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It looks like I'll be working in Corner Brook, Newfoundland over the next week or two. I'd like to sty an extra day or two and do some day hikes, or possibly a one night backpack trip. Any recommendations with altitude gains, scrambles, and great views? I see Gros Morne National Park is nearby, but from the park service, I see that "wilderness hiking" in the Long Range Mountains is not open until July. I have snowshoes, crampons, etc, if they would be needed.

Thanks, -Howard

Gros Morne is excellent! Any hike. There is snow even in July. Crampons for sure. Snowshoes possibly.

I was there for a couple of weeks with my family when I was about 16 or 17, albeit in the summer. Among other things, we backpacked for about 5 days or so in Gros Morne. One thing that I remember very clearly is that before going out into the back country, you have to register with the rangers, who ask all sorts of questions to determine if you're sufficiently prepared. This is not without reason: Gros Morne is a pretty remote area even in the summer; there is no clearly marked trail, and map, GPS, compass and solid navigational skills are a must. Also, much of Gros Morne is a treeless plateau, and I imagine that in the winter it's a very hostile environment: cold, windswept and covered with deep, drifting snow. Think Mt. Washington or Katahdin, but stretching for miles and miles, and you're completely on your own - no maintained trails, no other people, no help anywhere near you. Definitely a mini-expedition. But it's probably an incredible experience! So if you're prepared, definitely go for it and let us know how it went!

PM me if you need more specific logistical info. Bdynkin is the one who knows more b/c he was the one doing the organizing, but he's currently in Red Rocks, so I'll have to do my best.

Thanks for the info. I got some info from a ranger there as well. It looks like snowshoeing a trail or two in Gros Morne this Sunday may be my best bet.
-hch

While the western coastal range is the best known and publicised, apparently there is also some interesting scenery to uncover a little more to the east near the interior which is also fairly remote, the island itself being sparsely populated except further east (such as the Avalon penninsula which is somewhat more densely populated ) and on the perimeter.

Wow! That was the best place I ever lived. I would love to see some pictures.