Fog
rolled in as we headed for a campground in St John’s – the capital and commercial center
of the province – and we knew rain would come by the end of the day, but
thought we’d take a chance on the weather. We sent Bill off on another stretch
of the East Coast Trail – the Cape Spear Path – starting at Maddox Cove and
ending at Cape Spear.
The
Cape Spear path is about 6 miles. The half of
the trail near Maddox Cove is close to the ocean along the rocky coast, up and
down, with good sounds. There was light fog, but close shoreline was visible.
A
small iceberg floated several feet from shore.
Near
the point (a bit over halfway), the trail turns inland, with long-range ocean
views not blocked by trees.
The
second half of the trail near Cape
Spear was on a cliff back
from the ocean, so no cliff views or ocean sounds. Some side trails paralleling
the main trail went closer to the cliff edge, which offered some views. Near
the lighthouse, the fog lifted.
In
the meantime, Barbara sought out a few letterboxes planning to meet Bill later at
Cape Spear. Barbara drove to tiny Petty Harbour
with its limited parking, but was able to walk to the town from a distant
picnic area.
Then
Barbara drove to Cape
Spear. An iceberg could
be seen in the fog.
Cape Spear has two lighthouses – an old and
new one. Barbara spotted Bill just as he made it to the lighthouses.
The interior of the old lighthouse replicates the 1830s.
Cape Spear was also a fort and is the farthest point east
in Canada.
We walked around a little bit. Rain drops started to fall just as we got in our
car. Phew.
