North Rim Traverse - Day 1 (Gros Morne National Park)

Gros Morne National Park has two major wilderness hiking areas: the North Rim Traverse and the Long Range Traverse. Our plan was to finish crossing both areas in 7 days.

Day 1: Western Brook Pond --> Snug Harbour
We camped out on the day of our arrival at the Berry Hill Campsite; just 5 minutes (taxi) from Rocky Harbour, there is a nice little campsite with sufficient facilities. We checked-in at the campsite very late (around 21:00) so we were placed in the over-flow section. This turned out to be better for us because there was much more privacy and we got to use the washroom and the shared "kitchen" all to ourselves. For just $25.50 a night, it was a far better option than some of the hotels in town that all charged over $150. Another option in town are bed and breakfasts; apparently they are cheap and well maintained at prices below $100.

This was the first time we got to use the new tent Helena bought for this trip. It is the Tarptent Cloudburst 3, single wall, dual arch tent with two entrances. At merely 52oz./1.48kg., the high price is well worth it for backpackers. We also had an extra pole for high wind and an inner condensation liner. On the first night at Berry Hill, we woke up with slightly wet sleeping bags. Without the inner liner, we didn't expect so much condensation to fall from the tent ceiling. Single wall tents absolutely require this inner condensation liner if you have down bags.

After a quick breakfast (oatmeal, coffee, apple), we packed up, and the taxi came right to our campsite on time as promised. We started late because we were told that it would be an easy hike with  a clearly defined path. Also, the Wildlife Museum in Rocky Harbour opened at 09:00. On our way to Western Brook Pond, we made a quick stop to buy the bug nets. From there, it was a 30minute ride up to the Western Brook Pond trail-head ($60 taxi).

It's quite a scenic ride along the coast; as we were passing by small coastal communities, the taxi driver was kind enough to explain the history and the life in these areas. The Western Brook Pond trail start right off the highway by the coast. There is a boat that takes you all the way into the fjord. Most hikers would just take that boat and start at the end of the fjord and hike the Long Range Traverse south.

The hike is just 7KM long and it only took us 5 hours and 25 minutes (10:28 - 15:06). We had to take off our packs and our boots to cross a river that had water that came up to just below my crotch, we got lost once trying to find a short cut, and we stopped for lunch for about 30 minutes around 14:00. We ate pepperoni with tortilla for lunch. I'm not much of a fan of peperoni sticks but it was a good fill with enough fat, protein, sodium, and carbs. With so much granola bars and oatmeal, fiber is not much of an issue on the trail. 

After arrival, we quickly tented and jumped into the pond. It was the most amazing swim. It was a perfect prevening (bazinga!), and the water was nice and warm. We didn't get to swim everyday on the West Coast Trail because I don't like swimming in saltwater before going to sleep; it gets gritty everywhere after. Also, the cliff section of the fjord in the backdrop is amazing to swim with.

Dinner was pasta with peanut butter, chilli pepper can tuna, and onions. I enjoyed it very much probably because I was so hungry. The campsite has 4 basic features: a "bear-post," a wooden tent-pad, a picnic table, and a toilet. Literally just a toilet. I mean literally just a toilet with a lid: No walls, no toilet papers, no wood chips, nothing. It was a toilet surrounded by bushes at the end of a path that started with a toilet sign. Literally just a toilet. 

This didn't bother me as much as the "bear-post." I have never seen these before but it was very intuitive to use. It was basically a long wooden post (around 30 feet) erected a fair bit away from the tent area with 4 hooks on all sides at the top. On the ground you are given a long metal rod with a hook on its tip. The trick is to hook your food bag on to the rod and hang the bag on the hooks on top of the post. It looked and sounded easy enough that I decided to put this task aside until later. It turns out, it's not easy at all. Since this was our first of 7 days of backpacking, we had a lot of food. The bag was too heavy to lift with the long rod and it took us over 45 minutes to try and figure out how we can protect ourselves throughout the night from bears. It was not only bear bears but I saw several mice running around the bushes. In the end, we managed to only get the necessary food (food with most scent) hung up on the top and the rest were put into Ji-Won's bag that we hung on the lower section of the post on the sign.

We were energized, hyper, and excited for the next few days to unfold. None of us really knew what we were getting ourselves into but every one of us were there to make the most of what will be handed to us on the trail. I said this throughout the trip again and again: this first day is my favourite day during the entire trip. We had beautiful weather, a breathtaking scenery, and a perfect swimming spot. Perhaps it may not be the most memorable; in the end, the most miserable moments in any adventure makes up the best stories.