Among the bergy bits

I got up this morning and looked outside.  We were still getting freezing rain after some 30 hours of it.  It weighed down the trees around my home.  I wondered whether we'd paddle.  Some mailed to ask if a paddle was on.  That was the incentive I needed and replied yes.

Cathy, Clyde, Dean and I were up for it.  When we arrived at the put-in we were delighted to see some good sized chunks of ice just outside of the harbour.  Where I had paddled the last two weeks around one year ice pans, these chunks were pieces of icebergs that had broken off.

They weren't icebergs per se but bergy bits.  Outside of this jumble of bergy bits there was only open water so we paddled around them for some time.

Clyde in among the bits and ...

... Cathy.

After we had our fill of that and providing photo ops for people standing on the wharf there to sight see, we paddled north to see what other ice was around.  There were still a few icicles on the cliffs and the trees above were coated with freezing rain and drizzle.

The bergy bits were the main attraction today but the rocks called to us also.

Then more ice to explore.

Four kilometers on we were stymied by a field of ice pans.

With no way through except the long way around we decided to return.

We passed by some interesting ice sculptures while still ...

... exploring and paddling between the icy bits.

So, it is technically spring but it doesn't feel any different from winter.  Cathy lamented the limited opportunities to paddle this past winter but here are still opportunities in the winter like weather.  We had fog to start, then it pecked rain, then we had ice pellets and finished the paddle with snow falling.

We all must have enjoyed the day as I didn't hear any complaining as the four of us sat in the nearby restaurant for a well deserved warm-up coffee or tea.  Another awesome day spent in the kayak.

Puttin' another day on ice

Roy and I couldn't get further than Portugal Cove where the ice was packed too tight to get through so we turned and headed back.  Where we followed the shoreline north paddling by bits of ice, on the return we paddled out into the bay to paddle ...

... through the ice field filled with various size chunks of ice and ...

... and ice pans.

Eventually the ice tailed off towards the southwest and we were in open water.

I suggested heading over to a couple of larger bits of ice on our way back to shore where ...

... there was still ice floating in the water.

Back in the cove I wrestled a good chunk of ice board to take home for refreshments.

So, the fourth day paddling around the sea ice came to an end.  Its been an absolute fantastic last four paddles.  I won't mind if the ice blows off shore; I'm ready now to change focus to icebergs.

Pinch me - one more time

The ice in Conception Bay is still in but starting to melt and drift apart or away.  Today was cool but sunny and absolutely no wind.  It was Roy and myself enjoying what remains of the ice.

The sun made the ice seem whiter than white and brighter than bright, except where the colour was indigo blue.

When we first left the bits of ice were scattered and separated by stretches of open water without a ripple.

We began to see more ice as we made our way north and it was bigger.  We paddled between the ice pans and the shore and in no particular hurry.

The past wave action of the past few days nibbled away at the ice above the waterline making interesting formations of white and indigo.

Paddling between bits of ice doing bow rudders and other close boat control strokes.  And, otherwise avoiding collisions with bits of ice floating in the water.

Just as we came to Portugal Cove we hit a dead end.  There was ...

... no way through this closely packed ice.  At least, not without taking some risk to get cut off from a return to the put-in.

This was my fourth time paddling around the ice in the past eight days.  The ice has stuck around for an unusual amount of time this year and I'm taking advantage of it while it lasts.  It makes for great fun paddling but its also, in some ways, an indescribable scene.  Everything seems so pristine, crystal clear and sharp in blue and white.  Yes, that's the key word - pristine.

From here we turned south for the return, picking our way through the ice pack further off shore.

Wednesdays begin

Every Wednesday each year for the last eight years an informal group has met mid-week to practice kayaking skills.  Last evening was the first for 2017.  It was cold and damp but four of us showed up for a paddle.

Usually we'll practice rescues, paddle strokes or just blast into the wind and waves to catch surf rides.  As there wasn't much in terms of conditions we just went for a paddle up the shore.

The last almost two weeks Conception Bay has been chocked with ice; as it was Tuesday when Brian, Sue and I paddled.  A day later and there was mostly open water but along the shoreline ...

... a good bit of the ice remained.

Most of the ice is one year frozen sea ice that has drifted in our direction from the northeast coast.  Its pan ice that normally is a meter plus thick but some of it was substantially thicker; kayakers for scale, though ...

... some of it must have bits of iceberg in it?

Shane takes possession of an ice floe.

In warmer weather we'll do a bit of rock hopping but this evening it was ice hopping, looking for ways through or over the ice.

