Time now to retrace our steps to reach the Great Northern Peninsula. It puts us on the coast of Newfoundland, part of the Canadian province of 'Newfoundland and Labrador', the answer to our Geo Quiz.

Gros Morne Caribou: A woodland caribou from Newfoundland's diminishing herd pauses atop a ridge in Gros Morne National Park. Photo by Peter Potterfield

Peter Potterfield recently spent some time hiking there. He's researching new trails for the next edition of his book: Classic Hikes of The World. Potterfield's starting point was Newfoundland's Gros Morne National Park:

(Peter Potterfield) "I just finished a 4-day hike, doing a 25 mile route without any trails at all, you are forced to use a map and a compass the entire way, we didn't see a soul on the trail. Can you imagine, 25 miles, but we did see a moose and fox and at one of our campsite, we had a mother ptarmigan hen with 4 chicks and they were running all around the campsite during the night, it's a beautiful place here. But each trip has a surprise for me when I'm looking for a great hike, and the local Newfounder who helped me out and helped me get where I needed to go a guy named Ed English suggested we go up to Quirpoon island, this is the extreme tip of Newfoundland, in fact you can look over to Labrador. Ed has a lighthouse inn up there and its a spectacular place and its a functioning navigational aid. The light still flashes every 15 seconds, but what's really amazing is to wake up to the sound of humpbacks, and orcas. it's a fabulous experience and I'll let Ed describe what makes it so special."

Ed English Ethie Wreck: Ed English exams the sight of the wreck of the SS Ethie in Gros Morne National Park. English's grandfather, as captain, intentionally drove the Ethie ashore to save the crew during a hurricane in 1919. Photo by Peter Potterfield

(Ed English) "It turns out we have a unique spot because the fish supply, the food that whales want is just incredible there. There's a little narrow strip of water that separates Newfoundland from the rest of North America and all the fish that want to go back and forth between the North Atlantic and the big Gulf of St Lawrence all have to go past our doorstep so it's essentially a never ending conveyor belt of food. So that just draws in the whales and then we're lucky because right at the lighthouse rocks its about 200 feet deep so you can literally sit with your feet dangling in the water, looking down through your toes and see humpback whales driving the fish in against the cliffs under your feet and then just surfacing. You can reach out and touch them quite frequently."

Iceberg and Quirpon Lighthouse: An iceberg, one of many carried down from Greenland on the Labrador Current, floats past Quirpon Lighthouse on Newfoundland. Photo by Peter Potterfield.

That narrow strip of water is called the Strait of Belle Isle. From high up in the lighthouse, Ed Ester says the view is breathtaking:

(Ed English) "Water. It really does feel like the ends of the earth out there...the sun sets over Labrador, so you can see the sunset off to the left as you're facing north. If you're standing at our helipad and you look due west, you're looking at the Viking site over at Lancing Meadows. It's the only Viking site in North America they were there 500 years before Columbus and lived there for a few years. So its a UNESCO World Heritage Site I mean very important archaeologically. If you look to your right as you're facing north all you see is clear ocean and if you could see far enough you'd be looking at Ireland."

Quirpon Light: Quirpon Lighthouse and inn, perched at the extreme northern tip of Newfoundland. Photo by Peter Potterfield.

There are often as many as 50 icebergs in sight. They float down from Greenland and Baffin Island on the Labrador Current.

(Ed English) "So the icebergs just come down and smash into the rocks, I mean they're huge, as big as mountains, so you can imagine a beautiful day, it's hot, and all of sudden, you're out walking and all of sudden you come around the corner, and there's an ice mountain and its just an amazing sight to see and its constantly changing because its always rolling around and breaking apart. (Potterfield) If I were to succinctly describe the last 8 days in Newfoundland, I would provide a photograph of the wild terrain up on the Arctic plateau that you've got to find your way across for 20 miles using map and compass, that's got to be seen to be believed, a picture of the big moose, the caribou, and a picture of the whales frolicking beyond the lighthouse up on Quirpon Island, I think that pretty much says it all!"

http://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/nl/grosmorne/index_e.asp
http://linkumtours.com/site/inns_quirpon.htm
http://linkumtours.com/