Along the Skerwink Trail: Sunday August 26th

This morning we were up an at em' early. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast at the inn and then headed off to explore the Skewerink trail. How fortuitous it was when we discovered that our inn was only a few hundred metres away from the trail head!

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The Skerwink trail was amazing! We completed the full 5.3 kilometre trail in approximately 3 hours, taking the coastal route first, then the inland route on the return. The trail closely follows the edge of the cliffs, and so at every turn there were stunning views of Trinity Bay. While the trail is relatively popular, we did not see anyone else along the trail. There were also no guard rails - so every step had to be taken with care!

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After checking out of the inn, we made our way south to the historic town of Trinity where we toured the many historic sites. From Trinity, it was a four hour drive to the small community of Branch. Located in the southwestern area of the Avalon Peninsula, we were taken by how much of a contrast there was from one part of the island to another. While the distance was not great, we certainly noticed a considerable change in weather and temperature. The fog was building as we made our way into Branch and were not confident that the weather was going to improve. Therefore, we made the decision to visit the Cape St. Mary's ecological reserve this evening as opposed to waiting until tomorrow as planned. Before heading off to visit the ecological reserve, we checked into the Cliffhouse bed and breakfast to drop off our things. We made our way to the ecological reserve as daylight was beginning to fade. There is a 15 minute hike along a well marked trail from the visitors interpretative centre to the actual rock which hundreds of thousands of birds call home. However, just as the Skerwink trail, there were no guard rails and so wondering off the path was not an option. Before we could see the birds, we could hear them calling. It was an incredible experience as we walked along the path: the sound of the ocean crashing against the rocks hundreds of metres below our feet, the sound of the birds, the cold grey sky, and approaching fog.

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The highlight of the ecological reserve is a rock that juts out of the ocean. This rock is home to more than 24000 northern gannets, 20000 black legged kittiwakes, 20000 common mures, 2000 thick billed mures, 100 pairs of razorbills, 60 pairs of black guillemonts, as well as Northern fulmar birds. It was truly unlike anything we had seen before. Visitors are within metres of the rock, but the ocean, hundreds of meters below, prevents anyone from getting too close.

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After marvelling at the sight for nearly a half hour, it was starting to get dark and we were getting hungry. On our way back to Branch we ate dinner at Gannets Nest. We began our dinner with moose soup. We then feasted on delicious pan fried salmon, cod, and scallops. It had been a long day, so we headed back to the bed and breakfast and turned in for the night.