Top 10 paddles of 2017 - #7

A post to the Facebook account of Kayak Newfoundland and Labrador the week leading up to the weekend of October 28th by a couple of ladies led to a paddle in Cape Broyle.  They were visiting Newfoundland and wanted to do a paddle over the weekend.

We got a crew together and some gear and went to Cape Broyle.

Cape Broyle is  super paddle destination with many attractions  The first is falls of Horsechops River where it meets the sea.

The usual agenda then is to cross at The Narrows to the south side where there are more waterfalls and caves to explore.   However, most of the caves were not accessible due to a very active sea.

The further east we paddled the swell built and crashed against the shore.

The usual turn around point on club paddles is Lance Cove after a lunch stop.  We stopped for lunch; Brian got a fire going in his wood stove and boiled water for tea.

After the stop at Lance Cove we continued east to check out Cathedral Cave, a vast open cave that follows the strike of the sedimentary beds.  I went in, turned to look out at the gang which appeared and disappeared in the swell.  As no one else ventured in I emerged an we ...

... turned our bows west to return to the take-out.

Our visitors had a great day on the water notwithstanding the fact we didn't get into the caves.  We capped the day with a coffee or tea and a bite to eat.

It was a pleasure to paddle with them and make two new friends.  That makes it my number 7 top paddle of the year.  Here's a link to the original post
 with more pix from the day.

Top 10 paddles of 2017 - #8

On November 18th Cathy Gary and I paddled from St. Philips north to check out Brocks Pond Falls, a waterfall of 320 feet.

The shoreline between St. Philips and Portugal Cove is a fine paddle with lots of places to explore around rocks.

North of Portugal Cove the shoreline is the vertical wall of rocks of the Harbour Main Group consisting of chlorite schist, acidic (high in silica) volcanic rocks and minor interbedded sedimentary rocks.  The cliffs form the east side of the Topsail Fault.

Nine kilometers later we were at the falls.  There's a tricky takeout on rocks at the best of times but it wasn't an option on the day so we sat and took in the view before heading back.

Here's a link to the original post.

The paddle to Brocks seems to be an annual paddle though mainly in winter to see the frozen falls.  It never gets old so its on my list of favourite paddles albeit at #8.

Top 10 paddles of 2017 - #9

On January 12th some of us had a cool paddle in Bay Bulls.  The snow on the ground testifies to the temperature of the day.

Bay Bulls is an enclosed harbour that's only open to the east.  We paddled up the north side where magnificent walls of icicles adorned the cliffs.

Reaching North Head and open water we left to cross to the south side landing ...

... at Baboul Rocks dominated by red conglomerates and sandstones.

More icicles and ...

... more and here a cold shower of water ran down over the rocks.

Before returning the the take out we checked out this cave, the entrance of which is only just wider that the beam of our kayaks.  Inside it opens up with enough room to turn and face the outside world.

Winter paddles are not for the faint of heart.  Especially when its so cold that masses of icicles form and its too cold for flies *lol*.  For that reason it on my list of favourite paddles at #9.

Top 10 paddles of 2017 - #10

For the last 9 years an informal group has met at St. Philips for kayak practice or just for an evening paddle.  We meet from early April to early October.  In 2017 the sessions were poorly attended and I wondered at the end of the season whether there was any point in continuing with the venture in 2018.

My attitude is that if there's even one paddler who benefits from these sessions during the year then it is worthwhile.  June 14th was one of those evenings poorly attended but it was probably the best session for the season.  It was only Shane and myself.  It was blowing out of the north which piled the water up in substantial but broad open waves.

Shane and I paddled into the wind for a while and turned to catch surf rides back.

After doing that for a while we decided to paddle north up the shore for a bit.  We both stayed close to shore where the water went vertical when it hit the cliffs and then rushed away from shore again to form clapotis.

It was a wild ride up to Beachy Cove where we decided to return, this time with the waves behind us powering our way back.

It was only a short evening bounce but a great example of what Wednesday evenings are all about.  In this case Shane is the perfect example.  He has grown exponentially in skill since he joined us a couple of years ago.  This was one Wednesday evening but, collectively, Wednesday evening paddles offer beginners such an opportunity to advance their skills and that's why I'm making this my #10 paddle for the year.

