Goose Bay ; Churchill Falls ; Labrador City ; Down through Quebec to the St. Laurence ; Quebec City to coastal Maine
(posted from a friend's house in Ocean Park, Maine)
(This post covers 20 – 24 September, 2010)
----------------------------------
Friday, 24 September-
We had a steady rain last night and today is supposed to be rainy all day. It was very nice to have warmer temperatures for sleeping, though.
I was awake about 0430 this morning and often Labashi is awake and reading around then so I thought maybe we should go ahead and get up and drive through Quebec City while traffic is light. Labashi put a quick kibosh on that one though with a gruff – 'No way, I'm sleeping!'.
After breakfast we made our way in toward the city and our GPS took us around the AutoRoute 40 away from the center of town. We saw a heavy traffic buildup on the highway going into the city and counted ourselves very lucky to not be trying to go in there. But it was only a few minutes later that we hit our own traffic jam. That one lasted for twenty minutes or so, then freed us up only to enter a longer one as we turned south to cross the bridge toward the US. That one seemed to drag on forever but was only about a half-hour. It turned out to have been caused by a jack-knifed tractor-trailer just south of the bridge so once we passed the accident scene, we were suddenly free and clear of traffic.
We continued south on the US-interstate-like highway for 50 miles or so and then the road ended at an exit ramp and a Tee intersection. The highway is brand new in this area and we could see the wide swath of land where it will continue in the future. But the road is so new that our GPS displayed a message: ERROR-- CANNOT FIND A ROAD TO CONTINUE. When I hit 'Recalculate', it simply said 'GO SOUTHWEST TO ROAD'. Fortunately Labashi is always following on a paper map so it was easy to see that we needed to turn west and within a few miles we were back in terra cognita.
In St. Georges, Labashi suddenly had a hankering for an Egg McMuffin. I had a very good bacon, egg, and cheese bagel (which I've not seen offered in the US McDonald's-- nor are Bagel-BLT sandwiches Labashi likes).
Shortly after St. Georges we reached the US Border. We were surprised to see only one car ahead of us and that one was just pulling out as we pulled up to the stop. As we were signalled to move forward, a bright light flashed. Our picture had been taken. I imagine our photos have been taken each time we crossed the border but this is the first time I've seen the flash indicating it. And the more I think about it the better I like the idea of the flash. I'd think it would make any evil-doers just a bit more nervous about the crossing. And it also tells us innocents that we need to pay attention and take this seriously.
Our border crossing agent was a good-looking young woman who was both very competent and projected a no-nonsense, ultra-professional manner. She did have to seize the half-pepper Labashi had in the ice box due to vegetable-import rules but explained it well--- she just simply said it's because the rules are different in Canada versus the US on how the fruits and vegetables are grown, packaged and handled and that could theoretically lead to a problem. But there was no question it was going to be seized, regardless of any opinion we might have.
She also didn't blink when I answered the do-you-have-firearms question with a yes. I had the Certificate of Ownership for Personal Effects Taken Abroad form for the shotgun from our transit through Canada to Alaska in 2008 so that made any question of ownership moot. She said she'd have to see it and check the serial number and of course wanted to know if it was loaded and how it was stored. Strictly routine, just as you'd expect in an area where hunters cross the border often.
We then zipped down through Jackson and along the Kennebec River on to Skowhegan. Shortly thereafter we went onto I-95. And within a few minutes we hit the first sign of civilization--- a Starbucks logo on the exit sign for Waterville.
I of course had to stop at the Starbucks and pick up some Doubleshot Lights and a mocha. We had a quick lunch of pain-et-buerre slices with the last of our Tadoussac baguettes, then continued south.
We reached the Portland area about 1530 and stopped at a Hannaford's for a few supplies, then went on to Ocean Park to our friend's house. This was the same place we had stopped on the way up through Maine but our friend had had to work and we hadn't time for more than a hello. In Quebec City I had noticed that it was only a short drive south to Portland so that made it an easy decision to drop into Maine rather than head for Montreal and then I-81 for home.
After driving all day in the rain, we were pleasantly surprised to find Ocean Park not only dry but sunny. And many people were wearing shorts, even the motorcyclists.
As evening approached Labashi and our friend went down to the beach for sand dollars while I surfed channels on the television and vedged.
Later in the evening we went to the local Texas Roadhouse for baby-back ribs and then it was a blissfully-quiet night in Mocha Joe.
----------------------------------
Thursday, 23 September-
This morning we went looking for a shower. We first tried several visitor's centers (looking for information) as we drove south down 138 toward Quebec City. But the first few were closed (they don't open until 1000) and the next few had no idea why we would want to do something like buy a shower. It appears they assume we either stay in a motel (which have showers) or in a campground (ditto).
Along the way we stopped at a Parks Canada site called Cape Bon Air and looked for whales. We saw only two whale spouts at a distance but did enjoy the walk down to the viewing site.
