Labrador 2006, Five week road trip

BeerTeam · 02-13-2007, 06:13 PM

These photos were hosted by Labrador forums and is one of my most popular photo galleries

All photos taken with a Canon A610 & S70 P&S camera and the photos are hosted on Smugmug.

BeerTeam · 02-13-2007, 06:19 PM

BeerTeam · 02-13-2007, 06:26 PM

When my BMW 1150 GS final drive died, it happened outside this Bed & Breakfast in Saint-Simeon, Quebec. If you do this trip, and are looking for a reasonable priced room in this area stop by Sylvie & Raymond, for a great room and the best breakfast around.

BeerTeam · 02-13-2007, 06:34 PM

The road to Central Labrador and Goose Bay starts at Baie Comeau, which is located on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, 275 miles east of Quebec City. The scenery east of Quebec City is very nice up to when you cross the Saguenay River at Tadoussac, on a free ferry. From that point east to Baie Comeau, the ride is great, but not as spectacular.

Below:
Saint Lawrence, Bay Comeau, Quebec; Start of the Trans/Lab Highway
I saw a whale out in Comeau Bay, but the whale did not want to be in the picture.

BeerTeam · 02-13-2007, 06:37 PM

Manicouagan River Dam #2, nicknamed Manic 2.

Hydro Quebec is the largest hydro producing company in the world with over 50 hydroelectric generating stations with an installed capacity exceeding 31,500 MW. They not only supply electricity to Quebec, other parts of Canada, but exports power to the USA.

BeerTeam · 02-13-2007, 06:42 PM

Manicouagan River Dam #5, nicknamed Manic 5

A way to look at the Trans Labrador Highway is to divide the ride into two sections. The mostly north Quebec Section/HWY 389, 350 miles to Labrador City. The mostly west Labrador Section/HWY 500, 350 miles to Goose Bay.

The Canadian Tourist Department divides the ride into 11sections. Section 1: Baie-Comeau (Comeau Bay) to Manicouagan River Dam #5, nicknamed Manic 5. Distance is approx 135 miles, easy 3 hours, of paved, winding, narrow (Rt 389) road. Some frost heaves and other surprises, but in general Northwoods Biker Paradise.

BeerTeam · 02-13-2007, 06:44 PM

Trans-Lab Highway Section 2 was Manic 5 to Gagnon. About 110 miles of nice gravel. Gagnon is a ghost town, built for 1,000 employees of Fire Lake mine and their families, their nearest neighboring town would now be a three hour drive in either direction; however, there were no roads connecting to the rest of the world at the time Gagnon was inhabited. When the mine closed, the company moved the people out and bulldozed all the buildings.The only visible sign of the towns existence is the divided highway complete with side walks. Gagnon is pictured below.

Section 3 from Gagnon to Fire Lake is 55 miles of pavement a short time to relax before the next section of gravel.

The route from Fire Lake to Mont-Wright section is 40 miles of curvy gravel road.

Many bridges like this are on the Trans Labrador Highway.

BeerTeam · 02-13-2007, 06:51 PM

Shore of Manicouagan Impact (crater) Structure

Photo note: I was the only person at the campsite. The abandoned beached row boat amazed me.

I wilderness camp. I took some swims in the cold water, found a few showers at truck stop and ferry terminal .

My biggest camp worry was black bear, as I seen bear on the roadside at various locations. I did my cooking in the morning and afternoon, and remotely bear-proof my supplies, as not to attract the hungry animals.

And remember the TLH was built as a working gravel road, not a tourist road. You will find very few amenities for miles.

Supplies?
I stocked up in Baie-Comeau.

Language?
Quebec, no problem.
Newfoundland, well, if you could understand the lady cop in the classic movie "Fargo", then no problem. One Newfoundland example, a taxi cab in Port Au Basque has his phone number painted on the door of his taxi cab. The phone number was 699-3333, he had 699 then had four "leafy green trees" painted on the door.

Time?
Much of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador are in the Newfoundland Standard Time (NST) zone, which is a half-hour ahead of Atlantic Standard Time (AST). The island of Newfoundland and southeastern Labrador are in NST while the remainder of Labrador lie in AST. Most of Québec is in the Eastern Time Zone.
It seemed like I was always changing time zones. I would not have worried about time zones, except for catching the marine ferries.

