Goodbye Newfoundland!

...but hopefully it will only be Au Revoir and not Farewell as I was made to feel as if it was a second home.    The help and hospitality I received while crossing The Rock was totally overwhelming, and I will treasure many precious memories of my time there.  Many many thanks to everyone who helped me on my way - I could not have done it without you!
Lady and me by the ferry harbour at Port aux Basques before boarding on Monday evening (photo by Gulf News reporter Brodie Thomas).

I had a lovely surprise on the ferry as John Carter's son Captain Colin Carter was captaining the ferry we were travelling on, and arranged for me to have a complimentary cabin.  It was the icing on the cake of my Newfoundland crossing success to find I had been given the owner's suite with shower, TV, sofa, double bed and view out over the prow, all of which I made good use of. 

Loving the towel bunny....

Lady waiting to set out after unloading in North Sydney the next morning...

We rode up to Cabresto Ridge Equestrian Centre at Coxheath , where I have been staying courtesy of Angela Mercer Penny for a couple of days while Lady has a rest and I plan the next leg.   Angela's parents Mike and Peggy have taken me into their home and have been spoiling me.    

Solstice Success

Friday 20th June. Relaxed and pleasant ride along the beautiful Codroy valley to Doyles. (photo to follow)  I hope to include a couple of photos when I have worked out how to transfer them from my cell phone! 
About halfway I was approached by an elderly chap who was waiting on the side of the track.  Turned out he was Ralph Hilliard, a friend of Phil Taylor who sold Lady to me.  He lived nearby in Cape Anguille, and had come specially down to the rail bed to search us out....(photo to follow)

In Doyles I was being hosted by the Osmonds, not the Salt Lake City crowd but Carol's parents Harvey and Shirley.  A warm welcome awaited me, though my heart sank slightly when I saw the beautiful lawn where Lady was to be tethered, and I hoped she would not inflict too much damage pacing around.  We had an entertaining diversion when the neighbours called to say that Lady had escaped and was in the garden opposite -  the reason soon became clear!.....

She was quite enamoured of this black beauty, but at least I knew where I would find her if she slipped her tether again.
Saturday June 21st and the day that Lady and I reached our goal of Port aux Basques!   Another really beautiful ride, this time mainly along the coast.
Past St Andrews..

 

where I suppose it should come as no surprise to find ...

We reach Wreckhouse..

which has achieved dubious notoriety as the location with the highest winds in Newfoundland, not from the sea but sweeping down from the inland mountains, to the extent that railway carriages were blown off the track, and even today high sided vehicles are blown off the road.  Happily I was only blown away by the awesome mountain scenery cloaked in mist.

The Newfoundland Railway employed a gentleman known as McDougall who had an uncanny ability to forecast the wind conditions and advise the trains whether to run the gauntlet at Wreckhouse.  His house still stood until recently but is now gone, presumably wrecked.

What passes for a spruce tree at Wreckhouse...

More stunning coastal scenery - between sea and lagoon...

We made good time and reached the outskirts of Port aux Basques mid afternoon.  Gordon Mathews guided me through the suburbs to his red barn sited in a scenic position on a windy headland - this was Lady's hotel for the next couple of nights, and she could graze in the paddock outside during the day...

 

Ahoy there

Wdednesday June 17th and Ralph had decided to accompany me on his quad bike to my next destination at Jeffries, so off we set ....

Crossing the trestle at Fischers Brook...

A cup of tea at Robinson's somehow turned into a bottle of beer, so it was just as well that sea captain John Carter, a school friend of Cabot's who was hosting me for the night, turned up to pilot me in to his house at Jeffries.  A wonderful welcome from John and wife Elvira and as a result I completely forgot to take photos again.  John comes from a family with a long nautical tradition, and has twin sons both of whom are captains on the ferries from Newfoundland to the mainland!  I imagine if you can pilot a ship in Newfoundland waters, you can pilot one anywhere.
Lady was rather unsettled on her tether across the road and I knew I had a long day ahead so I made an early start the next morning.  John showed me the way back to the rail bed...

