Feast of salmon at Gulch Pond

After setting up the tents at Gulch Pond Dean and I started cutting some wood for a fire to roast a couple of fillets of salmon for the group supper.

Hazen and Lee tended to the fire as we continued to procure fuel all the while outside of Gulch Pond we had a lovely view.

The cook busy keeping an eye on the fire.  We needed to get some hot, glowing coals to roast the salmon.

We waited patiently and as darkness fell ...

... the salmon was close to being done.

We had a fine feed of salmon.  Enough salmon for eight was bought that was left for six of us to consume as two of the guys had to cancel at the last minute.  With our bellies full we washed down a blueberry lemon bake that Julie brought with our personal poison of choice.

The night sky was totally dark without the light pollution of city lights.  Looking up we could pick out various constellations and the Milky Way galaxy wheeling overhead.  It was a show unparalleled in any movie theater offering.

The first day of our camping weekend drew to a close as each of us made our excuses and toddled off to our tents.  Sunday would be another day in the kayaks; what to do would be decided in the morning.

Gulch Pond or bust

On Labour Day weekend Paddle Newfoundland and Labrador had its level II kayak camp trip for the year.  On Saturday six of us met at Garden Cove to paddle down the inside channel between Sound, Woody and Bar Haven Islands and the Burin Peninsula to Gulch Pond.

The line up for the trip included Dean, Hazen, Julie, Lee, Ron and myself.  We arrived in Garden Cove Saturday morning under mainly sunny skies and just a gentle NE breeze.  The wind forecast was NW 20 kms gusting to 33 in the morning backing to W25 gusting to 44 in the afternoon.  All within level II conditions.

The beautiful weather put a bounce in everyone's step as we hastened between the cars and kayaks to load our gear.

Just after 11:00 we were on our way crossing the bay towards the north end of Sound Island that would lead us into the ...

... channel south.  On the left is Sound Island, on the right is the Burin Peninsula and floating on the horizon was Woody Island.

Once we turned south we were in the wind shadow under the land.  At Bob Sprier Cove some of us forced the loaded kayaks over the sandbar or paddled around the, at high tide, island.

The month of August was a wet month.  Everywhere water ran off the land, at some places in torrents.

At Rattling Brook it was more like Roaring Brook.  The Brook falls into a pool before pouring over the final seven meter high hurdle into the sea.  I got out of my kayak and took a path up to the pool to look ...

... down upon my paddling friends admiring the falls from below.  Its not Niagara Falls but I had to be careful not to get caught in the current and get washed over.

By 2:00 we reached the bottom of Sound Island where we could look between it and Woody Island.  It was still good paddling with no wind to speak of.

An hour later things changed as the wind picked up and backed to blow in our faces.  We paddled into La Plante Cove for respite from the wind.  I stayed in my kayak while the others got out.  By 3:30 I figured I'd paddle on towards Gulch Pond taking my time so as to let the rest catch up.

The wind steadily increased to the lower end of force 5 with winds over 15 knots and gusts to to 20.  As the wind picked up I paddled more purposefully and kept looking back for the others.  With no sign of them I just kept on until I reached the entrance to Gulch Pond at 5:00.  The water was flowing out of the pond at (turns out) 11.5 kms/hr.  I hand lined the kayak up into the pond to wait for everyone else.

After 30 minutes I wondered where they were so I got back in my kayak, flew down the outgoing current to have a look up the coast.  At 5:45 they arrived and we all hauled our kayaks into the pond and ...

... set up our tents.  While it was windy in the bay, it was calm in the protected confines of Gulch Pond.

There is ample camp ground at Gulch Pond as it was once the location of the community of Gulch.  The census of 1921 showed there were 60 inhabitants in 10 households.  I do not know when the community was resettled but it was a long time ago.  There were no hints left that there was ever a community here.

A supper feast awaited us ...

Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades

I read the news today, Oh boy (lol) not about a "lucky man who made the grade" but about the discovery of a hand grenade in the water of the St. Philips boat basin.  Coincidently, Derrick mailed me to see if I was interested in a paddle out of St. Philips.  Sounded good to me because I'd also be able to see what was going on with this potentially explosive development.

I arrived to see a police car with crime tape limiting access.  No problem.  I was putting in at the river.  I suspected the officer would be over soon to tell me I couldn't put-in there so, based on the principle "its better to ask forgiveness than to ask permission", I hastily got in the kayak.  Sure enough he came over as I was half way out but it was too late to turn me back.

