The pond was once open to the ocean but the ground rose in the last 1,000 years. There were two tour boats on the pond. Since there was no road and only a small stream between the ocean and the pond I surmised they either dragged the boats across the tundra while frozen in the winter or lifted them in by helicopter. I turns out they slid one across in the winter and lifted the other, so I was correct with both guesses.
The boat was crowded to the point that the only seats remaining were inside. This did not prove to be as much of a problem as I feared as when we did stand outside we could only stand the cold wind for short periods of time.
It did not appear that it was possible to walk along the pond, if only because of the steep cliffs. However, at the end of the pond was a small dock where hikers could hike from Gros Morne and meet the boat for transport out.
Just south of Cow Head we saw a sign directing to an old fishing settlement.
It was a gorgeous day. In the building behind Rhona a docent who was a retired local fisherman showed us nets, traps and old skiffs that were used at this location as late as the 1960's.
A docent (a retired fisherman) interpreted the fisherman's cottage. As late as the 1960's two or three families would come here for the summer to fish and then clean and prepare fish for shipment down the coast to a plant. Two of the three families had a small bedroom and one would live in the common area. No need to worry about running water, inside toilets or electricity. I wondered if the children in the families enjoyed the extended stay along the shore.
Ed English (Linkum Tours) booked us tickets for a performance of "Our Fanny" at the Warehouse Theater. The parent organization is "Theatre Newfoundland and Labrador" (TNL) which describes it's mission as "a not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating and producing professional theatre which reflects the lives and diversity of our audiences on the provinces’s west coast, extending to Labrador and across the island of Newfoundland". This small theater was packed with about 80 patrons. We sat in the front/center within 10 feet of the performers.
We remembered to turn off our cellphones prior to the performance, but Rhona forgot about a hole in her pocket which allowed her phone to loudly drop to the floor at a dramatic moment. I encouraged her to look angrily at her neighbor to deflect attention and blame, but the best she could manage was to just look embarrassed and guilty. This small town theater performance is something we would never have known to do if planning the tour ourselves in West Virginia. Ed English knew that while there was not a lot to do in Cow Head bicycle tourists would really enjoy this type of local culture.
Today's ride: 35 miles (56 km) Total: 122 miles (196 km)
