The last portion of my explorations was the area of Labrador coastline from Red Bay to Blanc Sablon. After the spectacular scenery of the Quebec side, this was more relaxed, but still full of its own adventures. This is probably the most recognizable part of Labrador, as it’s just a shorter ferry ride away from the island of Newfoundland.
I have more history here than the rest of the province. In 2015, it was my intro to Labrador, at the tail end of a Newfoundland trip. I enjoyed it enough to return in 2017, which was the fateful year of the accident. While I didn’t make it to this stretch of coast before the crash, it was home base for a few days as I picked up the pieces. Post accident I had stayed with a couple in L’Anse-au-Loup, and met others at church that Sunday. So, while I normally do meet people on my travels, there was a stronger connection made here than anywhere else I’ve been. Needless to say, this time I was a little emotional as I drove down the hill into L’Anse-au-Loup.
So on Sunday I once again went to the services at the Gospel Hall, and visited with my Labrador friends. Popular topics of conversation included: where to find the last of the bakeapple, getting ATVs stuck, and of course…the flies. It was a rainy day, so it worked out perfectly to be indoors. We went for a drive around town with stories of the history and residents. It was suggested that I go Cod fishing with the guys(retired fishermen) in the morning, and since we were going to leave early, they insisted I sleep at their place, so I had a nice sleep in a bed. Labrador hospitality is the best.
The next morning we went down to the harbour and out into the bay to catch some cod. I can’t say I was any good at it; I mostly just watched. Their definition of a small fish seemed pretty big to me, as up to this point I’d only ever been lake fishing. I also got a bit seasick…which was a first for me, normally being perfectly fine in rough seas. Back home, we cleaned the fish, put some in my fridge, and I ate fresh cod for the rest of the trip. I didn’t get many photos, but it was definitely an essential Labrador experience and I’m so thankful for the opportunity. I doubt it would have happened if I hadn’t crashed here years ago and got to know some locals.
Spending time visiting isn’t typical of my trips, so it felt a bit weird to pack up and head out again. It was kind of stormy weather, so I headed down the coast hoping it would clear. It didn’t, but I got some nice foggy photos near L’Anse-au-Clair.
The next day, I decided to drive up to Red Bay. My cookstove pump had been getting really squeaky, so in the back of my mind I knew I needed to find a place to buy some oil. I passed a hardware store in Forteau, but kept driving. Then I passed one in L’Anse-au-Loup…and still kept driving. I’m not really sure why I waited so long, but by Capstan Island, I decided to turn around and buy some oil. Turning around, I noticed right away that there was a small iceberg in the bay! It was really late in the season so I wasn’t expecting to see any ice, but I was so excited to see this one. It was pretty far out, but I captured some decent photos with the zoom lens. It seemed providential that my need for oil + my indecision would have me turn around at exactly the right moment. God’s hand at work, I’m sure.
The next day was beautiful sunny weather in Red Bay. This was where I spent time in 2015 and I still think it’s one of the most picturesque spots in the area. The view from Tracey Hill is especially spectacular.
I spent two separate nights camped near the Point Amour lighthouse. One of the evenings I enjoyed a nice shoreline walk with a sunset, and did some star gazing later on.
One morning I went for a short hike in some sand dunes near L’Anse-Amour. Another time I checked out some abandoned fishery buildings. This whole part of the trip seemed like random little adventures that don’t really tie together. The linear story had ended, as I was at my destination, just soaking in the last days randomly wandering here and there.
On the last day, I finally got around to something I should have done earlier: driving a bit of the powerline road. The powerlines run from the big hydro projects in the middle of Labrador, to the coast, where they cross to Newfoundland. Hundreds of kilometers.
There is an access road that follows them and I had heard from my Labrador friend that it might be possible to drive all the way from the coast to Goose Bay. Otherwise there is very very little information online. Even google maps isn’t aware of this road. In fact, most of it runs through an area with low resolution satellite imagery, so you can’t even see most of it. However, people do drive at least the first part to go berry picking, hunting, and there are a few small cabins.
So I set off, fully expecting it to be boring. How scenic could it be with powerlines there to ruin the view? It was spectacular! My kind of road! It was that special kind of desolation where it feels like the middle of nowhere, and you can see for miles and miles. And it just got better and better as it turned into the hills.
Sadly, I couldn’t press on. This was my last day before heading to Battle Harbour, and I had to be in Mary’s Harbour at a decent time the next morning. Plus, I had scouted out a perfect camp spot earlier that I wanted to return to. So I turned around only 36 km in. At the conclusion of a major trip and here was something that made me itch to see more. I guess I’ll have to come back again!
That evening was at a camp spot in a small cove near L’Anse-au-Loup, that I had scouted earlier in the week. It turned out to be a delightful spot. I sat out until it was dark, with a coffee and my kindle, just taking it all in. The last wild camp of the trip. It was especially nice as many previous evenings I hadn’t been able to enjoy the outdoors due to the weather.
While the trip wasn’t quite over, this felt like a conclusion. It was over a little too soon, despite being on the road for about 3 weeks at this point. There are a few places I’ve visited that just make me want to stay and linger. In the past I’ve called Yukon my home away from home, in the early years it was Algonquin, and Labrador definitely holds a special place in my heart. I’m sure I’ll be back again someday.
The Narrow Twisty Road 