Beating Bill

Headed towards Cape St. Francis

Hurricane Bill was busy churning in the Atlantic in the area of Bermuda today and forecast to hit Newfoundland Sunday night Monday morning. It'll be downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it hits us but it'll still be too windy to paddle, maybe for a couple of days.

We decided to beat Bill to the punch and just get out on the water. There was no set plan. We put-in in Bauline and headed north towards Cape St. Francis for a while and then decided to turn around and paddle south in case the forecasted wind kicked up, which it did. A paddle back to the put-in then would be in following seas.

We saw a minke whale, the spout of a suspected fin whale, a huge sunfish and a couple of eagles.

Gimme shelter

After turning back short of Cape St. Francis we paddled past Bauline, where we put in, and on towards Portugal Cove. The wind came up so we nicked into a few sheltered spots for a break. It wasn't a heavy wind but the respite was still welcomed.

Brian checks out a cleft in the rocks

The rocks along the east side of Conception Bay north of St. Philips are known as the Harbour Main volcanics. They form massive cliffs and are the oldest rocks on the Avalon Peninsula. They were formed in a volcanic archipelago something like those in the current ring of fire in the Pacific.

Because they are so massive, there are no caves or beaches along this shore. Here a likely fault has weakened the rock where the sea has worn a cleft in the cliffs.

Cleanliness is next to godliness

Derrick getting a shower of fresh water. It was warm today 25 C and 30 with the humidex. A chance to cool off in the fresh water was a treat.

At the falls

Last fall Stan and I paddled north from St. Philips and Portugal Cove. We turned back at these falls at Big Freshwater Cove. Today we paddled south from Bauline to the falls so I've closed that part of this shore in Conception Bay. Missed ya today Stan.