2012: Post 23d - Merasheen Island – Day 4

See Post 23c for Day 3...

I only woke three times during the night; a much better sleep, but I was feeling a bit rough this morning.  The wind had died down over night.  We had breakfast and then checked the weather situation…

Breakfast in Merry Harbour

Tony checking the weather forecast on his VHF radio

We had hashed around a couple plans for the day, but finally settled on staying right where we were for the next night.  We would leave the camp set up and have a day paddle to check out some of the Ragged Islands west of Merry Harbour.

With lighter kayaks we crossed the couple of kilometres over to Jarvis Islands.  About half way over I suddenly felt like I had not paddled or lost sleep over the last three days.  Today would be a good day…

The guys arriving at Jarvis Islands

Then we paddled across the south end of Moor Island and over to the larger Jean de Gaunt Island…

Hazen

We followed the shoreline with intention to continue around the larger island.  The other guys checked the time and we would have arrived at our predetermined lunch spot too soon.  So we turned back south and paddled toward Lower Dock Island and then around Crane Island.

On the west side of Crane Island we happened upon a crack in the rock...   

Clyde had to check it out... 

Rocks and Clyde just seem to go together...

It looked like he could fit his kayak inside…. And so he backed in so I could get a picture…

Neville came behind us to have a look as well…

Two thumbs up on Day 4...

From there we continued up and then over to Jean de Gaunt Harbour for lunch.  After lunch we all removed our drysuits as it was just too warm in them…

…and we continued our paddle up the west side of Jean de Gaunt Island, and then toward Galton island.  We passed by Harbour Islands, Ryans Island, and Hangmans Island.  Then over to South Tilt Island where we followed the south shoreline over to, and down between, Lower Gray islands and then back to Merry Harbour.

The other guys went to refill their water containers but I went directly to the campsite.  I was hot and wasted no time in getting my swimming trunks on and had a dip in the cove where we had our fire the night before.  The water was shallow and therefore warm.  As the other guys came back they also went for a dip.

Before supper we had a downpour of rain.  Everyone sat in their tents waiting for it to subside.  I peeked through my door way and seen Neville walking up from the cove with a tarp over his head.  He had been down in the cove and got rained on so he grabbed his tarp off his kayak on the way to his tent to try to keep from getting wet.

The rain stopped and the guys tied Neville’s tarp up so we could have supper under it.

Hazen and Neville

Hazen, Tony, and Clyde

It rained off and on for a while but we were determined to have a campfire.  We tied up another tarp down by the fire site in case it rained again.  It didn’t rain and so we had another decent fire and a few drinks before turning in…

Clyde

2012: Post 23c - Merasheen Island – Day 3

See Post 23b for Day 2...

I slept better, not well, but better.  We would have a shorter paddling day today.  The wind was up, but it would be behind us as we made our way north to Merry Harbour where we had planned we would camp for the night.   No one was sure that Merry Harbour would be suitable but the aerial photos that Tony got his hands on looked hopeful.    

Morning routines ensued, and then concluded, and we started the days paddle... 

Breaking fast on a dreary Monday morning 

Neville and Tony

Clyde

Some of the guys were low on fresh water and so we reached Virgin Cove we pulled up on the beach.  Tony and I had ample water supply so we sat on the beach and talked while Clyde, Neville, and Hazen hiked the short distance to the base of the falls…

Hazen heading to the falls 

After a while we could hear the guys; seemed they were having some fun and not just getting water.  In retrospect I think we should have walked in with them.  I’ll just have to wait to see their pictures...

We continued along the shore, stopping in Dough Ball Cove for lunch.   When all hands were ready we paddled the last few kilometres to our proposed campsite.  It wasn’t a long paddle for the day but I guess the previous two days paddles, totalling 68 kms, and now the day’s additional 19 km had taken the wind out of my sail.  I was quite thankful to see the grassy spot in Merry Harbour when it came into view… you could tell it was a good spot to camp.

By now everyone seemed to be in the daily routine of setting up camp…

…and Neville got his clothesline up again, intent on having some dry clothes….

…and then we got supper on the go…

Clyde

We walked further along the shore into a little cove, away from the tents, to collect firewood for the evening rituals.  It started to rain while we sat around the fire and I decided not to walk back to get my camera - so no pictures.  It was quite the fire experience though, thanks to the extra efforts of Tony and Neville!!!  The other guys will certainly have some pics: see the blogs of Tony, Neville, and Clyde…

Once again we were back into the tents for another night’s sleep. This night would mark the first time I had spent three consecutive nights kayak camping...

