L'Anse-au-Loup, West St. Modeste and Pinware

 Saturday, June 17, 2023

Hi Blog!

With the weather looking a little better, we decided to get out and about and explore some of the communities south/southwest of Red Bay. We decided to start our explorations in L'Anse-au-Loup, and then work our way back to Red Bay. With a population of 600, L'Anse-au-Loup is the largest of the Labrador Straits communities and one of the few rural towns that is still growing.

A visit to L'Anse-au-Loup would not be complete without a stop at Dot's Bakery. We both had a cup of coffee. Dave indulged in a scrumptious cinnamon roll, while Kathy treated herself to a partridgeberry muffin. 

After fueling up at Dot's, it was time to do a little exploring. Our first stop, was the beach at L'Anse-au-Loup. After walking dozens of rocky beaches in Newfoundland, we were surprised to see sandy beaches in Labrador.  The color of the sand reminded us of our time on Prince Edward Island.

As we explored the beach, it was sometimes hard to tell the difference between sea glass and sea ice. (Note, Kathy's gloves are specifically designed to pick up tiny pieces of sea glass on cold windy days.)

At the north end of the beach, L'Anse-au-Loup Brook empties into the Strait of Belle Isle.

We've found all kinds of things in our beach walks. This is our first (intact!) lightbulb!

A few bergs have found their way to the Labrador Coast. This one has found a home in the L'Anse-au-Loup bay.

We knew we were finding a lot of sea glass. However, it wasn't until we got back to the RV that we realized it was the most sea glass we have ever found on a single beach.

We were a bit chilled from our time on the beach, so we decided to head straight to lunch at Oceanview Resort in West St. Modeste. We chatted with the owner while we waited for our moose soup and fish & chips. She also winters in Florida and is looking to sell her motel and restaurant. So, if you are interested in starting a summer business, just give them a call.

After lunch, we decided to head down to the old fish plant and get a photo of the St. Modeste Lighthouse. Out waitress told us that an iceberg had moved into the tickle and was stuck next to the dock of the old fish plant. Iceberg and lighthouse in the same photo - doesn't get any better than that!

The light was established on the northern end of St. Modeste Island sometime before 1920 to guide mariners into the tickle. The present wooden, pyramidal tower was built in 1956 and has an exterior wooden catwalk that encircles its square, red-roofed lantern. The tower stands 5.5 meters tall and was electrified in 1956. In 2007 the lighthouse produced a red flash every three seconds, while its fog signal, installed in 1986, gave a blast every twenty seconds. St. Modeste Island Lighthouse was discontinued in 2010.

In case you were wondering, West St. Modeste was given its name by Pierre Constantine, a merchant of New France, who named it in memory of his ancestral home in Normandy -- St. Modete, a Nordic saint. 

 

It seems every community in Newfoundland and Labrador has their own hiking trail. In West St. Modeste it is the Bouquet's Hill Board Walk.

Bouquet's Hill was originally named after Nicolas Gaspard Boucault, who ran a fur trading concession from a trading post just up the trail from the parking lot. 

With 683 steps to the top, the trail overlooks West St. Modeste, Pinware Bay, and the Strait of Belle Isle. This trail has been used by generations for a variety of purposes. In the early to mid 1900's it allowed residents to access firewood, and most recently has been used as a walking trail and to access berry picking grounds. There are three rest areas along the way. With all those steps, we're going to need them!

As we walked through the woods, we did notice signs that a moose was nearby. However, we never actually saw a moose, just some moose poop. As we climbed our way up, the trees got smaller, and smaller and smaller. Before long, we left the krumholtz behind as we neared the top of the hill.

A short rocky trail led to a great view point.

If you look carefully, you can see the St. Modeste Island Lighthouse.

On the way back down, Dave stopped to check out a glacial erratic.

The way down was much faster than the way up. 

 

Our next stop was the Pinware Provincial Park. The park protects the area where the Pinware River joins the Strait of Bell Isle. It is famous for its long sandy beaches. 

It is also very popular with the fisher folk. Just because salmon fishing season has started doesn't mean the salmon are actually here yet. Never fear, the Pinware also has good trout fishing.

The sand dunes next to the river are covered with sea grass. A collection of drift wood has been stacked next to the trail back to the parking area.

As we hiked along the beach, we couldn't help but look for sea glass. However, all we found was this tiny little iceberg.

As we made our way back to the trailhead, we ran into Larry and Sarah, another couple RVing in Labrador and Newfoundland. It's always fun to compare notes with fellow travelers.  They visited the same iceberg in West St. Modeste that we visited, and sent us this wonderful photo to remember our encounter:

Tomorrow, we move onto L'Anse-au-Clair and hope to explore further south. Stay tuned.