The calm before the storm

December 16th and no snow on the ground but that was going to change later in the day.  The forecast varied between 25 - 40 cms of snow beginning around noon.  There was no wind early so there was a 3 hour window of opportunity to get out for a paddle.  Brian, Cathy, Gary and Shane were game.

Brian catching a ride through the rocks but it was really benign otherwise.

It wasn't going to be a long paddle and it didn't make a difference to us.  The attraction for the day was the narrow window of opportunity to get out.

Probably my favourite place to paddle through which today was easy.

We paddled as far as Portugal Cove where we turned around to return paddling through passages where we could in the falling tide.

At Beachy Cove we stopped to float for a while.  Here in the cove the tortured rocks of the Topsail Fault are contorted and mangled as rocks on both sides of the fault were heated to the point of taffy.

The snow held off so we stopped at the restaurant for covfefe *lol* and a chat.  As the snow began to fall I departed and headed for home to get out of the weather which ...

... didn't take long to turn into a bit of a mess.  I hunkered down happy to have gotten out for even a short paddle.  Sometimes its taking what you can get!

Glacial ghosts at Harbour Main

Saturday the weather cooperated for a paddle though is was cool and there was a chance of drizzle.  We decided to do a paddle from Holyrood to Harbour Main.  Cathy, Gary, Shane, Terry and I left from the Holyrood Marina and ...

... explored the Holyrood Marine Base of the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfundland while we waited for Jenn and Max to join us.

When Jenn and Max joined up with us we began or paddle out the bay.

We arrived at the 75 meter high Blow Me Down Bluff.

At Mackays Point we took turns beating the bit of swell there was to scoot through the rocks at the point.

Inside the cove at Chapel Cove Point we stopped to check out the bit of swell breaking over some rocks.

At Red Rock cove the colour of the rocks change from dark grey to reddish brown.  Here these sedimentary rocks of Cambrian age are juxtaposed against the darker volcanic rocks of the Harbour Main Group, brought here by faulting.

Terry gets a closer look.

Rounding Harbour Main Point we paddled south and not far from Faheys Cove we crossed over to a beach at Moores Head.  Before taking out for lunch I checked out ...

... these sediments deposited during the Gaskiers Glaciation that occurred some 579 million years go during the Ediacaran Period.  These deposits are sometimes referred to as diamictites (though there is disagreement on the use of the term) that are formed when rocks embedded in the bottom of a glacier melt out and fall onto the sea floor.  The red oval contains one such cobble and one which has weathered out and left only a hole in the finer matrix.

I find it just humbling thinking about the huge time gap between the period of Snowball Earth and me floating in my kayak.  I felt very small in the grand scheme of things.

I came back to reality and joined the rest of the gang for a lunch stop before retracing our steps back to Holyrood to end another fine day in the kayak.

Brocks by water

On July 9th Cathy, Gary and I hiked from Bauline to Portugal Cove to see Brocks Pond Falls from the top of the falls.  Friends Brian and Sue walked from Portugal Cove to meet up at the falls.  Saturday the same three of us left St. Philips to paddle to the falls to see it for the first time this year from sea level.  We thought Brian may join us but he didn't show so we went on.

It was an overcast day with a hanging fog ...

... which usually means no wind.  It was cool but comfortable for so late into November.

Passing through and into Portugal Cove where we ...

... waited to let the ferry from Bell Island cross rather than take a chance of getting caught mid-channel.

The fog hanging over the land also hung over Bell Island to port as we crossed the harbour of Portual Cove.

The shore towards Brocks Pond Falls is dominated by high hills and the Topsail Fault which mangled the rocks as the two land masses ground past each other.

We reached the 100 meter high falls with a much diminished water flow than we've seen it in the past.  Still, we were happy to tick it off of the to--do list for the year.

We didn't stay long and lo and behold as we paddled south we spotted a kayak coming toward us and who should it be but ...

... Brian and Sue in their double.  In July, as I said, when we did the hike Cathy, Gary and I started the hike in Bauline and hiked south.  Brian and Sue started in Portugal Cove and hiked north planning to meet at the falls.  In an unexpected coincidence we more or less did the same thing by water.

Back at St Philips an invite to have coffee or tea and sweets at Brian and Sue's was gratefully accepted.  It was a fine way to put the cherry on top of another great day on the water.