This is an entry in Dave Chenault's trip report contest.



Check out the report on my blog:

http://lwao.blogspot.com/2011/09/long-range-traverse.html

Edited by jasonpicard on 09/13/2011 22:14:50 MDT.

Great read. I spent 10 days in Newfoundland this past summer, four of which were in Gros Morne NP. I want to go back! We took the boat to the dock at the end of Western Brook Pond were two hikers from Norway unloaded to make the trek.

Edited by Doug.H on 09/14/2011 18:15:46 MDT.

I hiked up Gros Morne this last Sunday on my drive down the coast from the Strait of Belle Isle. Its funny, but I looked just yesterday at the Trip Report Database, and looked specifically for any report on Gros Morne. Zippo. And then there you were today! Thanks.

Thirteen or fourteen years ago I spent a few weeks backpacking and car camping in Gros Morne and fell in love with Newfoundland and ended up buying a house up by L'anse aux Meadows National Park(the Viking site). I've never done the traverse, so very much enjoyed your trip report. Ah, the wind me boy, as the Newfies would say. Very nice pic of Western Brook Pond with the clouds descending. I did backpack the Green Gardens Trail back then, which I believe is the most spectacular coastal backpacking in eastern North America.

Thanks!
Doug, I hope you had nice weather for that boat tour! We didn't see much, and the waves were pretty big.

Mark, We had built a couple 'contingency' days into our hiking schedule, but had also booked accommodations in Rocky Harbour and St. Anthony in case things went as planned in the backcountry. As such we were able to drive up to L'Anse aux Meadows and St. Anthony following our hike. Saw the Viking site and a bunch of 'bergy bits' trapped in the harbours and coves of the area . . . beautiful place Newfoundland.

Great report. I've always wanted to go to Gros Morne National Park ever since reading an article in Backpacker Magazine in 1977.

What gear did you carry? I'm curious if you were able to do this Ultralight, as I thought there was a gear check by the park staff...

John,
My base weight was about 16 pounds, and total pack weight around 25 at the beginning of the trip.

Areas I could have cut weight:
I carried at 4 pound tent where I might have been able to get away with a 24oz Tarptent Contrail; a 40oz Exped Downmat where I could have used a 14oz Neoair, etc... So it could have easily been UL if I had been ruthless. However the weather in Newfoundland is notoriously windy, and I would not have wanted to spend the night in a Tarptent that final night out . . . a Hubba Hubba was barely sufficient to keep me out of the elements.

The mattress made the difference between waking up feeling rested and limber vs. stiff and achy. This is due to a compression fracture in my lower back suffered 9 years ago. At this point I'll do what it takes to keep the back issue at bay so I can enjoy my adventures.

I also could've reduced my cook kit weight a little (maybe a half pound), but needed enough capacity and BTU's to cook for 3. I think those three things would have put me pretty close to the 10 pound threshold, close enough to get me to count the remaining ounces and make it under that limit! That said, I was not labouring at all with that pack weight.

I chose to carry a framed pack in the Osprey Exos 46. I've got lighter packs in my arsenal, but none carry nearly as well as this pack. Barely knew it was there!