We then tried a nearby campground to see if they'd sell us a shower. The woman acted like she had never heard of such a thing and said the showers are for guests only-- and was a bit snippy about it. But they didn't have any guests! The campground was empty. So she was turning down an easy six or eight bucks (that seems to be the going rate elsewhere) for two quickie showers on the theory that they're reserved for non-existent guests.
But it turned out to be good for us. On the way out to the main road we found an extra-wide snowmobile trail leading back into the woods and a clearing beyond. We took a look and found a nice little pulloff in the sun and out of the wind for a 'douche-sauvage' (shower in the wild) of our own making. We're carrying the water, the pot, the stove, the soap, and the towels. On a nice day like today, why not?
We spent the rest of the day working our way down 138, stopping at lookouts and stopping for baguettes in Tadoussac.
We finally made it to St-Anne-de-Beaupre by 1800. Across from the cathedral there was supposed to be a large lot (according to overnightrvparking.com) where we could park free for the night. We found the lot and it is indeed true. We later learned from another camper that on most evenings a guy will come around with donation envelopes for the church and you're welcome to stay, though a small donation is encouraged ($5-10). He said we were very lucky to have arrived out of season. In the summer the park is full-- there may be 200 Rvs parked in very tightly. He said the church would like to upgrade the site with power, water, and sewer but since they don't pay taxes to the city, the city will not allow it. He said this is the only place for Rvs to stop in the entire Quebec City area (I'd guess that's not exactly true).
We had supper and a bit of Warre Optima 10 tawny port, made a call to our friend in Maine to make arrangements to come visit in a few days, and spent the evening catching up the blog.
----------------------------------
Wednesday, 22 September-
We took a tour around Labrador City this morning then drove to neighboring Wabush to return our satellite phone. I don't know if I mentioned the sat-phone but the Labrador government has a sat-phone lending project. Go into one of the six hotels spread around the province and you can sign out an Iridium satellite phone which is programmed to call the police via satellite. You can keep the phone for up to 72 hours and then return it to one of the other hotels on your way. We picked up our phone at the Alexis Hotel in Port Hope Simpson and returned it today at the Wabush Hotel.
We did have one little problem with the lender phone and it was an administrative one. When we arrived at Churchill Falls, we went to the Midway Hotel to ask them to check it in and re-issue it to us so we'd be sure not to exceed the 72-hour limitation. But the guy at the desk said he couldn't accept it without a faxed copy of the sheet the Alexis had filled out in lending it to us. But we had no idea where the Alexis had faxed the sheet to. We had discussed possibly taking it in at Goose Bay so perhaps the fax had gone there. We also said we were ultimately going to Wabush so perhaps it had gone there. After a few minutes the guy agreed to straighten out the mess by contacting the Alexis and determining where the sheet had gone. He went ahead and issued us a new one, resetting the 72-hour clock.
After Wabush, we went back past Lab City and on into Quebec. We spent the rest of the day driving down Route 389 from Fermont (at the Labrador border) to Baie-Comeau (on the St. Lawrence River). This road was more challenging than the Trans-Labrador Highway. First, portions of it are very winding and the road surface is quite variable. Also, we were travelling in rain and strong winds much of the time. But the scariest part was the construction zone. The dump truck drivers are maniacs. They drive as fast as they can in both directions. What they are doing, of course, is shuttling loads of stone between a stone quarry and the site where the road grader is working. And this goes on for miles. At any time you may have a dump truck behind you going much faster and two in your line of sight coming toward you from the other direction, all at breakneck speeds. The one behind you is easy enough-- just pull over with the signal on and he'll go roaring past. But the oncoming ones are throwing gravel. I pull over and nearly stop as they pass, just so our combined speeds don't make the gravel hits worse. But I had two large gravel rocks thrown up against Mocha Joe's roof and I ended up with one significant windshield chip. The chip looks like a round one so hopefully it won't spread. And it's low and on the passenger side so I think it will still pass inspection. If not, that will be windshield number six and another $250 for this van.
After our long day of driving the gravel road we finally came to hard road at the Manic Five hydro complex. But that just started another challenge. The guys working up here are just as crazy as the dump truck drivers. They come roaring right up close to your bumper and ride there until one of the few-and-far-between passing zones. When they get close, I just turn on the signal and get over as far as I can and they'll zoom right past, whether there's oncoming traffic or not. But keeping a constant eye out for them is tiring and seems unnecessary.
We had been cold today so I thought we'd stop at a campground and plug in our electric heater for the night rather than depend on our sleeping bags to keep us warm. We stopped at a campground at the 23K mark and they did indeed have campsites with power but they wanted $25 for the night and it was already 1900 hours so that just seemed like too much. I'd have to dig out the power cord and pay way too much money for a crash-and-dash stay. We decided instead to try the Wal-mart at Baie-Comeau.
