Friday, January 4, 2019

2014 pics - Port Aux Basques to Argentia


Ferry Day
Thursday August 21: 
Nova Scotia - Port Aux Basques, NL

Time:
8 hour over-night ride 
23:45 - 08:00 the next morning.
**Pay the extra cash for a bunk room!**

Ferry Cost
$43.43 adult ticket
$47.35 for ATV
$145.48 for two or four bunk room (it's worth it to get a good sleep)
$26.00 for supper (excellent buffet)
$12.00 for breakfast
plus miscellaneous expenses

Newfoundland ATV Trip
The entire trip West to East 


The weather was warm, the sun was shining and we had a smooth crossing.


Packed and ready to go to the Newfoundland Ferry

Stopping for coffee in Baddeck 
Getting organized before heading upstairs
Bracing the winds on the ferry crossing
Midnight chilli - man, it was good
Exploring the outside decks
Day 1
Friday August 22 : 
Port Aux Basques to Robinson's

The first day on the trail - blue skies, sunshine, and spectacular scenery. We took pictures of some beaches at the start of the trail and rode to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain for more pictures. We stopped for gas and finally stopped for the night at Pirate's Haven in Robinson's. 


They day's trip from PAB to Robinson's
The view of Port Aux Basques from our cabin window
Gerry taking a photo while the rest of eat our ferry breakfast
We stopped at the nearby Irving after getting off the boat to get organized.
Getting my video camera ready before hitting the trail
The Trail starts on the other side of the train
This view was only a few minutes ride from the start of the trail. What 
a way to start the trip.
Bob and I  capture the view

Panoramic view
We drove to the top of Sugarloaf near the table mountains.



A great panoramic shot taken by Duane

We came across an old concrete house near the trail and stopped for a few pictures
The outside view
Trail break
Trail view near Wreckhouse
Gerry takes in the view
An old bus converted to a trail-side camp
The first washout we came across.
Luckily Bob had some caution tape we used to make it more visible

Pirates Haven was the destination for our first day on the trail. For Bob and I, it was our second time 
staying here. The cabins are roomy and comfortable and the service was second to none. The owners 
Paul and Ruth made sure our stay was perfect. The food at the restaurant is great too.
The inside of one of the cabins.

Video recap for Day 1 on the Trail
Day 2
Saturday August 23rd: 
Robinson's to Serpentine Lake

Our second day on the trail - once again beautiful weather! 
We took our time and averaged about 40 km/h (25 mph) and stopped for lots of pictures. We didn't hit the trail until about 10:30 and arrived at the lake around supper. We set up camp, had a BBQ and made a great fire.

The day's trip from Robinson's to Serpentine Lake
Our first pit stop - Fishell's bridge
Enjoying the trip
Under Fishell's bridge

A curious coyote came to check us out
Another pit stop


We filled up at Stephenville Crossing and grabbed a coffee.

We arrived at Serpentine Lake and set up camp
Duane is enjoying his favorite drink - coffee!
Gerry and Bob cutting up the veggies
Tent city. I hadn't stayed at this part of the lake before. We rode through
some pretty deep water to get here but it was worth it.

A group shot minus Duane, as he took it. Next time we need to bring a tripod.
The ATV in the background belonged to a local guy was fly fishing just out of frame.
When he returned he had  a 10 lb salmon!






The old driftwood burns well

The sky was clear and the when the stars came out they were bright.
In fact I haven't seen stars that bright anywhere. It's so far away from any towns

that there is no light pollution to spoil the view. 
I wish my camera was capable of taking a good picture of them.
The temperature started to drop a bit but the fire kept us warm
Video recap for Day 2 on the Trail

Day 3
Sunday August 24th: 
Serpentine Lake to Howley

Our third day on the trail  - getting spoiled by more blue skies and sunshine. It was a chilly morning but it warmed up quickly to 23 degrees Celsius
(73 degrees Farenheit)

We got a ride from Cecil Anderson (709)686-5534 from Corner Brook to Pasadena because that section of the trail is out.


The day's trip - Serpentine Lake - Howley

Morning view of the Serpentine Valley Mountains
It was cool in the early morning but the sun quickly burned the mist away
Two early morning fellas out fishing
The fishermen passing our campsite
Cecil Anderson transported us from Corner Brook to Pasadena to by pass
the 30 km gap in the trail. I put his phone number on the Planning Your Trip Page.
We stopped in Deer Lake for gas and food
The trail was very dusty this day. The box used to be camo instead of brown.
You can see how much dust we were accumulating
And a coffee break in Deer Lake before hitting the trail again
Deer Lake
A beach on Grand Lake in the Howley area. It was a beautiful spot
to spend the night.



