Post by 150FromFundy on Oct 4, 2011 18:38:07 GMT -5
The Arches Provincial Park is just north of Gros Morne National Park. The Arches are composed of Ordovician (440 to 480 million years old) dolomitic conglomerate that has been eroded by the pounding surf to form a series of keyholes.
Unfortunately, it was a foggy day with high winds so the photos are not all that they could be. This would be quite photographic on a blue sky day.
Photo 1 – The Arches
Photo 2 – The Arches
Photo 3 – The Arches
Photo 4 – The Arches
The one good thing about the fog and drizzle is it wet the beach rocks to bring out their colour. All the granite, gneiss and schist from Western Brook Pond were transported by the glaciers to the ocean where it washed up on the beaches in nature’s giant rock tumbler. With miles of beach available rock it didn’t take long to gather a knapsack full.
Photo 5 – The Arches beach rock
Photo 6 – Granite, gneiss, diorite, gabbro
Photo 7 – The Arches beach rock
Photo 8 – Gneiss one
One the way to the beach we passed a ghost forest of Tuckamore spruce. These dense dwarf spruce are normally able to endure the harsh conditions of a windswept coast. These took a little too much salt on a storm surge when Hurricane Ivan passed through.
Photo 9 – Ghost forest of Tuckamore spruce
The last photo allows you to appreciate why hikers claim it’s easier to go over them than through them.
Photo 10 – Tuckamore spruce
Unfortunately, it was a foggy day with high winds so the photos are not all that they could be. This would be quite photographic on a blue sky day.
Photo 1 – The Arches
Photo 2 – The Arches
Photo 3 – The Arches
Photo 4 – The Arches
The one good thing about the fog and drizzle is it wet the beach rocks to bring out their colour. All the granite, gneiss and schist from Western Brook Pond were transported by the glaciers to the ocean where it washed up on the beaches in nature’s giant rock tumbler. With miles of beach available rock it didn’t take long to gather a knapsack full.
Photo 5 – The Arches beach rock
Photo 6 – Granite, gneiss, diorite, gabbro
Photo 7 – The Arches beach rock
Photo 8 – Gneiss one
One the way to the beach we passed a ghost forest of Tuckamore spruce. These dense dwarf spruce are normally able to endure the harsh conditions of a windswept coast. These took a little too much salt on a storm surge when Hurricane Ivan passed through.
Photo 9 – Ghost forest of Tuckamore spruce
The last photo allows you to appreciate why hikers claim it’s easier to go over them than through them.
Photo 10 – Tuckamore spruce
