Saturday I awoke and decided that I wanted to make it all the way to Goose Bay-Happy Valley. We had filled the fuel tank on Friday in Port Hope Simpson, and while I knew I had (3) extra tanks of diesel, I was hopeful that we could make it all the way without having to use them. The good news here was that the road improved and we increased our speed to about (40) mph. From Red Bay to Port Hope Simpson, we were often at (5) to (10) mph. The rains continued for the first half of the day, and temperatures continued to hover around 40 degrees.
The scenery really changed as we drove west, and inland. Mostly firs and cedars (I think), and so many wonderfully beautiful lakes, streams, and rivers. This picture gives one the idea of what I saw for hours.
I came upon this guy on the side of the road, working on his flat tire. He declined my offer of assistance, but as I began to drive off, I found that I couldn't leave him alone on this remote road. So I stopped and helped him with his problem. Turns out he had no idea how to remove his spare tire. We finally figured it out and got him on his way.
In some weird way I felt as though helping him might also offer me a bit of protection as I continued my drive northwest. At the very least, I felt good about myself at that moment.
As it turned out, we pulled into Goose Bay with the fuel gauge light on, and after filling the tank, I found that I only had (1) gallon of fuel left........about (10) or maybe (11) miles as the average mileage is less on gravel roads.