We're back near Gros Morne! Friday, June 29, 2018, was our first full day in Deer Lake, which is just south of the park. We really enjoyed our time in the Northern Peninsula. We are going to miss the icebergs, but not the cold weather. When we arrived in camp yesterday it was 83F! Here in Newfoundland, you wait five minutes and the weather changes. We had a mostly cloudy and sprinkly day for our tour of the Tablelands. Here's our first view of these amazing rocks.
The Tablelands, found between the towns of Trout River and Woody Point in the south west section of Gros Morne National Park, look more like a barren desert than traditional Newfoundland. This is due to the ultramafic rock – peridotite – which makes up the Tablelands. It is thought to originate in the Earth’s mantle and was forced up from the depths during a plate collision several hundred million years ago. As we sat in the Red Chairs, we contemplated the immense force needed to push the Earth's mantle up and over the earths crust. And it all took place right here!
As we finished our contemplation, we noticed a waterfall coming down from the Tablelands. We decided we needed to go investigate.
We found the Tablelands Trailhead inundated with wave after wave of tour bus occupants standing on the hiking trail and not hiking. After several polite "excuse me's" we just started plowing through them!
The rusty rocks gave the trail an "otherworldly" feeling. We later learned that the rocks known as peridotite lack the usual nutrients required to sustain most plant life, hence its barren appearance. The rock is very low in calcium, very high in magnesium, and has toxic amounts of heavy metals. Peridotite is also high in iron, which accounts for its oreangeish color (rust). Underneath this weathered orange layer, the rock is really a dark green color.
Before heading up to find our waterfall, we decided to follow the main trail round to the Winter House Brook Canyon viewing platform.
Along the way we stopped to take in the environment.
Upon these mantle rocks once sat the Earth's crust. Over time, erosion and glaciers scraped away all the ocean sediments to reveal the mantle.
To protect the fragile environment, we follow a boardwalk up to the bottom of Winter House Brook Canyon.
Off trail hiking is possible and encouraged. It was so tempting to follow the Winter House Brook back to its headwaters, but the high winds and sprinkles kept us from exploring the top of the Tablelands. As we often say - "Next Time."
Rock collecting is discouraged. So, Kathy had to satisfy herself with photos!
We soon turned our attention to hiking to the waterfall. On the way, we found one lone tree struggling to survive in this toxic environmental.
We ended up having to share the trail with a tour bus. When their trip leader saw us bushwhacking over the landscape up to "his" waterfall, he led his group on a fast forced march to try to beat us to the waterfall. Not to be intimidated, we found a better viewpoint, where we could see the falls and a snowfield. This was our view of the waterfall. You can't even see the 30 other tourists!
Dave did a great job getting Kathy's photo by the snowy waterfall. However, it was raining and blowing steadily by the time we reached the falls. A raindrop decided to land right in the middle of the camera lens, just in the wrong spot. Hense, the halo around Kathy's face.
We gave up the photo spot and Kathy placed the green shiny rock back down so other's could enjoy its ancient beauty. After beating the tourists back to the trailhead, we decided to have our picnic lunch at Trout River Pond. On our way over to the pond, we stopped at the beach boardwalk in the little town of Trout River.
While it was not an official Parks Canada Red Chair, Kathy could not resist this little cutie painted to look like a lobster!
When we reached the beach at Trout River Pond, we found ourselves facing a gale force wind and the return of the sprinkles! Discretion being the better part of valor, we ate our lunch in the Jeep listening to our favorite Newfie tunes.
After lunch, we drove back over the Tablelands to Woody Point. We stopped at the Gros Morne Discovery Center, but found them still working on their displays. They were hoping to have everything set up by July 1 - Canada Day - but have fallen short of their goal. In the meantime, they did have some great rocks on display and one of the Park Rangers took the time to explain them all to us. We learned a lot about plate tectonics. Gros Morne Rocks!
While in the neighborhood, we decided to make a stop in Woody Point to check out the lighthouse.
The Woody Point Lighthouse is a square, tapered, wooden tower, clad with shingles and surmounted by a superimposed gallery and a typical square wooden lantern. Constructed in 1959 to replace the original 1919 light, this lighthouse is located on a grassy Knoll overlooking the south arm of Bonne Bay, on the edge of the town of Woody Point.
If you look back at our blog, Gros Morne - The Bay Chapter, you'll see some photos with this Woody Point Light taken from across Bonne Bay in Norris Point. It was fun to see it all from the other side. That's Norris Point, spread along the shore of Bonne Bay below Gros Morne Mountain, to the right of this lighthouse in the photo above.
It was a good first day. Tomorrow we hope the weather will improve and we can tackle a longer hike! Stay tuned.
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