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When is the best time to visit?
What's the weather like?
Can you accommodate my dietary restrictions?
Where can I rent a car if I arrive early or stay longer?
Which airport is best to use?
Are there many insects?
When is the best time to see icebergs?
When is the best time to see whales?
When is the best time to see wildflowers?
How long/hard are the hikes on the hiking trips?
Can I do these hikes on my own?
How much
weight will I have to carry on the backpacking trip?
Can I do the Long Range or North Rim Traverse on my own?
How much paddling experience should I have to join a kayaking trip?
When is the best time to visit?
This is the most frequently asked question. The answer is...anytime is a good time! It depends on what you would like to see and do. If you have a particular interest in seeing wildlife, wildflowers, etc., check below under the "best time for" answers. Most people travel during July and August primarily because that's when most folks take their vacations and it is the warmest time of year. Mid-July to mid-August being the most popular and generally the warmest weather. We are open for hiking and sea kayaking business from early May to late October. Scheduled trips run from mid-June to mid-September.
What's the weather like?
If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes! This common Newfoundland saying gives you a sense of the very dynamic weather that we experience here. To best prepare, ensure that you have the items identified on our clothing list. We like to say "there is no such thing as inclement weather, just improper dress"!
Our changeable weather is a result of our proximity to the sea and the
mountains. June temperatures can range from 5ºC to 20ºC (40-70ºF). July and August have frequent sunny days with temperatures of 15ºC to 22ºC (60-72ºF), occasionally reaching the high 20's. As you travel to northern Newfoundland and Southern Labrador, expect cooler temperatures. September and October's daytime temperatures continue to be warm, dropping overnight from 7ºC (45ºF) to -3ºC (27ºF). Check out the links page for weather links.
Can you accommodate my dietary restrictions?
Living near the ocean it isn't surprising that we specialize in seafood and with a fish market nearby, its always fresh! If you have any dietary restrictions it's very important to inform us in advance so that we can make the necessary arrangements. Local restaurants specialize in seafood, however other selections are available. Breakfast is continental style with a range of cereals, breads, and fresh fruit. Lunch is an arrangement of fruit, juices, yogurt, and sandwich & salad fixings. You prepare your lunch each morning to take in your pack. On some days a picnic lunch is prepared by our staff. There's always plenty and our staff are always there to cater to your needs.
For our backpacking trips the meals are vegetarian. All meals are our own recipes we've developed over the years and are not pre-packaged! Breakfast is either a hot or cold cereal, for lunches we provide a mixture of spreads to make a sandwich, and the evening meal is a mixture of rice, grains or pastas. We attempt to ensure that you get a balanced diet but it's important to let us know of any dietary restrictions that you may have.
Where can I rent a car if I arrive early or stay longer?
Rental cars are available from all the national car rental agencies at all
airports throughout Newfoundland & Labrador. National rates may not be
available but check with the various agencies for their prices. It is a good idea to make reservations before arriving in Newfoundland.
Which airport is best to use?
We provide pickup and drop-off at Deer Lake Airport (YDF) for all our trips.
Are there many insects?
We do have black flies and mosquitoes. Due to our maritime
location we get a sea breeze that blows during the day thus keeping the insects at bay. Our clients rarely express discomfort over insects on our day hikes and paddles and on our sea kayaking extended trips.
Our backpacking trips are a different story! When the wind drops out the insects can be a nuisance. For backpackers, a late June and early July trip can have less insects, temperatures can still be cool and the insect populations low. Mid July through to early August is typically the height of the insect season. By mid August, the insects are beginning to decline and in September the cool evenings have made a significant dent in the population. Although this is the general tend, many factors affect insect populations so we strongly recommend bringing a "bug jacket" on all our backpacking trips.
When is the best time to see icebergs?
Icebergs make their way from Greenland or from the Arctic Islands each year, arriving in our waters by late spring (May) and continuing their migration south through early summer (June and early July). Icebergs follow the Labrador current. They enter the Strait of Belle Isle and track along the coast of Labrador and south along the lower north shore of Quebec or follow the eastern coast of Newfoundland, some making it as far south as St. John's. Near L'Anse aux Meadows at the northern tip of Newfoundland, icebergs have been seen in August and September, however this is rare.
When is the best time to see whales?
Whales follow their food sources. It's usually June before we see them in our waters and they will follow their food sources euphausiids (krill), copepods (tiny planktonic crustaceans), squid and small shoaling fish (capelin, cod, sand lance, mackerel and herring). The best whale watching is July and August, and in some areas it's not uncommon to see whales in fairly large numbers into the fall.
