Lamanche Villiage to Brigus South (12 Kms)

On Saturday, Sept. 27^th, our group of six (Brian, Tanya, Allyson, Todd, myself and dog Summer) hiked from Lamanche Villiage to Brigus South – a 12 km strenuous hike. The group met in Bidgood’s parking lot in the Goulds at 10 a.m. with the intention of beginning the hike at 11 a.m. But by the time we got water, coffee and fruit, and drove up the shore, it was 11:30 or so before we began the hike.

Although moderate in terms of distance, the Lamanche-Brigus South hike is a strenuous hike with lots of ups and downs (so ensure proper footwear with ankle support). Approximately an hour into the hike, we reached Cape Nettick where we stopped for a break and snack (as some of us did not have a hearty breakfast).

Feeling refreshed and semi full, we continued our trek with the plan of stopping at the Key (the 5.6 km almost halfway mark). From Cape Nettick to Freshwater Bay, there were tons and tons of hills, mostly in the woods, with only sneak peaks of the coastline. What a workout though! This is not the hike for pants and sweatshirt. Shorts and tank work better.

We reached the Key (Freshwater Bay) around 1:15 p.m. and settled down for a hearty lunch and a couple of glasses of wine. No driving today. Todd and Summer went off exploring the small pond over the Falls while Allyson and I freshened up. Brian and Tanya arrived a little while later and were generous enough to share their homemade chili with us. Yummy!

After lunch, I decided that I wanted more of a workout and so I took out my MP3 player, which everyone knows means I’m going to boot it –

which I did, with Todd and Allyson following closely behind. We meandered in and out of the woods for pretty much the remainder of the hike and the hills were brutal in some places. Absolutely brutal! Loved it though! This is definitely not the trail for the beginning hiker.

Once we emerged from the woods onto the coastline about a kilometer from Brigus South, Todd, Allyson and I decided to sit on the rocks overlooking the coastline to wait for Brian and Tanya to catch up. Once all were accounted for, we finished the final kilometer together and after hiking up a few hills in Brigus South, were picked up by Tanya’s dad who took us to retrieve our cars and then off to his beautiful cabin. Our hosts were lovely individuals, who

treated us to a hearty meal and refreshments - an excellent way to end off an excellent day! Thank you.

We are aiming to tackle the spout again in October. Stay tuned!

Spout Hike - Goulds to Bay Bulls (22 Kms)

(Sorry for the delay in getting this up - I have been away for most of the summer)

After about a month of trying to plan, we finally took off for the Spout at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday, July 6^th. Hiking group included Janice, Ed, Cathy, Sherry, myself and of course, Summer, our trail dog. The first part of our hike – the walk down rocky Shoal Bay Road for 6 kilometers – was not the most pleasing. I took this opportunity to catch up with old friends as I knew that once I hit the woods, I would be off with my MP3 player and puppy.

We reached the start of the trail by 10:45, 1.5 hours in, exactly as predicted. At this time, I began to feel the onset of blisters, which were the result of such a long trek on rocky road. I will remind anyone thinking of attempting this trek to wear good hiking footwear and to take extra socks plus plenty of water and food.

Once we began the trail, we immediately came upon the coastline, which was absolutely breathtaking. From there to the Spout, we were in the woods for a bit, then out along the coastline, then in again, and back out. There are a few steep hills along with the way for those not used to hiking – it’s best not to attempt this as your first hike!

We reached the Spout around 12:15 and settled down to have a lunch and admire its beauty. Ed, the leader, encouraged us all to take off our socks and rest our feet. He then applied “Second Skin” band-aid to our feet. Didn’t help me Ed, as I had predicted! The blisters still appeared!

We began the second leg of the hike around 1:15 and again meandered from woods to shore. This part of the hike is much more strenuous, with one of our hikers busting up her knee along the way, and another two experiencing pain in their knees. Did I mention that my fellow hikers are all older? ;-) I tried to be supportive however couldn’t lag behind as when the music started playing and the terrain became strenuous, I relished in my aerobic workout! Janice was with me all the way, leading the pack. Way to go Janice!

At one point, I thought that I had lost Summer only to find that she had gone on ahead (much too far ahead) and didn’t hear my calling her. That would not have been good.

At around 3:15 we reached Freshwater, which I believe to be the most scenic part of the hike, in addition to the Spout and Sea Stacks in between. At Freshwater, we took a breather and cleaned up, getting ready to tackle the final leg. Due to her busted leg, Cathy decided to take the short cut out with Ed nearby to provide medical assistance. Sherry, Janice and I took off for the coastline, looking forward to this scenic part of the hike, the Bay Bulls lighthouse and the trek through the shoreline overlooking Bay Bulls.

Summer and I reached our destination at approx. 5:30, with the others following shortly thereafter. I had forgotten how beautiful this hike is and also how tiring. With plans to go out during the evening, it was all I could do to eat supper, clean myself up and head to bed with puppy by my side!!!

Next hike, a shorter one, perhaps La Manche!