Baptism by fire, and ice(berg)

Hazen had a new kayak.  There were also a number icebergs in St John's Bay outside of the harbour of our capital city.  Clyde, Dean, Gary, Hazen and I met at nearby Quidi Vidi to baptize Hazen's new kayak.

We emerged from Quidi Vidi.  I was surprised by the swell and clapotis.  We paddled southerly along the red, hematite stained sandstones as our first iceberg came into view.

Hazen picked a good day for the sea trials of his new boat.  The swell was huge as Hazen and Gary look to be paddling uphill, dwarfed by this monster iceberg.

We arrive at the berg.  Another floats nearby with water breaking behind it.  As we got closer we gave it a wide berth because a long ice shelf extended under water which caused the swell to heave up and break in foamy water.

After sizing up the first two bergs, one which calved ice just after we turned our back to paddle on, we reached Spriggs Point.  The swell had only to go upwards as it reached the cliffs.

We knew there were bergs also past Blackhead near Cape Spear.  There were two.  One was flat without features.

The second, further one, looked interesting.

From this side the swell was pouring into the gap between the twin pillars.

From this side it was even more interesting.  This in fact was a berg that has been around for a while and when it first arrived it had a hole through the center and an arch.  Someone with a drone flew through the hole and posted it on YouTube and I suggest it is worth a look.  It is much changed but still a fine sight.

I had paddled clockwise around the berg and saw once again the other guys who had paddled behind it.  Another side, another face.  We were almost at ...

... Cape Spear, the most easterly point of North America.  Over that way lay Ireland but a little beyond us.  Clyde said he couldn't go because he only had one sandwich *lol*

We stayed well off because there are two shoals off of the Cape.  The swell out at the Cape was 2 - 3 meters and caught on the wrong side of the break would have been severely punished.

We had toured four icebergs already.  There was one more which lay in the middle of St. John's Bay.  It too was a monster and we were on our way to pay it a visit.

Iceberg aftergow

After paddling through a cluster of some 25 icebergs I took out, loaded my kayak and gear and drove through Duntara, Kings Cove  and Stock Cove to Lockston Path Provincial Park to camp for the night where it was ...

... happy hour!

The first order of business was to down a cold one under warm clear sunny skies.  Refreshed, I set up my tent and tarp which I conveniently tied one end to the car.  Then another Bud.  I felt dehydrated *lol*

I was by myself yet it was a most pleasant, satisfied feeling.

After my second brewski I felt rehydrated and got my new stove out to make supper.  I had a one burner Coleman stove that worked fine but lacked the ability to simmer.  I decided to buy the MSR Dragonfly from Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) that could be adjusted from a roaring full out boil to a slow simmer.  I was told it was a noisy stove but I certainly didn't find it particularly noisy and it worked great.

After eating supper I got my second acquisition out, the GSI Collapsible Java Drip from MEC.  Up to now I had been slumming with instant coffee.  With this gadget I was stepping coffee time up a notch.  Rather than drop the coffee into the filter and pour boiling water through it I added coffee to the boiling water, let sit for a minute and then filtered the concoction.  A scoop of powered milk and hot cocoa and, voila, cafe mocha.  The drip collapses down and fits into the cover on the left.  I wondered if it could get any better.

After cleaning up from supper the flies came out in droves so I moved happy hour into the tent to escape them.

I brought along a book for entertainment entitled "The Brendan Voyage" by Tim Severin.  If anyone thought a person was crazy to paddle solo, well offshore, around a cluster of icebergs they should read this book.  It was a replication of a said Atlantic crossing to North America by Saint Brendon and Irish monks in the 6th century in an ox-skin covered boat.

As the light failed it began to rain and I fell asleep to the sound of pitter-patter rain on the tarp.

Morning broke and it was still raining.  I had planned to paddle again but decided to pull the plug and head for home completely satisfied with my little solo adventure.

Here's the track through the cluster of icebergs that totaled 20.0 kms exactly.

