Hike to Cripple Cove

I haven't hiked since September of 2018.  I've been on the bike mostly and haven't done much kayaking either.  My kayak buddy Dean hasn't been in the kayak much either but more than me.  He's done much more hiking and this weekend asked about my interest in doing an approximate 30 km hike over two days.  Time to strap on the backpack again and maybe do a bit more than once a year.

We settled on a hike from Bauline to Pouch Cove but overnight at Cripple Cove near Cape St. Francis, about 17 kms on Saturday.  Here at the trailhead for White Horse trail.

The day started out foggy and hot and before long we were sweating.

It was hot, hot, hot.  The trail is a lot of up and down (PUDs - Pointless Up and Downs) making it a challenge in the 27C temps but 30 with the humidex.

The fog began to lift as the sun came out.  That didn't make matters better, worse in fact.  There was practically not wind.  It was challenging going up hill and ...

... down hill.

The slightest of breezes were on top of the hills.  Looking down the coast from where we came.

I rationed the water I carried as best as I could until I could filter some more.  There weren't  lot of opportunities between Bauline and Cripple Cove.

We passed about a dozen unoccupied tents.  We surmised they were tents of East Coast Trail who were upgrading the trail and eventually we happened upon their handiwork.

Up on top of another hill looking down at a couple of tents of the ECT crew.

It was hot in the sun and even on sections of the trail that passed thru wooded areas.  When we got closer to Cripple Cove we were on bare bedrock.  The heat increased in intensity from both the sun overhead and the heat emanating from the rocks.  I slowed considerably deliberately putting one foot in front of the other but ...

... we were closing in on our campsite and it kept me going knowing the end was in sight as Dean points it out.

When we got down, the last down for the day, to out campsite I dropped my backpack and immediately headed to a place in shadow under the cliff.  An hour or so later I got gear out of the backpack and set up home for the night.

As the sun went lower in the sky things became more tolerable and we sat looking out over Conception Bay where people were out in boats catching codfish.  Dean brought a chair; I sat on the rocks.  Here there was a bit of interesting geology where a mafic (dark) dike (suspect basalt) was intruded between lighter weathering rock (possibly rhyolite).

I have to admit, it was a brutal day hiking in the heat.  I suffered leg cramps.  But we survived and getting into Cripple Cove put the difficulties out of mind.  I did worry about the hike to Pouch Cove the next day so I called it a day at 8:30ish hoping for a good night sleep to get me thru the next day.  I was gassed so I expected to sleep soundly.