Day One - August 6
Old Wobbly picked my up about 6:30 am on Thursday past. We made quick work of loading up my kayak and gear and headed off to meet the other guys at the Irving Station on the Trans Canada Highway, just outside of town.
It was about a three hour drive to the put-in at Burnside, plus a stop for coffee about an hour before we arrived.
Before noon we were packed up and on the water, heading west toward Long Reach.
Our first stop was at Bloody Point, a protected archaeological site.
Tony, Ron L. Hazen, Dale, and Terry decided to hike up to the top of the hill, but Derek, Shane, Ron S, and I decided to stay with the kayaks.
After about an hour or so we decided that the guys shouldn't be too much longer and we decided to get back on the water. They emerged from the trees just as we we getting in our kayaks.
A short crossing later and we were paddling our way between Broad Island and Card Island, and then around the south end of Martin Island.
We made another short crossing and pulled up on the shore near Beaches Cove, our home for the night. Minutes after hitting the beach the wind picked up and the sky had that ominous look to it. The forecast earlier in the day had called for possible thundershowers, and we all instinctively started setting up our shelters for the night.
Shane and I had brought hammocks, which neither of us had tried before. We each selected our trees and fiddled with setting them up.
There was a little pick of rain but nothing really to speak much of, and the wind didn't last long either. Next thing we knew, it was a sunny and very pleasant evening.
Derek had busted a wrist gasket in his drysuit at the beach in Burnside and we made an attempt to temporarily fix it with Aquaseal UV, but it didn't hold.
Some of the guys gathered up some wood and we had a BBQ for supper.
Then it was Happy Hour and therefor time to relax and have a couple drinks.
We fed the fire into the night and then let it burn down to coals. The last of us finally went to our tents and hammocks, contented with the very good start to our trip.
Day Two - Aug 7
Friday morning was clear and sunny. People busied themselves with getting breakfast and packing up their kayaks.
I think we left the beach at about 8:30 am or so. The plan for the day was to paddle all the way to Flat Islands.
We crossed over to Cottel Island and turned our bows up Cottel Reach, heading for St. Brendon's. We made good time with the wind in our backs...
When we came around Hare Cut Point we had to paddle into a bit of a headwind into the beach at St. Brendon's.
I though it was a bit on the early side but I seen Tony heading off with his stove and gear and the other guys started in on their lunches as well. So I figured I would make like I was in Rome and dug out my lunch fixin's as well.
It was cool on the beach with the wind blowing toward us across the water. It also rained a little while we were eating. After lunch we gathered around and consulted the map, deciding on our path from St. Brendan's. The wind had dropped and also changed direction while we were on the beach and it would now be behind us for the rest of the day's paddle.
We paddled along the shore, passing Hayward's Cove and then Dock Cove, and then followed the shore for couple more kilometers before we turned to head across to Flat Islands.
At one spot I was just ahead of the other guys and came across a little group of otters. They immediately took to the water as soon as they seen me but I managed to get a pick of a bobbing head...
Tony, Terry, and Ron L. had gone on ahead of the rest of us and had scoped out our campsite. About another kilometer or so from where we seen the otters we pulled up on the beach, joining the other guys.
The first order of business was to get our tents up. There weren't any trees in the area (unless we walked well away from the camp-site) and so Shane and I couldn't have another sleep in our hammocks. I had brought my Tarptent and pitched it near Old Wobbly. Shane would bunk in with Derek for the night...
Per usual camp life, there was some relaxing and then people got their supper when they felt the need.
After a while I walked up the hill above our campsite to take in the view...
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| Looking out across Flat Islands |
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| Looking toward Salvage |
Shane decided it was time to get a lesson on how to take a bearing off a map, and Old Wobbly was quite happy to pass on some of his knowledge...
There wasn't much wood around but enough was scrounged up to have a pretty decent fire to have a few drinks and a few laughs beside.
Day Three - Aug 8
I found it rather cool during the night in my tent; whenever I woke up I found myself wishing I had brought my warmer -7 C down sleeping bag, instead of the 0 C synthetic one that I had brought. In the morning I lay awake for a long time until I heard someone stirring around on the beach, and then I could hear Old Wobbly (whose tent was near mine) coming to life.
We were only about a twenty kilometre paddle from where we were in the Flat Islands to the cars. So the plan was to leave the tents up where we were for the next night, and do a relaxed day paddle.
Some of us stopped at an old graveyard the day before, but because Tony had been ahead of us he missed it. Tony has a keen interest in the old graveyards that we come across on our kayak camping trips, and so Derek and I went to have another look with Tony while the other guys paddled on by...
Once we were back on the water we all regrouped and carried on, taking our time, passing along a bunch of the smaller islands that make up The Flat Islands.
Eventually we crossed over and took a break on the nearby, and much larger, Willis Island.
Further down the shore we came across some mussel beds and some of the guys hopped out of their kayaks and waded around, gathering up a bunch to have with lunch.
Some fellows go to greater depths when mussel picking....
We found a lovely little beach on Willis island to pull up on to have lunch.
After lunch a couple of the guys got busy boiling water to cook the mussels. A large percentage of the mussels did not open in the boiling water though, and the safer approach was taken and they were discarded.
When we were back on the water we followed the shoreline of Willis Island for just another little bit and then turned back toward Bessy Island. We passed Fuzz and Shell Islands and then made the short crossing back to Flat Islands, and then made out way over to, and around Puffin Island.
On the way back to our campsite we came across a very nice sheltered cove that was close to our camp. the water was shallow and warm, and so i took the opportunity to wash my greasy hair with Sea Suds.
