Last weekend we had almost 1.5 meters of snow on the ground. It was too windy to paddle so we cross country skied. Between last weekend and this one we had a big melt and lost all our snow. But luckily the weather cooperated for the first time in almost four weeks.
Winds were calm, the temperature hovered around 0C. Time to paddle. The first paddle of 2014 was close to home along familiar territory but it was on the water.
Brian, Dean, Neville and I left St. Philips harbour and headed towards Topsail Beach under overcast skies and low lying fog. Unusual to see fog this time of year but it testified to the unseasonably warm weather.
Not far from St Philips we entered this little cove protected by a rock which we usually paddle around.
Some snow and ice still clung to the cliffs even though it has been well above zero.
It was high tide when we put in and a little swell that made for it pleasant to paddle through rocky openings.
There was no hurry as Dean stops to contemplate the pleasure of being on the water again.
As we neared Topsail Beach the fog draped over Topsail Head.
It looks like snow but its not. Its a deposit of quartz that may have formed during movement in the Topsail fault or maybe somehow related to the Holyrood granite that was intruded not far away.
After a sort stop at Topsail Beach we made our way back to St Philips, retracing our route around this rock.
I believe the almost four week, weather imposed hiatus is the longest time I've had to endure between paddles for at least the last 6 or 7 years. It sure felt good to get back to paddling.
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