Category Archives: Newfoundland

All Around the Circle: Paddling a Folk Song

Posted on May 3, 2024 by TA Loeffler

No one knows with certainty who wrote I’s the B’y but it was likely composed in the 19th century. The song was first transcribed in 1951 by folklorist, Kenneth Peacock, two years after Newfoundland joined Canadian confederation (as a side … Continue reading →

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A Right Nice Paddle: Ocean Pond to Markland Bridge

Posted on August 30, 2020 by TA Loeffler

In July, we paddled a route that was new to all three of us. We began in Ocean Pond and then used the Hodges River to transition over to the Whitborne pond Circuit and then we finished by taking the … Continue reading →

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Exploring a Forgotten Trail: Hiking the Avondale River

Posted on August 23, 2020 by TA Loeffler

Since March, Marian and I have been exploring and adventuring closer to home. We’ve been pushing ourselves to find and fall in love with new outdoor places rather than stick to all the places we already adore. We skied until … Continue reading →

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Paddling Chance Cove

Posted on July 30, 2020 by TA Loeffler

Mike, Marian, and I had another fabulous paddling day recently. We set out from Chance Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador and paddled to Rantem and then returned to Chance Cove. We departed from the government wharf, along with many folks headed out to catch cod during the food fishery. We looked across the bay to the popular Chance Cove hike, know for its stunning beauty. Unbeknownst to most hikers, is that the coastline opposite them is equally beauteous-but only accessible via boat, kayak, or bushwhack. Continue reading →

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Beauty Day Out: Paddling from Chapels Cove to Harbour Main

Posted on June 30, 2020 by TA Loeffler

Marian, Mike, and I spend a lovely day paddling from Chapels Cove to Harbour Main, NL and back. We wanted to share the beauty we saw and experienced with you.

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Making the List: 90 Great Canadian Explorers

Posted on February 10, 2020 by TA Loeffler

I am humbled once again to be recognized by the Royal Canadian Geographic Society by my inclusion in their 90 Greatest Canadian Explorers List. Of course, whenever a list is made, many noteworthy, awesome, & deserving folks are left off … Continue reading →

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Happy Adventurous and Active New Year

Posted on January 2, 2019 by TA Loeffler

Marian and I celebrated the New Year by hiking down to one of our favourite East Coast Trail destinations: Freshwater Bay. The photo above was taken from the new bridge that crosses Leamy’s Brook and enables hikers to avoid the … Continue reading →

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Boatbuilding as a Full Contact Sport

Posted on June 22, 2017 by TA Loeffler

Using the linear planer is intense. I’ve adopted the role of board puller which means I’m face and eyes into the sawdust. I think I like it because it reminds me of skiing across Greenland or Sweden when we faced … Continue reading →

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Finding Centre and Other Life Lessons from Boatbuilding

Posted on June 21, 2017 by TA Loeffler

Day three of boatbuilding school at the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador has come to an end and we’ve learned many more skills, ideas, and vocabulary today. We’ve focused on finding centre from almost minute one of the … Continue reading →

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From Stem to Stern

Posted on June 20, 2017 by TA Loeffler

Marian, Michael, and I are spending this week at the Wooden Boat Museum of Newfoundland and Labrador in Winterton learning how to build a Grandy Dory (pictured above). I’ve been trying to get to a workshop here for a few … Continue reading →

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Twillingate…Totally Awesome Adventures

Posted on September 27, 2015 by TA Loeffler

I’ve been coming to Twillingate for some time now. Each time, I’ve found adventures around every corner, on land and sea, in town, on trails and beyond. I’ve just had the privilege of being here for my longest visit ever … Continue reading →

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Rooting for Adventure in Twillingate

Posted on September 25, 2015 by TA Loeffler

Sometimes it’s best to tell a story from end to beginning. So here is our intrepid group at the end of our experience of seeing where an unscripted walk, searching for root cellars, would take us. We are holding root … Continue reading →

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Buns on the Beach

Posted on September 23, 2015 by TA Loeffler

This morning we left on an adventure. With red bags filled with baking gear, we headed off toward the trailhead. We took a left at the sign and headed over to French Beach. We stopped and nibbled on a few … Continue reading →

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Foraging for Adventure with Adventurous Foragers

Posted on September 22, 2015 by TA Loeffler

A gorgeous day greeted us as we headed out on our “Foraging for Adventure” workshop at the Unscripted Twillingate Digital Media Arts Festival.  Starting with Newfoundland’s iconic berry, we began our day looking at blueberries in lots of new ways…the … Continue reading →