This for me it was more than about a trip to see a bunch of icebergs.  More than once I have made plans midweek to paddle here or there by myself but decided against it.  My paddle friends couldn't come on this paddle for various reasons.  I again considered shelving the idea.  It looked to me like I'd only have their company in three weeks time when the bergs were either greatly diminished or completely blown offshore.

No, I said to myself, I'll go anyway, carpe diem.  As I drove out the highway the thrill of adventure was accentuated by the solitary nature of the trip.  With each kilometer traveled the sense grew.  I knew I had made the right decision, especially as I arrived in Keels.

Its been proven that a wide circle of family and friends adds to the longevity and quality of life.  Make no mistake though, being by myself gave me time to reflect and appreciate that I can keep good company by myself.  As the quote on my blog header says "Happiness is an inside job"; made ever more evident for me on this trip.

What? More icebergs?

News reports from the Bonavista area indicated there were record numbers of icebergs in the area.  I suggested a run up there to check them out on Saturday and an overnight campout before returning home Sunday.  There was no uptake so I hit the road by myself.

Three hours driving later I arrived near Keels at Backside Cove and was rewarded with a sea full of icebergs.

At Keels Cove a kilometer away I could see the field of icebergs extended some considerable distance.

Keels is a very old settlement on the northeast coast of Newfoundland with roads that wound between knobby outcrops of shallow marine sediments with unsepararated volcanic rocks.  The volcanics being harder than the sediments formed the knobby parts.

Keels is the end of the road along this shore.  The put-in at Backside Cove looked a better option so that's where I started my tour of this segment of iceberg alley.

As I emerged from the cove I did a quick survey and count.  There were in excess of 25 large bergs an score of smaller ones.  I headed west planning to pick through the field from west to east.  The sea and sun were busy eating away at this huge berg.  Waves nibbled away at the waterline.  The sun made the berg sweat as water dripped off in a steady flow.

Bergs dotted the horizon.  I thought where next?  I decided the huge one to the right and as I departed the first berg I heard a loud crack an splash behind me.  I turned to watch ice being sliced off and crashing into the sea.  Mental note, stay well clear.

The sun came out really highlighting the icy mountain as I got closer.  Luckily there was a little breeze to keep things comfortable.

Bits of ice that had broken off the bergs floated about this monster.

One with two spires.  As I passed at a safe distance I heard a thunderous crack come from the berg.  My heart skipped a beat.  It was only a warning shot.

A small berg with a drydock.  Nope no way was I taking a chance out here by myself.  Not thirty seconds after I turned my back I heard a crack, turned to watch the thing roll in slow motion and thought that was a wise decision.

This one looked like it had recently turned.  The top band being where the sea had eaten away at an earlier water line.  Interesting mushroom appendage at the right end too.

By this time the sun was really beating down and the wind dropped off completely.  The water flowing off the berg sparkled like diamonds.

I had pretty much picked my way trough the field.  I saw this blocky berg that I estimated lay 2 - 3 kms away in Broad Cove.  I looked at my GPS.  It read 14 kms paddled to that point.  I said, ah why not.  Imagine how much ice this one contained considering 90% of it is below the surface.  The clear blue sky and sunshine made for a more stark contrast with the blue as opposed a cloudy sky.

Looking back from where I had come.  It was hard to believe I had visited so many bergs.  Yet, there were a couple more to it on the way back to Backside Cove.

It was almost predestined that the best would be saved for last.  Paddling past the bergs further out to sea I had planned to stop by this berg on the return.  It was only when I paddled towards it head on that I watched a hole open up as I got closer.

Impossible not to take a selfie!

It was the most bergs I'd paddled around since September 2011 in White Bay among pieces of the Peterman Ice island.  But this takes the cake.

I called it a day to paddle back to Backside Cove.  It was a large, large day.  My only regret was that I had no other kayakers along to put in the pictures.  Nonetheless, it was a day I soon won't forget.

Paddle ad hoc and the three bergs - Part 3

So, after our stop in Shoe Cove, we paddled in brilliant sunshine back to Flatrock.  We were in sunshine but in the distance we could see fog and we would be back in gloomy conditions before long.