...and then it was a rather wet ride

 through some superb scenery..

I had originally planned to camp at Codroy Pond, but decided to push on to South Branch where Katie Miuse had arranged for me to stay with her parents Norm and Shirley, and I knew Lady would have a paddock there.  A good decision as Codroy Pond had more mosquitos than cabins, and the spacious paddock at the Muise household was grassy and insect free.  Lady was able to have a good rest and even a lie down, which meant I was also able to relax.  As a result I made late start the next morning as I knew she would be tethered in a garden at Doyles.  Unfortunately my camera battery gave up just before South Branch and I did not have enough room to carry my charger, so was unable to take photos, but watch this space for photos from Shirley!

 

 

We reach the French Shore

Monday June 15th. Woke from a deep sleep to a rainy day, so I was glad it was not too far to Stephenville and I could delay my start. A drizzly afternoon ride through forest and across barrens, sometimes accompanied by a small coterie of mosquitoes.
 They may not often see a horse in the small community of Black Duck, but you can be sure that they had never seen anything like this fashion show before...

Me modelling my retro fisherman's rain gear and 'Chinese' hat  and Lady sporting gothic fly mask with matching bovver boots.

Horse owner and Stephenville vet Jessica Boyd had offered accommodation, and came with her truck and trailer to pick us up from the rail bed and take us to her home in Port aux Port.  Lady had cosy quarters in the garden with some of Jessica's horses on the other side of the fence for company - her appaloosa mare and Newfoundland pony mare with foal..

 Jessica treated me to an Atlantic salmon dinner at a local restaurant - an excellent choice as I love salmon!

 Breakfast with Jess the following morning at her marvellous local coffee shop - another really good choice!

My personal groom prepares my steed for me back at the rail bed on Tuesday...

 

 Approaching the trestle bridge at Stephenville Crossing.  This once used to have a lift section at the centre to let boats pass, but this was washed away in winter storms.  The bridge is now closed and we had to use the road bridge alongside.

 

Riding along a pretty alder bush lined section on the other side, I noticed an ATV had pulled in ahead.  It was Ralph Falls who had offered to accommodate Lady in St Georges further along the coast. He had come to meet me, together with friends Jessie and Claude Brewer.  Ralph opted to walk with me the rest of the way, and took me by a beautiful scenic route along the shoreline..

Lady had an enormous grassy field with sea view and access to a barn awaiting her in St Georges..

 ...while Jessie was adamant that I stay with her and Claude in their lovely house looking over their field to the bay.

 Jessie and her Newfoundland pony....

After supper and drinks with friends (including Ralph and wife, and great character June who used to live in Singapore so we had plenty to talk about) Jessie took me for a stunning sunset drive along the beach in their four seater ATV -

Almost in the driving seat.. I am usually dodging these on the rail bed - note the dog in the back.

 The end of a perfect day...

Back to School

Sunday June 14th and I was woken at 4.30am by Lady stamping around.  The mosquitoes had arisen and were tucking into breakfast. So I tethered her within range of a good patch of grass I had saved for the morning, brewed up some tea, and packed up while the sun rose over the pond....

A depressing start to the day being followed by a cloud of mosquitoes through drizzle in the damp forest, but eventually the trail climbed higher and we left the nippers behind. Note that Lady is now sporting the ultimate in equine sartorial elegance, her Shires fly mask or mosquito mask in this instance....

 It was around here that we encountered a huge moose ahead on the track.  Unlike Albert who has a definite dislike of moose, I was pleased to find Lady relatively unconcerned.  But like the one that got away, the moose disappeared into the forest before I had time to extract my camera.

An idyllic ride along the shores of St Georges Lake - and yes it is a lake this time and not a pond....