The only problem was we couldn't find it. It's not on the GPS and the street it's supposed to be on doesn't show on the map. And when we finally ended our long, long, LONG drive down '389 Sud' (389 South), the road sign pointed to the Baie Comeau-Matane Ferry. That took us the long way around to Baie Comeau East when the Wal-mart is in Baie-Comeau West. But then we had a bit of luck. As we were driving about, I saw a town park and there was an old pickup camper parked there with his step-stool out as if he were staying the night. We drove past the camper but no-one seemed to be there. But then we saw an older gentleman reading signs on the other side of the parking lot. Labashi asked him (in French) if he knew whether we could stay the night and he said we could indeed-- he and his son had been told it's okay. We later talked with the son who confirmed that the town visitor's center had sent them here when they had asked about an overnight spot. We could stay two nights if we wanted.
We settled in and had supper and by that time it was well after dark. We then walked to the nearby upscale hotel and had portos. What a day!
-----------------------------------
Tuesday, 21 September-
Churchill Falls is an interesting town. It may be the only true company town in Canada. There are many work camps (like Fort McMurray, Alberta) where workers fly in and work for awhile and fly home to their families. At Churchill Falls, though, the workers and their families live here full time. Almost everything in the town is owned by the company. The exceptions are the gas station, the hotel, one of the convenience stores, and a bar. The company owns all the houses. And you don't see smoke pipes sticking out of the roofs of the homes. They're all heated electrically.
After breakfast this morning we met our tour guide and watched a half-hour film about the history of Churchill Falls and the building of the massive hydro plant. The idea behind the plant is amazing. Instead of building a massive dam, they build 30-some miles of dyke to block off multiple rivers leading away from the central water mass. They did it in such a way that all this water could drain to the Churchill River at a point where it began the greatest part of its fall. They then blasted 11 tunnels through solid granite at a 60-degree angle. At the bottom of each tunnel is a turbine and then a connection to an exit tunnel. The turbines and the control station are 1000 feet underground (!!!!).
Churchill Falls was producing 3553 megawatts of electricity today. That power is sold to Hydro Quebec and used throughout Quebec and excess power is sold to New York state. And all that power is created with using coal, oil, gas, or nuclear fuel-- just water and gravity (and technology!).
After the introductory film we were shuttled to the plant. The elevator down to the 1000-foot level took one and a half minutes and was ultra-smooth. We then stepped out into a corridor blasted out of the 3-Billion-year-old granite and shown a series of transformers --- cubical boxes about twenty feet on a side--- and the surrounding safety gear. Each transformer is oil-filled so each sits in a large concrete room, the front of which is a block wall. When the transformer needs to be refurbished (remember, these transformers are 40 years old now), the block wall is removed and a transported driven alongside. The transformer is loaded onto the purpose-built transporter which is double-ended. So it doesn't have to turn around, it can be driven from either end. The transporter takes the transformer to the surface and then to the railyard. A train takes it to a port, where it goes by ship to a rebuild facility in Brazil.
We then were taken to the turbine room. Each turbine is covered with yellow metal plates which each show as a 20 x 20 yellow square. A 400-ton-capacity crane hangs 50 feet above.
Today, though, we had a problem. Work was being done on one of the turbines-- number five or number six-- and we couldn't go past for the rest of the tour. We turned back and returned to the surface, our three-hour tour cut short only about half-way through.
Labashi and I then drove over to the town center building. It's one giant building housing the schools, the gym, the swimming pool, the community center, the library, the post office, the grocery store, and the hotel and its restaurant.
We had a lunch of fish and chips in the Midway Restaurant and then hit the road yet again.
This time our goal was Labrador City-- 150 gravel-road miles away. This stretch of road was perhaps a bit better than the last-- mostly because there was less maintenance underway. We made Lab City, site of a massive open-pit iron-ore operation, by 1530. Our first stop was the Gateway Labrador Interpretive Centre, which provided an excellent history of the search for, and development of, the mine and the city.
Our host at the interpretive center was a young woman who recently graduated college (in Halifax) with a business degree and in two weeks was going backpacking/Eurailing in Europe for an extended trip to five countries.
When I mentioned the wolf-pups we had seen, she said wolves are a big problem in Labrador City. Over a half-dozen (I'm not sure of the number) dogs have been killed by wolves this summer and the wolves can be seen in daylight on the town's streets.
After locating the Wal-mart, we drove to the library, just in time for it to close down for the afternoon at 1700. But it would re-open at 1900 for the evening.
We made supper in the library parking lot and I had the Sunday paper for St. John's which I had picked up in Goose Bay. But the big surprise today was on the radio. Hurricane Igor was pounding Newfoundland. Twenty-nine municipalities had declared states of emergency. Towns we had just recently visited-- Trinity and Marystown, for example -- were cut off from the outside world because of road washouts and bridge collapses. The Trans-Canada Highway was closed indefinitely in Terra Nova National Park and at Clarenville and Goobies. The Burin Peninsula was isolated from the rest of Newfoundland by a bridge collapse. An 80-year-old man was missing at Random and emergency services could not get to the area to search for him-- the roads were out and the winds and stormy rains were too strong for helicopters. The man had been walking across his driveway when it collapsed out from under him and he was reported to have been washed into the sea.
