My Mound
visit the Mound next time you're on Bell Island, Newfound & Labrador - by Boyer
posted 1 Dec, 2009 @ 15:04:26
last modified: 2 Dec, 2009 @ 21:50:12
posted 1 Dec, 2009 @ 15:04:26
last modified: 2 Dec, 2009 @ 21:50:12
I was in beautiful Newfoundland & Labrador last New Year. It was very beautiful.
I flew over to see my bestest bud-friend Andrew and his small wooden wife Linder. I was there for a week, and had a rental car so that we could bandy about like a couple tourists - enjoying the sites and sounds, and a whole lotta cod.
Andrew and Linder had moved up the previous September in order to attend university at Memorial. Since their studies keep them extremely busy, they hadn't had the opportunity to get out and explore.
After a night out (or two) on St. John's, we went to Conception Bay. Not much unlike Grand Bay (ie not so grand - though there was a hair salon called "The Mop Chop" which was pretty cool, obviously).
The next day we went to Shag Rock
Pothead Drive
Spread Eagle
and Dildo
What? I'm serious!
A day before we left we decided to take a trip over to Bell Island. Bell Island has A LOT of history. It was one of the largest iron deposits in Canada, and employed thousands at the iron mines.
It was one of the only spots in North America to see any action during WWII. A German U-boat fired torpedoes at a huge shipment of iron sitting in the harbour, sinking 4 boats!
It is more or less a ghost town now, with more buildings being boarded up than active. I had to see it.
We took a topsy-turvy ferry across Conception bay over to Bell Island for some fun times and exploration. We paid the tole for crossing with rolled quarters and dimes. The idea was that we were going to find the famous Bell Island Lighthouse, but instead I found this amazing mound!
We were driving around the island, when I spotted a dirt road that lead down to the edge of the island. I thought there might be beach access, so we went to investigate.
We found some sort of industrial sort of place that maybe made sand or gravel or something. There was a huge sieve made out of 3 inch angle iron and 3 inch square fencing. It was propped off the ground at roughly a 45 degree angle, so that dump trucks could back up to it, dump their load, and the larger rocks would be caught on the sieve, and the smaller rocks would fall to the bottom.
What they did with the rocks was make an enormous mound! How enormous? Well just have a look at the satellite photo below:
View Larger Map
Wow is right. I HAD to get onto this mound! I parked the car, and started running for the mound. I'm not sure there are words to properly express just how cold and windy it was there. Suffice it to say, it sucked. And, to make matters worse, I was only wearing some paper thin jeans, and a pair of low-top Chuck Taylors. Great idea!
Please enjoy some images of me having the best time I've ever had on a mound, on my mound.
After all the fun and joy my heart had been filled with on that mound, I decided I could take no more, and decided to look for beach access. I did not find it. The cliff just fell off right into the ocean. Like, directly. Not even any jagged rocks to kill you first if you fell off. Edge of the world.
Andrew and I took a couple death defying photos poised on the slippery edge of this cliff, and then jumped for joy at the idea of being able to feel our feet again soon
Before we went across the bay again, we decided to have a bit of supper, so we went in to Dick's Fish & Chips & Bar.
You'll have to use your imagination here as it was most def very much snow covered and freezing.
It was dark in the restaurant, and we were the only people there, and that was a good thing, 'cause Scrud was still a little goofy from the excitement on the mound. I think we wasted katsup and salt.
The fish was fantastic, and was in fact something to write home about. Also, I got their webpage and will be sending them a post card from here in Saint John. Maybe they'll put it on the wall, and maybe you'll see it there some day.
I flew over to see my bestest bud-friend Andrew and his small wooden wife Linder. I was there for a week, and had a rental car so that we could bandy about like a couple tourists - enjoying the sites and sounds, and a whole lotta cod.
Andrew and Linder had moved up the previous September in order to attend university at Memorial. Since their studies keep them extremely busy, they hadn't had the opportunity to get out and explore.
After a night out (or two) on St. John's, we went to Conception Bay. Not much unlike Grand Bay (ie not so grand - though there was a hair salon called "The Mop Chop" which was pretty cool, obviously).
The next day we went to Shag Rock
Pothead Drive
Spread Eagle
and Dildo
What? I'm serious!
A day before we left we decided to take a trip over to Bell Island. Bell Island has A LOT of history. It was one of the largest iron deposits in Canada, and employed thousands at the iron mines.
It was one of the only spots in North America to see any action during WWII. A German U-boat fired torpedoes at a huge shipment of iron sitting in the harbour, sinking 4 boats!
It is more or less a ghost town now, with more buildings being boarded up than active. I had to see it.
We took a topsy-turvy ferry across Conception bay over to Bell Island for some fun times and exploration. We paid the tole for crossing with rolled quarters and dimes. The idea was that we were going to find the famous Bell Island Lighthouse, but instead I found this amazing mound!
We were driving around the island, when I spotted a dirt road that lead down to the edge of the island. I thought there might be beach access, so we went to investigate.
We found some sort of industrial sort of place that maybe made sand or gravel or something. There was a huge sieve made out of 3 inch angle iron and 3 inch square fencing. It was propped off the ground at roughly a 45 degree angle, so that dump trucks could back up to it, dump their load, and the larger rocks would be caught on the sieve, and the smaller rocks would fall to the bottom.
What they did with the rocks was make an enormous mound! How enormous? Well just have a look at the satellite photo below:
View Larger Map
Wow is right. I HAD to get onto this mound! I parked the car, and started running for the mound. I'm not sure there are words to properly express just how cold and windy it was there. Suffice it to say, it sucked. And, to make matters worse, I was only wearing some paper thin jeans, and a pair of low-top Chuck Taylors. Great idea!
Please enjoy some images of me having the best time I've ever had on a mound, on my mound.
After all the fun and joy my heart had been filled with on that mound, I decided I could take no more, and decided to look for beach access. I did not find it. The cliff just fell off right into the ocean. Like, directly. Not even any jagged rocks to kill you first if you fell off. Edge of the world.
Andrew and I took a couple death defying photos poised on the slippery edge of this cliff, and then jumped for joy at the idea of being able to feel our feet again soon
Before we went across the bay again, we decided to have a bit of supper, so we went in to Dick's Fish & Chips & Bar.
You'll have to use your imagination here as it was most def very much snow covered and freezing.
It was dark in the restaurant, and we were the only people there, and that was a good thing, 'cause Scrud was still a little goofy from the excitement on the mound. I think we wasted katsup and salt.
The fish was fantastic, and was in fact something to write home about. Also, I got their webpage and will be sending them a post card from here in Saint John. Maybe they'll put it on the wall, and maybe you'll see it there some day.