Derrick had put-in on the slipway, away from where the grenade was found and together we paddled out of the harbour.  Derrick suggested a paddle to Brocks Pond Falls.  I had been there just over a week ago but that was good with me - it was a chance to catch up on last years mileage year to date.

It was just the two of us.  I hadn't paddled with Derrick in a while so we did a fair bit of yacking, except here where we paddled single file at Sailing Point.

The sun was forecasted to make an appearance but we didn't see any sign of it.

Nine kilometers later we were at Brocks Pond Falls where the waters of Brocks Pond cascade over cliffs 300 feet high.

As I did a week ago Sunday, I pulled the kayak up on the rocks to answer the call of nature while Derrick waits offshore.

I figured I may as well catch a shower while I was at it.

Water falling from 300 feet has  bit of a punch to it.

Back in the boat we made our way back to St Philips.  As we neared the harbour we talked strategy that would allow me to sprint back to the river before the police officer could stop me.  Sure enough I was hailed but I talked my way out of it and up the river for a wash up anyway.

We stopped for coffee and helped ourselves to refills.

The grenade you know about.  The horseshoe, well, that was just luck, lucky to have another day on the water.  Thanks Derrick, I would not have paddled otherwise.

Three Nordkapps around Cape St. Francis

The paddle today was a rounding of Cape St Francis.  Capes are always fun; this one is interesting because north of the cape is nothing but open water to Greenland.  Therefore, best done in an onshore wind *lol*.

Dean, Des and I met at Bauline to set up the car shuttle to Pouch Cove (pronounced "pooch").  From there we'd paddle north the seven kms to the cape and then south back to Bauline.

We arrived in Pouch Cove.  We had to use the new slipway which, if a person was afraid of heights, would not be a lot of fun.  The angle was all of 45 degrees.

Dean and Des seal launched.  Dean was ready with camera in case I flubbed it and flipped.  Regretfully, I could not amuse him and did an elegant seal launch myself.

The Ocean Wave Model indicated 1 - 2 meter swell.  As it reached near shore I expected it would kick up a bit.  Wind was northerly but barely perceptible so there were no wind waves.  We were not disappointed as we were met with regular 2 meter waves, the larger topping in at almost three.

We were cruising along picking through the swell and the clapotis and in short order we were are Biscayne Cove Islands.  There is a shallow between the islands and the coast but it did not cause problems today so we passed between them.

Funny how a desire to stay upright results in a skewed picture but still only 5 degrees tilted.

Seven kilometers on we were at the cape.  Swell that was on our fore starboard quarter paddling north was expected to be on our beam as we paddled across the headland but as we turned it came from astern giving us a nice push.

Conditions dictated we stay offshore.  The seven kilometers from Pouch Cove is what I call open ocean paddling.

After rounding the cape we were heading west across Cripple Cove.  Ahead, Dean and I kept an eye on Cripple Cove Rocks.  Between it and the headland the water burst upwards in millions of aerated drops of water.  We went around, sadly without pictorial evidence of the conditions.

I came as close as I dared teasing the waves and staying just out of reach.

We were around the cape and into the placid waters of Conception Bay.  There was still some minor swell but nothing like the confused state coming out of Pouch Cove.

Looking south down the cliffs of the volcanic rocks of the Harbour Main Group.  This would be the view for the next 10 kilometers until we reached Bauline.

By passing a chance for a shower.

Dean and I paddled along shore whereas Des paddled well offshore.  Difficult to see but he is there, just a speck on the horizon.

Paddling in a straight line offshore is exercise for me.  Near shore with the sights and sounds of the land - water interface is what I prefer.

Dean got out in this little cove to answer the call of nature.  I had my back to him when I heard  him call out and turned to see his kayak drifting away.  I retrieved it for him but afterwards thought maybe I should have had salvage rights to a boat floating abandoned at sea?  Ah, but I can only use one Nordkapp at a time.

The sun threatened to come out behind us but ahead it was still ominous looking.  As it turned out the sun came out as we came around the far point and ...

... paddled into Bauline harbour.

It was a nice piece of work today at 18 kilometers that felt longer due to, in the first instance, the confused sea state coming out of Pouch Cove and secondly, we had no opportunity to get out to stretch our legs.  Three hours straight made three stiff paddlers taking out in Bauline.