Gas?
I got it whenever available.

BeerTeam · 02-13-2007, 06:53 PM

http://www.newfoundlandandlabradortourism.com/

Section 4: Fire Lake to Mont-Wright is 42 miles of winding gravel and multiple railroad crossings.

Section 5: Mont-Wright to Fermont (Labrador Border) is 12 miles of pavement.

Section 6: Fermont to Labrador City is22 miles of pavement.

Section 7: Labrador City to Churchill Falls 146 miles of gravel.

Section 8: Churchill Falls to Happy Valley-Goose Bay is 180 miles of gravel.

BeerTeam · 02-13-2007, 06:56 PM

BeerTeam · 02-13-2007, 06:57 PM

BeerTeam · 02-13-2007, 06:59 PM

The Churchill Falls hydraulic plant is the largest underground electric powerhouse in the world.

The Department of Transportation makes available through local hotels in Labrador West, Churchill Falls and Happy Valley-Goose Bay, satellite phones for persons traveling the Trans Labrador Highway, at no cost, for a 24 hour period. The phones are for personal safety and are programmed for 911 connection only.ATGATT
DOT Website

Most areas are out of cell Phone Service.

Churchill Falls has a great Tourist Information stop, including free internet access. The town also has a some large stores and and reasonable priced fast food. The Falls and Gorge are sone of the most photographed spots in all of Labrador.

PAULBACH · 02-13-2007, 07:03 PM

You are one fine photographer. Well done!

BeerTeam · 02-13-2007, 07:10 PM

Before Fremont you can see the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) site for miles. The reason the road and the rail lines exist on the north section of TLH is for the minerals. The south end of the Trans Labrador was not only built for transporting minerals but also for construction of the large hydro dams .

Labrador City has the largest open pit iron ore mine in the world and Wabush has another almost as large.

http://www.ironore.ca/main/index.php...loc=112&lng=EN
http://www.ironore.ca/main/index.php...&loc=21&lng=EN

Labrador West is area of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The vast wilderness of Labrador West was winter home to fur trappers for hundreds of years; modern civilization did not begin in this area until 1958, when huge deposits of iron ore were discovered in the area.

The Iron Ore Company of Canada created a town of Labrador City to house the workers. The town included homes, apartments, businesses, schools, churches, hospitals and other requirements for 20th century life. Shortly thereafter, the town of Wabush was created to house the employees of Wabush Mines. The two towns are about 3 miles apart and share many services: hospital, schools, airports, etc. Through the years, the company sold off homes, business and eventually gave the schools to the town.

The towns of Labrador West (Labrador City and Wabush) remained semi-remote with access only by train or plane until about 1988 when Quebec Highway 389 was completed. This 354 mile highway starts at Baie Comeau, Quebec and ends at the Quebec-Labrador border. The southern portion is paved and the northern portion is gravel. It is the artery for three hydroelectric generating stations and the town of Fermont. Restaurants and gasoline stations are approximately every 150 miles apart.

After gaining access to Canada's public highways going south, the next transportation milestone was the completion of the Trans-Labrador Highway in 1992. This 347 mile gravel highway goes by Churchill Falls and ends near Goose Bay, where travelers can take a ferry to other parts of coastal Labrador or to the island of Newfoundland. The only gasoline or restaurant is at the mid-point of this long road at our closest neighboring town, Churchill Falls. This town was started by the Brinco Company to house the workers for a new underground hydroelectric plant. This mammoth project was physically started in 1967 and completed in 1971. This town still belongs to the company, except for one home that was built by a retiree with permission of the company. Labrador West Website

BeerTeam · 02-13-2007, 07:11 PM

http://www.wordplay.com/tourism/scen...dorregion.html
http://www.newfoundlandandlabradorto...m/Default.aspx
http://www.nfld.com/tourism/tourism.shtml
http://www.roads.gov.nl.ca/cameras/default.stm
http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/rapids/3330/tlh.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newfoundland_and_Labrador

How to pronounce Newfoundland

The pronounciation varies from community to community, like the accent. But generally, remember that the stress is on the LAND, so that NewfoundLAND rhymes with underSTAND or `a place so GRAND'.
Also, the first d is very soft, and the final d is soft, for flow. This can vary depending on how fast you're talking and how much beer you have consumed. When singing Newfoundland's national :-) anthem, people usually pronounce the Ds more.
The New is pronounces more like Noo or the Nou in Nouveau than Nyu.
The foun is pronounced somewhere between fun and a fast feun, closer to the second.
The stress is mostly on the last syllable, then on the first, and the middle is like a trough between them.

