The Bare Mountain Trail is a three kilometer loop
through lush forests punctuated by rocky promontories. It starts and
ends at the Manitoba Professional Building on Manitoba Drive. As its
name implies, it is hill walking at its best but it is not hill
climbing. The route follows contour lines wherever it can to make the
ascent as easy as possible. The steeper parts are assisted by stairs and
rest stops give impressive views. The best view of all is at the summit
which is 157.2 meters above sea level.
Don't let this figure deter you as the start of the trail is at least
half that height. From there, you have a clear view to all points of the
compass. Inland you can see the White Hills Ski Resort and the
impressive wooded hills that form the shoulders of the Shoal Harbour
River Valley. To the North is Shoal Harbour, itself stretching on until
it ends at the clearly visible causeway to Random Island. The Island
fills the eastern horizon and you can even see parts of Smith Sound on
the far side. In the foreground, the Northwest Arm of Random Sound
spreads southward to meet up with the Southwest Arm and together meander
on to Trinity Bay.
All of Clarenville, new and old, is spread out at your feet. It truly is
a magnificent vista and well worth the effort. Continuing beyond the
summit, you descend some steps to a man-made duck pond whose residents
are always eager to greet travelers. From there, the route wanders back
down to the beginning through fir and spruce woods that makes every day
smell like Christmas!
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Whitewood Hill Lookout
Bare Mountain Lookout
Stanley's Duck Pond |