We, of course, were just fine hundreds of miles away in Labrador. But we did think about the French couple we had met in the visitor's center at Goose Bay. They were doing the same trip we had done but in the opposite direction. They had come from Quebec and were spending another night in Goose Bay, then would make the long drive to Blanc Sablon for the ferry to Newfoundland and a few weeks there. We had given them information and recommendations for places to visit which now were in a state of emergency.
After supper we spent a relaxing evening reading in the library. I read articles in Discovery about Biosphere II (which we had visited this Spring) and about nuclear fusion tests at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque (where a relative works) and an article in Macleans about the US becoming a second-class country.
When the library closed we returned to the Wal-mart for the night. All was well until about 2330 when a tractor-trailer decided to park next to us with the engine running, apparently for the night.
I dressed and drove around to the other side of the building only to find a noisy refrigeration unit running on a trailer parked in the Wal-mart loading dock. And on another side I could hear a loud machine noise near the Tim Horton's and Co-op stores. Fortunately, I had a backup plan. While visiting the Gateway Labrador museum I had seen a good parking spot so I moved us there for the rest of the night and that worked out fine.
-----------------------------------
Monday, 20 September-
This morning we left our bridge-side campsite and went into Goose Bay to run a few errands before taking on the long drive to Churchill Falls.
After mailing off some postcards, we found the visitor's center open today (it was closed yesterday) so we thought we'd stop in for a brief visit. When we found they have wi-fi, I posted a blog update and Labashi began writing an email to family and friends. While she was working I asked the visitor's center girl if there might be a coffee shop within walking distance. She directed me to the nearby 'Cafe Inconnu', small, unremarkable little place. It was wonderful! This little place has the only espresso machine in the town and it's a good one-- a Rancilio. The cafe had espresso drinks, delicate pastries and croissants, a wi-fi hotspot and internet terminals, art work, and a very pleasant, modern espresso-bar décor.
I had a cafe mocha and chatted with the chef, Don, for a good half-hour. Don played professional hockey in the US and had gotten to see quite a bit of the U.S., including good old Hershey, PA. But his passion now is fishing and hunting. He told me stories of meeting a black bear very close up (less than 15 feet away) and watching it decide whether to attack him. (He said while it was deciding other guides came into view behind him and the bear decided not to take them all on).
He also told me the black bears and the wolves are becoming more aggressive each year. He said there had been several wolf attacks (on people) in the last year (I'm not sure I believe that-- he was a bit of a tale-spinner, I believe). He also spoke of routinely catching 24-inch brook trout in the area and of having to kill a black bear that tore up his cabin on 'the island' (Newfoundland) (between Deer Lake and Grand Falls). Don said the cafe will close for a week soon so they can transform it into an Italian cafe and serve pizza in the evenings.
By late morning we had our errands done and headed out of town.
The drive to Churchill Falls is 180 miles. We had a relatively nice day for it and the road wasn't bad. It wasn't as nice as the section between Port Hope Simpson and Goose Bay but that was mostly because of maintenance work. When the road scraper is working it digs up a section and levels it but it's not packed down for awhile so you're running through an inch or more of loose gravel. Once a few trucks come through, a track develops and is quite good for making time.
Today I was doing 35 to 45 miles per hour, probably a bit more of the latter. The terrain was more varied today and we had some really nice views, particularly at Devil's Lookout where we had lunch as we gazed out over the Churchill River valley.
We've seen little wildlife but did get a big treat when we stopped at a construction zone and the flagger asked if we had seen the wolf-pups. We of course said no and he said he had been feeding one just a few minutes ago but now it was gone. We weren't sure if he was serious but in a few minutes, there, indeed was a young wolf back in the trees. To our astonishment it came out of the trees and walked along the new construction area, just 20 yards away, completely ignoring us.
The flagger said this one was the male and was about four months old and larger than his sisters. The den is very close to a nearby cabin.
As we drove to the far end of the construction zone, there were the two female pups, sniffing at something the flagger on that end had tossed to the opposite side of the road.
To see the wolf-pups was interesting but also, when you think about it, heart-breaking. Feeding them is probably going to cause their deaths. If the wolves approach a hunter for a handout, there's little doubt what will happen.
We had an otherwise uneventful drive across beautiful black-spruce forest with a surprising amount of roadside sand dunes. We made Churchill Falls by 1600 and as I gassed up Mocha Joe (at $5.40 a gallon) I learned we could schedule a tour of the underground power plant by seeing the secretary at the town hall and we could park overnight at the arena for free. And we could plug in to the receptacles in the parking lot if we wanted to.
We made our reservations for a tour tomorrow and parked at the arena. But we didn't plug in to the electric outlets. I was surprised to find I had left one of my two heavy-duty power cords back at the Chambersburg house where we had been working. And the other-- the long one-- was socked away deep inside the back of Mocha Joe. I had carefully taped all the seams of the back doors to prevent road dust from coming in on our bed and didn't want to undo the tape, then re-do it tomorrow morning in the rain. We've done without electricity for 30-some days so one more certainly won't hurt.
After supper we watched the rest of the 'Random Passage' episode we had stopped several nights ago and then watched the final episode. We still have the Special Features to watch another night.
