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!