As we were planning the trip and looking into the route, whenever we mentioned going on the Trans Labrador Highway and crossing into Quebec, people always gave us a pained look on their face.  Their normal comment was “Oh! Are you sure!”  They were asking if we knew about the poor quality of the highway once we crossed the border. 

I had heard and read about the issues and had researched as much info as I could get.  I knew it would not be as good as the TLH we had been on.  There are two sections normally highlighted that are not paved.  One is near the north end at Fermont for about 40 miles and the other in the middle for about 60 miles.  They are heavily traveled by logging, mining, and other delivery semi-trucks that are known to drive fast and throw up pieces of gravel toward your windshield!  And we had to cross railroad tracks at least 9 times along the way.

I had some concept of what to expect but really no idea of the extent.  But either way, there was only one direction to go and only one road to go on!  So, we were off and ready?

Leaving Labrador City, we had to stop at the famous Welcome to Labrador sign even though we were going the other way.  Crossing into Quebec, we gained an hour of time and were now back in the Eastern Time Zone.  And the road was beautiful!  We commented that every mile of this was that much less of the bad portion. 

But after only 6 miles we were in Fermont, Quebec, which is another mining town.  When the town was planned in the late 1960s, the architects realized that the town needed a wind break to protect the residents from the cold northerly winds. But instead of building a dedicated wind barrier, they decided to marry the functionality of a wall and a residential complex into one. The result was an architecturally unique building,  a mile long, angled in the middle to deflect the wind and 5 stories tall with about 400 apartments and shops that has become the icon of Fermont.  We went into the town to see the wall but decided not to try a full visit with the RV.

And as we left the town, the pavement went away almost immediately, and we went over our first railroad crossing!  Not too bad.  But we were just getting started. 

We drove the next 40 miles at about an average of 20-25 mph!   The road was rough with lots of wash-boarding sections and potholes.  We didn’t have a lot of traffic but at that speed, trucks would just appear behind me.  I learned to just pull over as far as I could and let them pass.  And as for the trucks going north, I also gave as much clearance as I could.  One saving grace was that the road was very wide so there was room to maneuver. 

This went on for almost 3 hours!  The traffic was mostly the trucks and company pickups also going fast with a few other RVers and cars  going back toward Labrador.  But we made it! 

I don’t want to forget to highlight the landscape that, for the first 10 miles, was dominated by the iron mine that we drove through.  Compared to the mine in Labrador City that we couldn’t see, here we were in the middle of the mining process.  We could see where the mountain had been scraped off and left just the flat surfaces behind.  It is hard to describe but it is very amazing to see up close!

We passed an ore train stopped on the tracks between two crossings.  It only had open cars filled with rock!  And, without measuring, it had to be well over a mile long and maybe more.  Again, an amazing sight!

As we left the mine area, the landscape became more forested as we had seen before but without the sharp inclines and steep declines.  And after the first hour, the pavement returned in the town of Mont Wright, and the road  was mostly very good.  We had a little over 100 miles left for the day and it was a pleasant drive except for the ever-present semis and pickups that seemed to just appear!

Our destination for the night was a truck stop at Relais – Gabriel.  And that is what it was.  We pulled into the gas pumps for diesel and saw the price was at $2.86/liter CAD.  (We had been paying about $1.50 CAD.)  That calculates to about $8.00/gallon US.  Luckily, I still had my full 6-gallon diesel jug I had filled up for the long leg to Port Hope Simpson, and it went into the tank first!   That saved us a few bucks. 

We got a space to park overlooking the lake behind the parking area with no services at all.  So, we boondocked for the night!  It turned out that it was a comfortable night and there was a nice rain to hopefully keep the dust down on the next leg!

We headed out and after a nice overlook turnout, the pavement went away again!  This was the longer leg of about 60 miles, and the only distance we travelled that day.   Again, we were driving about 25-30 mph, and the rain had made driving more comfortable for about the first hour.

Then in the distance we could see the clouds of dust being kicked up by approaching trucks!  The road was much better (?), flatter and wider but with a lot more loose gravel and a lot of wash-boarding.  Again, I would stop on the side of the road to let the trucks pass.  They seemed to appreciate my caution and courtesy and would flash their lights as the passed to say “Thanks”! 

The scenery was beautiful with forests spreading out to the horizon.  There were a lot of steep hills to climb and steep downsides to maneuver!  The 60 miles clicked off steadily and soon we were back on pavement with just a few more miles to go for our next stop.

We had met both of the road challenges and made it without any issues.  And overall, it was bumpy but doable with patience and care!   

Our next stop was at Motel l’Energie in Manic 5, QC.  This again was a major truck stop but with more features.  There was a nice area for 9 RV sites with electricity.  It also had a small motel, cabins, and a very large area for trucks to park for the night as well as fuel pumps, a restaurant and a small convenience store. 

We decided not to pay their price (about $2.25/L CAD) since we had only driven the 60 miles but did take a nice pad (even if a little off kilter) for the night and settled in.  We noticed at the next pad there was another Delano similar to ours.  We talked to the owners (from Quebec City) and enjoyed sharing our stories.  They were heading north, and we filled them in on the upcoming drive for them!  

While at the stop, we had planned a tour at the Manic 5 hydro-electric dam.  The dam was built on the Manicouagan River and the name was shortened to Manic.  There were 5 dams planned but only 4 were built.  Manic-5 is the largest buttress dam in the world and today produces about 2.5 Mega Watts of electricity that is distributed throughout Quebec and into the US. It stands 703 feet tall and features 14 buttresses and 13 arches.  The tour went into the power plant and into the dam as well.  Very interesting.  And free! 

The next day we were off again on the last leg of the Trans Labrador Hwy and Expedition 51.  We had about 130 miles left down to Baie Comeaux and the St. Lawrence Seaway again.  The road was very nice and wound though some beautiful forests.  But I don’t think I saw a stretch of road longer than a ¼ mile that was straight!  Curves and hill climbs were the story of the day.  And most of the time in combination.  And the power lines continued to follow the road as well.  We didn’t see Manic 3 but did stop at Manic 2 just to see the visitor center.

At last, we found our RV park in Baie Comeaux on the water.  It was nice to have full services again with decent cell and internet service.  We only planned for one night, but it was very relaxing, and it rained all night!  

We had completed the route with no issues.  From Blanc Sablon, QC to Baie Comeaux, QC had been 1,133 miles.  Where the one lady told us that it was only “trees, rocks and water”, we would add forests, lakes, streams, waterfalls, sand dunes, boulders, quarries, and power lines!  The road went through interesting and beautiful landscapes.  Now on to the west.