Making the most of our last full day on the island. We were out the door by 7:00 AM and on the way to the Alexander Murray Hiking Trail, located on the outskirts of King’s Point. It’s a real commitment, highlighting 8 kms of moderate / difficult level hiking with an elevation of 350m, boasting 3 waterfalls, 5 lookouts and 2200 man-made steps 😳! The reviews on this trail were stellar and we thought it a great finale to our overall outdoor experience in NFLD.
Checked in at the trail head at 7:05 AM, and powered through the first part of the journey. A lot like home, with the vegetation and terrain to match. It was wet walking, not so much from the foot path but the brush on either side holding last night’s rain. At Moose Barrens we followed the loop in a clockwise manner. Here is where the landscape became new, and we were treated to a massive river gorge and Corner Brook Falls. So impressive. I counted a run of stairs here with 95 steps! Then up, up and up, with more and more stairs. Of note, some were looking tired and, really, in need of some love!
By 9:40 AM we’d made Haypook lookout, the summit that over looks King’s Point and the Green Bay Area. Our view was sketchy… at the summit waves of both fog/cloud rolled in and out, giving our Haypook vista a mysterious feel. Gorgeous nonetheless! We were pretty happy to have made the trek up easily and in good time.
Then the descent, with the last 90 minutes tumbling back. We passed several more cascading waterfalls, bubbling brooks, the greenest of wetland and in total 3 hikers for the entire three plus hours on the trail. Lots of bird life surrounding us, and small mammal prints freshly planted in the muddy path surface. We hustled the last portion of the trail, wanting to make sure we made check out time. Left the parking lot at 10:15… with 45 minutes to spare! Gave us time to get cleaned up, lots of wet clothes and mud after this hike… & keys handed back before breakfast!
Trip Lexicon: Scurifunshin; a thorough cleaning (what we needed after the hike)
Breakfast on the outside patio at the cafe was scenic… hovering over the bay and watching kayakers, terns and listening to the “Newfinese” at surrounding tables. During our wait I got caught up on web updates and Ms Lumsden enjoyed the views and supported my notes by sending info on my research requests. We had ordered a mixture of breakfast items… ham, bacon, eggs, beans, fish cake and toutons! A lovely reprieve before heading onward to points west. Great visit to this area, perhaps described best by a NFLD Tourism piece that states, “This little corner of the province is a place where the quiets are quieter, the greens are a little greener, and the brights are a little brighter.”
It was a straight run from King’s Point through to Corner Brook. We had coffees on the agenda and Janie sourced Harbour Grounds as the spot to “scratch the itch”. Yummy chocolate dipped oat cake (sacrilegious I’m sure) too! We had spent lots of time in Corner Brook during our previous visit in 2018, but hadn’t hit this spot for coffee ☕️. A pause… some business (busted Heat Pump at home), then the last hour of Hwy to Stephenville.
Okay… seems simple, but last night we watched a little HGTV before crashing. We don’t watch a lot at home, but have been thrown off by when shows end. I’m guessing (haven’t researched this) that Newfoundland may be one of the only places in North America (other than Venezuela) that would have the bulk of its programs ending on the 1/2 hr (or :30 mark). So cool if you schedule on the hours… example: we had a 7:00 pm supper reservation and knew when the HGTV episode ended at 6:30 it was time to get ready! Even the Environment Canada Weather App shows updates on the 1/2 hour… How fun is that 👍.
All checked in by 3:30 PM in Stephenville… we’d been through the town a couple of times but never really stayed for more than an hour or so. First impressions of the Wyndham (new for us) were that it was a clean, comfortable and organized. Brought in a couple of bags, then off to grab a few grocery items for Friday and the trip home. Yikes… luckily found my soggy Morrell’s 🥾 still on the Rav at the Dominion (NFLD Superstore) after a couple hours drying and short trip across town on the roof 😳!
Being tuckered, we looked for suppertime sustenance in house and wandered down the hallway to Emile’s! Fish and “salad” were just yummy!
Busy busy day in Newfoundland!!
Oh well you will both relax on the ferry tomorrow….. might as well enjoy your last evening !!
We have had a busy day Eileen! Thanks so much for chiming in during our trip! It’s been a good run this summer… from Vancouver to St John’s! See you shortly!