The Long Range traverse was a hike which had caught my interest ever since I visited Gros Morne National park in 2001. The fact that one had to pass an orienteering test to access the trail was intriguing while serving as a testament to the roughness of the trail.
Over 20 years have passed since then. Orienteering tests have been replaced with smartphone apps like Alltrails along with the issuance of a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) while the untouched wilderness has been blazed with a maze of trails.
Thankfully, Gros Morne happened to offer an alternate trail which captured the essence of the Long Range Traverse – the Northern Traverse. And while it was slightly shorter, it was significantly harder. No established trails, little traffic and an abundance of tuckamore, wind swept stunted trees which created a barrier which was virtually impenetrable.
For this trip, I decided to link both the Northern and Long Range Traverses together, creating what is known by the park as the Combined traverse. Doing so would omit a picturesque boat ride and a hike up to the Long range plateau but I wanted to experience both the easier and difficult portions all on foot.
Since there were only 3 permits issued per day, I called Gros Morne on the day they started taking reservations (in early February) only to find myself #40 on the list. All of the weekends in August were taken by then but I was happy to book early September so that I could avoid the black flies this park was known for.
Although I was mentally prepared to this by myself, I was fortunate enough to have Judy, a friend and colleague to join me.
The map below is an overview of the combined traverse. Click on the emoticons for details. If you have Google Earth installed, enlarge the map ([ ]), click the vertical ellipsis (⋮) and open in Google Earth for a detailed satellite view. For your convenience, I’ve attached a screenshot from Google Earth for each day of our journey.
Day 1 – Tuesday, September 3, 2024
Western Brook Pond Trailhead to Snug Harbour
Distance : 8.1km
After taking a taxi ride from our backpackers hostel in Rocky Harbour, we promptly departed the West Brook pond trailhead at 9:40am.
The first part of the trail was straightforward since it was the same trail tourists (and backpackers doing the Western Brook Traverse) use to access the boat which takes them to the eastern end of the pond. Shortly before the dock, the trail diverged to the north and brought us to the first of two rivers we’d have to cross during this trip.
Although the river was around 30m wide, we read that it was only knee deep at its deepest point. Which was confusing as we found ourselves wading through water which was waist deep. Upon reaching the far shore, we noticed a sign upstream which pointed to a place to cross. We obviously missed that but at least we were fully awake by now.
We knew from the start that Day 1 would be the easiest day of our trip. Our destination at Snug Harbour was less than 8km away with little elevation gain and featured a popular campsite for backpackers doing an overnight hike. We figured the trail would be obvious due to the traffic and would require little route finding.
We were correct in our assumptions but what we didn’t expect was how soon our feet would get soaked in mud. Knowing that the trails would be muddy, my partner wore her mid high hiking boots with gaiters while I took the opposite approach and and wore trail runners since they’d dry very quickly. Either way, it wasn’t long before we just said, “F*ck it” and trampled through the mud.
The trail alternated between sections of rocky shoreline and mud drenched trail before we eventually arrived at Snug Harbour at close to 2pm. It was quite early but we decided to take advantage of the views and weather to relax and dry our feet before we started early the next day. The campground here was by far the best on the trail.
Day 2 – Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Snug Harbour to Triangle Pond
Distance : 11.8 km
We expected Day 2 to be the toughest. Not only did it have the most elevation gain with our food laden packs but we’d be entering tuckamore territory. Although random camping was allowed on this trail, we made it our goal to reach a proper campground each night. Doing to would simplify things since they were all equipped with a privy and food locker.
After departing our site at 8:40, we quickly started to gain elevation on several well used trails. Since it wasn’t uncommon for people staying at Snug Harbour to visit the lookout above, the trail was quite obvious to the top.
According to my GPS, the trail gained 600m over 3.5km so it was fairly steady and like the previous day, the trails were extremely muddy. Perhaps even worse due to the lack of sunlight from the tree cover.
Once we arrived at the top, we decided to skip the lookout since we knew we still had some distance to cover. We also came to realize that the GPS track provided by Parks Canada was quite outdated and overgrown. We had many instances where we’d approach a wall of tuckamore and could see where there was once an opening but we never dared to enter.