*********** END OF POST ***********
(posted from a friend's house in Ocean Park, Maine)
(This post covers 20 – 24 September, 2010)
----------------------------------
Friday, 24 September-
We had a steady rain last night and today is supposed to be rainy all day. It was very nice to have warmer temperatures for sleeping, though.
I was awake about 0430 this morning and often Labashi is awake and reading around then so I thought maybe we should go ahead and get up and drive through Quebec City while traffic is light. Labashi put a quick kibosh on that one though with a gruff – 'No way, I'm sleeping!'.
After breakfast we made our way in toward the city and our GPS took us around the AutoRoute 40 away from the center of town. We saw a heavy traffic buildup on the highway going into the city and counted ourselves very lucky to not be trying to go in there. But it was only a few minutes later that we hit our own traffic jam. That one lasted for twenty minutes or so, then freed us up only to enter a longer one as we turned south to cross the bridge toward the US. That one seemed to drag on forever but was only about a half-hour. It turned out to have been caused by a jack-knifed tractor-trailer just south of the bridge so once we passed the accident scene, we were suddenly free and clear of traffic.
We continued south on the US-interstate-like highway for 50 miles or so and then the road ended at an exit ramp and a Tee intersection. The highway is brand new in this area and we could see the wide swath of land where it will continue in the future. But the road is so new that our GPS displayed a message: ERROR-- CANNOT FIND A ROAD TO CONTINUE. When I hit 'Recalculate', it simply said 'GO SOUTHWEST TO ROAD'. Fortunately Labashi is always following on a paper map so it was easy to see that we needed to turn west and within a few miles we were back in terra cognita.
In St. Georges, Labashi suddenly had a hankering for an Egg McMuffin. I had a very good bacon, egg, and cheese bagel (which I've not seen offered in the US McDonald's-- nor are Bagel-BLT sandwiches Labashi likes).
Shortly after St. Georges we reached the US Border. We were surprised to see only one car ahead of us and that one was just pulling out as we pulled up to the stop. As we were signalled to move forward, a bright light flashed. Our picture had been taken. I imagine our photos have been taken each time we crossed the border but this is the first time I've seen the flash indicating it. And the more I think about it the better I like the idea of the flash. I'd think it would make any evil-doers just a bit more nervous about the crossing. And it also tells us innocents that we need to pay attention and take this seriously.
Our border crossing agent was a good-looking young woman who was both very competent and projected a no-nonsense, ultra-professional manner. She did have to seize the half-pepper Labashi had in the ice box due to vegetable-import rules but explained it well--- she just simply said it's because the rules are different in Canada versus the US on how the fruits and vegetables are grown, packaged and handled and that could theoretically lead to a problem. But there was no question it was going to be seized, regardless of any opinion we might have.
She also didn't blink when I answered the do-you-have-firearms question with a yes. I had the Certificate of Ownership for Personal Effects Taken Abroad form for the shotgun from our transit through Canada to Alaska in 2008 so that made any question of ownership moot. She said she'd have to see it and check the serial number and of course wanted to know if it was loaded and how it was stored. Strictly routine, just as you'd expect in an area where hunters cross the border often.
We then zipped down through Jackson and along the Kennebec River on to Skowhegan. Shortly thereafter we went onto I-95. And within a few minutes we hit the first sign of civilization--- a Starbucks logo on the exit sign for Waterville.
I of course had to stop at the Starbucks and pick up some Doubleshot Lights and a mocha. We had a quick lunch of pain-et-buerre slices with the last of our Tadoussac baguettes, then continued south.
We reached the Portland area about 1530 and stopped at a Hannaford's for a few supplies, then went on to Ocean Park to our friend's house. This was the same place we had stopped on the way up through Maine but our friend had had to work and we hadn't time for more than a hello. In Quebec City I had noticed that it was only a short drive south to Portland so that made it an easy decision to drop into Maine rather than head for Montreal and then I-81 for home.
After driving all day in the rain, we were pleasantly surprised to find Ocean Park not only dry but sunny. And many people were wearing shorts, even the motorcyclists.
As evening approached Labashi and our friend went down to the beach for sand dollars while I surfed channels on the television and vedged.
Later in the evening we went to the local Texas Roadhouse for baby-back ribs and then it was a blissfully-quiet night in Mocha Joe.
----------------------------------
Thursday, 23 September-
This morning we went looking for a shower. We first tried several visitor's centers (looking for information) as we drove south down 138 toward Quebec City. But the first few were closed (they don't open until 1000) and the next few had no idea why we would want to do something like buy a shower. It appears they assume we either stay in a motel (which have showers) or in a campground (ditto).
Along the way we stopped at a Parks Canada site called Cape Bon Air and looked for whales. We saw only two whale spouts at a distance but did enjoy the walk down to the viewing site.
We then tried a nearby campground to see if they'd sell us a shower. The woman acted like she had never heard of such a thing and said the showers are for guests only-- and was a bit snippy about it. But they didn't have any guests! The campground was empty. So she was turning down an easy six or eight bucks (that seems to be the going rate elsewhere) for two quickie showers on the theory that they're reserved for non-existent guests.
