Newfoundland in late April

[gehle]

I will be tagging along on my wife's business trip to Newfoundland in late April. Will be there for about 7 days. Will of course have a rental vehicle but how easy is it to get around? Do I need a SUV vehicle? How much snow will there typically be at this time of year? Will there be any "greenup" occuring then? Any other suggestions are appreciated. We will be in St. John's.
Thanks,

Ken Gehle

[framah]

My question would be... a business trip to NEWFOUNDLAND???

Isn't that sort of an oxymoron??  

You might call the chamber of commerce  or the hotel you'll be staying at in St. John and see what they say.

[Robert Roaldi]

A car is fine unless you plan to drive down rough logging roads. Late April may be too early for icebergs though. Try googling "icebergs" and "Newfoundland". I remember finding a site that gave opportune times of year for icebergs, whales, etc., but I never saved the bookmark.

As for business there, Newfoundland poverty is one of those myths that persist. Large sectors of the economy are booming there. You never hear business complain about the good times, remember that. We were there in autumn 2005 and did some real estate pricing. We could not afford to retire anywhere near St. John's; there was(is?) a house building boom going on. You can find really cheap places in the boondocks of course, but there are cheap places in rural Ontario too.

In only a few days, you won't have the time to even scratch the surface of the photographic opportunities, even just within an hour or two's drive from the city. There's a highly active arts community there, check out all the galleries in St. John's.

If you happen to like sea birds, Cape St. Mary's is worh the drive from St. John's. It will be nearly a full day's trip, there and back.

Watch out for moose on rural roads. There really are a LOT of them.

One more thing, I don't know where you're from but the driving there may shock you if you're from a big city. Drivers are courteous and nice. It takes some getting used to but it doesn't take long. Europeans discovered the east coast hiking trails a while ago and there is a network of cooperating B&B's that cater to them. It just seems to be the rest of Canada that doesn't know about the place.

The seafood is great.

[gehle]

My question would be... a business trip to NEWFOUNDLAND???

Believe it or not! My wife manages a vendor that provides call center operation for her company.

Ken

[gehle]

A car is fine unless you plan to drive down rough logging roads. Late April may be too early for icebergs though. Try googling "icebergs" and "Newfoundland". I remember finding a site that gave opportune times of year for icebergs, whales, etc., but I never saved the bookmark.

In only a few days, you won't have the time to even scratch the surface of the photographic opportunities, even just within an hour or two's drive from the city. There's a highly active arts community there, check out all the galleries in St. John's.

Watch out for moose on rural roads. There really are a LOT of them.

One more thing, I don't know where you're from but the driving there may shock you if you're from a big city. Drivers are courteous and nice. It takes some getting used to but it doesn't take long. Europeans discovered the east coast hiking trails a while ago and there is a network of cooperating B&B's that cater to them. It just seems to be the rest of Canada that doesn't know about the place.

The seafood is great.
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Thanks on the auto info. Iceberg season runs March to July, so I guess our visit is on the early side. Not that big of a draw for me anyway. I am more interested in the landscape, the fishing villages, people, etc.

I have concluded that seeing even a small part of the island will be an accomplishment - big place and wide open at that. That is why I am trying to "scout" as much as I can before getting there.

I have read about the moose. Seems that the moose was introduced to the island and there is no preditor...except a hunter. So there is a large population.

I am from Atlanta and know about nice drivers. We used to have them here before the Olympics changed this place.  

My big goal would be to make a trip to Gros Morne, which is on the west side. We will see if I can swing that.

Thanks,

Ken Gehle

[Robert Roaldi]

I highly recommend Gros Morne. We spent a week there and a week in the St. John's area when we went. It's about an hour flight from St. John's to Deer Lake and about a pleasant 30 minute drive from Deer Lake to Gros Morne. There are several towns in the confines of the park. They and the rest of the park are very scenic and photo-worthy. Lots of good hikes too although it may be a bit cold this early in the year. You may want to check national parks canada site for notices of closures of certain areas because of weather.

[Petrjay]

For what it's worth, (admittedly not much) I spent an hour or so on the runway at Gander on April 29 a number of years ago, and there was still a thick blanket of snow on the ground. Don't know if that was unusual or not, since we were confined to the plane.

[gehle]

For what it's worth, (admittedly not much) I spent an hour or so on the runway at Gander on April 29 a number of years ago, and there was still a thick blanket of snow on the ground. Don't know if that was unusual or not, since we were confined to the plane.
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It is worth something. I am expecting snow; just don't know how much. The whole northern part of NA seems to have been hammered this past season, so I am expecting it to be around when we are there.

Thanks,

Ken

[gabuja]

Rochy Harbour is a good place to base your self out of. Look at snow depths and consider renting snowshoes to get off the beaten path if there is alot of snow ie greater then 12inches in the woods.
My wifw and I hike up Grossmorn and spent the night. we went to bed with 2 moose feeding close to the tent 20m at one point and woke up to find three different moose beded down 40-50m from us.

[rpinciuc]

I will be tagging along on my wife's business trip to Newfoundland in late April. Will be there for about 7 days. Will of course have a rental vehicle but how easy is it to get around? Do I need a SUV vehicle? How much snow will there typically be at this time of year? Will there be any "greenup" occuring then? Any other suggestions are appreciated. We will be in St. John's.
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Hi Ken,

Lucky you going to Newfoundland. Such a beautiful place. I was there last July and can't comment on snow conditions in April, but can certainly recommend a few places to check out.

