Churchill Falls

Saturday 7/26

Just after I packed up a big fox came out looking to scrounge campsites for food. He got nothing from me. On Rt389 a jackrabit ran in front of me, then a mouse. Much later in the day I saw an eagle in it's nest on top of a major power line tower. All day I race by swamps, scanning for moose, but saw nothing but a few geese.

After leaving the circle lake I passed by two mines: Fire Lake & Mont Wright. Between them winding gravel roads and traintracks.

I passed by the road to Fermont on route to Labrador City. Where I refueled, lubed my chain and enjoyed a brunch at Two Seasons. I didn't ask what two. While I had signal I uploaded yesterday's blog and photos. My way out of town was delayed by a long train of coal and other ors. Two front engines and a middle engine. There are photos of various train car contents . Front and back photos are 5.5 minutes apart.

All along Rt589 (and now Rt500) they have SOS phone stations. I took a photo of one of the booths yesterday. Spaced 50km apart, they seem like a long walk for help. It matters which way you hike. To help with that, they have signs as you approach the next one. I finally took a photo of one today. Another of yesterday's dirt section events that I forgot to mention was an abandoned car in the deep side ditch, covered in graffiti. No photo of that car, just like those on the Dempster in Alaska. By the time you understand what it is, you're past, and no safe place to stop out of truck traffic.

A light rain chased me along today route. Upon my furthest point north I pulled over for a photo, and just east of that to pee. That second spot represented a lot of the small ponds I passed all day, looking for moose in each. I took a photo of the pond, and the rain caught up with me for the last time. Now that I had turned east I was finally able get ahead of it.

Before reaching the town of Churchill Falls I crossed over it. A wide rocky river bed, dryer than the Rio Grand was. Just about as much going on in the town of Churchill Falls. A gas station/store and some relatively nice temporary housing. I bought a sub and water and located another free campsite at the Churchill River boat launch just outside of town.

After pitching my tent a guy on a Ural from the French part of Newfoundland arrived. He's doing a similar loop as me, but in the reverse direction. He had met friends camping in Happy Valley last night, and waited for them to arrive here. Seems like two girls, five dogs and a cat, in an old 1970s RV. I let them setup and eat, while I had a phone call with Anne. Bugs drove everyone inside soon after.

Expecting rain from 10pm until 8:30am. So I don't plan on getting an early start tomorrow.