Looking back on today’s journey, I think I’d describe it as a rollercoaster ride. A lot of ups and downs, literally.
First we hiked up to Cap Gaspé.
It’s a point of land in Forillon National Park that juts out into the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It’s a four km hike, mostly uphill, especially the last half km. The cliffs in the eastern side fall 700 feet to the ocean but where the lighthouse is located, it’s about 300 feet above the crashing waves. It’s also where the Appalachian Mountains meet the Atlantic Ocean and is the head of the Appalachian Trail.
The Mi’kmaq called it Gaspeg meaning Land’s End. From the lighthouse, we took a trail down the cliff through the woods to a lookout point.
We saw a whale, seals, and many seabirds.
In the distance, we even saw this.
It was easy to imagine Jacques Cartier or Samuel de Champlain was sailing past, and we had slipped through a gap in time.
Hiking back down, the foliage was brilliant.
Snuggled into the trees I spotted a sleeping porcupine.
As we were driving out of the park, we saw something unusual crossing the road and so we stopped for a closer look.
It was a lynx!
The rest of the day was spent driving up and down high mountain roads and deep valleys. I can’t count how many times I have said “Wow!” on this trip. Every turn offers a new feast for the eyes.
One of our many detours was along a dirt road that climbed steeply upward.
Suddenly the road took a sharp turn and head straight down toward the ocean. It took my breath away.
Our destination was yet another lighthouse (Pointe-à-la-Renommée) but of greater interest was the building where Marconi set up the first maritime radio station in 1904.
The northern coast of the Gaspé Peninsula is far more dramatic than the south side. The mountains are steeper and more rugged, the wind blows harder, and the coastal villages seem to hug the shelter of the coves more tightly.
In one community, we found a covered bridge.
And in another, we came upon a 115 foot sailboat in the harbour.
We chatted with the owner who is waiting for a break in the weather so he can sail it to Lake Ontario.
After that we had a long stretch of road with mountains on one side and crashing ocean on the other.
We’re now officially on our way home, having turned west after leaving Cap Gaspé and Land’s End this morning. Still a few more days to go and places to discover!
jules for joy 