An iceberg goes poof with a bang

On May 27 some drone footage of an iceberg off of Bacon Cove Head was reported in the media.  Today Hazen and I decided it was time to go check it out.

We drove to Conception Harbour where we put in to paddle North to Bacon Cove.  But first we ...

... we checked out the sunken wreck of a ship.  Its the signature attraction in Conception Harbour for us.

After hanging out at the wreck for a while we headed north toward Bacon Cove and the reported iceberg.

As we came around Bacon Cove Point the iceberg came into view but it was a long way off.

We kept paddling and the berg got bigger.  Well, closer.  When we got to about a kilometer away we heard a loud bang and a piece broke off and crashed into the water.  A few seconds passed and another piece broke off; and another and the thing just kept breaking apart.  I was dismayed because I wasn't going to be able to see it in its huge, majestic state.

This is a screen shot of it (please note the lagoon in the center) before it collapsed and ...

... this is what was left after the crashing and banging was over.  I figured I was between about 100 meters from the remnant when I took this shot.  It looked like it was surrounded on all sides by a similar amount of broken ice.

Here's a link to a video posted on Facebook from a boat in the vicinity that captured the collapse.

A lot of the ice that was shed was small but several larger chunks floated in the debris field.

Hazen and I paddled to the north side where some of the floating ice began to disperse.  The berg had rolled and the underside smoothed by the water had come to the surface on the left.

We continued to circle the berg.  On the NW side there was no floating ice.

The extent of the roll was evident from the NW side as we got a little closer but still at a safe distance.  We were forewarned!  The area occupied by the lagoon in a previous picture was now tilted down almost vertical (left of center, semi-circle). 

My signature cap that I've had forever was no longer fit to wear.  I bought a new one which I wore today on its inaugural paddle.  Still supporting Oranje!

Back on the south side the ice surrounding the berg had not dispersed  Some of the ice was just slivers that was refreshing as it melted in my mouth.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a piece home to drop in a glass of rum as it would have melted before I could get it there.

We took one last look before heading back to the takeout.

I believe we act safely near icebergs.  I can't speculate how close we would have approached had the berg not broken up.  But I will say that once the berg did begin to collapse we would have urgently had to paddle away.  When it started I could see pieces of ice flying a considerable distance.  Hazen and I discussed it.  We felt in this case a distance of 5 times the perceived height would have been appropriate.

It was only one berg but due to its collapse, it provided a fun and awe inspiring day showcasing the power in icebergs.  Stay safe near icebergs; discretion is the best part of valour!

A hoard of kayaks descends on Conception Harbour

The first club paddle of 2017 began today in Conception Harbour.  It was Cathy's first time planning and leading a club paddle.  I counted 27 kayaks.  I may be off one but either way it was a fine turnout.  With that many kayaks there was a bottle neck on the slipway so it took a while for everyone to get on the water.

Cathy met with the sweeps before we put in and called for everyone to raft up for the day's paddle plan at the shipwreck in Conception Harbour.

Leaving Conception Harbour we rounded Middle Point to paddle into Middle Arm.

We checked out some "shacks" in Middle Arm paddled up the east side of the Arm and reached the light at Ballyhack Point.

There was some talk of stopping at Broad Cove for lunch but Cathy decided Ezekiels Cove (Newfoundland pronounciation "S euh gulls").  Under bright sunshine we each got out our fare for the day.  It was so good to feel the heat of the sun on my back after the cold spring we've endured up to this point.

At Avondale Cathy wanted to feature the adit of an old mine so the curious got out to have a look.  It goes in some distance but not all accessible.  A sign just inside asks explorers not not go further because there is a colony of bats at the end.

Inside looking out at the less curious who stayed in their kayaks.

The club paddle is a Paddle Canada level I paddle.  The wind was starting to pick up so we paddled along the Goat Shore towards Salmon Cove where we crossed back across Gasters Bay to return to the take out at Conception Harbour.

Level I paddles are by their nature held in benign conditions and rather short.  It topped out at almost 13 kms, short but sweet and met the bill. A great job by Cathy rewarded by a huge turnout.  Thanks to everyone for a most enjoyable day.

Escape from sickbay

Two weeks ago I came down with a nasty cold - congestion, hacking cough and a lack of energy.  Its been a long, in a way depressing, two weeks.  I still wasn't over it Sunday but I felt maybe a bit of fresh air would help.  The planned paddle was advertised to be a relaxed affair which suited me fine.  There were eight of us.

We drove the 45 minutes out of town to Conception Harbour where we put in under blue sunny skies.  The first order of business when we paddle there is to check out the sunken shipwreck but we were sidetracked.  Today, there was a diversion.  Shane borrowed Clyde's RM Nordkapp to try it out.  Its considerably narrower than what he's currently paddling so stability was an issue.  I think he enjoyed the water because he refused an assisted rescue.

With Shane back in his kayak we went to check out the sunken wreck which is a local landmark, rather seamark in this case.

Everything was going very casually as we gave Shane time to get used to the Nordkapp.  It felt a bit like a 100 yard dash for people with no sense of direction.  So far so good.  I wasn't looking for a workout and the slow pace allowed us to take in the fall colours as we slid down into Middle Arm.

