Placentia Bay 2015: The Prologue

One cold, dreary Saturday in January Dean, Hazen, Neville and I met to discuss the options for 2015's week long kayak camp trip.  We decided on a return to Placentia Bay to visit as many resettled communities as we could between Port Elizabeth and Clattice Harbour.

It made for an extended period of anticipation which finally came to an end on September 5th.  We met at the Irving Station on the Trans Canada Highway just outside of town to drive to Swift Current where we would spend the first night camped at the location of the former provincial park at Piper's Hole.

The better campsites were already occupied.  We started to put up tents under the powerlines but thought better of it.  We walked down what can only be described as a cowpath to an old bridge spanning Piper's Hole River across which led to a decent campsite.  It made for a long carry of our camping gear until some boldness was applied.  I thought I could go backwards slowly avoiding the largest rock and park on the bridge.  That settled it.  The guys with the higher vehicles said if Tony can get his Civic down there then that was a challenge they could not resist.

Just beyond the bridge we pitched our tents on what was a section of the old Burin Peninsula Highway before a new bridge in the early 60's rerouted the highway.  It was an ideal location well away from everyone else and right beside ...

... the roaring water that would serenade us to sleep.  The date on the bride was 1939.

We set about collecting wood from windfalls and standing deadwood for a fire to BBQ a meal of salmon.  We were ensconce early in our location so it made for a relaxed evening.  Hazen had new "Cracked Canoe" beer glasses for each of us and cold beer which we savoured waiting for the fire to burn down to coals.

After BBQing the salmon and finished supper we ...

... added more wood for a campfire which entertained us until we were ready for bed.

The next day, Sunday, rose bright and sunny highlighting Bears Folly downriver from us at 1,000 feet tall.

We decided on the location of our campsite because of its proximity to Davis Cove where we would put in.  The pieces were falling into place for our week long adventure in Placentia Bay as we prepared for the drive down there.

I'll be posting pictures over the coming days so I hope you'll come back regularly to share in our adventure.