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Audio Post from the Top of Twillingate

Posted on September 22, 2015 by TA Loeffler
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SPOT Check-In from the Top of Twillingate

Posted on September 22, 2015 by TA Loeffler

TA Latitude:49.62207 Longitude:-54.74759 GPS location Date/Time:09/22/2015 12:00:30 NDT Message:This is our Unscripted Twillingate Media Arts Festival location. We’re out capturing adventure all over town! Click the link below to see where I am located. http://fms.ws/Qra4E/49.62207N/54.74759W If the above link does … Continue reading →

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M is for Morne, Gros Morne: Ama Dablam #11

Posted on October 1, 2014 by TA Loeffler

Marian and I travelled back across the island to Gros Morne National Park again this weekend to teach at the Becoming an Outdoors Workshop. We stayed an extra day to do our second climb of Gros Morne together. To increase … Continue reading →

Posted in Ama Dablam, Everest 3.0, Newfoundland, Photography | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Check-in/OK message from SPOT TA

Posted on August 10, 2014 by TA Loeffler

TA Latitude:48.19932 Longitude:-53.53995 GPS location Date/Time:08/10/2014 17:47:18 NDT Message:Hello from Random Island. We are five kayaks and two canoes on an island exploration mission! Click the link below to see where I am located. http://fms.ws/IYR-J/48.19932N/53.53995W If the above link does … Continue reading →

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Check-in/OK message from SPOT TA

Posted on August 4, 2014 by TA Loeffler

TA Latitude:48.71581 Longitude:-53.78699 GPS location Date/Time:08/04/2014 15:34:04 NDT Message:Hello from Bonavista Bay. We are five kayaks on an island exploration mission! This is where we are hanging! Click the link below to see where I am located. http://fms.ws/IQGcF/48.71581N/53.78699W If the … Continue reading →

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Check-in/OK message from SPOT TA

Posted on August 3, 2014 by TA Loeffler

TA Latitude:48.77600 Longitude:-53.71625 GPS location Date/Time:08/03/2014 19:18:11 NDT Message:Hello from Bonavista Bay. We are five kayaks on an island exploration mission! This is where we are hanging! Click the link below to see where I am located. http://fms.ws/IPKCZ/48.77600N/53.71625W If the … Continue reading →

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Check-in/OK message from SPOT TA

Posted on August 1, 2014 by TA Loeffler

TA Latitude:48.80925 Longitude:-53.65045 GPS location Date/Time:08/01/2014 21:13:09 NDT Message:Hello from Bonavista Bay. We are five kayaks on an island exploration mission! This is where we are hanging! Click the link below to see where I am located. http://fms.ws/IN0Tj/48.80925N/53.65045W If the … Continue reading →

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Check-in/OK message from SPOT TA

Posted on July 31, 2014 by TA Loeffler

TA Latitude:48.88971 Longitude:-53.61960 GPS location Date/Time:07/31/2014 18:25:10 NDT Message:Hello from Bonavista Bay. We are five kayaks on an island exploration mission! This is where we are hanging! Click the link below to see where I am located. http://fms.ws/ILWR2/48.88971N/53.61960W If the … Continue reading →

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Check-in/OK message from SPOT TA

Posted on July 30, 2014 by TA Loeffler

TA Latitude:48.83062 Longitude:-53.75461 GPS location Date/Time:07/30/2014 10:13:40 NDT Message:Hello from Bonavista Bay. We are five kayaks on an island exploration mission! This is where we are hanging! Click the link below to see where I am located. http://fms.ws/IJa6R/48.83062N/53.75461W If the … Continue reading →

Posted in Newfoundland, Sea Kayak | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Check-in/OK message from SPOT TA

Posted on July 28, 2014 by TA Loeffler

TA Latitude:48.74274 Longitude:-53.83737 GPS location Date/Time:07/28/2014 21:57:25 NDT Message:Hello from Bonavista Bay. We are five kayaks on an island exploration mission! This is where we are hanging! Click the link below to see where I am located. http://fms.ws/IHqzI/48.74274N/53.83737W If the … Continue reading →

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Loca-venturing: Snowshoeing the Old DND Fence in Pippy Park

Posted on January 9, 2014 by TA Loeffler

Local = adjective: belonging or relating to a particular area or neighbourhood Adventuring = verb: engage in hazardous and exciting activity, esp. the exploration of unknown territory. Loca-Venturing = verb: combination of local + adventuring To explore unknown territory in … Continue reading →

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Trails of Twillingate: Bashing About Back Harbour