But it turned out to be good for us. On the way out to the main road we found an extra-wide snowmobile trail leading back into the woods and a clearing beyond. We took a look and found a nice little pulloff in the sun and out of the wind for a 'douche-sauvage' (shower in the wild) of our own making. We're carrying the water, the pot, the stove, the soap, and the towels. On a nice day like today, why not?
We spent the rest of the day working our way down 138, stopping at lookouts and stopping for baguettes in Tadoussac.
We finally made it to St-Anne-de-Beaupre by 1800. Across from the cathedral there was supposed to be a large lot (according to overnightrvparking.com) where we could park free for the night. We found the lot and it is indeed true. We later learned from another camper that on most evenings a guy will come around with donation envelopes for the church and you're welcome to stay, though a small donation is encouraged ($5-10). He said we were very lucky to have arrived out of season. In the summer the park is full-- there may be 200 Rvs parked in very tightly. He said the church would like to upgrade the site with power, water, and sewer but since they don't pay taxes to the city, the city will not allow it. He said this is the only place for Rvs to stop in the entire Quebec City area (I'd guess that's not exactly true).
We had supper and a bit of Warre Optima 10 tawny port, made a call to our friend in Maine to make arrangements to come visit in a few days, and spent the evening catching up the blog.
----------------------------------
Wednesday, 22 September-
We took a tour around Labrador City this morning then drove to neighboring Wabush to return our satellite phone. I don't know if I mentioned the sat-phone but the Labrador government has a sat-phone lending project. Go into one of the six hotels spread around the province and you can sign out an Iridium satellite phone which is programmed to call the police via satellite. You can keep the phone for up to 72 hours and then return it to one of the other hotels on your way. We picked up our phone at the Alexis Hotel in Port Hope Simpson and returned it today at the Wabush Hotel.
We did have one little problem with the lender phone and it was an administrative one. When we arrived at Churchill Falls, we went to the Midway Hotel to ask them to check it in and re-issue it to us so we'd be sure not to exceed the 72-hour limitation. But the guy at the desk said he couldn't accept it without a faxed copy of the sheet the Alexis had filled out in lending it to us. But we had no idea where the Alexis had faxed the sheet to. We had discussed possibly taking it in at Goose Bay so perhaps the fax had gone there. We also said we were ultimately going to Wabush so perhaps it had gone there. After a few minutes the guy agreed to straighten out the mess by contacting the Alexis and determining where the sheet had gone. He went ahead and issued us a new one, resetting the 72-hour clock.
After Wabush, we went back past Lab City and on into Quebec. We spent the rest of the day driving down Route 389 from Fermont (at the Labrador border) to Baie-Comeau (on the St. Lawrence River). This road was more challenging than the Trans-Labrador Highway. First, portions of it are very winding and the road surface is quite variable. Also, we were travelling in rain and strong winds much of the time. But the scariest part was the construction zone. The dump truck drivers are maniacs. They drive as fast as they can in both directions. What they are doing, of course, is shuttling loads of stone between a stone quarry and the site where the road grader is working. And this goes on for miles. At any time you may have a dump truck behind you going much faster and two in your line of sight coming toward you from the other direction, all at breakneck speeds. The one behind you is easy enough-- just pull over with the signal on and he'll go roaring past. But the oncoming ones are throwing gravel. I pull over and nearly stop as they pass, just so our combined speeds don't make the gravel hits worse. But I had two large gravel rocks thrown up against Mocha Joe's roof and I ended up with one significant windshield chip. The chip looks like a round one so hopefully it won't spread. And it's low and on the passenger side so I think it will still pass inspection. If not, that will be windshield number six and another $250 for this van.
After our long day of driving the gravel road we finally came to hard road at the Manic Five hydro complex. But that just started another challenge. The guys working up here are just as crazy as the dump truck drivers. They come roaring right up close to your bumper and ride there until one of the few-and-far-between passing zones. When they get close, I just turn on the signal and get over as far as I can and they'll zoom right past, whether there's oncoming traffic or not. But keeping a constant eye out for them is tiring and seems unnecessary.
We had been cold today so I thought we'd stop at a campground and plug in our electric heater for the night rather than depend on our sleeping bags to keep us warm. We stopped at a campground at the 23K mark and they did indeed have campsites with power but they wanted $25 for the night and it was already 1900 hours so that just seemed like too much. I'd have to dig out the power cord and pay way too much money for a crash-and-dash stay. We decided instead to try the Wal-mart at Baie-Comeau.
The only problem was we couldn't find it. It's not on the GPS and the street it's supposed to be on doesn't show on the map. And when we finally ended our long, long, LONG drive down '389 Sud' (389 South), the road sign pointed to the Baie Comeau-Matane Ferry. That took us the long way around to Baie Comeau East when the Wal-mart is in Baie-Comeau West. But then we had a bit of luck. As we were driving about, I saw a town park and there was an old pickup camper parked there with his step-stool out as if he were staying the night. We drove past the camper but no-one seemed to be there. But then we saw an older gentleman reading signs on the other side of the parking lot. Labashi asked him (in French) if he knew whether we could stay the night and he said we could indeed-- he and his son had been told it's okay. We later talked with the son who confirmed that the town visitor's center had sent them here when they had asked about an overnight spot. We could stay two nights if we wanted.