So try `Noufeun(d)LANd'

Do not pronounce Newfoundlander as `Newfie' unless you know the person well. Some will take offense. `Newf' and 'Newfie' are like 'Yank' and 'Yankie' but with the added problem of association with derogatory minority jokes on the mainland of Canada, more than the US and elsewhere. Thanks to www.nfld.com

02-13-2007, 06:13 PM	#1
BeerTeam Ambassador Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,520	Labrador These photos were hosted by Labrador forums and is one of my most popular photo galleries All photos taken with a Canon A610 & S70 P&S camera and the photos are hosted on Smugmug. Last edited by BeerTeam; 10-25-2009 at 09:00 AM.

02-13-2007, 06:26 PM	#3
BeerTeam Ambassador Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,520	Quebec City When my BMW 1150 GS final drive died, it happened outside this Bed & Breakfast in Saint-Simeon, Quebec. If you do this trip, and are looking for a reasonable priced room in this area stop by Sylvie & Raymond, for a great room and the best breakfast around. Last edited by BeerTeam; 04-19-2007 at 06:25 PM.

02-13-2007, 06:34 PM	#4
BeerTeam Ambassador Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,520	Saint Lawrence to Bay Comeau, Quebec, Start of the Trans/Lab Highway The road to Central Labrador and Goose Bay starts at Baie Comeau, which is located on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, 275 miles east of Quebec City. The scenery east of Quebec City is very nice up to when you cross the Saguenay River at Tadoussac, on a free ferry. From that point east to Baie Comeau, the ride is great, but not as spectacular. Below: Saint Lawrence, Bay Comeau, Quebec; Start of the Trans/Lab Highway I saw a whale out in Comeau Bay, but the whale did not want to be in the picture. Last edited by BeerTeam; 04-19-2007 at 06:26 PM.

02-13-2007, 06:42 PM	#6
BeerTeam Ambassador Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,520	The largest hollow-body arch and buttress dam in the world Manicouagan River Dam #5, nicknamed Manic 5 A way to look at the Trans Labrador Highway is to divide the ride into two sections. The mostly north Quebec Section/HWY 389, 350 miles to Labrador City. The mostly west Labrador Section/HWY 500, 350 miles to Goose Bay. The Canadian Tourist Department divides the ride into 11sections. Section 1: Baie-Comeau (Comeau Bay) to Manicouagan River Dam #5, nicknamed Manic 5. Distance is approx 135 miles, easy 3 hours, of paved, winding, narrow (Rt 389) road. Some frost heaves and other surprises, but in general Northwoods Biker Paradise. Last edited by BeerTeam; 04-19-2007 at 06:28 PM.

02-13-2007, 06:44 PM	#7
BeerTeam Ambassador Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,520	On the Road Trans-Lab Highway Section 2 was Manic 5 to Gagnon. About 110 miles of nice gravel. Gagnon is a ghost town, built for 1,000 employees of Fire Lake mine and their families, their nearest neighboring town would now be a three hour drive in either direction; however, there were no roads connecting to the rest of the world at the time Gagnon was inhabited. When the mine closed, the company moved the people out and bulldozed all the buildings.The only visible sign of the towns existence is the divided highway complete with side walks. Gagnon is pictured below. Section 3 from Gagnon to Fire Lake is 55 miles of pavement a short time to relax before the next section of gravel. The route from Fire Lake to Mont-Wright section is 40 miles of curvy gravel road. Many bridges like this are on the Trans Labrador Highway. Last edited by BeerTeam; 03-20-2007 at 05:31 AM.