 

 

The mosquitoes had started to nip again when we rode through the drizzle into the small two street community of Gallants. I had been grandly told the previous day that there was a hotel here, and was directed up the hill.   And indeed there was an imposing building looking out over a playing field...

 This was a bed and breakfast run in a converted former school by Mary and Melvin Locklyn.  There was a quiet secluded and relatively mosquito free spot in the trees behind where Lady settled down calmly to graze...

 

 .....while I went inside for tea, sandwich and much needed snooze before a hearty turkey supper with a glass of wine.  Mary and Melvin run the establishment on a casual basis as they do not like to be tied down to the business.  They don't advertise but will take people in who turn up while they are in residence. A much recommended option for anyone using the T'Railway.   

 Mary and Melvin in the basement - actually the former gym/assembly hall - you can just see the stage at the back.

 

  The wooden structure is a cabin Melvyn is building ready to re-assemble in situ.- the gym makes an ideal workshop!

 

 

 

A Long Day

About to start from Pasadena on Friday June 13th (!) equipped with essentials for the next eight days of travel...

The cantle bag (at back of saddle) contains tent, mattress and my thermal jacket, the rear saddle bags my sleeping bag on one side, change of clothes, cooking gear and food on the other, the front bags personal belongings (diary, kindle, chargers) plus tethering rope, boots and miscellaneous small oddments.
Only small sections of the rail bed remained from here and we mainly rode along service roads.   Through a dairy farm where they tried to persuade me to stay the night......

 It did not take long to reach Steady Brook where the plan was to camp overnight before leaving at the crack of dawn to lead Lady along the two unavoidable miles of Trans Canada Highway before the fast traffic built up.  In the event I had left the fly mask I knew I would need somewhere deep in my truck, so Ruth and Kevin, my unpaid taxi service, drove the truck over and I was able to sleep in the back.
By 5.30am I was on the Highway with Lady and not a vehicle in sight  .....

...and it was not long before we had safely reached the turn off to Corner Brook, having encountered only twelve vehicles.
Through Corner Brook...

Only small sections of the rail bed remained along the hillside on the other side,,,,,

and it was not until we reached Petries that the trail began again in earnest.  It was here Lady and I stopped for a rest - a nice young man let her graze in his garden (hope his parents didn't mind) and fetched her a couple of buckets of water......

..while the sleep deprived and bleary eyed Brit was taken in by the nice lady in the house opposite for coffee and a sandwich.  If one thing is certain, I will never starve in Newfoundland.

As this was a residential area it was slow progress along the trail. Children rushed over to stroke Lady, and people stopped to chat. The opening gambit is invariably a variation on  "It's not often you see a horse around here", sometimes followed by "Aren't you that lady who is riding across Newfoundland."

The trail soon turned inland into the hilly and forested interior..

 

..although there were still quite a few ATVs on the trail.  In spite of often owning houses in idyllic positions, almost everyone in Newfoundland seems to have a cabin (or sometimes two!) tucked away in the woods, for hunting, fishing, partying or just relaxing.  The government sometimes auctions off blocks of wilderness lots cheaply, the deal being that you use it or lose it, and must build within two years.  The successful applicants are put in a draw to decide lots, the winner having first choice of lot, which will usually be overlooking a small lake (or pond as they call them here).

My destination for the day was Big Cook Pond, where several lots have just been developed to the west side along the rail bed.  I had been told there was a small beach to the south, and made camp there.  Unfortunately the mosquitoes had also made camp, but with no grass to speak of anywhere else I had no option but to stay there, even though they plagued Lady.  There was a constant stream of people down to enjoy the beach - fishing, canoeing and hanging out, and they also made contributions to my anti mosquito fire.

   Three young lads pointed out a beaver to me swimming around in the pond, but I am so blind it took me some time to see it.

It was well after dark before the mossies abated, Lady settled down a bit, and I got some fitful sleep.