We settled in and had supper and by that time it was well after dark. We then walked to the nearby upscale hotel and had portos. What a day!
-----------------------------------
Tuesday, 21 September-
Churchill Falls is an interesting town. It may be the only true company town in Canada. There are many work camps (like Fort McMurray, Alberta) where workers fly in and work for awhile and fly home to their families. At Churchill Falls, though, the workers and their families live here full time. Almost everything in the town is owned by the company. The exceptions are the gas station, the hotel, one of the convenience stores, and a bar. The company owns all the houses. And you don't see smoke pipes sticking out of the roofs of the homes. They're all heated electrically.
After breakfast this morning we met our tour guide and watched a half-hour film about the history of Churchill Falls and the building of the massive hydro plant. The idea behind the plant is amazing. Instead of building a massive dam, they build 30-some miles of dyke to block off multiple rivers leading away from the central water mass. They did it in such a way that all this water could drain to the Churchill River at a point where it began the greatest part of its fall. They then blasted 11 tunnels through solid granite at a 60-degree angle. At the bottom of each tunnel is a turbine and then a connection to an exit tunnel. The turbines and the control station are 1000 feet underground (!!!!).
Churchill Falls was producing 3553 megawatts of electricity today. That power is sold to Hydro Quebec and used throughout Quebec and excess power is sold to New York state. And all that power is created with using coal, oil, gas, or nuclear fuel-- just water and gravity (and technology!).
After the introductory film we were shuttled to the plant. The elevator down to the 1000-foot level took one and a half minutes and was ultra-smooth. We then stepped out into a corridor blasted out of the 3-Billion-year-old granite and shown a series of transformers --- cubical boxes about twenty feet on a side--- and the surrounding safety gear. Each transformer is oil-filled so each sits in a large concrete room, the front of which is a block wall. When the transformer needs to be refurbished (remember, these transformers are 40 years old now), the block wall is removed and a transported driven alongside. The transformer is loaded onto the purpose-built transporter which is double-ended. So it doesn't have to turn around, it can be driven from either end. The transporter takes the transformer to the surface and then to the railyard. A train takes it to a port, where it goes by ship to a rebuild facility in Brazil.
We then were taken to the turbine room. Each turbine is covered with yellow metal plates which each show as a 20 x 20 yellow square. A 400-ton-capacity crane hangs 50 feet above.
Today, though, we had a problem. Work was being done on one of the turbines-- number five or number six-- and we couldn't go past for the rest of the tour. We turned back and returned to the surface, our three-hour tour cut short only about half-way through.
Labashi and I then drove over to the town center building. It's one giant building housing the schools, the gym, the swimming pool, the community center, the library, the post office, the grocery store, and the hotel and its restaurant.
We had a lunch of fish and chips in the Midway Restaurant and then hit the road yet again.
This time our goal was Labrador City-- 150 gravel-road miles away. This stretch of road was perhaps a bit better than the last-- mostly because there was less maintenance underway. We made Lab City, site of a massive open-pit iron-ore operation, by 1530. Our first stop was the Gateway Labrador Interpretive Centre, which provided an excellent history of the search for, and development of, the mine and the city.
Our host at the interpretive center was a young woman who recently graduated college (in Halifax) with a business degree and in two weeks was going backpacking/Eurailing in Europe for an extended trip to five countries.
When I mentioned the wolf-pups we had seen, she said wolves are a big problem in Labrador City. Over a half-dozen (I'm not sure of the number) dogs have been killed by wolves this summer and the wolves can be seen in daylight on the town's streets.
After locating the Wal-mart, we drove to the library, just in time for it to close down for the afternoon at 1700. But it would re-open at 1900 for the evening.
We made supper in the library parking lot and I had the Sunday paper for St. John's which I had picked up in Goose Bay. But the big surprise today was on the radio. Hurricane Igor was pounding Newfoundland. Twenty-nine municipalities had declared states of emergency. Towns we had just recently visited-- Trinity and Marystown, for example -- were cut off from the outside world because of road washouts and bridge collapses. The Trans-Canada Highway was closed indefinitely in Terra Nova National Park and at Clarenville and Goobies. The Burin Peninsula was isolated from the rest of Newfoundland by a bridge collapse. An 80-year-old man was missing at Random and emergency services could not get to the area to search for him-- the roads were out and the winds and stormy rains were too strong for helicopters. The man had been walking across his driveway when it collapsed out from under him and he was reported to have been washed into the sea.
We, of course, were just fine hundreds of miles away in Labrador. But we did think about the French couple we had met in the visitor's center at Goose Bay. They were doing the same trip we had done but in the opposite direction. They had come from Quebec and were spending another night in Goose Bay, then would make the long drive to Blanc Sablon for the ferry to Newfoundland and a few weeks there. We had given them information and recommendations for places to visit which now were in a state of emergency.
