - turning what they found into the things they needed. A very simple life. 

Metal sculptures depicting life of indigenous peoples

Caribou

We see a small group of caribou, which is very unexpected and nice. 

Inside the visitor centre is a very nice collection of art and artifacts, plus a great explanation of the Dorset Palaeo-Eskimo life over thousands of years.

Animals they hunted to survive

Drying meat

 

Uncovered artifacts

Point Riche Lighthouse

Next we hike the coastal trail out to the lighthouse. The rock formations along the water are huge slabs that we enjoy walking along with the ocean crashing up. Amazing. 

Slabs of rocky coastline

Ferry to Labrador signage

The final push north for the day lands us at St. Barbe's RV park where we will leave the trailer and do day trips. The road is getting rougher and rougher so we are happy with the plan we made. This is also where we will catch the ferry to Labrador in a couple days :)

St. Barbe's RV park - we are done for today