i finally got back to newfoundland. Sept 22 - 26 with gail warnings all
the time I was there.
a friend met me in gander early friday morning and we headed out to
lewisport. He not only brought a boat but a glance at a map and we were
off for sheltered bays. we paddled around islands and indian burial
sites that have recently been discovered with the help of a John
Sutherland from that area. the area was fascinating, beautifull and
mystical.
The leaves that were green thursday evening were just turning yellow
friday afternoon. on the way back the roads were wet, it had not rained
on us.
saturday saw a marine interpitation site in terra nova park. we paddled
through narrows that had a realy nice current and along a shore line
that was a rainbow of fall colours to machims cove where we stopped for
a large lunch. we met a couple of double kayaks in the way in to
machims cove they had camped there. they were the only other kayaks we
saw on the water and there were few boats moving likely due to the wind
warnings. it was just getting dark as we pulled back into saltons brook
( i think ) and loaded the car for the trip back to gander.
sunday saw glovertown and for the first time the wind was civil.
glovertown, treytown is a nice enough paddle but when you find out
about a small bay and a clearing that was once a saw mill. the mill was
steam driven and exploded around the turn of the century with
disastrous effects on the community. parts of the boiler were thrown
over a mile. glovertown has the ruins of an old failed paper mill from
1912. there the structures built to corral logs lend themselves to
white water kayakers i am told.
my friend dropped me off sunday evening and headed back to the new week
and i had a full day of work monday as well." my excuse to be in
newfoundland ".
the east coast of newfoundland has to be the most impressive paddling i
have ever done, now central newfoundland has bean visited and burgeo or
grosse mourne is my next vacation target.
i am so hoping to get back to the east coast next year though as last
time i was there the whales, caves, seals, birds, cliffs and lay back
attitude of the local people and paddlers around the sea was unique.
i also got a lesson on caves: after ducking into and through a couple
of caves i was headed for a shallow small cave in the side of a large
flat cliff and my friend said "lets not" . we paddled away and the
kayaks gently rose and fell twice and ever so gently were on the way up
again when my cave exploded into bomb crater of white, then again and
again. i said nothing and graciously, neither did my partner.
i love sandy beaches and nova scatio, new brunswick and p e i mave them
.. newfoundland is an adventure though. judging by my cave it should not
be paddled alone.
fiona.
bcu 4