Near St. John's check out Signal Hill, Quidi Vidi, and drive to Cape Spear. Going south along the east coast, a few great villages/towns to check out are Petty Harbour, Bay Bulls, Witless Bay, Tors Cove, Cape Broyle, and especially Ferryland.

If you can get up to the Bonavista Peninsula, Cape Bonavista and surrounding towns are spectacular, as is Salvage, one of the most scenic fishing villages we saw. Also, Trinity is a quaint town with old buildings and a very scenic church.

On the west coast of The Rock, (a full day drive from St. John's) Gros Morne is amazing, and while hiking was at times fairly strenuous even without snow on long hikes, I'm sure some of the shorter hikes to falls and lookouts aren't so bad. In particular, the Tablelands were astounding and easy to hike to. More of a walk from the parking lot, really. If it's open (probably won't be), the boat cruise on Western Brook Pond is well worth the modest price. Further north on the west coast, Broom Point is like going back 100 years in a time machine. I've also heard (but didn't visit) that the Blowmedown mountains near Cornerbrook are very scenic.

Please feel free to browse my photos of these places and some others, and if you have any questions, drop me a line. The photos all have links to Google Maps for location.

[a href=\"http://www.pinciuc.com/photos/gallery/117]http://www.pinciuc.com/photos/gallery/117[/url]

Have a great trip!!
-Rob


PS: Take heed to the Moose warning - driving after nighfall, you are VERY likely to come across moose on or beside the road. We only drove at night 3 times and saw several moose each time, so be very careful driving at night!

[wolfnowl]

PS: Take heed to the Moose warning - driving after nighfall, you are VERY likely to come across moose on or beside the road. We only drove at night 3 times and saw several moose each time, so be very careful driving at night!

And be aware that moose are VERY black under headlights... they look almost like an absence of space.  A big bull can be over 1/2 ton, and while you might kill the moose it will definitely kill your vehicle...

Mike
(who used to work with moose in Algonquin Park many long years ago)

[gehle]

This is a big help. I have been reading a few books on the place but first hand accounts are very helpful.

Thanks,

Ken

[Adalbert]

My question would be... a business trip to NEWFOUNDLAND???

Isn't that sort of an oxymoron??  

[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=105831\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

In recent years Newfoundland has had the 2nd highest rate of economic growth in Canada, behind only Alberta.

[chilehead]

I will be tagging along on my wife's business trip to Newfoundland in late April. Will be there for about 7 days. Will of course have a rental vehicle but how easy is it to get around? Do I need a SUV vehicle? How much snow will there typically be at this time of year? Will there be any "greenup" occuring then? Any other suggestions are appreciated. We will be in St. John's.
Thanks,

Ken Gehle
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Might be a bit early for "greenup." While many in the States are having spring now, that won’t happen in NF until June.  You may find that in some parks, “visitors centers”  don’t open until May, though you may still have access to trails.  Visit the highway webcams site (see links below) to get an idea of what the weather is like across the province.  Not surprisingly, it varies quite a bit from north to south.  Best bet is to keep an eye on the forecast and radar after you arrive, and be willing to drive a bit for decent weather.

The East Coast Trail is an excellent walking trail, but I have not tried it in April.  The wind and spray can feel pretty cold, even in June!

If the weather permits, Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve might yield some great photos.   It will be early, but you might catch the start of the breeding season for the seabirds.  If you make the drive to Cape St. Mary’s, be sure to keep an eye out for caribou around the southern part of the province.  They are something you won’t find anywhere else this far “south.”

Of course, the best part of Newfoundland is its people.  Be sure to take time to stop along the way in your travels to talk to folks.  Might as well pronounce it correctly, too.  Most folks pronounce it “Newfunland”, with the emphasis on the first part, but on the west coast, many pronounce it like “understand” with the emphasis on the end.

Have a great trip!

Mark

Links:

[a href=\"http://www.newfoundlandlabrador.com/]Official Travel and Tourism site[/url]
City of St. John's Tourism page
East Coast Trail
Highway Cams
Unlikely you will make it to the west coast, but just in case:  Gros Morne National Park
Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve
Canadian Ice Service (for berg status, download a current map)
My most recent personal photos

[gehle]

Have a great trip!

Mark


Mark,

Thanks for all the info. I am in Newfoundland now it is like freaking winter here! Not much snow other than the unmelted piles & drifts under trees and along some roadways. But the Nor'easter was bad timing ontop of that Spring really starts in June.

It does take some time to get around and the best stuff is found by taking a road to the left when heading south along the coast. Amazing scenes even with an overcast sky and in some places 40+ mph winds. I felt realy dumb with my big coat when I first got here, especially around St. John's but when you get out on a point you need every bit of it, along with rain paints, etc., etc.

Finally, looks like the last two days we are here will have some partly sunny/maybe mostly sunny days. Yeah Baby!

Thanks all,

ken Gehle

[chilehead]

Mark,

Thanks for all the info. I am in Newfoundland now it is like freaking winter here! Not much snow other than the unmelted piles & drifts under trees and along some roadways. But the Nor'easter was bad timing ontop of that Spring really starts in June.
--snip--
Finally, looks like the last two days we are here will have some partly sunny/maybe mostly sunny days. Yeah Baby!

Thanks all,

ken Gehle
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So glad to hear you brought your heavy coat, Ken!  Don't forget to wash the salt spray off your lenses from time to time!

Mark