Posted on October 26, 2013 by TA Loeffler

After our fine morning, we walked directly out  from the Anchor Inn and Suites to try out finding the trail that leaves from behind the Twillingate Museum that heads to Back Harbour. All was well as we headed down the … Continue reading →

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A Prime Time at Prime Berth

Posted on October 26, 2013 by TA Loeffler

Driving to and fro to Twillingate, you pass by Prime Berth Twillingate Fishery & Heritage Centre. They are hard to miss as there is a whale skeleton beside their fishing stage just as you cross the causeway onto Twillingate Island. … Continue reading →

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Trails of Twillingate: All Around the Lighthouse

Posted on October 25, 2013 by TA Loeffler

I wanted to title this post: TA’s Triple A (being that I am so fond of acronyms). It would have stood for TA’s Twillingate Awesome Autumn Adventure! Marian and I put two Twillingate trails together today to have a fine … Continue reading →

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Rooting Around Twillingate

Posted on September 12, 2013 by TA Loeffler

One of the more unique activities you can do in Twillingate is searching for root cellars. Thus far, 232 root cellars have been found and recorded; many are easily spotted from roads and others can be found in further-flung locations. … Continue reading →

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Trails of Twillingate: Hospital Pond Trail

Posted on September 10, 2013 by TA Loeffler

With all of our travels in and around Twillingate, we’d never hiked the Hospital Pond Trail until today. What a delightful walk! The pond is just behind the Notre Dame Bay Memorial Hospital and the trail starts with two entry … Continue reading →

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Foraging Fun in Twillingate

Posted on September 9, 2013 by TA Loeffler

After a fine weekend at the Newfoundland and Labrador Mushroom Foray on Fogo Island, Marian and I dropped in to see our friends, Deb and Wilma, the innkeepers at the Anchor Inn and Suites. We stole them away from their … Continue reading →

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Canoeing Twillingate…

Posted on May 27, 2013 by TA Loeffler

Marian and I hemmed and hawed about whether or not we’d bring our sea kayaks to Twillingate this time. In the end, we decided to bring our canoe…a 16 foot Esquif Prospecteur…because we’re doing a canoe trip on the Main … Continue reading →

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Ice…We’ve spotted some icebergs

Posted on May 27, 2013 by TA Loeffler

No matter how many times, I’ve seen an iceberg, there is always excitement in seeing another…we’re off to see if we can get a closer look or find a pond to canoe in, whichever comes first.

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A Geocaching We Will Go…More Adventures to be had in Twillingate

Posted on May 26, 2013 by TA Loeffler

Our afternoon’s intrepid adventure started out from the Anchor Inn and Suites. We set out, smart phones/GPS in hands, ready to treasure hunt/geocache in both the urban and wilds of Twillingate. Bright colours and bright smiles adorned us as we … Continue reading →

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Looking for Root Cellars in Tgate

Posted on May 25, 2013 by TA Loeffler

A great pre dinner walk checking out some root cellars in Twillingate. They have many of the geo-tagged but we found this one on our own and had a lovely coastal bushwhacked back to the Anchor Inn to boot! Another … Continue reading →

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Another Time in Twillingate

Posted on August 14, 2012 by TA Loeffler

Marian and I had another “time” in Twillingate. The Dictionary of Newfoundland English defines a time as a party or celebration, a spree, a communal gathering…and what a time we had. Twillingate is the perfect Newfoundland destination as it has … Continue reading →

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Visual Soliloquy #518 It is very difficult to generalize. Everyone’s adventure is original…

Posted on June 12, 2012 by TA Loeffler

It is very difficult to generalise. Everyone’s adventure is original. –Bernard Pivot

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Visual Soliloquy #516 My old grandmother always used to say, Summer friends will melt away like summer snows, but winter friends are friends forever…

Posted on June 7, 2012 by TA Loeffler

My old grandmother always used to say, Summer friends will melt away like summer snows, but winter friends are friends forever.” ― George R.R. Martin

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I am the Tow Truck

Posted on March 20, 2012 by TA Loeffler

One morning when I was training for a climb, a guy in a truck roared up and said, “do you want me to call you a tow truck?”  I wasn’t quick enough that morning mentally because about half way up … Continue reading →

Posted in Everest 3.0, Gunnbjørn Fjeld, Newfoundland, Video | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

YYT Adventure #1

Posted on February 4, 2012 by TA Loeffler

What do you do after you’ve been cooped up too long because of a snow storm…go out and play in it, of course. An urban adventure all within walking reach of home, the first in a series of more to … Continue reading →

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