You can see whales all around Newfoundland & Labrador. On the west coast, near L'Anse aux Meadows and in the Strait of Bell Isle, Humpbacks, Minkes, Orcas (killer whales), and Fins are common throughout summer. Harbour Porpoises and white sided dolphins are also sighted on a regular basis in summer. The highest concentrations of all these species where we travel would be in the north from St. Barbe to the St. Anthony area and along the Avalon peninsula's east coast trail. Minke whales generally frequent the waters of Bonne Bay (Gros Morne National Park area) from May to September
When is the best time to see wildflowers?
Wildflowers bloom most of the summer but many of the arctic-alpine and
calcareous (limestone) barren plants bloom in late June and early July. Usually by the second week in May some arctic-alpine plants start to flower on the lower slopes of the Tablelands. As you go north on the Great Northern Peninsula or higher in elevation, blooms are delayed by a week or two. As for the orchids, the first two weeks of July seem to be the best time to catch the blooms.
How long/hard are the hikes on the hiking trips?
Most of our hiking trips do involve a fair amount of hiking and/or walking. The Gros Morne Explorer would have the most hiking with the Viking Trail Explorer and East Coast Explorer having respectively less demanding hikes/walks. We provide two guides when we have at least 4 people on a trip which allows for a slower pace for those who like to have a little extra time. We attempt to have a longer hiking day followed by a shorter hiking day, this is if our weather cooperates!
Hikes like Gros Morne Mountain or the full loop of Green Gardens in Gros Morne have a significant amount of elevation gain and often take 6-8 hours. For some it will take longer. We are never in a rush and we can accommodate a variety of speeds - just as long as you know that you can make it! If you have any uncertainty just contact us and let us know some of the hikes/walks you've done and we should be able to suggest whether or not a particular trip is suitable.
Can I do these hikes on my own?
Many of the hikes that we do are on marked trails. Following these trails in good weather is not difficult, however, the higher elevation hikes can be foggy and can make following the trail more difficult. On the Gros Morne Explorer we take you on some off-trail hikes as well, to spectacular vistas, and these routes would require map and compass skills.
What we do best is maximize your precious vacation time by choosing the hike that best suits the weather conditions of the day and taking you to the most scenic and spectacular sites. Our guides are there to answer your questions, point our interesting features, and to lead you on a comfortable and safe adventure.
Check out our links page for links to the various national and provincial parks and to the hiking trails in Newfoundland &Labrador.
How much weight will I have to carry on the backpacking trip?
This is always a difficult question because there are many factors that determine one's pack weight like body size and weight, strength, fitness, size of group, etc. Basically, expect to carry your personal gear and clothing and a portion of the shared gear (tent, stove, cooking equipment, food, etc.), 16-20kg (36-45 lbs).
Can I do the Long Range or North Rim Traverse on my own?
Many people do these trips on their own each summer, however about 40% turn back! Often it proves to be much more of a navigational challenge than anticipated and/or much more physically and mentally demanding. There is no question, these are difficult routes and map and compass skills (GPS helps!) are essential. It will challenge the best navigator and wilderness camper in good (and especially in bad) weather.
All our guides have lead numerous trips on the Long Range Mountains in a variety of conditions. Their familiarity with the various routes and the weather conditions is an added comfort in this challenging environment. Guides carry a VHF radio for weather updates and route planning mostly and, to make emergency calls when cell phone coverage is not available. Another added benefit to our guided trip is that we use quality equipment and in the event of inclement weather, it makes a difference to your comfort level.
How much paddling experience should I have to join a kayaking trip?
We offer a range of paddling outings. The 2½ hour outing is suited to
individuals who don't have kayaking experience and just want to try it. The full day outing covers much more distance (10-15 km) and it does help to have previous paddling experience. It isn't essential, however it helps if you are reasonably active and regularly exercise your upper body.
Double kayaks are very stable and offers a very relaxing way to experience the marine environment up close. Single sea kayaks offer this same "up close" marine experience however, it is a less stable craft and requires you to be more attentive. We've been operating since 1990 and haven't seen anyone tip a double sea kayak unintentionally. Although tipping any sea kayak is a rare occurrence, it does happen more often with single sea kayaks!
On our extended trips we average 12 to 15 km of paddling per day, some of which may be in challenging conditions (wind and swell). Single and double sea kayaks are available and for safety reasons, we normally take at least one double on all trips. We recommend regular upper body exercise prior to your trip. Paddling would be great, however swimming is a good substitute. As for kayaking skills, if you are new to the sport we recommend taking an introductory sea kayaking course before you come. This would familiarize you with the basics, helping to develop an efficient paddling stroke and increasing your comfort level on the ocean.
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