July 13-Gros Morne-Western Brook Pond

Slow start today, we are tired still from yesterday's adventures.  Went into the hotel in Rocky Harbour to buy tickets for the Western Brook Pond tour.  We were advised to buy ahead, esp. as this being Saturday, the number of visitors may be higher.  A beautiful sunny warm day again, perfect for photos of the pond.  We drove up to the parking area for the trail, and had just one hour to hike in the 3 km. for our boat trip.  As we didn't know the terrain, we figured we better hurry, but made it in good time, enough to buy a cold drink at the snack bar.  As there are no roads here, and no hydro lines, buying a cold drink was a surprise.  They have generators running all day, and ATVs roaring up and down the trail to bring in fuel for the generators and boat, and supplies for the snack bar.  The boats apparently were either flown in by helicopter in pieces or taken over land in the winter by sleds when the ground is frozen as it is all peat bogs and boardwalks and heavy wooded areas from the road into the pond.  The commentary was good on the tour, lasted about 2 hours and took us all the way to the end of the pond.  These were actually fjords that closed over and became land locked lakes, but here are called ponds.  In other areas the water has remained a true fjord.  The cliffs on either side of the pond were steep and rocky with the odd waterfall.  Very pretty.  The tour was $155 for the 3 of us, so glad we enjoyed it so much. 

Trail head Western Brook Pond

Boardwalks over peat bogs

Busy boat today-most of the tourists are from Ontario!

We took our time hiking out so I could take some photos, and managed to stumble upon a cow and calf moose right on the trail in front of us.  Devon was so excited, he still mentions it.  What a great experience for him! (110 km)

Forests of short trees is called tuckamore-they only grow to the height of the snowfall as any extra height is killed off by high winds and cold. 

Like a venus fly trap-carnivorous plant