2012: Post 23b - Merasheen Island – Day 2

See Post 23a for Day 1...

I did not sleep well, despite the previous long day; I generally do not sleep well when camping.  Then it was morning time and time to get up and get moving.

Hazen stetches into the morning 

Today we would paddle to Merasheen.  First to Merasheen Harbour for a look, and then a few more kilometres around West Head, Margaret Point, and then Dunn Point into Little Merasheen Harbour to where we would camp for the night. 

It was a beautiful calm morning to be on the water…

Looking down Rose au Rou Island

Tony and Clyde in mirrored water

We paddled into Indian Harbour, then Darby Harbour and continued down the coastline.  Conditions were calm and I was in a paddling mood.  So I decided I was going to just paddle ahead of the guys until I got to Hogan Cove where we agreed we would take a break. 

A couple of kilometres before reaching Hogan Cove I came across a couple seals on the shore.  One was camera shy and slipped into the water, the other posed pretty for the camera…

I reached Hogan Cove and had pulled up on the rocky beach in front of an old cabin. Tony was only a few minutes behind, I guessed he was in a paddling mood as well.  “There’s a sandy beach just down here” he called out as he paddled past.  I had been hugging the shore and had not noticed the sandy beach farther along.  So I jumped back in my kayak and followed…

The others guys showed up a little later…

We had a little rest on the sandy beach and then carried on to Dirty Rock Cove where we had lunch.  From there we paddled across the southern end of Merasheen Island in calm conditions.  Finally Merasheen Harbour was in site... 

Just before reaching Merasheen Harbour

Tony and I were ahead of the other three guys and we had had our look into the harbour by the time the guys came along.  So we decided to carry on to our campsite at Little Merasheen Harbour about another three kilometer around the headland while the guys had their look.  Those last three kilometres seemed to take a long time...  We all had a little swim in the cool water of the cove and then relaxed for a while before having supper. 

Tony

Hazen and Neville

Clyde

Clothesline, compliments of Neville 

A little while later a caribou crossed the meadow behind our tents but I didn`t get a picture of that one.  But later on another one stopped to have a look at us from the hill above our tents. I did get a picture of that one…

The last time I seen a site similar to this I was a teenager.
It was in the middle of February in Labrador,
somewhere around the Menihek Lakes area

Neville had pitched his tent more toward the middle of the beach while the rest of us had set ours up closer to the side of the hill.  We talked him into moving his tent closer to us, thinking with the forecasted wind direction we would be a little better protected nearer the hill…

Tony helping Neville carry his tent

Once darkness came it was time to light up the collected firewood and have a couple more drinks…

Neville relaxing by the glow of the fire

I hoped to sleep better after two long days of paddling...

2012: Post 23a - Merasheen Island – Day 1

Clyde, Tony, Hazen, and I padded around Long Island last year.  While paddling down the inside channel someone mentioned that maybe next year we would paddle around Merasheen Island the next year.   That idea stuck in our minds.  So after some planning we made it happen.  Five of us – Clyde, Neville, Tony, Hazen, and I – met at the TCH Irving station at 6 am and headed for Arnold’s Cove…

Packing the gear in Arnold's Cove 

After about a 14 km paddle by way of Bordeaux Island and Long Island Point we arrived at the tip of Merasheen Island.  Tony later said that this trip had started for him when he touched the top of Merasheen…  But for me this trip would not really start for about another 19 kilometers...



Tony laying his hand on Merasheen... not sure if he was praying
for a good trip or if I snapped the pic in mid-blink...



We paddled down the Inside Channel, stopping in Great Brule Harbour for a look.  The original plan was to spend the night in Dog Harbour but we decided we would carry on another few kilometers to a camping spot just across from the top of Rose au Rue Island where once there was a whaling station.

Just past Merchant Cove we pulled up on a little beach for a rest... 

After an early morning rise, an hour and a half
drive, and about 32 kms of paddling, some of the
guys rested just a little more than others...