It was mid afternoon when we arrived back at the campsite. Someone suggested we take a walk around the relatively small island, and visit another couple graveyards we had seen on our paddle back from Willis Island. One of the headstones we seen was dated 1866, but I believe there was one dated 1860 in the other graveyard. People lived on these little islands well over a century and a half ago.
Once back at camp supper meals were cooked, and then some more wood was scrounged up for another campfire.
Hazen kind of goofed up his previous attempt at making Jiffy Pop Popcorn over the campfire (see post 32) and so he got fired up his stove and did a bang-up job if making some popcorn.
Later on Derek put a few potatoes in the coals to roast, which he shared around.
With bellies full of snacks, and a few drinks put away to guard against the cool night air, we let the fire burn down and then headed off to our tents.
Day Four - Aug 9
The last day of a camping trip always has a different feel to it. I usually get a different vibe from people, generally one of lesser enthusiasm...
We had decided the night before that we would leave the beach and head for the cars at 8 am, the intention being to be back at the take-out at lunch time. I woke early and rolled up my sleeping bag, air mattress, and the other few odds and ends I had in my tent before I unzipped the entrance.
Before long people were up and were getting their breakfast on the beach.
There was some wind blowing toward us this morning and I decided to sit at my tent entrance to prepare my breakfast, shielded from the wind by the vestibule, instead of on the beach with the other guys. The lack of sleep over the last three nights had me feeling somewhat anti-social this morning and I enjoyed my breakfast in relative solitude.
From my vantage point I watched Derek breaking camp up on the hill.
After I finished my breakfast I carried some of my gear to my kayak and watched Dale taking his tent down as I walked along the beach.
It wasn't long before everybody was busy packing their kayaks.
I think it was about 8:10 or so when we left the beach and started our twenty kilometre paddle back to the cars.
Our route took us past Bessy Island and then along the south side of Willis Island. Near Upper Gander Cove (marked as Barracks Cove on another map) we crossed over to Varket Islet and then over to Morris Island.
We stopped in a little sheltered cove on Morris Island for a break...
... and then made the crossing over to Squid Island.
About another kilometre's paddle put us back at the cars.
Final thoughts
Discounting the club's Introduction to Kayak Camping trips, this is the largest group of kayakers I have camped with. My paddling buddies and I keep our non-club camping trips to four or five people. Small groups are much more manageable... larger groups tend to string out and separate on the water as some people have faster, sleeker kayaks, and some have developed better forward paddling techniques then others. With larger groups there is also the concern about adequate space for tents when we are not familiar with the area's camping spots.
For this particular trip Hazen took it upon himself to talk to three different people who were very familiar with the area and we chose campsites that could easily accommodate our larger group.
In the end it all worked out well with the larger group of paddlers on this trip. Group dynamics were excellent both on and off the water. The weather was very cooperative; when there was wind it was almost always behind us, and there was no rain except for the the very little bit when we arrived at the campsite on the first day.
There is a lot of this particular area that we could not explore during our four day trip.... but I have a feeling some of us will being doing more trips in the St. Brendon's area in the future...
The last day of a camping trip always has a different feel to it. I usually get a different vibe from people, generally one of lesser enthusiasm...
We had decided the night before that we would leave the beach and head for the cars at 8 am, the intention being to be back at the take-out at lunch time. I woke early and rolled up my sleeping bag, air mattress, and the other few odds and ends I had in my tent before I unzipped the entrance.
Before long people were up and were getting their breakfast on the beach.
There was some wind blowing toward us this morning and I decided to sit at my tent entrance to prepare my breakfast, shielded from the wind by the vestibule, instead of on the beach with the other guys. The lack of sleep over the last three nights had me feeling somewhat anti-social this morning and I enjoyed my breakfast in relative solitude.
From my vantage point I watched Derek breaking camp up on the hill.
After I finished my breakfast I carried some of my gear to my kayak and watched Dale taking his tent down as I walked along the beach.
It wasn't long before everybody was busy packing their kayaks.
I think it was about 8:10 or so when we left the beach and started our twenty kilometre paddle back to the cars.
Our route took us past Bessy Island and then along the south side of Willis Island. Near Upper Gander Cove (marked as Barracks Cove on another map) we crossed over to Varket Islet and then over to Morris Island.
We stopped in a little sheltered cove on Morris Island for a break...
... and then made the crossing over to Squid Island.
About another kilometre's paddle put us back at the cars.
Final thoughts
Discounting the club's Introduction to Kayak Camping trips, this is the largest group of kayakers I have camped with. My paddling buddies and I keep our non-club camping trips to four or five people. Small groups are much more manageable... larger groups tend to string out and separate on the water as some people have faster, sleeker kayaks, and some have developed better forward paddling techniques then others. With larger groups there is also the concern about adequate space for tents when we are not familiar with the area's camping spots.
For this particular trip Hazen took it upon himself to talk to three different people who were very familiar with the area and we chose campsites that could easily accommodate our larger group.
In the end it all worked out well with the larger group of paddlers on this trip. Group dynamics were excellent both on and off the water. The weather was very cooperative; when there was wind it was almost always behind us, and there was no rain except for the the very little bit when we arrived at the campsite on the first day.
There is a lot of this particular area that we could not explore during our four day trip.... but I have a feeling some of us will being doing more trips in the St. Brendon's area in the future...
Nice account of yor trip Dean :)
ReplyDeleteI am looking forward to this summer's excursions!! can't wait for the freedom, good weather, good company and good times! :)