Western Brook Pond

Yesterday and today we made 2 valiant attempts to take the boat tour through Western Brook Pond, the crown jewel of Gros Morne National Park. First of all you have to walk 6 kilometers in to a boat landing and take the tour from there. Day 1 we walked in and waited. It was the windiest walk I had ever taken...50 to 60 mile per hour winds.There are three tours per day and the first one was just coming back, so we got ready to go. The wind was so fierce they had to cancel for the rest of the day, so back out we walked. We drove back to our camp site and made plans for day 2. Today off we went again and we decided to do the four o'clock tour. More wind, but I have to say the weather has been very warm. Today was successful. We went into the most beautiful land locked lake with mountains towering on each side. It's considered to be a fjord, but technically is not one as it contains fresh water. The lake was pretty rough, and we sat on the top of the boat, and every now and then a wave would hit and we would get sprayed. It was a wild ride, but in a place of spectacular beauty. My friend Susan was right....definitely a must see if you visit here.
On our way to the pond we had time to kill so we ambled along the Viking Trail, Rte 430, and stopped here and there. We went for a small coastal walk from Green Point, and think we saw moose feeding way across a small pond. Moose here are a problem. They are overtaking the park....6 per square kilometer... which is a very dense population. The entire ecosystem of the park is changing as they feed on certain trees. Those trees are dying out and being replaced by a new variety. It's a huge problem, and they may allow hunting in the park at some point.
We also stopped at an interesting spot that contains the remains of a shipwreck. The SS Ethie went aground in December 1919. 92 passengers aboard were all saved including a baby sent ashore in a mailbag. We had lunch here overlooking the ocean. While there we talked to a very interesting young man from England who was on a solo motorcycle trip.He came to Boston in April and has been traveling for 22,000 miles. He has been to Alaska as far as the Arctic Circle and all over the US. When he gets back to Boston he plans to sell the motorcycle and go home. He and Don had quite a conversation.
After our boat tour the skies looked threatening for the first time this week so we stopped at a small seaside community called Cow Head, famous for summer theater offererings. We pulled into a small RV park right on the ocean and here we sit updating this blog. I think we'll sleep well tonight after facing 2 days of wind and walking. Below are photos of the walk,the lake, and the wreck.