After supper we spent a relaxing evening reading in the library. I read articles in Discovery about Biosphere II (which we had visited this Spring) and about nuclear fusion tests at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque (where a relative works) and an article in Macleans about the US becoming a second-class country.
When the library closed we returned to the Wal-mart for the night. All was well until about 2330 when a tractor-trailer decided to park next to us with the engine running, apparently for the night.
I dressed and drove around to the other side of the building only to find a noisy refrigeration unit running on a trailer parked in the Wal-mart loading dock. And on another side I could hear a loud machine noise near the Tim Horton's and Co-op stores. Fortunately, I had a backup plan. While visiting the Gateway Labrador museum I had seen a good parking spot so I moved us there for the rest of the night and that worked out fine.
-----------------------------------
Monday, 20 September-
This morning we left our bridge-side campsite and went into Goose Bay to run a few errands before taking on the long drive to Churchill Falls.
After mailing off some postcards, we found the visitor's center open today (it was closed yesterday) so we thought we'd stop in for a brief visit. When we found they have wi-fi, I posted a blog update and Labashi began writing an email to family and friends. While she was working I asked the visitor's center girl if there might be a coffee shop within walking distance. She directed me to the nearby 'Cafe Inconnu', small, unremarkable little place. It was wonderful! This little place has the only espresso machine in the town and it's a good one-- a Rancilio. The cafe had espresso drinks, delicate pastries and croissants, a wi-fi hotspot and internet terminals, art work, and a very pleasant, modern espresso-bar décor.
I had a cafe mocha and chatted with the chef, Don, for a good half-hour. Don played professional hockey in the US and had gotten to see quite a bit of the U.S., including good old Hershey, PA. But his passion now is fishing and hunting. He told me stories of meeting a black bear very close up (less than 15 feet away) and watching it decide whether to attack him. (He said while it was deciding other guides came into view behind him and the bear decided not to take them all on).
He also told me the black bears and the wolves are becoming more aggressive each year. He said there had been several wolf attacks (on people) in the last year (I'm not sure I believe that-- he was a bit of a tale-spinner, I believe). He also spoke of routinely catching 24-inch brook trout in the area and of having to kill a black bear that tore up his cabin on 'the island' (Newfoundland) (between Deer Lake and Grand Falls). Don said the cafe will close for a week soon so they can transform it into an Italian cafe and serve pizza in the evenings.
By late morning we had our errands done and headed out of town.
The drive to Churchill Falls is 180 miles. We had a relatively nice day for it and the road wasn't bad. It wasn't as nice as the section between Port Hope Simpson and Goose Bay but that was mostly because of maintenance work. When the road scraper is working it digs up a section and levels it but it's not packed down for awhile so you're running through an inch or more of loose gravel. Once a few trucks come through, a track develops and is quite good for making time.
Today I was doing 35 to 45 miles per hour, probably a bit more of the latter. The terrain was more varied today and we had some really nice views, particularly at Devil's Lookout where we had lunch as we gazed out over the Churchill River valley.
We've seen little wildlife but did get a big treat when we stopped at a construction zone and the flagger asked if we had seen the wolf-pups. We of course said no and he said he had been feeding one just a few minutes ago but now it was gone. We weren't sure if he was serious but in a few minutes, there, indeed was a young wolf back in the trees. To our astonishment it came out of the trees and walked along the new construction area, just 20 yards away, completely ignoring us.
The flagger said this one was the male and was about four months old and larger than his sisters. The den is very close to a nearby cabin.
As we drove to the far end of the construction zone, there were the two female pups, sniffing at something the flagger on that end had tossed to the opposite side of the road.
To see the wolf-pups was interesting but also, when you think about it, heart-breaking. Feeding them is probably going to cause their deaths. If the wolves approach a hunter for a handout, there's little doubt what will happen.
We had an otherwise uneventful drive across beautiful black-spruce forest with a surprising amount of roadside sand dunes. We made Churchill Falls by 1600 and as I gassed up Mocha Joe (at $5.40 a gallon) I learned we could schedule a tour of the underground power plant by seeing the secretary at the town hall and we could park overnight at the arena for free. And we could plug in to the receptacles in the parking lot if we wanted to.
We made our reservations for a tour tomorrow and parked at the arena. But we didn't plug in to the electric outlets. I was surprised to find I had left one of my two heavy-duty power cords back at the Chambersburg house where we had been working. And the other-- the long one-- was socked away deep inside the back of Mocha Joe. I had carefully taped all the seams of the back doors to prevent road dust from coming in on our bed and didn't want to undo the tape, then re-do it tomorrow morning in the rain. We've done without electricity for 30-some days so one more certainly won't hurt.
After supper we watched the rest of the 'Random Passage' episode we had stopped several nights ago and then watched the final episode. We still have the Special Features to watch another night.
*********** END OF POST ***********
posted by Bezabor&Labashi | 23:59
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home