02-13-2007, 06:19 PM	#2
BeerTeam Ambassador Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,520	More Favorites Last edited by BeerTeam; 03-20-2007 at 05:29 AM.

02-13-2007, 06:37 PM	#5
BeerTeam Ambassador Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,520	Trans-Labrador Highway Manicouagan River Dam #2, nicknamed Manic 2. Hydro Quebec is the largest hydro producing company in the world with over 50 hydroelectric generating stations with an installed capacity exceeding 31,500 MW. They not only supply electricity to Quebec, other parts of Canada, but exports power to the USA. Last edited by BeerTeam; 04-19-2007 at 06:27 PM.

02-13-2007, 06:51 PM	#8
BeerTeam Ambassador Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,520	One of my favorite camp sites Shore of Manicouagan Impact (crater) Structure Photo note: I was the only person at the campsite. The abandoned beached row boat amazed me. I wilderness camp. I took some swims in the cold water, found a few showers at truck stop and ferry terminal . My biggest camp worry was black bear, as I seen bear on the roadside at various locations. I did my cooking in the morning and afternoon, and remotely bear-proof my supplies, as not to attract the hungry animals. And remember the TLH was built as a working gravel road, not a tourist road. You will find very few amenities for miles. Supplies? I stocked up in Baie-Comeau. Language? Quebec, no problem. Newfoundland, well, if you could understand the lady cop in the classic movie "Fargo", then no problem. One Newfoundland example, a taxi cab in Port Au Basque has his phone number painted on the door of his taxi cab. The phone number was 699-3333, he had 699 then had four "leafy green trees" painted on the door. Time? Much of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador are in the Newfoundland Standard Time (NST) zone, which is a half-hour ahead of Atlantic Standard Time (AST). The island of Newfoundland and southeastern Labrador are in NST while the remainder of Labrador lie in AST. Most of Québec is in the Eastern Time Zone. It seemed like I was always changing time zones. I would not have worried about time zones, except for catching the marine ferries. Gas? I got it whenever available. Last edited by BeerTeam; 03-20-2007 at 05:31 AM.

02-13-2007, 06:53 PM	#9
BeerTeam Ambassador Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,520	http://www.newfoundlandandlabradortourism.com/ Section 4: Fire Lake to Mont-Wright is 42 miles of winding gravel and multiple railroad crossings. Section 5: Mont-Wright to Fermont (Labrador Border) is 12 miles of pavement. Section 6: Fermont to Labrador City is22 miles of pavement. Section 7: Labrador City to Churchill Falls 146 miles of gravel. Section 8: Churchill Falls to Happy Valley-Goose Bay is 180 miles of gravel. Last edited by BeerTeam; 03-20-2007 at 05:32 AM.

02-13-2007, 06:56 PM	#10
BeerTeam Ambassador Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,520	Labrador Rainbows __________________ __________________ Jim Klas BMW MOA Ambassador Enjoy the travel photos at: klasjm.smugmug.com Last edited by BeerTeam; 02-16-2007 at 09:32 PM.

02-13-2007, 06:57 PM	#11
BeerTeam Ambassador Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,520	__________________ __________________ Jim Klas BMW MOA Ambassador Enjoy the travel photos at: klasjm.smugmug.com

02-13-2007, 06:59 PM	#12
BeerTeam Ambassador Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,520	Churchhill Falls Bridge The Churchill Falls hydraulic plant is the largest underground electric powerhouse in the world. The Department of Transportation makes available through local hotels in Labrador West, Churchill Falls and Happy Valley-Goose Bay, satellite phones for persons traveling the Trans Labrador Highway, at no cost, for a 24 hour period. The phones are for personal safety and are programmed for 911 connection only.ATGATT DOT Website Most areas are out of cell Phone Service. Churchill Falls has a great Tourist Information stop, including free internet access. The town also has a some large stores and and reasonable priced fast food. The Falls and Gorge are sone of the most photographed spots in all of Labrador. Last edited by BeerTeam; 03-20-2007 at 05:32 AM.

