6 minute read
Garden of earthly delights
Hiking Gros Morne’s best summer trail
BY DARCY RHYNO
If Mars had an atmosphere so we could walk on its surface, Gros Morne might be what it would look like. Among the red stones, a few plants struggle. Century-old juniper and yellow-flowering potentilla stretch their grey stems horizontally over the rocks where cushionshaped moss campion blooms in pink stars. With visions of wildflower meadows dancing in my head, I set out on the Green Gardens Trail in Gros Morne National Park on Newfoundland’s West Coast.
In fact, nothing could be more earthly than this sparse landscape. The trailhead begins at the edge of the Tablelands, a hunk of our planet’s mantle heaved to the surface, a process that took half a billion years and is replicated almost nowhere else on Earth. Down the trail, the landscape changes quickly.
“The descent takes you through boreal forest, thick with balsam fir, black spruce, and larch,” says Sheldon Stone, a visitor experience officer at Gros Morne for more than 30 years. “On the forest floor, look for bunchberry, called crackerberry in Newfoundland. You can see the white flowers in spring or bunches of red berries in summer.”
Stepping into a clearing, I sense I’m not alone. Across an expanse of low-growing conifers stunted by harsh winds, called tuckamore in the province, I spot a moose staring at me. We regard each other with suspicion until the big brown beast takes a step and fades into the forest.
When I reach the cliffs, the view stops me in my tracks, as it did Jami Savage.
“You’re in this green, lush forest, and you come out of it into the clearing, and see the cliff’s edges. That’s where the hike was a wow to me,” says Savage, an experienced hiker from British Columbia who’s not easily wowed by coastal mountain trails.
“I didn’t know there was a huge view, waiting,” she says. “You’re right on the coast, and those huge, multi-storey cliffs are hanging in front of you, and you’re like, holy crow, how did this happen? You scale down to the beach at Old Man Cove, and you’re looking back up at the cliffs. It was just phenomenal. The sea stacks are castlesque with ocean vibes.”
Sheldon Stone explains the landscape’s origins. “There’s a variety of volcanic rocks that were formed in shallow water during the birth of an ancient ocean, about 550 million years ago. The ocean is long gone, but at Green Gardens, we can see layers of volcanic ash, conglomerate, and most striking, rounded pillow basalts, formed as lava cooled in mound shapes as it contacted seawater.”
Savage hiked the beach to a waterfall and to an enormous, rounded sea stack that finally blocked the way. She found herself intrigued even by the stones beneath her feet. “There are definitely unique types at the beach. When you hold them in your hands, they are shades of jade and teal.”
“It’s cool for someone from B.C. to swim in both the Pacific and the Atlantic,” says Savage. She took a quick dip, but within 20 minutes, the clouds rolled in.
“It was a very sudden change. From a safety perspective, definitely be prepared,” she warns, “but I wholeheartedly recommend the hike because you get that physical challenge, especially on the return.”
The return hike is nearly all uphill. When I climb back onto a low headland, Green Gardens explodes in colour. Groomed by generations of sheep that still wander these cliffs, flower-flecked meadows give shape to the zephyrs off the Gulf of St. Lawrence as they play with the grasses. Dandelions and buttercups pop their yellow faces above the waves of green. Blue flag irises bloom in masses, and blue harebells, known to gardeners as a species of campanula, pop from crevices around the meadows. Spruce, bonsaied by the incessant wind and short growing seasons, sprout from rocky outcrops.
“Spending time walking the meadows and along the beach is one of the highlights of summer in Gros Morne,” says Stone. “You need a few hours just to hike to the coastline and back. The fact that it takes some time and effort to get there makes it all that more special.”
For Savage, the challenging hike out was like reliving the best of Green Gardens. “I’m standing there overlooking this incredibly mountainous region with those huge, jagged cliff lines and big crevices with the waves crashing in at that circular beach. It really was a stunning view, and to me, any hike that’s worthwhile ends with a stunning view.”
One more stunning view remains. The hike of earthly Green Gardens delights continues to be rewarding right to the end with that Mars-scape of the tablelands looming in the distance. The hardest part is getting back in the car and driving away.
Before you go
The park offers 23 hiking trails, totalling more than 100 kilometres. They range from the strenuous eight-hour, 16-kilometre return trek to the top of Gros Morne Mountain itself, to several hikes under two kilometres. Among them is the gentle Berry Hill Pond loop at the campground of the same name, which includes a wheelchair accessible section. All park trails are marked and include bridges, stairs, and boardwalks.
Learn about the multi-day Long Range and North Rim Traverse through the park’s back country at parks. canada.ca/pn-np/nl/grosmorne.
Several communities also maintain hiking trails. The Eastern Point Trail in Trout River leads to a coastal headline with views of the village. At Cow Head, the Lighthouse Trail follows the footsteps of early settlers, winding to the lighthouse for panoramic views.
Be Prepared
• Get a waterproof trail map at the park’s visitor centre.
• Bring water, food, a headlamp, and extra clothes.
• Give somebody your destination, return time, and an emergency contact.
• Cell phone coverage is unreliable throughout the park.
• Hiking poles are helpful on steep and rugged terrain.
• Check the latest conditions at parks. canada.ca/pn-np/nl/grosmorne/ activ/experiences/randonnee-hiking/ etat-sentiers-trail-conditions