We went as far as Beachy Cove before turning around to head back.

It was a small turnout for the first Wednesday evening but it was admittedly rather inclement.  Thanks to Brian, Shane and Terry for sharing the evening.

The Great Escape

Tuesday was another calm, bright day and the ice was still in Conception Bay.  It was a day too good to not be paddling so I called Brian to see if he was interested.  The answer was yes so he, sue and I met at St. Philips to spend a couple of hours paddling around the ice.

The ice was scattered as we made our way out of the cove ...

... at first sticking close to the shore.

Before long we were in among the floating ice pans.  Everything was either bright white or blue or shades of blue.

We wondered whether this was an iceberg.  When we got closer it was apparent it was probably just a jumble of ice pans that were thrown together and on top of each other.  In front of the thing it was open water but behind our progress came to an end as the ice was tightly packed.

We had to turn around.  We noticed the bigger mass stood relatively still compared to the rest of the ice pack which was slipping past at a good clip.  I didn't immediately appreciate the implications of that until we ...

... began to have trouble finding a way through.  At times the pans were only the width of a kayak apart allowing us to squeeze through.

We wove back and forth through the ice craning our necks to find open water and the way forward.

It was slow progress picking our way along.  Often we had to be patient waiting for the pans of ice to move opening up to allow us through until ...

... we were stymied and held like trapped animals.

It was like "What do we do now"?

We waited to see if the pans would move.  They did.  I was between two large ones comfortable enough until they started to drift together threatening to crush me.  As the space contracted I put my hand on the large pan on my left waiting for the crunch but as the right one came in I got my hand on it pushed down on both and lifted the kayak above the disappearing gap.  Next I was on top of the ice and out of danger.  Phew!!!

Here's what I mean.  Brian got this shot of me pushing myself up from between the impending crunch and sitting on top of the pan.

I got out and pulled Sue and Brian up also by the toggles, pushed the kayaks across and ...

... seal launched into open water and freedom on the other side.

The ice we had seen moving, probably without realizing the implications at the time, had almost closed the avenue of escape.  When we got back in the cove Sue said it was The Great Escape.  I thought to myself "That would be a good title for a blog post".

What looked like an innocuous day paddling in the ice turned out to be an adventure.  We were never in danger because at the worst we would have had to keep pulling the kayaks over the ice pans until we were clear.  But, it did add a little spice to our paddle.  It sure was a change from the same old, same old.  Years from now we'll say "Remember the day we almost got caught in the ice"?  If its memorable it has to be good.

Ice, ice baby! (Part 2)

After picking my way north along the ice pack it was time to head back.

The roots of some of the ice extended well below the surface or ...

... stuck out like a sore thumb.

There were unusual ice carvings.

On my way north there weren't many openings along the edge of the pack but on my return it seemed to have loosened up a bit and I was able to find more open water and passages into the pack.  I was doing a lot of paddling but didn't seem to make much progress south.  I spotted a large pan and ran the kayak up onto it to stretch my legs.

I wasn't paddling but I was moving as I found out from my GPS track ...

... that showed I floated north on the pan some 160 meters.

Afloat a kilometer from shore made for a sweet shot.  I left a yellow stain *lol* before ...

... setting out again.  It was a spectacular day and I made a conscious decision to take my time and drink it all in.  Days like I was having don't come long everyday,  I mean, the calm wind, sunshine with a few clouds and white ice to match the clouds.

My watch beeped the passage of another hour which brought me back to reality.  The day was getting on so I got going.  As I did I noticed that the ice pack had drifted since I left and I was in danger of getting cut off from the take out.  All I could do was follow the front and as I did it became apparent my only possible escape would be ...

... at the shoreline.  But, it was tight.  Just ahead there was an opening only wide enough to get the kayak through and then only fleeting as the pans crunched together drifting open and then closing.  Timing myself I got through and into open water back into the cove.

One last feature got my attention.  I called it the "Ice Sphinx".

That was one totally awesome day and I'd be hard pressed to pick one that I've enjoyed more.  It wasn't just the relaxed pace and the conditions but also the joy of being on the water after a month where I could not paddle.  Happiness is indeed an inside job.

Here are the breadcrumbs for the day.  The blue line was my paddle north.  A distance of 4 kms along the shore turned out to be 6.1 and the yellow return was 8.6 proving the shortest distance between two points is not always a straight line.  A paddle that would normally take 80 minutes turned out to be 3.5 hours.