02-13-2007, 07:03 PM	#13
PAULBACH Once there was a Tavern Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ballston Spa, NY; South of the Adirondacks, North of the Catskills and West of The Berkshires and Green Mountains Posts: 6,180	You are one fine photographer. Well done! __________________ Paul Bachorz - F Twins Moderator Director - Vermont MOV For *Touring Tips* archives click here

02-13-2007, 07:10 PM	#14
BeerTeam Ambassador Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,520	Before Fremont you can see the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) site for miles. The reason the road and the rail lines exist on the north section of TLH is for the minerals. The south end of the Trans Labrador was not only built for transporting minerals but also for construction of the large hydro dams . Labrador City has the largest open pit iron ore mine in the world and Wabush has another almost as large. http://www.ironore.ca/main/index.php...loc=112&lng=EN http://www.ironore.ca/main/index.php...&loc=21&lng=EN Labrador West is area of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The vast wilderness of Labrador West was winter home to fur trappers for hundreds of years; modern civilization did not begin in this area until 1958, when huge deposits of iron ore were discovered in the area. The Iron Ore Company of Canada created a town of Labrador City to house the workers. The town included homes, apartments, businesses, schools, churches, hospitals and other requirements for 20th century life. Shortly thereafter, the town of Wabush was created to house the employees of Wabush Mines. The two towns are about 3 miles apart and share many services: hospital, schools, airports, etc. Through the years, the company sold off homes, business and eventually gave the schools to the town. The towns of Labrador West (Labrador City and Wabush) remained semi-remote with access only by train or plane until about 1988 when Quebec Highway 389 was completed. This 354 mile highway starts at Baie Comeau, Quebec and ends at the Quebec-Labrador border. The southern portion is paved and the northern portion is gravel. It is the artery for three hydroelectric generating stations and the town of Fermont. Restaurants and gasoline stations are approximately every 150 miles apart. After gaining access to Canada's public highways going south, the next transportation milestone was the completion of the Trans-Labrador Highway in 1992. This 347 mile gravel highway goes by Churchill Falls and ends near Goose Bay, where travelers can take a ferry to other parts of coastal Labrador or to the island of Newfoundland. The only gasoline or restaurant is at the mid-point of this long road at our closest neighboring town, Churchill Falls. This town was started by the Brinco Company to house the workers for a new underground hydroelectric plant. This mammoth project was physically started in 1967 and completed in 1971. This town still belongs to the company, except for one home that was built by a retiree with permission of the company. Labrador West Website __________________ __________________ Jim Klas BMW MOA Ambassador Enjoy the travel photos at: klasjm.smugmug.com Last edited by BeerTeam; 02-23-2007 at 09:22 PM.

02-13-2007, 07:11 PM	#15
BeerTeam Ambassador Join Date: Jun 2003 Posts: 2,520	http://www.wordplay.com/tourism/scen...dorregion.html http://www.newfoundlandandlabradorto...m/Default.aspx http://www.nfld.com/tourism/tourism.shtml http://www.roads.gov.nl.ca/cameras/default.stm http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/rapids/3330/tlh.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newfoundland_and_Labrador How to pronounce Newfoundland The pronounciation varies from community to community, like the accent. But generally, remember that the stress is on the LAND, so that NewfoundLAND rhymes with underSTAND or `a place so GRAND'. Also, the first d is very soft, and the final d is soft, for flow. This can vary depending on how fast you're talking and how much beer you have consumed. When singing Newfoundland's national :-) anthem, people usually pronounce the Ds more. The New is pronounces more like Noo or the Nou in Nouveau than Nyu. The foun is pronounced somewhere between fun and a fast feun, closer to the second. The stress is mostly on the last syllable, then on the first, and the middle is like a trough between them. So try `Noufeun(d)LANd' Do not pronounce Newfoundlander as `Newfie' unless you know the person well. Some will take offense. `Newf' and 'Newfie' are like 'Yank' and 'Yankie' but with the added problem of association with derogatory minority jokes on the mainland of Canada, more than the US and elsewhere. Thanks to www.nfld.com __________________ __________________ Jim Klas BMW MOA Ambassador Enjoy the travel photos at: klasjm.smugmug.com Last edited by BeerTeam; 02-19-2007 at 04:05 PM.