Blogs

Cold. Exhilarating. Totally absurd. Perhaps that’s the best way to describe the polar dip I took in Appleton as part of the town’s annual Winterfest.

Dog sledding was more exercise and more challenging than we originally thought. It was also a whole lot of fun! Elaine Pinard (owner of Les Skis Doux) has been taking people dog sledding for the past six winters from her base in Wiltondale at the entrance to Gros Morne National Park.

Last winter we had a chance to join Darren Park for a great trip to the North Arm Hills, which are located along the North Shore of Bay of Islands near Corner Brook. These mountains are visible in the distance as you drive along the south shore of the Bay of Islands but are generally inaccessible unless you take a snowmobile trip.

Last year Hazel Findlay embarked on an expedition to climb the rugged cliffs of Devil’s Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada. The result was a trip that fully tested both their patience and equipment. Read on for her account of the expedition, and be sure to check out The North Face Facebook Page for a behind the scenes video of Hazel on the trip.

It’s a balmy -7 degrees here in Grand Falls-Windsor at the moment. And the thought of the bitter cold seeping through my veins is not something I’m embracing today.

On February 11, Corey and I attended an evening of fine dining at St. Christopher's Hotel with a fabulous menu created and prepared by Eric Kinch & Pauline Gilliam.

We recently were invited to Airport Nordic Ski Club located just outside of Gander, Newfoundland to do some ski clinics with some of their ski instructors and jackrabbit leaders. While we were there we also had a chance to view their scenic trail system with several of their members showing us the way.

To find such a fine restaurant tucked into a tiny, relatively remote village, is very unusual. It’s why most of us who love food actually travel.

Last year was a pretty amazing ski year in the northeastern United States - abundant and high quality snow continued well into March for some wonderful spring skiing (which I missed out on since I was in Chile). However winter 2011-2012 in the northeast has so far failed to produce more than a sprinkling of snow, which is why I headed north to Newfoundland with my friends Bruce and Nate in search of natural snow in excess of 3 inches.

Last winter we had a chance to head to Happy Valley- Goose Bay, Labrador and were most impressed with the cross country skiing trails and lodge at the Birch Brook Nordic ski club. As well as enjoying the skiing we were invited to a potluck supper at the lodge which was a great way to meet many of the club members.

One Friday morning this past August we started our journey to the Great Northern Peninsula in search of what everyone was talking about, the icebergs that broke off of the Petermann Glacier in August, 2010. Iceberg season on the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland typically begins in late May however it was closer to the end of July before icebergs began to arrive this year. These late arrivals were due to the 280 square kilometre ice island that broke off of the Petermann Glacier near Greenland last August. The late arrival was not the only surprise this year, the sheer size and large number of bergs was also quite astonishing. Reports indicated that over seventy-five icebergs could be seen in the St Anthony area and that’s what we were setting out to see.

It was a day ripped straight from a Star Wars movie. There we were, heading into the wild unknown aboard our airship, all seemingly unaware of what may lay ahead.

Cross country skiing is alive and well in Canada's eastern most province. Cross Country Newfoundland and Labrador (CCNL) is the umbrella group for cross country ski clubs and there are dozens of kilometres of groomed tracks waiting for any visitor.

I might have mentioned once or 300 times that I grew up in central Newfoundland, and yet my jaunt around the area this past summer had many surprises in store. That’s what happens when you live somewhere for 18 years: you start taking things for granted.

Five years ago I started snowboarding. I was 34. And I learned here at Marble Mountain. 

At the time it seemed like the perfect suicide mission. I was petrified. But it matched my criteria: face fears of heights and speed. My friends thought I was nuts.

Last weekend, hundreds upon hundreds of people in St. John’s paraded through the streets. Men were dressed as women, women were dressed as men. Underwear was worn as outerwear and even small children were merrily sporting bras stuffed with socks over the tops of their various layers. There were lots of ingeniously creative hobbyhorses prancing around and it was almost impossible to count the number of ugly sticks and accordions.

It’s all just another Christmas in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The first time I saw folk trio The Once, I was sitting in The LSPU Hall – the historic downtown theatre in St. John's – watching Feast of Cohen, an annual concert where local artists gather to perform their own versions of Leonard Cohen songs.

Frolicking on a beach in Newfoundland and Labrador doesn't always top the list of must do's when visiting the province. Much less during the month of December! But a trip to King's Point and area reveals a beach that can be enjoyed any time of the year.

It’s almost Christmas. Have you heard?

I for one tend to get a bit twitchy when November starts to gallop towards December and public places set their sound systems to Jingle Bells 101. So I find it helps my Christmas spirit (or lackthereof) to remind myself of the good things about the season. The things that don’t involve frantically running around malls full of people mowing you down to get better spots in cash register line-ups so long there should a surprise pop-up concert by Adele waiting at the end.

We’ve all said things like “that meal just changed my life.” And if you haven’t, well… you might want to take a serious look at what you’re eating. I’ve eaten lots of meals that have changed my life. I probably overuse that phrase, but that’s how much I love food. There’ve been a few recipes (especially over the course of this past year) that I’ve made again and again for friends and family that I love and yeah, I think they’ve changed my life. They wake me up a little, they make me better. So… yeah. But the closest I’ve come to food tears was a couple of months ago at the Roots, Rants and Roars Festival in Elliston.