The mountains of Gaspe are part of the Appalachian
Range that starts down in South Carolina and runs right up until it hits the
Gulf of St. Lawrence. At that point it dives under the Gulf and reemerges as
Newfoundland.
We drove all around the Gaspe coast to see these awe-inspiring
views. Nature at its most amazing. The
geology is mind-boggling. Folded rocks and sheer cliffs are prominent.
We drove up the many steep hills, invariably gliding back down a slope to the small fishing towns in the coves at the bottom. Fun times.
Hard acceleration going up, using our brakes coming down. Wonderful if you are on a motorcycle. More of an adventure pulling a trailer.
We went from the wet days and that one torrential rainstorm in Halifax, and into 9 lovely days of sun. Our first stop was in Kouchibouguac National Park.
We were able to paddle down the Kouchibouguac river
and into a very shallow lagoon that was protected by a sandy barrier island.
And when it got too shallow to paddle – the tide going out, and all – we walked
the boardwalk over to the sunny, sandy beach on the other side.
While we were paddling the river, hubby was tempted by
the thought of clamming. When the tide
goes out, the clammers scour the mudflats of the river for little airholes, or
dimples, that could indicate a clam resides in the mud. One then digs it out with a shovel to disturb
its resting place. I argued that the beach would be a much nicer place to spend
a sunny afternoon than trudging through mud.
At our next stop further up the coast, we paddled down
the Tabusintac river. There are more
serious clammers in that area. They
don’t wait for the tide to expose the mud.
They don snorkeling gear and pick up the clams from the riverbed while
the water is still 3 or 4 feet deep! Tempting, but we weren’t about to do that.
It’s much easier to visit the many fish
stores along the coast.
The most famous place to stop along the Gaspe is Perce
Rock. It is so big that we could see it in the distance.
But the town of Perce is very small and a lot of
people want to get up close to see this monolith towering over the mainland. Parking a truck and a trailer – even a short
one – was a bit of a challenge. Parking
lots for cars won’t work, especially when they are already full. And there are
no Walmart’s or other box stores in the area. Fortuitously, we found a Catholic
church that was willing to sell us a parking spot behind the church – and
beside the cemetery – for $15.
Driving the ups and downs of Gaspe was interesting, but it was another challenge altogether doing the hiking trails that we followed at Forillon National Park, at the far eastern end of Gaspe, called “Land’s End”. Even the accessible trail was a long and steep uphill to get to the lighthouse on the end of Cape Gaspe.
The less accessible trail was to the top of Mont Saint-Alban. When I first saw the destination at the top of the trail, it was from the side of the shore. You can see the observation tower that we were supposed to get to, at the top of this photo. Those are sheer cliffs in front of it.
Somehow, I was supposed to navigate those cliffs to the observation tower up there. I gave my hubby notice that I might bail at any time, and then determinedly started up. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I had feared. Not once did they make the trail along the cliff. The rough trails were steep, but doable.
Going up was hard enough work that I was happy to come
down.
And in such a beautiful
place, my mood was up.
W