By following a combination of game trails supplemented by some waypoints provided by Parks Canada, we eventually made it to the Triangle Pond campground at 15:30. Along the way, we came across a pair of hikers from Vermont. The only humans we’d see for the next 48hrs.
Compared to Snug Harbour, the Triangle Pond campground was quite basic but a sight for sore eyes. It had a few wooden tent platforms and even drum cans dug into the ground where one could have a fire.
After setting up our tents and eating our meals, my partner quickly retired to her tent to sleep. She was usually in bed by 8pm which was amusing since that was 6:30pm Toronto time. On the other hand, I wandered around to explore the area until sunset before I called it a night.
Day 3 – Thursday, September 6, 2024
Triangle Pond to Gilley Pond
Distance : 9.7 km
Looking back, day 3 was probably the toughest day throughout this trip. Not only did it involve lots of route finding but it seemingly had no flat terrain. This day reminded me of some of the trails I’ve done in the past in the Canadian Rockies such as the Skyline trail in Jasper. A lot of the trail was above treeline but unlike the Rockies, there were no signs of human made trails.
There was also a lot of tuckamore! As we discovered the day before, the Parks Canada track was mostly useless so were forced to find game trails which led us in the general direction.
One memorable section involved climbing up a steep slope full of tuckamore. We were most likely off track but we were so far in that it would’ve been near impossible to turn back. Shortly after exiting this section, my partner and I realized that the tuckamore had claimed several of our items.
We finally made to Gilley Pond at 15:30 to find a very basic campground. It consisted of the usual food locker and privy but there were no actual campsites. It was just an open field where people could set up their tent.
We were also introduced to two big nuisances this day. One were the black flies. The main reason I chose to do this trip at the tail end of the season was to avoid the infamous black flies. Unfortunately, the warmer summer had obviously extended the black fly season. The first two evenings were relatively cool but as it started to get warmer on day 3, the flies were so plentiful that they almost formed a cloud. A cloud which would get in your face. Quite literally. Flies would enter your mouth, ears, nose and even fly into your eyes.
The other nuisance was the wind which was quite strong on this plateau. The winds were strong the night before but the gusts on this day were relentless. Sure, the winds cancelled out the black flies but they nearly cancelled out my gear as well. At one point, a major gust hit our campsite just as I was setting up my tent. The gust sent my inflated Thermarest flying like a magic carpet and picked up the inner body of my tent and flung it against the side of a rock face. If it landed a meter higher, I may have been sleeping in my partners tent for the rest of our trip.
Day 4 – Friday, September 6, 2024
Gilley Pond to Little Island Pond
Distance : 8.3 km
Day 4 was a special day. It would mark the halfway point of this trip and it would bring us to the classic viewpoint with West Brook pond in the distance. It would also mark the transition from the North Trail to the Long Range traverse.
After departing our campground at 8:40am, we found ourselves motivated to not only reach the viewpoints ahead but to escape the thick clouds of black flies.
Within an hour, we found ourselves at the turn off to the optional viewpoint which we decided to take since we had lots of time on such a beautiful day. The trail wasn’t obvious and took a few tries but once we found the proper one, we were treated to an incredible view. If it weren’t for the black flies, we could’ve spent an hour or two at this viewpoint.
Once back on the trail, it wasn’t long before we reached the point where our trail merged into the Long Range traverse. The views down the fjord to West Brook pond were great but perhaps we were spoiled by the first viewpoint.
Despite having spent most of my adult life in the Canadian Rockies, I had to admit that the views on this day were comparable to the ones out west.
Once on the Long Range traverse, the hiking became significantly easier. Not to take away from those who’ve done the Long Range traverse but it was like going from off roading in my Jeep to driving the Trans Canada highway. The trail was a little drier and although there was a maze of well defined trails to choose from, they would usually converge at one point.
While on the Northern Traverse, I was checking my track every few minutes. On the Long Range traverse, I found myself checking my track every 15 min or so.
After about an hour from where the trails merged, we arrived at Little island pond, the first campground on the Long Range traverse.
