To the Gaff Topsails ...... with a little help from my friends.

[TREE]

Off to the northeast I could see the first Topsails. The large one is the Main Topsail and the farther one is the Foremast Topsail.



Somehow I did not get a shot of the Mizzen Topsail , you can see it on the map Geoff ( DRZ400S ) sent me.



still climbing . . . .



Inselbergs are typically, though not only, formed in tropical areas. Volcanic or other processes may give rise to a body of rock resistant to erosion, inside a body of softer rock such as sandstone which is more susceptible to erosion. When the less resistant rock is eroded away to form a plain, the more resistant rock is left behind as an isolated mountain.



Very soon, at 204 kms I came to the summit, called the Gaff Topsail when it was a community , the highest point on the railway.





There was a crew roofing who had driven in.
They were the first people I had seen since the Junction and they told me that the trail got even better to the west where the logging trucks had upgraded it east of Howley.

Life is good !



From here you can look west and see the real Gaff Topsail.

[ITsteve]

Trail looks great Tree

[TREE]

As you head west you can still see the Main and Fore Topsail on the right.





Just when I thought I probably won't see anyone else for a few hours these fellows came over the hill.



A man and his teenage son were towing the pop up camper at about 5 mph.
The boy was excited to see a KLR and asked me to let him know if I ever wanted to sell it...... must have been the turn signals.



One last shot of the Gaff.
I was told by a helicopter friend in Pasadena that there is a trail up the backside , quite rough but easy on a 4 wheeler or good dirtbike.

[TREE]

It's all downhill from here and the landscape changes to more hills and lakes.



About 8 kms after passing the Gaff you roll into Pond Crossing.



I only saw one fellow, standing on his porch with a cell phone, the other cabins looked closed.
In the winter there must be a lot of skidoos here.



Somewhere west of the Ponds the logging company has upgraded the road, this continues more or less all the way to Howley.



The cabins get more grand........



I think this may be Kitty's Brook crossing but I'm not sure



Yes the road is smokin' but don't worry, after Howley there will be some ... aaah ... surprises .

[scarysharkface]

Looks like you had some lovely weather for your run. I'm loving the pictures!

John

[pauley2000]

Yum.

[Kelsow]

Great report. Maybe next year the lads will want to do that route.
I'm looking forward to more.

[steviemac]

Thanks for the great write up and pics! I will be part of a 2 V-strom, 2 KTM group that plan on riding the Gaff west to east on Aug the 27th (I think). I was a little aprehensive how my tires on the Strom would handle the gravel, but from your pics, it looks better than I thought...

I'm hanging on you every word. Surprises?!? I can't stand the suspense!

[TREE]

I got to Howley at 248 kms and it was hot. I drove around town to see the layout of the streets , it has a nice feel to it.
Across from Trapper's Lounge there is a brand new restaurant / car lube combo run by a couple. ( you only find these in Nfld )
Great atmosphere and food so I had some breakfast. The lady told me she remembered the last train in 1988.
There is also a general store down the street. Howley is worth a trip in from the TCH on the paved road and it has nice beaches.



Right beside the railbed is a monument to the introduction of moose in Nfld.




Here is the famous lift bridge heading west from town. It may be one of the most recognized bridges in Nfld, it certainly is unique.



There are huge beaches on Grand Lake and lots of ATV traffic on them. I went down with the KLR at one exit point and played around until I started wondering if I would get out again. I had been running 16 pounds in both tires on the trail. I wish I had taken more photos in this area but got sidetracked with riding.



These folks passed me heading east to Howley.



A few minutes beyond the bridge I came to my first major challenge on the trip.
The beach sand had drifted over the track big time, and the ATV ruts were deep and soft. It looked like about 1,000 ft of this, hard to tell.
I knew it was deeper than any sand I had ever done on a bike. I could see good gravel at the other end but it looked ..... far.
My big concern was whether there was more of this around the next bend I couldn’t see and the KLR was loaded heavier than most dirtbikes.
Oh well …….. no choice now but to give er !

After sliding around for a ways the front end washed out and I slowly laid her down. Hit the kill switch and got off.
Why didn’t I take a picture , darn. Guess the adrenaline and someone else’s bike makes you want to get it back upright fast.
Should I drop the tires to 10 or 12 psi ? Would that risk spinning the bead without rimlocks ? So many decisions, so little experience. DOH !

The next session was mostly foot paddling and keeping some weight off the seat, a lot of clutch work and somehow we made it to the good gravel.
Feeling pretty beat by the end of it, the lake looked good so I stripped off and went in. Grabbed my shampoo and felt a lot better.
The beaches here are pristine sand, some of the nicest I have seen anywhere.

[VO1MX]

Great report and great weather as well