We completed the car shuttle and pick-up.  Dean and I went for coffee.  Here are the breadcrumbs:

Thursday evening shenanigans

Yesterday evening was the first evening we've had some conditions at St. Philips in a long time.  We meet every Thursday evening to practice rescues etc.  When its calm we'll do a few rolls and then go for a paddle up the coast.

We each took turns playing around this rock with breaking waves.

Then we took turns jumping out of our kayaks to do some self rescues.  After mastering the back deck scramble in calm water it must be mastered in waves; that is where the skill is most likely to be needed.

We did a few assisted rescues.  It was Sam's first evening out and he was more than eager to join in festivities.  Here he rescues Dean.  The camera as usual flattens the water.

Neville wanted to do a tow and who am I to turn down a free ride? *lol*

As the light began to fade we called it a night.

It was a most enjoyable and productive evening with some rolls and surf rides thrown in.

Tarp set up practice

Some of Paddle Canada's courses contain what I call "boy scout" stuff like camp set up, assignment of duties in camp etc.  Its not something I've paid a lot of attention to before because I'm more interested in the nuts and bolts of paddling.

Last year Brian had a great set-up at Black Island where he put a tarp up over his tent.  It was wet in the morning and the tarp allowed him to take his tent down without getting it wet.  So, I got a tarp.

Never having set up a tarp by myself I thought it might be a good idea to practice it on a still day, all the while considering how I'd deal with wind.

My first set-up was a basic configuration.

Then I worked out changing the configuration without taking the tarp down.  I just moved the poles back one loop on each side of the tarp, one at a time.  I reasoned in wind it might be best to get a basic configuration up and then modify it to suit the conditions.  Maybe when I get more proficient I'll be able go right to a final product.

But, for now, once I figured out how I could make a small modification to a basic set-up, I changed it a number of times getting different configurations from each set-up all without collapsing the tarp.

This was all done in calm weather but I think I'll be able to cope with a bit of wind.  There is one caveat.  The ground was soft and readily accepted the spikes.  It could get more complicated where spikes can't be hammered into the ground.  Maybe I'll practice that sometime.

The thing is, I thought it wise to at least start a bit of practice before I had to do it for real.  Like most kayak stuff, better to practice before I really, really need to get it done.

Back - at last!

Some may have wondered where the blazes I've been.  Good point.

Since we returned from our week long trip in Fortune Bay on 18 July I've paddled a whopping 39 kms.  That's sad.  But, its not been paddling weather lately with, for me, unbearable heat.  Maybe I've lacked a bit of motivation also.  Nevertheless, today we got in a decent paddle.

Brian, Dean, Gary, Greg and I left St Philips destined for Brocks Pond Falls ...

... somewhere down there, in the distance.

It was almost high tide and many passages were open to us.

We were paddling along the cliffs formed by the Topsail Fault.  The fault must have moved over an extended time as evidenced by these felsic sheeted dikes seen on Brian's right.  The felsic (lighter) rocks are intruded as the fault opens and each time there is movement in the fault subsequently, another intrusion occurs.  Notice the vertical light and dark alternating bands of rock.

We paddled through rocks that have been left offshore through the erosion of the sea.  These are just slightly harder than the surrounding rocks to resist being washed away.

Arriving at the community of Portugal Cove, we paddled across its mouth because we were going further.

All along the way we were paddling by the oldest rocks on the Avalon Peninsula.  These date from the Paleoproterozoic (2,500 - 1,600 million years ago).

Nine kilometers later we were at Brocks Pond Falls tumbling over the 300 foot high cliffs.  This July was the hottest on record.  Possibly also the driest but August has given us lots of precipitation and the falls were at their best.

There's no place to "land" but the water was calm enough to climb out onto the rocks for a break.  Stardust clings precariously to the steep cliff.

Here's Dean's blog with video of our landings at the falls.

I don't think my exit sold my choice of place to get out so the guys managed a short distance away.  Tough place for fibreglass kayaks.  We joked we should get the guys in plastic kayaks to seal launch after the break.

We made our way back to St. Philips for a total distance of just over 19 kms.  Not a long paddle but at least its back in the saddle again.  Cooler weather and a return of desire will see me on the water regularly again.

Dean hasn't paddled much lately either.  He said that an extended absence only makes it feel better when you paddle again.  You know, he's right!