We got back into our kayaks and paddled the last few kilometres to where we would spend the first night.  I was paddling ahead of the other guys when I rounded Rose au Rou Point.  I looked down the shore at Rose au Rue Island to the left, a big green grassy spot to the right where the whaling station once was, and the little channel between the two, and all of a sudden I felt that this was where I was starting this trip...  Perhaps it had just taken all day for the routine of city life to leave my mind.  It was one of those ‘I feel in touch with nature’ type moments...   

Anyway, when I pulled up on the beach there was a half-dead fish flopping around, one I had not seen before.  When Neville came to the beach he told me it was a called a Billfish…

I had never seen one of these before.  I put it back in the
water but I am not sure if it survived or not..  it kind of
floated for a while and when I looked later I could not find it.

I had the beach to myself for a few minutes while waiting for the others to come along...

Looking back toward Rose au Rou Point

The paddle for Day 1 was complete.  Regular camp life ensued - supper, scrounge up some wood for a fire, have a couple drinks, and go to sleep... 

2012: Post 22 – Another new Bell Island paddler

Tobias sent an e-mail that he was itching to get on the water.  Truth is, other than getting to one Thursday practice, I haven't paddled since July 15... So I was itching to get on the water too; especially since our Merasheen trip is coming up in a week and it would be a good idea to rotate the old torso a bit before next Saturday morning comes...  

We decided on a crossing to Bell Island - always an enjoyable paddle.  And this would be Tobias' first crossing.  We would paddle over and have fish and chips for lunch, then paddle back... sork of work for our lunch...

Four of us met at St. Philips before noon and headed over...

Gary ready to go.  I think this was Gary's third trip across the tickle..
I was there for his first trip.

C'mon, Clyde... Gary's ready to go...

The paddle over was nothing spectacular... no whales or anything like that.  Just paddling.  Gary checked his watch when we got there.  We made very good time as we had a bit of wind behind us to help push us along...  

Tobias at Dominion Pier

Three Amigos

At this point I have to mention that three of the four of us were using Greenland paddles.  I have been using one for about two and a half years now, Clyde switched over a few months ago, and Tobias has recently switched as well.  Both Clyde and Tobias are using paddles made by our paddling buddy, Sean.  Gary used one of Gerard's a while back and was impressed enough that he asked Sean to make him one as well...  We'll get them all converted after a while, Sean.... was it 7% sales commission we agreed on??

Gary

The guys with the Bell Island ferry in the background

Gary and Tobias

When we got just past the ferry terminal it was time to take-out on the beach and then to take-out some fish and chips for lunch... I guess I was too interested in my food because I neglected to get my camera and get a shot of lunch!!!

Getting back on the water after lunch

Again, the paddle back to St. Philips was just paddling, so no pictures... When we got back in the cove we mulled around for a little bit and then headed for the beach.

Clyde and Gary

Clyde had recently discovered a little hole in his neck gasket and did a repair on it.  So he decided he should get in the water to test it out.  I think maybe he also was a little warm after the paddle and wanted to cool off...

Well, guys, we only paddled just under 12 kilometres and probably took in more calories then we burned off.  But you have to admit that it was a great day for a paddle to Bell Island... it certainly beat the heck out of staying home and painting windows!!!  -- sorry Tony - just couldn't help myself... all in jest... but I'll bet you agree with me...

2012: Post 21 – Sunday paddle

A couple weekends ago we did a two night camping trip at Irelands Eye.  Wouldn't you know it, I forgot my camera.  So here is a link to Tobias' blog entry on the trip:  Tobias' Blog.  And one to Clyde's pics:  Clyde's Blog.


Sunday past, four of us paddled out of Middle Cove.  We crossed Outer Cove and headed for Torbay Point, then paddled back into Outer Cover, and decided to head over to Motion.  Enroute we got close to some whales, but no one was able to get a picture.  They just surfaced near us and submerged just as quick.  Unless you leave your camera on, or they decide to be curious and hang around while you turn on your camera, it's sometimes harder than one would think to get a picture of these big creatures...


Anyway, I took a bunch of pictures but a lot of them were out of focus.  Here are a few to share...

The put-in at Middle Cove

Tony

Gary

My paddling companions

Tony

Hazen

Gary

Lunch time at Motion

Hazen

Back at Middle Cove

Also check out Tony's blog entry on the day....

Clyde happened to be walking along the trail overlooking Middle Cove when we were paddling there and snapped this shot...

Gary, Hazen, and Tony

Thanks for letting me use the pic, Clyde.  Too bad you weren't on the water with us...