We hugged the shoreline and coming out of Middle Arm we reached the light at Ballyhack Point making our way to ...

... our lunch stop at Broad Cove.  It was only early but with the clocks going back at the end of daylight saving time, our stomachs weren't informed of the time change.  So, we had lunch early having paddled only 6.5 kms.

Now, while I wasn't looking for a workout I also wanted more than a float.  I felt better than I thought I would.  I suggested a paddle up to Salmon Cove Point.  That seemed to be accepted so Gary and I made our way across Avondale to the east shore of Gasters Bay and headed north.

Light winds coming from the southwest stirred up the water just a little bit.

Near Salmon Cove Point the red slates of the lower Cambrian Period gave way to greenish grey siltstones of the much older, Proterozoic, Conception Group rocks.

The attraction of Salmon Cove Point is the slot.  On Sunday it was pretty benign compared to the last time we were there.  Then, waves roared through the slot as high as the lowest rocks on the left, about two meters.  Only Terry and I were foolish enough to give it a go then but today all eight of us did, some for the first time.

Leaving the Point we paddled broadside to the wind crossing towards the community of Kitchuses where we would finish our paddle back to Conception Harbour heading into the sun.

It felt so good to be back on the water after two weeks of tissues, cough drops and benylin.  Still not over the cold but I'm over the worst.  I have some catching up to do.

12/104 = short change.

Today we had a club paddle that was going to take place in Conception Harbour and environs.  Details were not firm but I surmised it would be a paddle in the order of 12 kms.  The drive out and back would be a tad over 100 kms.  I decided to sweeten the pot by leaving early and depart from Avondale to meet the gang at Conception Harbour thereby making the drive out worthwhile for me (personal choice).

I left the river where I put in and entered Masons Cove.  It was hard to tell which was was up and which was down.  Only the kayak supplied the hint.

As I made my way towards Ballyhack Point I was passing the rocks of the Harbour Main Group made up of volcanic, pyroclastic and intrusive rocks interbedded with red subgreywacke, conglomerate an siltstone.

The rocks were red on shore but under water it looked like the salt water had sucked the hemoglobin out of them leaving them looking anemic.

I timed my arrival in Conception Harbour perfectly as the other 21 paddlers were getting themselves on the water.  The first stop was the scuttled wrecks in the harbour.

This is where I live and I invited a few of my friends *lol*, I wish!  These shacks are in Middle Arm.

Approaching Ballyhack Point, again.  It seemed the plan was to more of less force me to backtrack the route I had taken to Conception Harbour.  I didn't mind as I kept an eye on the distance recorded on the GPS.

My first thought was Sue squared, that is Sue X Sue.

We all stopped for lunch in Ezekiels Cove for lunch.  At 22 it was quite an assortment of kayaks.

Gary enters this adit (geology speak for entrance to a mine).  It apparently goes in 150 meters but just inside the entrance we came to ...

... a sign pasted on the wallrock stating we were not to proceed further to prevent disruption to hibernting bats and to prevent the spread of White Nose Syndrome.  I'm assuming, with some ignorance, that is was what afflicted Batman, Bruce Wayne :)

Kayakers wait our emergence from the underworld.

The plan was for us to paddle up the east side of Gasters Bay and ...

... cross over at Marks Cove to the west side community of Kitchuses.  The trip leader was concerned about the forecasted increase in wind which would exceed level I padle conditions.

I crossed with the crowd but left them at Mugfords Head to cross directly back to Ballyhack Point, for the third time today, and return to the takeout in Avondale while they carried on the short distance to the slipway in Conception Harbour.  Choosing the Avondale launch site stretched a shortish paddle to almost 24 kms, a great deal of it at a relaxed pace.

Looking for the Cambrian explosion

Saturday I joined Brian, Dean, Derrick, Hazen, Neville and Sue for a paddle around the Colliers Peninsula.  The first order of business was to shuttle the cars a short distance from Conception Harbour to Colliers.  Hazen and Sue stayed to keep an eye on the gear.

When we got back to Conception Harbour we got ready to get on the water.  Everyone noted Hazen was on the water first because it was unusual.

With all hands on the water we made our way north and out of Gasters Bay.

The mouth of the bay opened up the further north we paddled.

Paddling under cliffs of red siltstone.

Further along the shoreline the land came down to meet the water.

Dean checking out a small run of water in this little nook.

At Bacon Cove we stopped to stretch our legs and we had a ...

... geology lesson on unconformities.  Here we're standing on mid-Proterozoic Conception siltstones.  The siltstones date anywhere between 1 billion and 1.5 bilion years old.  Precise dating is not possible as sedimentary rocks are generally dated with reference to fossils and these rocks were deposited prior to multi-cellular life.

The Conception rocks were uplifted and eroded over a long period of time before the sea held sway again in the Cambrian period to deposit a basal layer of conglomerate.  The students *lol* point to the contact.  The Cambrian period began 542 million years ago at a time when lifeforms exploded and diversified.

We continued on paddling between steeply dipping rocks to our left and ...

... over kelp beds.

At Colliers Point we paddled into this little cove where we ...

... took out and stopped for lunch.  The forecast was for rain and while we did have the occasional sprinkle, it was warm without wind.  It was shaping up to be a large day.

To be continued ...