Day 6 Long Range Traverse (Gros Morne National Park)

 Day 6 of our 7 day journey was very relaxing. We started hiking up from the Gros Morne Mountain trailhead and travelled north along a new area (the Long Range Traverse). This route had a defined trail that was very easy to follow. The incline was steady but it was nothing compared to the hikes that we've been on during the past 6 days. The sun came back up and it was a beautiful day.

We hiked towards the Gros Morne Mountain, hooked around the southern base of the mountain. The walk was not particularly scenic at this point but there were a lot of rocks everywhere. Our plan was to hike to the first campsite at the base of the mountain, setup our tent, hike up to the Gros Morne Mountain for the view, and return to our tent for the night.

Once we tented and dropped off our bags, the hike was much easier without the packs. I carried my ukulele up to the mountain and sang the entire time at the top of my lungs. Same songs over and over and over and over again. I didn't have many songs memorized so my crew had to endure the repetitive soundtrack for this trip.

The hike up to the mountain was steep but it was easy peasy. Some stairs and lots of board-walks later, we reached the summit. The weather was great and the sun was setting so it was a great time to take photos. We hung around the top for a while and returned back to our tent just before nightfall.

It was a relaxing day. A great way to end the final part of our trip to Newfoundland. It was more of a time of reflection and conversations for us. It rained on and off throughout the night and the tent as our primary shelter became more natural to us than it was at the beginning. It was our last night in the backcountry and all three of us were most certainly sad for the end. I will return to Newfoundland to finish this trail next year (hopefully); in the meantime, I will miss the great moments and the amazing sights we had the privilege to experience.