Back in gloomy conditions like now, serenaded by the crash of swell upon the rocks.

The shoreline from Shoe Cove runs east - west.  Rounding Blackhead North we turned south and spotted the iceberg we had visited earlier in the day.  We had it coming and going, two for the price of one.

Again we stopped to take in the the majesty of our visitor from Greenland.

We were lucky we did linger.  For a few minutes the sun found an opening in the clouds and shone a search light on the berg bringing it to sparkling life.

Satisfied with our visits to three icebergs, one twice, we left it in our rear view mirrors.

Some of the paddling back to Flatrock was up hill.

Beyond Red Head lay Flatrock and ...

... the end of a most enjoyable day.

While we were putting away our gear some people stopped to chat  One guy asked us where we had gone.  When we told him he said he had seen us leave in the morning and was amazed at our "speedy" return.  Lets face it, its impossible to explain the merits of our craft and sport to some.

A dandy day spent with icebergs.  These days start out with the unknown because icebergs move and we're not always sure to encounter them.  Sometimes its just lets see what happens.  Today our tour of the icebergs took 27..4 kms.  Worth every paddle stroke.

And, the breadcrumbs:

Paddle ad hoc and the three bergs - Part 2

After leaving the iceberg near Stiles Cove we paddled north in search of an iceberg reported off of Pouch Cove.  Near Blackhead North I said to myself "Yes" as I saw the iceberg on the horizon.

We conferred on distance the iceberg lay hence.  I figured about 5 kms.  We agreed we'd paddle out to it so we struck out over open water.  It was just a matter of paddling and every now and then look up to see if it was getting closer.  It grew in size imperceptibly until ...

... forty minutes later we had crossed the 4.5 kms distance to this huge berg.

Again we paddled around it and from every side it looked like ...

... a different iceberg.  From this angle it looked like it could have been an aircraft carrier.

We hung around for a bit when we conferred again as to what next.  I pointed out Shoe Cove in the distance as an option to take out for a break before heading back to Flatrock.

On our way to Shoe Cove the fog lifted in our area and the sun came out.  We had been in the kayaks more than two hours and a direct return to Flatrock would have meant another two before being able to stretch our legs.  The imminent stretch and the sun shortened the 4 kms paddle back to land.

The sun was glorious as we sat and had a snack.  The entrance to the cove nicely framed the iceberg we had just visited in the distance.

We were quite pleased with ourselves and after the break looked forward to the remaining 10 km paddle back to Flatrock.

Paddle ad hoc and the three bergs - Part 1

Two weeks ago Tobias informed us of an iceberg in Stiles Cove just north of Flatrock.  Today we finally got around to checking it out.  There was also a berg in Pouch Cove that was on our radar.

Brian, Hazen, Sue, Tobias and I met at Flatrock.  The wind forecast was friendly but I suspected it would be a bumpy ride judging by the wave model forecast.

It is fairly protected inside the cove at Flatrock and when we saw the water bashing against the shoreline I anticipated things getting more interesting out of the protection of the land.

Up to Read Head things were comfortable enough even though in the broad open swell.

As we rounded Red Head we were greeted by the happy sight of the iceberg still floating in the vicinity of Stiles Cove.  The sea though had become more active as rebounding waves coming out of Red Head Cove interacted with the incoming swell.

The larger berg had to wait as Tobias suggested we go check out this smaller, flat berg in Red Head Cove first.

Which of course we duly did before making our way towards Stiles Cove where ...

 ... this beauty awaited.

We paddled around it as on each side the shape changed again and ...

... again.  A berg bit floats several hundred meters away maybe calved from the main berg some time ago.

After filling our senses with this berg we ...

... paddled northerly towards a berg reportedly off of Pouch Cove.  In Small Point Cove water was cascading over the cliffs after recent heavy rains.

We didn't know what to expect or how far offshore the berg in Pouch Cove was until we reached Black Head North.  We weren't sure but as we would find out, we would not be disappointed.  Stay tuned.