August 26th-27th, 2010

We had an early start today in order to secure a spot on the ferry.  People without a reservation has to purchase their ticket at the kiosk an hour and a half or so before departure; even that doesn’t guarantee a spot because they set aside a few spots for those who don’t have a reservation on a first come first serve basis.  Overcast this morning; looks like it might even rain.  Blue berries didn’t work; got a bit of a headache, a sore throat and a cough to go with it.  Hopefully we can get a spot on the ferry so I can lie down and rest.

I guess this would be the start of the TLH if one were to begin from this end

They packed all the cars and trucks onto the ferry first and we noticed there were still a few cars ahead of us.  This doesn’t look good.  Finally someone signaled us to come aboard and we ended up being the last ones.  Why all the suspense?  The rest of the people travelling by car weren’t that lucky and had to wait for the next ferry. 

So that’s a wrap on the Trans Labrador Highway; much fun was had.  So long Labrador, we’ll miss you.

Time for some much needed rest.  Good thing the waters weren’t too choppy, sea sickness is another weakness of mine and Amanda.  Remember Key West? 

The island of Newfoundland up ahead

Touching down in Newfoundland means my bike and I have ridden through all the provinces and territories in Canada with the exception of Nunavut.  Is there a back road into Nunavut?  I wonder.  Amanda and her bike will do the same once we ride through Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick. 

We picked up a few brochures on Newfoundland and decided to see some Viking artifacts in L’Anse aux Meadows.  We also picked up a snowmobile brochure that had a map detailing all the trails on the island.  The legend pointed out rustic cabins along the trails that are free to use; might come in handy if we can’t find a place to pitch our tent.  One of the cabins is not too far off from the highway on our way to L’Anse aux Meadows so we decided to check it out.  After searching for about an hour or so, the cabin was nowhere to be found.  Maybe they take them down in the off season; who knows? 

We ran into Dominique and John by chance in St. Anthony where we stocked up on food and supplies.  They were coming back from L’Anse aux Meadows and gave us directions to a place where we can potentially stealth camp.

The place ended up being way too much out in the open so we decided to look elsewhere.  We ended up finding a spot behind a pile of chopped wood, which is one of the things we noticed upon landing in Newfoundland.  Piles of chopped wood would randomly appear off to the side of the highway.  It’s important to have some cover, especially for Amanda, to do our business when we need to…

…like this animal for instance.  Not sure if this is moose or bear dung.  Better keep the bear spray close by. 

The next day was raining and windy so we decided to stay put.  I was feeling like crap and needed to rest anyway. 

Amanda went out and bought Newfoundland treats to lift our spirits.  Oddly enough she saw a man dressed as a Viking at the convenience store; probably just got off work from the park. 

194 km

So long Labrador.

Dang, must’ve caught the flu bug.

Welcome to “The Rock”.