Making the loop
Filmmaker and friends cycle through Labrador
It was a daunting journey: 3,700 km of peddling from Labrador City to the Great Northern Peninsula, through Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Quebec, and back to Labrador City.
That’s the trip Australian Angus Morton and Spaniard Sami Sauri completed in less than a month.
Morton, a former cycling pro who is now a filmmaker based in Denver, and Sauri, from Barcelona, completed the entire journey, and were joined by others for some legs of the trek.
Jacob Rathe of Portland, Ore., and Dan Craven of Namibia joined them on the first leg. Nico Cabrera and Chas Christiansen joined the two to go the distance from Nova Scotia to Labrador City.
“It was an amazing journey,” Sauri said last week after they peddled into Labrador City. “We were worried about the wildlife, but we only saw bears a couple of times and they were no bother at all.”
They were disappointed, however, to not see a single moose.
But they did experience black flies, enough to decide they’d never itch to see more.
“This was an amazing trip (with a) warm welcome by so many. It is one of the best experiences we’ve had,” Morton said.
Sauri adds they met many people along the way who offered assistance.
“We were given food and souvenirs. It was amazing. In Port Hope Simpson we were given fish, and there were gifts of berries . . . . Lots of visits, hospitality, it just was overwhelming.”
Even though they were on a tight schedule, the cyclists took time to tour the power facility in Churchill Falls, and they visited the historic community of Red Bay.
The trip involved camping along the way, with no major problems, aside from some challenges posed by wind and rain.
The group said the gravel portion of the Trans-labrador Highway was not as bad as they were led to believe.
Along the Great Northern Peninsula they enjoyed more great scenery and hospitality.
“We camped in Gros Morne and enjoyed a local tour and event,” said Morton.
On the province’s west coast, they added, an evening with some people in St. David’s was memorable.
At Port aux Basques, Rathe and Craven left Morton and Sauri.
Two more enthusiastic bikers — Nico Cabrera and Chas Christiansen — joined them in Nova Scotia to complete the loop back to Labrador City, through New Brunswick and Quebec, crossing the river by boat from Matane to Baie Comeau, and along Route 389.
“There were challenging hills at times, but spectacular scenery,” said Morton.
They arrived back in Labrador West in windy, cold conditions in late September.
“The whole trip was amazing and one I would do again,” Sauri said.
Morton is doing a documentary on the trek, which he expects to have ready to publish by November.
His films are very popular among cyclists who are looking for something new or different. His work can be seen online at thereabouts.com.au.
“This part of the world isn’t on the radar for many cyclists,” he said. “Hopefully, people will see our documentary and realize what a unique cycling opportunity there is in this part of the world.”
Destination Labrador has worked with the cyclists, and they are keen to support Expedition 51, the route from Baie Comeau to Blanc Sablon. The project was also supported by the governments of Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec.