The Bread & Cheese Experience

Location:

Avalon Wilderness Reserve. Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland

Duration:

Summary:

Paddling a packraft through the Avalon Wilderness Reserve offers an opportunity to experience the pristine natural beauty of a unique part of Newfoundland. Imagine a small, robust raft that unrolls from your backpack and inflates with the help of the breeze. 

The rivers and ponds of the Reserve are perfect for packrafting. If you’ve never been in a packraft, you will see that these incredibly strong and stable boats are lightweight and fun to paddle, even for novice boaters. On this overnight adventure guests will enjoy exploring this remote place, its water system, birds and wildlife. Photographers are free to try and capture some of the Reserve’s inhabitants, such as beaver, otter, lynx or muskrat. Certain restrictions exist for fishing and will be clarified by your tour organizer.

The Bread & Cheese Experience is named for one of the most prominent landmarks in the Reserve – Bread and Cheese Hill. Standing at an elevation of 278 masl, Bread and Cheese is steeped in history as it borders the infamous D’Iberville Trail. In the 17th century the French soldier, Pierre Lemoyne D’Iberville, and his men terrorized the Southern Shore after crossing the Reserve from Placentia to Ferryland, a journey that took 9 days. While we cover just a short section of this route, the journey provides excellent opportunities to view wildlife in its native habitat, as it passes entirely through the designated protected area.

Itinerary:

On the morning of the excursion, guests will meet at our facility in Cape Broyle, where you will be briefed on the itinerary and fitted with your paddling gear and packraft. We use only Alpacka and Kokopelli boats, as they are of the highest quality and durability. If you are not familiar with packrafting this will be an opportunity to ask questions and become acquainted with the sport and our safety protocols. After a 1.5-hour drive into the Reserve, we put our boats in at Gibbons Pond and paddle through the late morning/early afternoon. We’ll stop mid-day to enjoy a traditional boil-up where guests may sample classic Newfoundland eats, such as bakeapple jam, Purity biscuits/sweets and Labrador tea. We also provide delicious smoked fish and cured meats to ensure you’re ready for the remainder of the day.

After paddling and hiking through the afternoon we will make camp at the base of Bread and Cheese Hill and set up the kitchen to prepare dinner. Guests will begin with a selection of fresh vegetables, artisan breads & /cheeses, and cured meats followed by a hearty pasta-based dinner. Enjoy dessert cooked in our Dutch Oven while socializing by the fire. Depending on weather conditions, guests will partake in a sunset or sunrise ascent of Bread and Cheese to check out the view from the top. On a clear day you can see the ocean on both sides of the Peninsula. In the morning a simple, but hearty breakfast will be served before setting off for the remaining paddle back to the starting point.

About the Avalon Wilderness Reserve (Adapted from Gov of NL website):

The AWR consists of 1,070 square kilometers of barrens and forests. It protects the Avalon woodland caribou herd, the most southerly caribou herd in Canada. The survival of this herd is a North American conservation success story. A rolling plateau, the area is dotted with boulders that were left behind by melting glaciers more than 10,000 years ago. The climate is "marine"- winters are mild, summers are cool. Strong winds, high humidity and rainfall are typical, and there is often heavy fog.

Restrictions:

- Fishing subject to Federal and Provincial regulations. Seasonal: Summer May – September. Your guide will advise on appropriate rules/regulations 

- Non-Newfoundland residents require a permit to fish inland waters

What AWE provides:

- Food and beverages (non-alcoholic). Alcoholic beverages are not permitted to be possessed or consumed while on this expedition, so please do not bring your own.

- Packraft and wetsuit/paddling jacket, PFD, dry bags, group safety gear, Iridium satellite phone.

- Group camping gear (tents, stoves, fuel)

What’s not included:

- Individual sleeping bag, sleeping pad, headlamp, personal clothing and toiletries. Anything else personally required. Clients may rent sleeping bags, Thermarests or other gear for a fee.