tablelands

Gros Morne is one of the few places in the world where the Earth’s mantle is exposed. 

In fact, the theory of tectonic plates was first proven here.  It made me want to learn more about rocks.

Apparently the soil at the tablelands is a bit like Mars. 

You first spy the tablelands from afar, a reddish-brown mesa atop green forests and granite hills with deep, dark lakes and valleys carved from glaciers.

It’s an easy walk to the mouth of the canyon. It reminded me of Haleakala crater in Maui except we were down at the bottom. (My friend Maxim climbed up to the rim of tablelands. I was dizzy just looking at the video he shot.)

Following a creek up the waterfalls to melting snow, I was fascinated by the etchings on the rocks, and the varied colors.

It reminded me of a long-ago hike in the Canadian Rockies, in a valley carved by a glacier near Mt. Edith Cavell, just south of Jasper.

I was surprised at the number of wildflowers and air plants growing in this inhospitable soil. Another hiker told me this was linden. It’s coniferous. Those are tiny pine cones.

After the tablelands, I drove another 10 kilometers to the end of the road, a lush little town on a cove called Trout River. It felt like an Irish fishing village.

I also stopped in to visit this heritage salt box house, where a family of 8 lived beginning in 1898. They didn't have electricity or TV until 1967.

I'd heard capelin would be leaping from the sea, attracting whales and puffins. All I saw was seagulls, but I did eat a plate of pan-fried capelin. Delicious, with none of the guilt associated with yesterday’s moose burger.