“Rounding Cape St. Francis"

Rounding capes seem to be significant. They are gnarly most times or at least their waters are. So I guess this makes for some interesting hydro dynamics. The environment always seems a bit different at capes than other parts of the coast.  Perhaps it's their gradual extension out into the oceans they sprawl in that cause huge flowing volumes of water to reactive ferociously as the weather changes and the sea states impart their energy.

Sean rounding Cape St. Francis in the fog. Fog certainly sets a mood for rounding a cape .

Dennis and Dean having rounded are further lulled into a tranquil paddle by the thickness and dampness of the fog banks embracing the coastline during the whole of our paddle.  

Clyde and Tony making haste as the glide through the waters.

Entering Biscayne Cove.

Just when we needed a bit of a reprieve the fog broke just enough to allow us to see what was once a slipway. This area is now retreat for summer cabin goers and the damage from many a storm over the last few years has taken a toll that is likely never to be repaired. Once a thriving fishing village like so many along this coast, now a remnant and reminder of the fragility as well as the ferocity of our waters and  vulnerability of the creatures living there.

Well, rounding a cape sure makes one hungry. The old wench house has seen better days no doubt. When I hiked out to this point last year all these things, the slip way, the wench house, the wharf were all well and intact. We’ve had some weather since then. Just enough shelter to prevent the sandwiches from getting soggy. lol What a paddle thus far!!

"Enhancing The Paddle"

You just know that if there is a dark hole in the side of a rock cliff, someone of the group, is going there. To me paddles should be like that. Not even should,  that is just the way it is when I get in the boat. As neat as it is prying through that dark opening yourself and not knowing for sure what may lay hidden in its recesses is watching someone else ease their way through being guided by their sense of curiosity, adventure and loathing for discovery.

Sean getting ready to enter the blackness. 

The other fun part of a unique discovery is sharing it with other members of the group. Did someone say it was raining?

Waterfalls!! Waterfalls are one of those naturally enticing phenomena  that will usually attract everyone. I love them. We all love them. It must be the roar of their cascading tortuous paths down the face of an edifice or perhaps the contrast of their whiteness against a darker background or maybe even their smell and wetness. Could be that feeling of cleansing you get when you glide under them, even if it is minus 2, and allow their force to overtake your senses and wash away the salty brash of your paddle strokes. Whatever it is to each of us, they seem to soothe in some fine way and break the monotony of a long distance paddle.

Where fresh water enters the ocean you feel yes there is water simply everywhere, beneath you, beside you and falling from the ski above.

A kayak wash. Gotta like it.

You get the odd sun break and enjoy the tranquility and colors that surround you as they burst through the leaden fog and release the stimuli make paddling close to shores edge so lulling and enjoyable at times.

When you release into the more open waters and enjoy your skills around shoaling or rock outcrops you begin to entertain your senses on your own level and enjoy the watery field as your craft is wielded to the tune of tides, waves, wind and current that come together and coalesce the enhancement of every stroke on your paddle today. Clyde enjoying the waters at Cape St. Francis.

Outside Cripple Cove

I’m starting this trip post in the middle. WE did about a 20km paddle, depending on who’s GPS you reference, on Saturday from Bauline Newfoundland to Pouch Cove Newfoundland. It was a mix of one or two sun breaks, with mostly RDF, what we like to call here in Newfoundland rain, drizzle, fog.

These images were outside Cripple Cove just before rounding the cape at Cape St. Francis. There is obviously some shoaling here and this area is normally much more chaotic and turbulent as you would expect any shoal to be especially at a cape. Saturday had calm winds with little swell but still enough water activity to make this little spot an entertainment piece in itself. We pattered around here for about 30 mins or so and headed into Cripple Cove which is rarely accessible because it sits below the cliffs of the cape but was allowing entrance today.

Inside Cripple Cove looks quite innocuous so we glided around its perimeter savouring the rarity of these moments of invasion knowing very well that the rocks and shoals guarding the entrances and exits are volatile at most times and unforgiving sentinels.

Sean taking in the scenery at Cape St. Francis. I believe there is a light here but it was not on at this point although the fog was so thick it felt you were paddling in the dark at times. Right here the fog horn was quite intense and I felt rushed to move on to find relief from its decibels that were amplified more than muffled by the otherwise baffling fog.

"Ya Gotta Love It !"

 If everyone kayaked, you wouldn't need wars, we'd all be too busy jerry-riggin' something or talking about kayaking if we weren't actively doing it. I've ben involved in other sports, basketball, fast-pitch, hockey, football even, of the flag variety, wally ball this is fun, Frisbee, golf, and racket ball but there is something obsessive about kayaking. Kind of like if you enter into the realm of it, you immediately activate a dormant gene or something and all these internal wheels and cogs Begin to align and spin and there ya are........yaked!