Goodbye to Albert

Ruth and Kevin really took me under their collective wings, and I was able to lick my wounds and recharge my batteries during the time I spent at Cache Rapids.  A great treat was to be taken on a couple of drives around the area.   One of the most interesting was around Cormack, where war veterans were each given a house on 50 acres of land to enable them to keep smallholdings.  Most of them have since been amalgamated into larger commercial farms since then, but some of the original small wooden houses still remain tucked away among woods and fields on rolling hills -very peaceful and rural. We also went out to sample the stunning scenery of the Gros Morne park, where Kevin sometimes takes trail rides.

   Mantracker's Sidekick perusing the mountains for prey?  No - Kevin taking a shifty at the remaining vestiges of winter snow....

And the Parks authorities have thoughtfully provided a couple of seats to admire the chilly view - al fresco with a glass of wine?  They are a hardy lot in Newfoundland.
Ruth and Kevin also took me for supper at a superb little restaurant at Woody Point - much recommended.  Here are the dynamic duo on the balcony outside...

Tuesday and Wednesday were also a chance to organise the next stage, one of the concerns being how to negotiate the narrow stretch between Steady Brook and Corner Brook where the steep mountainside comes right down to the lakeside and the rail bed has been replaced by the Trans Canada Highway.  I hoped to avoid trailering the horses over this section as it would leave a gap in my journey, but would it really be feasible or safe to lead the two horses along the highway verge?  Lady is almost bombproof but Albert while good in local traffic, is not so used to fast heavy traffic.   After careful consideration I decided it would be best to carry on with just Lady. For a variety of reasons I had already felt Albert would not be entirely suited to continue on the mainland, so it seemed a good time to find him a new good home, particularly as there were a few interested parties in Newfoundland who could provide just that.  The upshot is that he is going to Jessica Greening in Musgravetown who was originally interested in buying him around the time I came in on the deal.   A final photo of Albert in the corral at Cache Rapids...

So on Thursday June 12th Kevin trailered Lady and me back to the point we had reached and it was just the two of us that set off along the railbed to Pasadena.  A beautiful ride alongside the blue lake on a sunny day, but my camera was still recovering from the soaking it had received at the weekend.  This section was marked as horse trail on the Trans Canada Trail website, but it was horrendously stony in parts.  Happily I was now equipped with the boots donated by Terry, and Lady tramped over them with gay abandon.
Several weeks before Joan King-Pike had offered to sort out horse accommodation for me in Pasadena, and she was true to her word.  Lady had a large grassy paddock next to Joan's horse, and settled in quickly.  Unfortunately no camera so no photo of Joan (sorry Joan!) but many thanks for your help and the offer of a bed for the night which I was unable to take up as I still had some packing to sort out. 

Return to Grand Falls

Next morning, Saturday June 7th Ruth and Kevin dropped me back in Howley together with Paige Payne who was going to ride Albert on to Deer Lake with me (Thanks Paige for the photos!).  The first section of the track via Grand Lake was scenic....

... but became increasingly stony and hard on Lady's feet, so I led her much of the way.
Crossing the river below the Main Dam which holds back the waters of Grand Lake...

This section of rail bed was particularly stony, so from here we followed a gravel road along the top of the great embankment holding back the waters.  Kevin picked us up in the trailer at the edge of Deer Lake for the short trip back to the stables where we were to enjoy marvellous hospitality for a few days courtesy of multi-tasking Ruth and reality TV star Kevin ( He sidekicked in the Newfoundland episode of Mantracker)
On Sunday June 8th I returned by coach to fetch my truck and take advantage of media opportunities organised by horseman Verdon Brown of Peterview. Mike and Jacky Brown who had hosted the ponies in Grand Falls kindly offered to put me up for the night in their luxurious home, and I was invited to join them for supper with the neighbours. Thank you all for a most enjoyable evening!
Mike and Jacky with their dogs Stanley and Chester who were rather suspicious of the alien intruder.

Being interviewed for CBC radio on Monday morning ..

