Tours East: the Best Newfoundland Tours
 
 
 

The Land

>> Coast

The mountains along the Southwest coast of Newfoundland are made up of rocks that are thought to be over 500 million years old, and are among some of the oldest on the planet. The area is home to thousands of large rocks and boulders, known as erratics, that were dropped from the glaciers as they crossed the land. Large rounded, oval shaped hills called drumlins are also plentiful in the area. They were formed during the last glacial retreat from the region. >>>

   
 
 
Evidence of the presence of glaciers during the last ice age
 
The coastline is cut with long, deep fjords and bays, and mountains rise upward from the sea presenting sheer faces that dwarf the onlooker. Numerous cliffs appear to just fall into the sea, their tops leading inland over barren and sparsely forested terrain. Moss barrens and balsam fir make up most of the vegetation that covers the mainly sedimentary rock and granite.

In the bays, the movement of the ancient glacial drift caused geological formations that are the breathtaking scenery of today. Several bays have familiar round valley formations with the steep sides called cirques. Cape Harbour, a resettled community near Francois, was built near a tombolo, a sand bar that connects the main land to an island.

Because of the many large rivers that empty into the ends of the fjords, alluvial fans were created when the silt from these rivers was deposited in bends and coves out through the bays. Bay beaches, barrisways, spits and bay bars are common features in this land where the submerged coasts and headlands have been constantly eroded by the relentless thrashing of the Atlantic. Sea caves, stacks, and terraces can also be found as testimony that the ocean has been clawing at these formations for millions of years. Most of the cliffs climb to great heights that are accentuated by their sudden rise from the deep.

Within this rugged environment, there is magic as beautiful beaches appear almost as if they were placed by hand to soften up the shoreline. Each little cove seems to portray its own kinds of plants, rocks and habitat.

The coastal mountains are awe inspiring, and some are a marvel of nature. Old Iron Skull, not as much about height, it is shaped like the head of a bald eagle and is situated in the same bay where many eagles are known to nest. It is a feature that is special in its own right.

Stand in a boat under St. Alban’s Mountain (known by local people as Mile Thomas) and one will be dizzied. Its rock face rises from the abyss, straight up to scrape the sky at more than 700 feet. One can be daring and take in the thrilling view from the top, or choose the safety of being spooked by the view looking straight up from the boat.

 
 
Mile Thomas: 700+ feet high
 
Another mountain that is awe inspiring is in Devil’s Bay, also called Jobbo Bay. The cliff called Blow Me Down, is reputed as one of the best for mountain climbing on the East coast of Canada by climbers that have scaled its elevation. This mountain, as well as others in the area, has been Featured on a PBS documentary The Forgotten Coast. It was noted that because of the height of the face, many climbers have had to sleep a night on the side of the mountain before they reach the summit.

Another result of the many rivers in the bays and fjords that mark this coast, is the abundance of inland waterways. Behind the cliffs, ponds and streams appear to be strategically placed so as to create a hinterland with the canoer in mind. There are rivers that are quite large in some areas becoming streams that trickle out to nothing in others. Here, one would have to hike the canoe, but only for a while because the river will suddenly reappear around the next bend. It is not out of the ordinary for a pond to quietly rise out of the wilderness with a crystal clear surface that is broken only by the rise of a trout in pursuit of a snack. Imagine that!
 
 

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