On March 22, IATNL Signage Director Delano Pittman and I made a one-day snowmobile trip into the Long Range Mountains of the Northern Peninsula to scout out the recently created CBPPL-IATNL Special Management Areas at Brian's Pond Inner Pond and Western Blue Inner Pond, before returning to Zinc Mine Road just north of Daniel's Harbour.
The two Areas, along with three others at Little Codroy, Serpentine and Chimney Cove Valleys, are Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Limited woodlands that have recently been protected from harvesting for their environmental, recreational and tourism values. Over the coming years the IATNL will develop low-impact trails within these Areas to enable environmentally friendly access into these outdoor adventure resources.
The trip was made on a beautiful sunny winter day with great visiblility and ideal snow conditions. Strangely enough, while there is little snow and ice on the coast and in Western Newfoundland communities, there is abundant snow and ice in the backcountry valleys and on the 2,000ft-high mountaintops.
The mountainous region between Brian's Pond Inner Pond and Western Blue Inner Pond is a rugged and remote wilderness area with few signs of human activity. The area is entered via CBPPL's lowland logging roads and a snowmobile trail winding up through Baker's Gulch in the south, and around the north side of Blue Mountain in the north.
Apart from one "Shiver Shack" and a half dozen widely dispersed outfitters' cabins, there is no human presence in the mountains and high valleys. In summer, the only access is by foot or float plane.
If all goes well, the IATNL will begin development of the Brian's Pond Inner Pond to Western Blue Inner Pond section of trail in 2011. As you can see from the photos attached, the area is another one of Western Newfoundland's special wild places that will add to the growing list of IATNL Marquee Trails.
And though Delano and I were too noisy to see any wildlife on our day in the mountains, we did see plenty of sign. One thing you can tell your kids for sure ... the Easter Bunny is alive and well!!!
To view more photos of Brian's Pond Inner Pond to Western Blue Inner Pond in winter, visit our website www.iatnl.ca.
While there, check out news of our recent participation in the Boston Globe Travel Show, the Binational Tourism Summit in Niagara Falls, New York, and an Algonquin College in the Ottawa Valley winter expedition to the Indian Lookout and Devil's Bite Trails.
Happy Winter Trails,
Paul Wylezol
Chairperson, IATNL
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