Sunnyside

This post is from a hike I took in October

On my way across the island I made sure to take time for a few new hikes, starting with the town of Sunnyside.

A little rock I painted waits to be discovered

Centre Hill is a Sunnyside landmark and the highest peak in eastern Newfoundland. The trail starts 8 km from the Trans Canada Highway at the far end of the community.  Basically just drive until the road ends at a wharf, the parking area and trailhead are just before the wharf.

The trail starts out as a gradual but continuous incline through the forest. While you have to watch out for tangled roots don't forget to look up now and then to see if you get a view through the trees!

The group of ladies who started out behind me soon caught up to me and passed me.  Us photographers are slow hikers.

It was probably only about a 15 minute walk through the trees and then more climbing along an old road with views out across the barrens.

 The trail is 5 km to the top, but I had miles of pavement to eat so I had to turn around at the river and let the ladies go on without me.

From there, you will enjoy a spectacular vista and a glimpse of five different bays, but I had to settle for this view and promise myself I'd return in the summer to go to the top.

Back to Work!

Back to work! I am now representing Tura Eyewear in Newfoundland...and this month I agreed to take on New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island as well.

I completed my training in St. John's, and made my first rounds in the colorful capital.

Crossing the island I stopped at every Optometrist office I could find, and even was able to have lunch with one of my cousins way out in Stephenville.

I had a chuckle when I passed through scenic Green Bay, but it looked nothing like the home of the Packers in Wisconsin.  When I come across again in June I'll be sure to spend the night and go hunting for icebergs in nearby Springdale!

I did stop in the town of South Brook, just because I wanted to get off the Trans Canada Highway for a little bit.  The town's bus stops are all decorated differently and sport the names of the children which I thought was a cute idea.

From there I drove a little farther down Hwy 380 to an unmarked dirt road and got out for a walk.

Still curious, I drove a little farther yet towards Roberts Arm to take a peek at the Hazelnut Hill hiking trail.

It was a beautiful trail along Crescent Lake, complete with boardwalk and stairs where needed. I only went as far as the campground, which looked like a nice one so bring your trailer and come enjoy some icebergs, whales and hiking this summer!

A Little Yellow and Orange

The Avalon Peninsula is more coniferous trees than deciduous but the residential areas are planted with trees that will glow yellow and orange when October rolls around.

View from my front door

White birch, trembling aspen and mountain ash are the most likely to be seen on The Rock, with maple more likely to be making a showing in someone's yard.

lovely reflections along the roadside in Shoal Harbor near Clarenville

St. John's had more color than I would have expected, and Pippy Park was especially lovely.

One morning a section of the forest alongside the roadside between Dunville and Long Harbour looked like it was on fire when the early light hit the trees.

The big color scene is on the western side of Newfoundland but I didn't get out there until the last week of October and by then the leaves were already on the ground.  I drove across the island because I had finished my training to work for a new company as an eyewear sales representative and was making the rounds with my product and business cards! 

That's right, retirement only lasted 6 months for me, but Wayne has no intention of giving up the retired lifestyle.  So I missed the trick or treaters this year, but I'lll make sure to be home for it next year.  Next up will be a few hikes from my trip across the island in October!

The Lynx

In early October I thought I'd take a drive over to Argentia and see if I remembered where the Silver Mine was located.

My favorite view - The Isaacs

Any time you can get a view of The Isaacs is a good day, and that golden hour before sunset on an early fall evening can't be beat either.

 I kept an eye out for blueberry patches, and while I found a small patch that had been unpicked in September I wouldn't say it was a blueberry picking destination.

 But that's okay, because as usual I was running out of daylight and wanted to find the side path to the Silver Mine while I could still see well.

I was a little unsure I'd picked the right spot at first, but was rewarded for my efforts in the end.

No time to go down and poke around on that day, but I intend to go back in the spring and start cutting a good path out to the water through the overgrown trees alongside the stream.  You know, before fly season begins!

After I got in my car and started driving back out I met up with a lynx on the side of the road! (Of course, only an iPhone, that's always how it is!)  Everyone got in a tizzy that I hike out there alone with wild animals like that on the loose but Mr. Lynx has little reason to be interested in the likes of me as long as there are plenty of snowshoe hares which makes up 75% of their diet.  Newfoundland lynx prefer dense undercover which is why people seldom see them.  In times when hare populations are low they will eat rodents and birds, so I think I might be a bit more than they want to try to take down!  As a hiker who is often on her own I always make sure I know what the local wildlife might consist of and what their behavior is. Mountain lions are something I take seriously but lynx is the biggest cat in Newfoundland to my knowledge so all is good!

