St. Jones Harbour

Approaching St. Jones Within

We left Gooseberry Cove at 11:00 and after stopping at Round Harbour for a quick lunch we arrived at the entrance to St. Jones Harbour at 2:30.

St. Jones Harbour breadcrumbs

St. Jones Harbour is a fjord-like finger of the sea that pierces the land some five kilometers inland. We knew beforehand that finding a level campsite was going to be difficult.

Having a look

As we entered the harbour we saw what looked like a possible campsite where the cemetery had been. Brian, Pete and I got out to have a look while Hazen chatted it a up with someone who had come by in a motor boat. The site was too wet but Hazen was told there was a nice cabin at the end of the harbour where we could camp.

Autumn colours

We wanted to find our own campsite so we scouted along the shoreline. Things didn't look promising but it sure was pretty paddling down the fjord with fall colours starting to dominate.

Still looking

I anticipated a slog down the harbour into strong funneling winds but it was pleasant going. We could see there were no possible campsites as far as where the fjord pinched in in the distance.

Campsite

We explored the different nooks and crannies at the bottom of the harbour but found only steep hillsides or wet boggy sites. It was getting near 5:00 when we conceded we had to use a developed site. We had to because there wasn't much light left in the day and we had to set up camp. We landed. It took four of us to lift the fully loaded kayaks up a 2 meter embankment onto the level area in front of the cabin.

In the dark

Hazen, Pete and I set up tents while Brian set up the tarp. There wasn't any driftwood around but there was a firepit so we didn't need much wood to have a campfire. We gathered a bit and borrowed a few junks from a pile stacked by the cabin owner. After cooking supper we lit the fire, had a few swallies of the refreshments we brought and shared jokes and tall tales. The deck chairs made for a comfortable evening.

The evening was getting on but we had one more surprise. Unknown to us Hazen had brought supplies for ...

Irish coffee

We were deep in no man's land with no one around for kilometers but that didn't mean we couldn't enjoy the comforts of home. The Irish coffee was the highlight of the evening and the trip so far. Well done Hazen and thanks.