COVID Camping

[RossKean]

My usual riding season includes at least a few excursions into New England for riding and camping - NH, VT, ME and upstate NY.  Obviously, not happening this year with international borders closed.  Effectively, many of the Canadian interprovincial borders are also closed so I can't even ride out to Winnipeg to visit daughter and family as I usually do.  Atlantic Canada has had the best record in North America for control of the COVID-19 coronavirus.  The four provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland & Labrador) have joined to form an Atlantic "bubble" - borders open to residents of these provinces without mandatory self-isolation.

Anyway, it has been three years since I was to Newfoundland so I decided to plan a trip - 12 days (11 nights) in total.  Covering most of the island and with plans to camp (in a different spot) each of nine nights plus an overnight ferry ride each way.  Four different provincial parks and five private campgrounds.  Average of 640 km (400 miles) per day; mostly back roads and small towns/villages.  Plus some remarkable coastal scenery.

I had planned to take another ferry over to Labrador but ran out of days - will save that for a TransLabrador Highway trip in a year or two.

Spotwalla link, if anyone is interested, will be active Sunday morning.

https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=23b025f300f2092b5b&hoursPast=0&showAll=yes

It will be interesting to see if the final result matches the itinerary.  I have Google map links saved for each day as well as a Basecamp file if anyone is interested or planning a trip there in the future.

Not much detail in this screen capture, but you get the idea...

 

[BigOgre]

Good for you and best of luck throughout.  Take lots of pics!

 

[CollingsBob]

Watch out for Moose...We have stayed in Durrell - near Twillingate a couple of times - Doyle Sansome’s crab and Lobster dinners just south of Twillingate are amazing. 

 

[RossKean]

Watch out for Moose...We have stayed in Durrell - near Twillingate a couple of times - Doyle Sansome’s crab and Lobster dinners just south of Twillingate are amazing. 

I know about the moose in Newfoundland; this is my fifth trip there in the last 15 years or so.  I look forward to excellent fish and chips more than lobster - we can get that anytime. Just anticipating some time by myself.  Busy itinerary but I will back off a bit if it is too much. I have seen most of it before and there will always be another opportunity to go back.

 

[Nanahanman]

We have been to The Rock 3 times and enjoyed every trip!

Have a good time der bohy

 

[Canadian FJR]

You are passing thru some neat landscape.  Hope the weather is cooperating.

Canadian FJR

 

[RossKean]

You are passing thru some neat landscape.  Hope the weather is cooperating.

Canadian FJR

Up until tonight...

Very windy today and rain in the forecast tonight and the next few days.  Will look at the weather tomorrow and decide whether to continue or not. I have done most of this before but really want to finish.  Not much fun if camping and riding in the rain. 

 

[RossKean]

Tons of rain last night and until noon today.   Discovered that my tent is no longer entirely waterproof. A little riding around the Northern Peninsula and ended out on Cow Head.  Going to have a serious look at the long range forecast and see if I am going to finish or bail and come back another time.   Weather in Newfoundland can be an issue and you make the best of it.

 

[Canadian FJR]

Go east young man, go east.

Canadian FJR

 

[RossKean]

Twillingate and camping at Dildo Run provincial park tomorrow. Dodged a bunch of thunderstorms today but stayed dry. 

 

[Canadian FJR]

Looks like a great trip.  Might have to copy it next summer.

Canadian FJR

 

[RossKean]

Looks like a great trip.  Might have to copy it next summer.

Canadian FJR

Currently at Frenchman's Cove on the Burin.  Was planning to do a ride around the Burin Peninsula tomorrow and head for Bishop's Falls for the night.  Ride down the Connaigre the next day, camping in Harbour Breton and riding in the area. Run for the ferry Wednesday. Seriously crappy weather forecast for Tuesday night and Wednesday may change my plans.  Either a hotel night Tuesday or cut it short by a day. Will see...

 

[bbdig]

stay safe Ross. Live to ride another day

Jack

 

[RossKean]

stay safe Ross. Live to ride another day

Jack

I won't push it. Just a question of if I want to to put up with some misery in order to accomplish what I had planned. I have been to Newfoundland five times before this so I understand that weather is a big part of any trip to the island.  I  have done better than expected this trip. Still, the Connaigre Peninsula is the one region I haven't done before...

Will look at updated forecasts in the morning.  More an issue of packing up camping gear in the rain than a mostly highway ride to the ferry for the overnight return to the mainland.  I might cheat and do a motel for the last night.  Just riding in the rain isn't that bad.

Getting here is a fairly big deal so I want to make the best of it.  

 

[Canadian FJR]

That’s too bad, we’ve been having spectacular weather 

Canadian FJR

 

[RossKean]

That’s too bad, we’ve been having spectacular weather 

Canadian FJR

Overall,  it has been really good here as well.  I had one bad day and by Newfoundland standards,  that is pretty good for a week long stretch (so far).  Tomorrow,  I will look at the forecast and decide whether to bail a day early, pack up camping gear and ride in the rain or motel it for the last night.  Starting out dry for a ride in the rain isn't that bad. 

 

[Canadian FJR]

Looks like you made it home.  Better weather on this side of the water.

Chat later.

Canadian FJR

 

[RossKean]

Looks like you made it home.  Better weather on this side of the water.

Chat later.

Canadian FJR

Yes, I got home mid afternoon after an overnight ferry crossing.  A day earlier than planned due to an incoming weather system.  I could have gotten soaked at a campsite or sat around in a motel waiting for it to pass through by which time it would have been time to go anyway.  As it was, the ride from Corner Brook to Port aux Basques included high winds and torrential (horizontal) rain.

After landing in North Sydney,  I elected to take a direct route home rather than Cabot Trail etc.  I was tired and it was windy with showers.

6800 km in 11 days and I covered about 75% of what I wanted. Missed some areas because of rain, lack of time and (in one case) a GPS programming error - my fault.  Two nights on the ferry, one at a friend's place and the rest in campgrounds all over the province. 

Always a great place to go.  For me, the next trip, in a year or two, will focus on one or two areas without trying to do too much with a tight schedule.

If anybody is planning on a Newfoundland trip (in a post COVID world), drop me a line and I will help with suggestions. Lots of different things to do.

I didn't take nearly enough photos but will post a few later.  If you look at the Spotwalla link, there are some embedded pics.  You may note that I neglected to start the Spot until I hit Antigonish NS.  That would have included the "Sunrise Trail" coastal route in  NS between Amherst and Antigonish. 

https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=23b025f300f2092b5b&hoursPast=0&showAll=yes

 

[Canadian FJR]

Did you see many moose?

We were there for a week last August and only saw one.

Canadian FJR