March 30th – St. Barbe, Newfoundland
Apr 1st, 2018 by rallyadmin
The weather has cleared overnight and MG wants to go out to Cape Fear to watch the sunrise. MF and Jeremiah aren’t interested and sleep in. Good choice.
Cape Fear is literally land’s end in Newfoundland. There’s a lighthouse there and the remains of a huge gun emplacement that protected St Johns harbor from U-boats during WWII. The guns are long gone but the concrete emplacement is still there.
And the wind is there. An icy, strong wind that has frozen the sea mist to everything out there. MG and I start up a wooden stairway to the lighthouse but the ice and wind make disaster a certainty. Back on to the sedge along the walkway to the top. Where the wind is howling.
I’m using my phone to take pictures and every time I want a pic, I have to remove my glove. In just a few minutes, my hands are frozen. And my hat has tried make a break for freedom. And the wind is starting to penetrate my jacket.
The sun comes up at 6:48. We get our pictures. Retreat to the car. Return to the hotel. Been there, done that. Defied death again.
We’re on the road by 8 and stop at a Tim Hortons for breakfast about 500 meters away from the hotel. Finish up. Visit the loo. On the road again. Until a fuel stop some 50 klicks out of St. Johns. Now we’re really on the road.
About six hours later, we’re in Deer Lake. Jeremiah and I have made some ham contacts will a couple of local hams along the road while checking the local repeaters. One of them meets up with us in the parking lot of a restaurant when we stop for lunch.
We trade hellos and “what kind of gear are you using” and “you sure have enough antennas on your truck, there” and “you’re going where?” and “why are you going there?” “Gotta get going. Nice meting up. C’ya around.”
Back in the truck with a new load of fuel and just 3 more hours to St. Barbe. We don’t have a ferry reservation for tomorrow because reservation were closed when we tried to make them. We did make a reservation for Sunday just in case the ferry doesn’t run tomorrow.
There have been problems getting the ferry to Blanc Sablon because of the ice pack. Apparently gtoday the freey was topped twice by the pack ice and bad to back up and follow an ice breaker to make the crossing. They’ll make a decision tomorrow about attempting a crossing. Sign up at 6 AM and they’ll decide by 7 AM if the ferry is going.
Meanwhile, an early night night at the motel in St. Barbe. We have dinner in the motel restaurant and get an ice cream at the fuel/convenience store across the street. Back in the room by 8:30.
It’s been a busy couple of days, almost 1,200 miles since Port aux Basques. An early bed is perfect. Tomorrow, Labrador. Maybe.
Obi-wan