Bay Roberts Sunset

This past summer I dropped Cory off at a gaming shop in Bay Roberts a few different Fridays and went hiking. As fall came on that meant that the sun was setting shortly after I hit the trail.

Lovely trail from Mad Rock Cafe to French Cove

These pictures are from my last Friday Night Hike.  The light was fading even as I was getting out of the car, so I had to squelch the urge to look for the last of the season's blueberries and hustle straight out to the views.

I waded right out into the middle of the field of asters and snapped a few photos.  I only had my iPhone with me, which doesn't perform as well in low light or for landscapes, but made do with what I had.

 I sent the pictures to my mom as I wandered around, and then found a place to leave one of my painted rocks for the next visitor to find.

There was a Harvest Moon that night, but the iPhone wasn't up to the challenge.  Still, quite a sight as I stood in the old graveyard in French Cove and watched the light play on the water.

Of course that meant walking back in the dark, but I took my time and was back to the car in under 20 minutes.  I texted with my cousins on the way back, telling them if I went missing I was out at Mad Rock and to send a rescue team.  They probably still don't know what to make of my recklessness, but that's okay, they're not the only ones!

The Horse

The pictures in this post were taken in September

I bet you didn't expect a story about "The Horse" to start out with me holding a kayak paddle.

I'm sure no one remembers, but I posted about a paddle I took in the waters of the Southeast Arm where I discovered a little area full of horse trails amongst other things.

Our home is just across the water!

I went back in September to explore a little more and see if I could get a glimpse of the horse.

horse trail through the woods

We'd had a lot of rain and the ground had been sloppy in spots on my previous visit so I made sure to wear my boots. Mud and droppings added to the fun.  Good boots are a must in Newfoundland!

All that rain was good for the fungi, and I saw quite the variety out there.

Those new boots of mine were just the ticket to get me across the wetlands to where I'd spotted the horse from our boat. When I went shopping I just went ahead and bought a pair of mens boots, they just don't think women need gear as durable for some reason.

There was so much water I was surprised I didn't see fish swimming around my ankles!

Ferns on the left, large patch of blue flag iris on the right

It was a bit early yet for real fall color, but the ferns were putting on a good show so I made sure to get close enough to get a picture which was a feat without having to go for a swim.

And when I turned around, there was the horse, watching me from the edge of the woods!

I'm told one of the locals brings it out for the summer to pasture there and it just stays in that area, munching away on all the nice grass.  I gave him his space and moved back to the shore and headed back toward my kayak.

I crossed a nice little stream and next time I'll see how far I can follow it back into the thick woods.

More stories to come before I get caught up!

Setting Snares

This post is from adventures of Fall 2019

What does a Bay Boy do when cod fishing season ends?  Rabbit season!

Wayne and Tom get a few rabbits

Remember nephew Tom and his puppy Vader?  They spend a lot of time with Wayne, and sometimes I tag along as well. I couldn't wait to see where they were setting snares out across Southeast Arm this fall.

We took the Nomad out, and towed a rowboat behind to get us out to the snares.  No docks out there!  Wayne's brother, Tom Senior, tagged along as well.

Tom Senior shows me the way. Good spot for a tent!

Vader pointed up a grouse, and I even got a halfway decent shot through the trees before I got too close and spooked it off.

Wayne and Tom spend a lot of time crouched down peering into the trees trying to find their snares, so Tom Senior and I ranged ahead at times.

Wayne SAYS he saw a moose through the trees, but none of the rest of us caught a glimpse of her. Hmmmm... 

Vader got the most exercise, happily running back and forth between us all.  Isn't he a beautiful boy?

Here's a video of Vader I took when Wayne was rowing me to shore.

He took that swim eventually...

But, first we had to slog through the boggy trail.  I got stuck a few times and had to hang onto a tree while I yanked my rubber boot out.

It's a wonder Vader and I weren't covered head to toe with muck.

No rabbits in those snares, though Vader did find a grouse in one of them.  So Tommy threw it out for Vader to retrieve.

That's our Good Boy!

It was a nice change, but there was more standing around than hiking on that trip so I didn't go again until they started setting snares in Southeast not far from our house.  A new path?  You bet I'll come check it out!

I'm glad I did because I've ended up on this path quite a few times since the snow started falling.  It's not full of tripping hazards like the other one I usually use and the incline isn't quite as steep either.

Here's another video, this time of what checking rabbit snares is like for me and Vader.

There is a lovely stream just off the path that I've become attached to, I'll share some photos and video in the next post!