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Saturday, May 29: Blanc-Sablon, QC -
Exploring Labrador
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For some time now I have wanted to
visit Labrador, probably because it is somewhat off the beaten
path, little-known, and less settled and developed than most other parts
of North America. Until last fall, the only way to get to eastern
Labrador was by boat or airplane. The Trans-Labrador highway was
completed last fall, however, making it possible to reach this area by
car. More on that later... |
| As I rode north along 510 I was struck by the
rugged beauty of the coastline, and the icebergs that were now a common
sight - I saw six at one time! Along the coastline the temps were
generally in the 50's, but occasionally dropped into the 40's. |
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This is a typical scene as one approaches one of
the small communities along the eastern shore. Population of these towns
is usually around several hundred. |
| While stopped at one of the little towns I met
this young family that had "quad-ed" to town on one of the off-road
trails along the shore. They seemed to be enjoying the beautiful day. I
saw many, many quads in Labrador, and almost no motorcycles.
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This is village of Red Bay, about 30 miles north
of Blanc Sablon. This was once an important whaling community, but no
longer, of course. There is a government run interpretation center here
that explains all that, but it was closed. Tourist season doesn't
officially begin until June 1. |
| Red Bay is the end of the paved road in this part
of Labrador - all 30 miles of it! This photo shows the eastern origin of
the un-paved Trans-Labrador highway that runs all the way across middle
Labrador and down to Baie-Comeau, QC. The road was completed late last
fall. I have wanted to ride this road for my next "adventure trip" but
am reconsidering. Local folks I talked with described it as so soft it
was impassable earlier this spring, with large pot holes in places and
mud several inches deep in other sections, and very dusty with sharp
gravel that is hard on tires. |
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This part of the world is interesting in many
ways. Some of the small towns are in Quebec province, and the others in
Labrador. Labrador time is 1.5 hours ahead of Quebec, which is the
Eastern time zone. On the Quebec side most people speak French, on the
Newfoundland side they speak English, albeit with a thick accent that
was difficult for me to understand. Icebergs are a part of the psyche
here - you see photos and paintings of them in the restaurants just as
you see paintings of beaches and sunshine in Florida. |
Sunday, May 30: Blanc-Sablon, QC
to St. Anthony, NL
| This morning we took the ferry from
Blanc-Sablon across the Straight of Belle Isle to St. Barbe, NL. We almost
missed the boat because of the odd time change!
While on the boat Elaine insisted I take a photo of
her when her hair is good - wearing the helmet reportedly does bad
things to it. |
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We finally saw a moose along the side of the
road. This was a cow, with her calf in the shadows. I expect we'll see
more. Moose cause many traffic fatalities, particularly at night, when
they are very difficult to see. Because of their size they do much more
damage than deer. |
| Elaine wanted to hang out in the B&B again this
afternoon, so I rode north to Ship Cove at the northern tip of Labrador
and just across the bay from the Viking settlement. This area is called
"iceberg alley," and for obvious reasons! I saw several - this one was
not too large but close to shore. A large one was further off shore. |
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In Newfoundland you wouldn't need to
go outside to know this is iceberg country. Here is a bottle of Iceberg
gin, bottled in NL, and a bottle of water taken from icebergs here in
the St. Anthony area. Both taste pretty good, actually.
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Tomorrow we will ride up to L'Anse aux Meadows where
the Vikings landed some 1000 years ago, the first Europeans to set foot
in North America.
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The K12GT as a touring bike
This is the first time I have toured
with the K1200GT loaded 2-up, and I was eager to see how it would do. I
am mostly happy with it. The Russell Day-Long custom seat makes all-day
riding painless. The Aeroflow windscreen provides very good protection.
The bike has plenty of power, the suspension (Hyper-Pro) is well-controlled,
the heated grips and seat are toasty on the cold days, and the
cruise-control is great for the open road. When I get home I simply take
off the bags, put the Corbin seat on and a smaller windscreen, and I'm
ready for more spirited sport riding. All in all, it's a nice
compromise. |
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