Fort Amherst to Blackhead

This is one of the East Coast Trail day hikes. It isn’t that hard, and gives you a different view of the oft-traveled route along the Blackhead road from St. John’s to Cape spear. This day was sunny with a light breeze and some interesting boating activity, including a Marine Institute life saving drill (which I unfortunately didn’t photograph). The actual hike includes a couple of moderate climbs, a crossing of a barachois, blueberries, wreckage from at least one ship, a few whales, peace, quiet, and puts you one hill away from Cape Spear.

To start the trail, you go along the South Side Road until you see this view of the Fort Amherst Lighthouse. This means you’ve gone too far and you have to backtrack a few hundred metres until you see the sign of the hiker on the hill. It’s a nice view,  though!

A look south from Fort Amherst. There’s almost always a little white water on the ledges here.

You start the hike with a little 500 foot climb. Then you turn around. From this view you would never tell that there is a city slightly to the left that has been settled for almost half a millennium. On the first headland you can see the North Head trail, then Cuckold’s Head, the Quidi Vidi, then…

The only way you get this view of Cabot Tower is to climb the South Side Hills, or become airborne somehow.

Cabot Tower unsuccessfully hiding behind rock cairn. To the left is Fort Pepperell and the Fisheries and Oceans facility in the White Hills.

Freshwater Bay and the barachois. A year or two before a storm had cut the barachois on the south side (left), but natural wave activity had restored it to half of its original thickness.

You can see Cabot Tower on the hill, and Fort Amherst Lighthouse on the rocks near the middle of the image. Pop Quiz: What is the name of the headland that Fort Amherst is on?

Peggy’s Leg

If you look closely, you also see Fort Amherst.

Tuckamore. It is only another kilometer to the road in Blackhead.

a quickr pickr post