Gerry is taking the front box off the old 2008 Sportsman. The air compressor caused
a little panic when it melted a fuse and the fuse block. The fuses were a little
corroded and caused the issue. Apparently it is a common problem on the Sportsman. 
Note to self: check all fuses for corrosion before going on a trip in the future.
Duane and Gerry patching the fuse block. Luckily it worked fine
for the rest of the trip. The fuse block will be replaced with inline fuses
with water tight caps to prevent this type of thing in the future.
Our Howley camp site on the beach. What a spot.
Tent city
The view of Grand Lake from our camp site. The water was warm enough (barely)
to take a dip and get cleaned up.
Video Recap for Day 3 on the trail




Day 4
Monday August 25th: 
Howley to Badger 

Our fourth day on the trail - blue skies and warm temperatures AGAIN.  We ate breakfast, packed up the tents and hit the dusty trail. We stopped for pictures at the top of the Gaff Topsail then continued on our way. 



The day's trip from Howley to Badger
Approaching the Gaff area
View from the top of the Gaff
Duane and Bob take in the view


Duane had enough photos taken already
This is the living area of Trailblazers in Badger. It's only a few feet from the trail.
It's a comfy place with several bedrooms, three bathrooms, a fully stocked kitchen,
patio deck with BBQ and a washer and dryer that came in handy. We were really happy to
finally get here after two days of camping.

Video Recap for Day 4 on the trail




Day 5
Tuesday August 26th: 
Badger to Gander

Our fifth day on the trail. A mix of sun and cloud, no rain. Temperature was about 22 Celsius.  We traveled slower than any other day because this section of trail is rough with pot holes and chop. We stopped at a restaurant called Rosie's which is only a hundred feet from where we spent the night at Frosty's Trailside Units. We rented one unit, which has two rooms but a rather cramped kitchen area. In the future I would recommend only two people per unit at Frosty's. Otherwise the accommodations are nice, and conveniently located on the trail.


The day's trip from Badger to Gander
Fuel pit stop

The coffee was good too.
We were creating a lot of dust on the dry trail.
If you don't have a full faced helmet bring a dust mask
of some sort.






Video Recap of Day 5 on the trail




Day 6
Wednesday August 27th: 
Gander to Clarenville

Our sixth day on the trail - a mix of sun and cloud, no rain. Temperature was about 22 Celsius.
We stopped for gas in Gander, bought some water and hit the trail.
We stopped at St. Jude's Motel in Clarenville for the night. It's a nice spot with a good restaurant. There is a sign on the trail pointing to St. Jude's and it's only a few hundred metres.



The day's trip from Gander to Clarenville

We enjoyed supper at Rosie's so much we stopped for breakfast
before hitting the trail.
Getting gas in Gander before hitting the dusty trail
We stopped in Gambo for a break and a snack.


Terra Nova National Park. The trail runs over the bridge.


Duane was loaded down but good. 



Day 7
Thursday August 28th: 
Clarenville to Argentia 

Our seventh day on the trail - the only day it rained.
We were on the trail at 5:45 a.m. Yup, early. We had to be at the ferry terminal by 3 p.m. at the latest so we left really early to make sure we would be on time. By 10 a.m. we were ahead of schedule so we took longer breaks to eat and chat and still arrived an hour early at the ferry terminal.

The day's trip from Clarenville to Argentia
It rained on our last day. We can't complain because we otherwise had good weather

I didn't take many pictures this day because of the rain. This is a view of the trail
almost at the end.


Hitting some puddles on the last part of the trail. 
Gerry hitting the water
There wasn't much water left in the puddle after Duane hit it! 
Good thing we had rain gear

Welcome to Argentia - Should be saying Goodbye Argentia.
Getting your bike sprayed down is mandatory. Something about trying to
prevent the spread of a beetle harmful to agriculture. 
This guy seemed determined to force water into Duane's knap sack.
All loaded on the ship and ready for a shower and a change of clothes.
THE END: Another fantastic trip. I can't wait to go back in 2015!


9 comments:

  1. Hi,
    Looks like you had fun on your trips to Nfld, great blog and pictures as well. I was just wondering if you had any information on if a 64" side by side would have any problems doing this trip, it beign wider that a standard atv. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  2. A few places on the trail will definitely be tight with a 64" machine but you can still do it. The tightest part of the trail, in general, is between Argentia and Placentia Junction, it's the first 30 kms of the trail if you are heading East to West.
    My email is on the first page of the blog. Send me an email with specific questions if you like.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello
    Looks like you guys had a great trip across the Rock. I really enjoyed the blog and pictures. Ever consider doing the trip from Argentia to Port Aux Basques? ATV trips are new to me. Thanks.....DML

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  4. Hello, Is it neccessary to book your accommodation in advance? We are hoping to do this trip during the second and third week of August 2015 and am not sure whether we should be reserving accommodation before we leave or just stopping where we need to each day? Do things get really booked up?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. make sure you boo in advance. That's a time of year when there are lots of atvers on the trail.

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  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Do you have a list of tools and essential items that you take on a trip like this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. http://newfoundlandtrailway.blogspot.com/2011/07/what-to-bring.html

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