...and I also did a TV interview and joined Verdon for an open line radio show.  I now find people I meet often exclaim "Oh are you the lady riding across Newfoundland?"  so my fame (?!) is spreading before me.

Verdon took me for a trip to his waterside home town of Peterview which is across the bay from Norris Arm.  The statue represents the horse and the church on which Peterview was founded.

I was thrilled when Verdon gave me a set of old shoes with ice calkins taken from a working Newfoundland pony. My friend and Welsh cob enthusiast Stuart Lloyd of Lampeter has an impressive collection of horseshoes (including a set from China that I donated) displayed in his Fish and Chip shop, and will be delighted when I present them to him....

I am also extremely grateful to Verdon's friend Terry who has contributed a pair of equine boots to the cause. 

 





Next Stop: Gaff Topsail ...

...which is the title of the first book in Mont's railway series, and also my next destination on Sunday June 1st. Gaff Topsail is at the highest point on the railway line, and in a bleak and isolated area away from permanent human habitation. In the past the trains were often held up for days by snow at this point, and I knew it was likely I might not see anyone for a couple of days.  The Highway parallels the railway for much of the way across the island, but at Badger it swings north and does not come back to the railroad until Deer Lake.  From Badger to the next permanently inhabited settlement at Howley is a distance of over 100 kms.  I had also been warned about the possibility of encountering bears and coyotes on this stretch.
So it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I plodded out of Millertown Junction early on Wednesday June 4th.
Stopping for a morning rest at a convenient spot near a spring, signposted by Mont..

Crossing Mary March bridge, an unhappy reminder of an unfortunate Beothuck woman Demasduit, who was captured at Indian Lake in the area....

 She was one of the last of the Beothucks at a time when officials in St John's were trying to establish friendly relations.  In the process of defending her, her husband was shot dead, and her newborn baby subsequently died of starvation.  She lived for a while in St John's but died of TB before she could be returned to her people.
Caribou like to graze on lichens in open country, so I saw quite a few along the way..

A stop at Quarry to graze the horses on the few patches of grass en route, and to pick up a feed drop.

Quarry was so called because of the nearby granite quarry.  Granite from this quarry was used for many purposes including building the railway station at St John's, and paving Water St.

I was able to shelter in the end of the old railway carriage during a heavy downpour, and then packed up again for the last leg to Gaff Topsail. 

Only a few hundred yards further on, the horses spooked at something and went separate ways, leaving me on the ground in the middle.  No broken bones but a nasty puncture wound in my arm which kept bleeding...

 

  Having caught the horses I decided to continue on foot, as not only was I a bit shook up with an aching arm, but I had also just discovered that my cell phone had run out of battery!  Discretion definitely proved the better part of valour.  I let Lady follow loose behind over the snow covered summit.

 

  It was a long nine mile trudge to Gaff Topsail and no-one at home in the bleak cabins en route ...

 Gaff Topsail at last...

...but the station site is on the other side of the hill..

 Mont had lent me the keys to the family cabin there, and to say I was relieved to arrive is an understatement!..

After tethering the horses and drinking a couple of hot cups of tea in the dry I felt a lot more cheerful.

The following morning my arm was still aching and I still did not want to risk riding while out of cell contact, so I plodded on the 20kms to Kitty Brook..

 

Empty cabins there as well and it started to rain when we took a rest break, so by now I was feeling decidedly disconsolate.  But things started to look up when a couple from Howley out for a drive turned up in their truck. They not only knew somewhere to leave the ponies in Howley, but were able to take the pack saddle and bags so I could ride the steadier Lady and lead Albert.  And not much further down the track another truck appeared - Ruth Storey and Kevin Stacey from Cache Rapids Stables in Deer Lake where I was due to stay.  Once the horses were happily settled in a grassy paddock in Howley, Ruth scooped me up and took me back home - so instead of a miserable night feeling battered and bruised in a wet tent I had a welcome hot shower, supper and blissful sleep in a cosy bedroom.