Port aux Basques to Gros Morne (May 10, 2011)

I am really not happy on how this blog automatically got deleted. Now I will need to remember everything that happened this day which I already had written down and saved in this blog. Before leaving town, I went down by the beach to check out some potential kyanite and amphibole crystals on an outcrop. I found the outcrop but the crystals were nice but not that amazing. So it was time to hit the road.

While I took off from Port aux Basques, my main concern was the weather that might spoil the view in Gros Morne. The drive was quite scenic and TransCanada also crosses Cape Ray fault just west of Port aux Basques. There is a town called Wreckhouse, which is quite famous for its 150kmph wind. If the truck drivers do not pay attention to the warnings in this area, they generally end up in the ditch. Once a train was also blown out of its tracks. There are plenty of moose along the highway here and also in the Gros Morne National Park area. I was very interested in this park because of its geology. This is a place where one can still see the 500 million years old oceanic plate exposed and uplifted. In the park they are known as the tablelands and the highway 431 runs right through the ancient subduction zone. It felt like I was walking on a different planet while on the tablelands. Because of this, the park is also an UNESCO heritage site. 

I explored as much as I could before going to Rocky Harbour to spend the night. There was a campground in town that was not open yet but the manager allowed me to camp. Being the only camper and story of frequent moose and bear visits in the camp site was a bit worrying.  A few of the manager's friends and I had some drinks and fresh mussels. After that we all went to watch the hockey and it ended up being a late night for me.

Moose 1

Moose 2

Moose 3

Moose 4

Moose 5

Outside Gros Morne

En route to Gros Morne

Tablelands behind the usual mountains

Tablelands and village of Bonne Bay

Bonne Bay

500 million yrs old oceanic floor exposed in ophiolite suite as peridotite

500 million yrs old oceanic floor exposed in ophiolite suite as peridotite

Tablelands or in other words ophiolite in subduction zone

Tablelands

The highway 431 running through a 500 million years old subduction zone. Oceanic crust to the left and continental crust to the right. This is the reason why the park is a UNESCO heritage site

Tablelands in Gros Morne

Gros Morne National Park

Gros Morne National Park