Return from Pinchgut

After the rain

Saturday night it poured rain for about four hours. Some water got into my tent but on top of my air mattress, I was dry. At 5:30 I was awake, the rain stopped and I carried some gear down to the boat. Dean and Dennis didn't stir so I lay down for another snooze until I heard zippers opening. After breakfast we loaded up and paddled south before turning west towards John's Pond.

Mirror

The shoreline from John's Pond north back to Colinet is not very interesting so I found myself looking underwater for interest. Above water the sea was calm and reflected the grey sky above. Underwater, the surface acted as a mirror reflecting the image of seaweed below.

Lurking below

Gigantic seaweed lurked below the surface as Dean and Dennis floated above in this shot of two worlds captured in one shot.

Ripple

The only thing to disturb the mirror smooth sea surface was my paddle.

Rub-a-dub

The Rocky and Colinet Rivers run into the harbour at Colinet. We paddled about a kilometer up the Rocky River to the falls and the old bridge. We did a few rolls in the frothy fresh water and some rescue practice with fully loaded boats.

Rocky River

Satisfied with our stop at the falls, we paddled back down river and took out at Colinet. It was only one night out and the scenery wasn't spectacular with the low laying country all around but this time it wasn't so much about the paddling. This was, for me, a chance to get away. We had a great time, more than a few laughs and I felt ready to return to civilization. Thanks Dean and Dennis.

Pinchgut camping

Loading the gear

Dean had promised to take a co-worker, novice kayaker, kayak camping this weekend. He couldn't make it but Dean, Dennis and I went anyway. It was an overcast morning as pulled into Colinet where we loaded our boats to head down to the resettled community of Tickles for our campsite.

Entrance way

As we approached the entrance to Pinchgut Tickle, the body of water between Pinchgut Island on the right and the mainland to left, it started to brighten up.

In the grass

The water as falling all the while as we made our way south. The tickle is not very deep as it is but in low water the eel grass was breaking the surface. There were places it was difficult to get a full blade in the water making the going bit difficult as the eel grass tried to cling on to our hulls.

U pick!

We pulled a string of mussels to have a look and, happy with the size, helped ourselves to a few to taste test.

Home sweet home

We landed on the beach at Tickles in a bit of a breeze. We walked around to decide on where we'd pitch the tents so we could be out of the wind. It was warm but pleasant in the wind as we unloaded our boats and set up camp. Dennis strung a clothes line, we gathered some wood along the shore for our evening fire and I took a short stroll to look at the one house left standing in the abandoned community.

Fallen

It had undergone dramatic changes. Not that long ago it still stood upright, derelict but still showing its original character. Now it was a jumble of broken timbers and broken dreams. It looked like it may have been pulled down on purpose or it may have succumbed to the winds of Hurricane Igor that blew through last fall. I felt saddened. Things change, I know. However, this fine, popular kayak destination campsite didn't seem the same now.

BBQ pit

We used a section of chimney for a barbecue pit. Dean brought a bag of charcoal and a grill that fir perfectly on top of the opening. Dean and Dennis had steaks to barbecue and with the few mussels we harvested they had surf and turf.

Roaring fire

We were told there wasn't much wood around for a fire. I found a stash of wood which along with the wood we collected on the beach made for a rip roaring good fire.

Flankers

Flankers blowing from the fire filled the night sky like the stars in a galaxy. It took a long while for the fire to die down. When it did, we retreated to the tents for the night content with the world.

Where once they stood

One lone house remains standing

One of the lines in the "Ode to Newfoundland" goes "Where once they stood, we stand". That is so apt for Newfoundland today. Many, many communities in the past 50 years have been abandoned and the people resettled into larger centers. So its gone with the community of Tickles.

On Sunday 6 of us paddled in Pinchgut Tickle and stopped at the former community. There's one house left standing surrounded still by a grassy field.

In 1921 Tickles had 40 citizens in 7 households. They were named: Linehan, Nolan, Dobbin, and Conway.

We got out to have a look

In 1935 Tickles boasted 8 families with 48 souls. Of the 48, 23 were still living there from the 1921 census. Some had passed on or moved away; one new family of Kelly moved in.

Sons of Linahan and Dobbin had started their own families. Though Tickles didn't grow by much in the intervening 14 years, there were 24 new faces.

I wonder who owned the last house standing? The Linehans, Dobbins and Nolans had sizeable families requiring numerous rooms to house them all.

The truck has seen better days

In 1945 the census showed the population was the same as 10 years earlier - 48 persons. The family Kelly had moved on and the families who were living here in 1935 were stable and growing. Of the 48 from 1935, 34 were still living in Tickles in 1945. Five of the 6 families had 15 new children.

Fourteen individuals were still living in Tickles 24 years after the 1921 census.

Then Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949. The campaign was led by Joey Smallwood. Though elected Premier, he ruled as dictator. He decreed that fishermen should burn their boats and people in far-flung, remote communities pull up roots and move to larger urban centers where modern services could be provided.

In the 1960's the last of the people in Tickles moved away.

In 50 years time there will be many more such communities for kayakers to visit and wonder who the people were, what they thought and how they lived.

Sean was here!

Looking around the place I found this bit of PVC pipe that had been fashioned into a square for some reason. I brought it over to the guys and suggested Sean had been here before us. Anyone who knows Sean will know he has an affinity for making things out of PVC pipe. We had a grand chuckle and even though Sean couldn't join us today he wasn't forgotten.

In a pinch (gut)

Pinchgut environs

The forecast called for 10 - 15 knot winds out of the north so we drove the 80 kms south west from St John's to St. Mary's Bay. There was light dusting of snow when I got up this morning and the temperature wasn't going to get much above zero. We were in a bit of bind to find a paddle destination we could enjoy under the circumstances. In a pinch, Clyde came up with 20 km paddle leaving from Harricott, out the outside of Tickle Island, back down Pinchgut Tickle and return to Harricott.

Rituals

One of the rituals of sea kayaking is loading the boats and the anticipation of the days paddle adventure.

The sun came out

After we put in the sun came out for a while and we were on top of the world.

In the lowlands

The area of Pinchgut Tickle in St Mary's Bay is made up of low laying land that at times is no more than a few feet above the high tide mark. There are lots of emergency take outs so its a great area to bring beginner paddlers for their first taste of salt water paddling. Or anyone else for that matter as it was today.

The air was alive today with the chirping of birds where the trees grow so close down to the water. But ya had to stop and listen.

Speedy Gonzales

I think Gerard had tooooooooo much coffee this morning. He was like the Energizer Bunny and kept sprinting ahead. Some days are like that when the paddle has extra bite and the boat just flies along.

Here he's paddling along on the outside of Tickle Island. I don't know if all the dead trees are a result of a natural life cycle where they've reached their maximum age or the salt has wreaked havoc on them because there was a lot of dead wood.

Shallow water

You'd never say it from this picture but here the water was barely 1 foot deep.

Underwater life

Pinchgut Tickle is as shallow as the land on both sides of it are low. That means that the scenery below the water is as accessible as the scenery above it. While I did take time to look beneath my boat, I need to take more pictures like this one.