Bottle Cove

Friday 8/1

Trout River cabin #40 was nice. Leaving through the Tablelands, I stopped briefly at the main hiking trail head. Talked with a census taking person who said in normal years there is snow on the tops until September. I have only been here during high temps. Today, there was just two small patches of snow high on the mountain. I took a photo of them as I left the area. At the edge of the park, I stopped at a visitor center. They had a section devoted to plate tectonics and another to native skills. The skills all came from three volumes of books by Pam Hall titled "Towards an encyclopedia of local knowledge". The books captured a lot of the native skills used to live off the land in Newfoundland.

I also met a guy who suggested I go to Bottle Cove. His photos looked well worth the trip, and I had no plans. This was new territory for me to explore. Leaving Corner Brook along the southern side of it's bay, and following that out until it reached the open ocean. As you near the ocean an intricate weave of mountains with near vertical sides spouts up around an equally impressive series of blue water bays. Every curve in the road reveals another combination. With Bottle Cove as the grand finally.

My primary target was the Provincial Park called Blow Me Down. An, ever present, secondary target was food. I passed a couple of restaurants and a Bunk-a-Biker sign on my way to the park. Upon reaching the park I was given the bad news, the park was fully booked tonight. I asked about other options, and the ranger said "you can't just camp anywhere, but you might find something at Bottle Cove or near Copper Mine Falls."

I went to Bottle Cove and saw "no overnight camping" signs. But it was too pretty to pass up hiking the hill. Everything is photogenic on these trails. It is really one of the most beautiful places so far.

Happy with my hike. My new plan involved getting the number off the Bunk-a-Biker sign and finding a place to eat. I would refresh my Bunk-a-Biker etiquette online, and then call. The one rule I remembered was that you should not just shop up at their house. But I had never seen a physical sign before.

The Lark Harbour Tilt Coffee & Lodging House seemed like it might be the one stop for all my needs. Food and coffee first, then I I inquired about the lodging, and again discovered no vacancy tonight.

Last chance to stay in the area, I texted Shannon and found her room was available. Twenty minutes later I met her, and she showed me the guest room. She was working on cleaning up her shed with some neighbors. I joined in the Shan Shed renovations, and we talked awhile. Then Shannon offered to drive me out to see the sunset. We re-hiked to the plateau above Bottle Cove just to see the end of the sunset. Back at her house I took a shower and made my bed, then we talked about bike trips until it was late.