"Pouch Cove to Bauline, Newfoundland"

 The blue Chart data from an excellent paddle today.

"Pouch Cove, Newfoundland"

 Tony and I were off for another adventure today. We decided to put-in at Pouch Cove and paddle to Bauline on the opposite side of the Avalon Peninsula today rounding Cape St. Francis in the process. It was very confused waters from Pouch all the way to Cape St. Francis but once we rounded the cape we were treated to some fine paddling into a light head wind that soon picked up intensity with gusts and persistent rain. Just the right conditions for an excellent day on the water. About an 18km paddle. I always like to do something on remembrance day to challenge myself, a bit of an offering of sorts and my way of remembering those who fell and those who did not. When I was a scout I used to lay a wreath for my grandfather but as I got older I settled for the privacy of my own way and my own thoughts.

"Beating The Surf"

 We had timed when the surf came pounding in at our put-in spot today in Pouch Cove. They came in a pattern of fours huge crashes and the a lull of about 30 seconds, then four more crashes of thunderous surf. It was manageable and we got out unimpeded by the potential for catching a rogue crasher. A neat little seal launch off the dock sent you flying into the opening of the cove.

"Bicayan Cove Approach"

 Just before you hit Cape St. Francis there is Biscayan Bay which was homesteaded years ago during the fishery I believe but now is an area for small "huts" and little cottages that enjoy the isolation of being tucked away from the mainstream of community life and the solace that comes with walks along the rugged coastline that is most of the landscape on the Avalon Peninsula.

"Cape ST. Francis Light, Newfoundland"

 Tony setting a line of site for rounding the cape. We stopped to take a few shots but there was lots of confused seas to say the least. I usually hike here on Remembrance Day for some reason. I like the exercise of climbing round the hills and smelling the salt water. I'd go down by the shore and cook up some lunch in an old rickety shack weathered on the shore there. Today, this year it was rounding Cape St. Francis in my kayak. AN excellent paddle it was. Excellent company again with Tony of course. We invited others but there was no takers today, so off we went.

"Cripple Cove"

 Just after rounding Cape St. Francis you come upon Cripple Cove, I guess getting ensnared in here can perhaps do that to a boat. Just off this little reef though the rebound waves gave ya a good push to send you on the rest of the way around Cripple Cove Point.

"Fresh Water Falls"

 Tony took a little dip under here. I passed for just the picture.

"Focused"

 Sometime when you paddle you get into a zone, I guess most times this is the norm. When you paddle with someone often you know or learn how to read them. For instance you know when they are in their zone, their cadence, their kayaking space, this is what makes paddling with others also fun is to have the solitude of the paddle when you want it and the camaraderie of the paddle when little chats and over the wind yearns are essential when enjoying the paddling company of others.

"Headland Bound"

 One headland after another as we make our way to Bauline. Tony mentioned that the hills descending to the ocean below reminded him of New Zealand. Paddling the western side of the Avalon Peninsula was calm for the most part today but the winds did pick up with intermittent but persistent gusts that kept you vigilant lest your paddle be wretched from your grip. The rain was not too heavy but was more soothing than bothersome. It was starting to get cool however when we hit Bauline. It is nice to be able to hug so closely to the shore as the rebound waves will push you along and seeing how we were in the lea of the land it was a nice cruising pace.

"Fishing Island, Bauline, Newfoundland"

 Just a little Island as you approach Bauline from the north. Loaded with seagulls that disspated in the sky once they became aware of our arrival. The sun was actually trying to poke it's head out for the first time, little more than an attempt.

"The Slip, Bauline Newfoundland"

 Bauline was our take-out today on a paddle from Pouch Cove. Bauline is a very small village nestled in the cliffs of the western side of the Avalon Peninsula, The Bell Island side. It is roughly 18.2 km from Pouch Cove on the eastern side of the Avalon Peninsula. A welcomed site after about a 2 hour paddle from Cape St. Francis in headwinds and strong gusts with persistant rain. Tony and I enjoy paddling in this climate though, tends to be refreshing. We were four hours straight in the boat. Getting primed for open crossings next year. Anotehr end to a wicked paddle.

"Broiling Sky"

A shot at Cape St. Francis.

"Biscayan Cove"

I took this shot on a timer. Apparantly there are a few underwater wrecks out in this area. They appear on my GPS bluechart data. Actually one in Cripple Cove at about 27 metres and one about N47o 48.498':W050 46.498 NE of Pigeon Island. Which is the island I am looking at.

Cape St. Francis

A weathered wharf at Cape St. Francis. The most Northern tip of the Avalon Peninsula, NFLD.r