The time was around 1:30pm so my partner suggested that we continue onto the next campground which was Marks Pond around an hour south. However, I convinced her to stay since we found a great campsite with the only wooden platform. Besides, we had allocated 7 days to the trip so we weren’t in a rush. She agreed as we spend the afternoon relaxing around a nearby waterfall.
Shortly after 6pm, the hikers doing the Long Range traverse started to arrive. They were on the boat earlier that day and had hiked up the valley to get to this campsite. Only then did I think about grabbing a weather forecast from my Garmin Inreach and to my dismay, we were in for some rain in 48 hours.
After discussing this with Judy, we decided to end our trip one day early and hike out on day 6. This would allow us to escape the rain but it also meant that we needed to start early and hike around 18km. Seeing my partner crawl into her tent at an extra early 7:30pm was nearly as impressive as some of the views earlier that day.
Day 5 – Saturday, September 7, 2024
Little Island Pond to Lower Green Island Pond
Distance : 17.4 km
After waking up at 6am, we were the first on the trail as we departed the campground at 7:30am. A quick update from my Garmin Inreach confirmed that we’d be seeing rain in 24 hrs.
Although 18km was a long day in any terrain, my partner and I had just done 18km in Algonquin 2 weeks prior so we were confident we could do it again.
Within an hour, we made it to Marks Pond which was a beautiful spacious campground with so many places to set up a tent. I had to admit that it would’ve been a better place to stay than the crowded campsite the night before.
After a quick snack, we moved on and found ourselves at Hardings Pond which was also very good. It had many wooden platforms including some on a hill which overlooked the pond. Perhaps not the best for wind but at least it’d keep the black flies away.
Of all the campsites we saw on the Long Range traverse, Marks pond and Hardings pond would have to be the best.
We eventually made it to Lower Green Island pond at 3:45pm. The hike was relatively uneventful except for me going nearly waist deep in mud and us having to traverse a sketchy slab of rock with a huge drop below.
Although Upper Green Island pond (and campground) was just 10 min further, they had some major differences. Since a river crossing was required to reach the upper site, those staying at the lower pond would need to get their feet wet at the start of the day. In addition to that, the lower was equipped with a privy and food locker. Something we couldn’t find while passing the upper pond the following day.
But most importantly on this day, the lower had slightly better shelter from the wind which was crucial because the winds were ferocious. My Garmin Inreach forecast indicated 35km/h sustained throughout the night.
For this trip, I was using a non-free standing tent (Durston X-Mid1) which used hiking poles instead of a frame. The tent was ultralight but the drawback was its susceptibility to wind. Needless to say, I had to grab every boulder at the campsite and place it on the fly of my tent and reposition them every hour throughout the night.
Day 6 – Sunday, September 8, 2024
Lower Green Island Pond to Gros Morne mountain trailhead
Distance : 14.2 km
After sleeping maybe 30 minutes the previous evening, we were so ready to leave. Knowing that it was the last day, we stuffed our packs and were ready to leave by 7am.
The creek crossing wasn’t too bad since the rain was yet to fall but my partner had a scare when she dropped one of her hiking boots into the water. Thankfully, whe was able to retrieve it downstream because if she couldn’t, she’d be hiking 13km in sandals!
Shortly after the crossing, we passed by the upper campground to find it empty. We knew there was at least 2 groups up there and upon catching up to one of them, they told us they left at 5:30am to escape the wind.
Speaking of the wind, it actually became worse as the day progressed. By the time we reached the viewpoint for Ten Mile pond, it was probably a sustained 60 to 70km/h. It was the kind of wind which would deform your face and make it nearly impossible to walk straight. If my partner wasn’t wearing a pack, she’d have a one way trip back to Toronto!
The trail eventually took a steep descent to the last campground, Ferry Gulch before it connected with the descent trail from Gros Morne mountain and back to the trailhead.
It was hard to believe that I had walked this same trail nearly 23 years ago to the day as I hiked up the mountain. (It was actually on September 11, 2001!) Of course those memories were so vague but it gave me a lot to reflect upon as we made the slog back to the trailhead.