2019 - Post 12 - Camping, Clyde, and Caribou

Clyde and I have done a bunch of impromptu camping trips (paddling and hiking) over the last couple years... We both are able and willing to step out of The Matrix on spur moments and immerse ourselves into The Real World on little overnighters.  This weekend was no exception.

Later Friday evening Clyde texted me with a simple question. "How about an overnight trip to Barhaven?"  

I replied, "Or maybe Gulch... decide when we get there."

"What time you want me to pick you up in the morning?" he asked.

"As early as you can stand it" was my answer.

"I'll be there at 7 am..."

This is a typical conversation of how we plan our little trips...

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By 10 am-ish we were in Garden Cove and unloading our kayaks, and packing in the gear.

By 11 am-ish we were on the water and crossing over to Sound Island.

On the northern end of the channel the water was calm.

The further south we paddled the more wind and wave we paddled into.

Taking our time, we landed at Carroll Point one side or the other of 3 pm.  [Later I was told by a Garden Cove local that the name is really Carroll Sandy Point.]

It was warm and sunny and it didn't take long for our paddling clothes to dry.

We put up our tents.  Clyde's (closet in picture) is a Tarptent Moment DW, and mine is a Tarptent Scarp 1... both great little tents.

After we had made camp ready it was time to relax with a cold one.  Clyde had brought a little cooler to keep our beer on ice...

With the relaxing over with we set our attention to getting some supper.  Clyde fried up some hamburgers and I made some rice to go with them, and supplied a couple fruit cups for dessert.

Cleaning up supper dishes is hard work, so it was time to relax a little more...

...before the chore of collecting firewood for the evening had to be done.  We had a little trouble getting the fire going in the evening wind but soon had a mesmerizing blaze to stare into...  

The evening wind had dropped out during the night, and the morning was still when I crawled out of my tent.  

I packed up most of my camping gear and had my breakfast on the beach by myself; Clyde was a sleepy head this morning.  After breakfast I walked around a little bit, sizing up the day.  Before long Clyde emerged and soon had his breakfast shoveled down.

As we contemplatively sat on the beach a caribou came around the little headland down the shore.  Apparently they have keen eyesight (I Googled this fact) but I guess it wasn't bothered by us as it ambled its way closer and closer so we could get a good look it, or perhaps it was getting a better look at us...

It was right around 10:30 am when we left the beach.

We crossed over to La Plante Cove for a look around, and then took our time handrailing the shore.  I say "took our time" but we received a pretty good push with the southerly wind in our back.  

At Ratting Brook Falls (I believe that is the name) the water was flowing rather nicely. 

We took-out in the cove and tramped up the trail to have a look from above...

... and decided to walk up the river a little ways to have a look at a smaller falls. 

On the way back I took time to small the flowers.

We walked back to the cove and made some lunch.  I warmed up some bottled Deer meat and canned peas, and Clyde broke out the bread and butter and put on the kettle to have a cup of tea with our lunch.  We topped our meal off with a cookie that Clyde fished out of his kayak...

I didn't take any more pictures after we left our lunch spot.  There was no need to - I had taken over a hundred pictures since the morning before and had taken nearly forty minutes of video to add another vlog to my YouTube Channel... you can see more of  Rudolf's kin by clicking here...

2019 - Post 11 - Sunday Solo Paddle (mostly)

I woke up Sunday morning with no way to hold my head, that didn't hurt... and the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad, so... Oh wait now!  That's not what happened....

I woke up Sunday morning and checked the weather.  My legs were a little sore from hiking Spurwink Island Path the day before.  I thought about going for another hike, but when I checked the weather I decided it was a good morning for paddle instead.

I quickly emailed a bunch of people to let them know I was going to be in Bay Bulls if they were interested in joining.  It was short notice so I didn't expect anyone to show, but you just never know.

Arriving at the slipway there were kayaks waiting.  The Outfitters operates tours in the area and I knew I would likely encounter them on my way back.

Stillness...

I handrailed the southern side, checking out some caves along the way...

Fowl company...

A little waterfall....

A bigger one...

Ah yes, my destination.  I paddled and weaved among Baboul Rocks for a while, preoccupied with my thoughts....

... and watching the Puffins...

.. and the cod jigging persons...

... and then made my way around the headland to have a look at Gull Island in Witless Bay.  I thought about paddling over to the island, but decided to turn back.

I chatted with some of the fishermen in the vicinity for a while and watched a fellow haul in a pot-bellied, sizable cod, but most were smaller sized.  I finally started making my way back along the way I had come.

In the distance I could see the touring paddlers and suspected who might be guiding today...  

Yep, it was The G-man.  Been a while since I've him.

They weren't going much further out and so I decided to tag along to add a couple more kilometres to the morning.

What a splendid morning on the water!

2019 - Post 10 - PNL Club Paddle: Cape Broyle

Yesterday (July 6) we had our annual club paddle in Cape Broyle, led by Ron...  I took nearly eighty pictures hoping to get a few good ones... Here are the ones I've selected to share..

Double kayaks like to do a little rock-hopping too

Cooling off

This one is not my pic; Clyde sent it
to me so I've taken the liberty to include it

The caplin were rolling on our lunch beach

Some people do beach lunches in style

It was a very good day with, I believe, twelve paddlers in eleven kayaks....

2019 - Post 9 - PNL Overnighter

Last year our overnighter was cancelled as a club event due to high winds, although some of us did the trip regardless... This past weekend (June 29th and 30th) the weather was perfect and so nine of us drove to Colinet for the put-in and paddled down to Pinchgut.

Once we were in the tickle we pulled up on the shore to have our lunch.

We took our time after filling our bellies and paddled the remaining few kilometres to our campsite.  Tents went up and camp was made ready.  We lounged around for a couple hours and then it was time for supper.

Some people went for a walk but a few of us lounged around some more at the waters edge.  We later gathered up some firewood and as darkness drew near the fire was lit.

We awoke to a beautiful morning.

There was no hurry and we took our time getting breakfast and packing up. 

Once on the water we paddled around the south end of Pinchgut Island and followed it's shore back up into the bottom of the bay.

Per usual, we paddled up the river to the falls where there were a few salmon jumping now and then.

We hung around the falls for a while and then headed back over to the cars.  It was another great PNL overnighter enjoyed by all.