Ahhh, les iles.

The Magdalene Islands –les îles de la Madeleine in French-are Quebec’s best beach destination. A Shangri-la style archipelago made up of 5 small islands separated by long dunes with shallow, warmer lagoons on one side and the giant Gulf of Saint-Lawrence on the other. Far from anywhere in the province, they are the dream vacation destination for many city dwelling Quebecers. The islands are closer to Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia than they are to Quebec but they belong to the French province. Except for one of the islands where English is predominantly spoken, very few on les iles de la Madeleine speak much of the Queen’s tongue. This made things interesting for Bryan and made me feel totally at home since, for those who don’t know, I am a French Canadian from Montréal, a frog, a pepsi to the core. First noted by Jacques Cartier in 1534, the Magdalene Islands have been inhabited since the middle of the 18^th century when, interestingly, some Acadians –those that were shipped from the Maritimes to Louisiana to become the Cajuns- escaped deportation and established there.

Magdalene Islands Tourism

Being flank in the middle of the Gulf of Saint-Lawrence, these islands are remote and so remain fairly quiet as tourist destinations go. The archipelago boasts many quaint towns, each with nightly events in the summer time, colorful houses and funky restaurants as well as great outdoor opportunities.

A person could fly to the Magdalenes from Quebec City, but that’s way too expensive –and too easy- for us. So we drove across the new bridge on to Prince Edward Island and across it to Souris, on the Eastern tip. At 21 km long the Confederation Bridge is one of the longest in North America and it makes the trip to the Magdalenes, easier than it used to be, cutting things down to one ferry instead of two. A quick day’s drive from Nova Scotia, after dropping Paul off in Moncton and Chuya at the boarding vet –Yuk! - We walked on to the 5-hour ferry to the Magdalene Islands with our kayaks for a three-day, three night stay. Yes, I know. WAY too short! We were hoping to circumnavigate the archipelago but had to revise our plan since we weren’t left with much time. Hey, some is better than none, right?

Chuya had a great trip but she couldn’t come to the islands since we were going overnight.

Visited mostly for the winds that blow predictably during summer months and the endless sandy beaches that separate the small islands –not to mention the summertime cultural festivities- we found them to be a great kayaking destination and saw some of the most beautiful shorelines of our trip with cliffs, arches, and tunnels we could safely paddle through.

Remember how we walked on to the ferry carrying our kayaks? We didn’t have any other means of transportation. Neither the ferry staff nor the folks in town or at the tourism information center had ever seen this. We’d ask for directions and they would tell us to "turn right at ze stop and zen…" "No, we ONLY have kayaks. We’re on the water." "Ah bon?" Thankfully kayaking is a growing sport on the Magdalenes and the tourism bureau www.tourismeilesdelamadeleine.com, in conjunction with the local paddlers, just published a water access map with campsites, launches and all other important information for kayakers. Needless to say we used it a bunch!

The water trail map was very useful. A great new tool for paddlers coming to the area

The ferry lands on Ile du Cap aux Meules (Cape of the Mill Island), in the town of the same name. We walked into town to get a few groceries and then pushed off at dusk. We only had about three nautical miles to travel to Gros Cap (big cape) where our first stop was, and we had no problem finding the beach adjacent to the campground. They were quite surprised to see us show up in the dark, in our wet kayaking gear, asking if they had a site for us! We got our first taste of the wind that night and, since we left without tent pegs for our great MSR tent, we rigged up what was to become the set up from now on; attaching the fly to our kayaks, one on either side. Works great! Gros Cap is THE spot for kayakers on the Islands. With gorgeous grassy camping sites on top of the limestone cliffs, a launch area within walking distance, and great kayaking with tunnels and arches, we could have stayed there a few days! Tall, red, thin, precarious arches… No kidding, right there out of the campsite: Safe, long, loud, exciting tunnels. Some even have a little skylight at the end, a whole in the ceiling with a stream of sunlight coming in. Like in the movies when there’s a secret scroll sitting there with a map to a treasure or something! Absolutely magical. No kidding, this cape alone was worth the trip!

Since Gros Cap is THE kayaking spot, we met THE local kayaker, Frédéric Côté , and he was gracious enough to help us with our itinerary. We had planned on going around the whole thing but needed to shorten things, time oblige, so he avoided us a portage and drove us across Ile du Cape aux Meules -15 minutes- to the starting point of THE shoreline. We were lucky, the wind was right. La Belle Anse (the beautiful cove) was exactly that: 11 km of non-stop incredible limestone cliffs. Fairly exposed to any winds in the West to North quadrants, shallow, clear water, sandy bottom, tall, convoluted cliffs… IN-credible! We had a light southwesterly wind at our backs… what a paddle! We did a lot of filming that day and I really hope we captured it to make it justice. Unfortunately, we didn’t take many photographs, so you’ll just have to wait for the film to see that in detail!

We made camp at the end of Belle Anse, and at the beginning of the Dune du Nord out of the town of Fatima, in a little beachy cove tucked behind the Cap de l’Hôpital, in preparation for the forecast overnight winds. I should admit here that we “commando” camped, since we should have gotten permits from the municipality to camp on the beach. We didn’t know. Sorry. We didn’t have a car to drive to the municipality when we found out. We would’ve missed half our trip if we spent the night at Cap aux Meules to go get one in the morning… Some locals told us it should be fine… Enough excuses? So we didn’t set up the tent until dark, just looked like a couple on a romantic kayaking-dinner-on-the-beach date and put the tent up last minute. That night again, the wind picked up. Wow. If you need anything sandblasted, leave it out on the beach in the Magdalenes! We were glad we had payed attention to wind direction, sought some shelter and packed everything inside!

WHo needs pegs when you have such a good tent !

We walked in to the little town of Fatima in the morning for breakfast. We ordered the local morning fare: beignets des Iles. Twisted fried dough served with homemade caramel for dipping… oh lala, attention! Good thing we had a solid day ahead, with a paddle AND a portage to burn that off! Yes, a portage. Canoe style. Did I mention we weren’t there long enough and we had to shorten things a little? On the map, it’s a little tiny piece of land. We figured it couldn’t be that bad. Well, to be honest… it wasn’t. We paddled down the beach some to where a guy off the street fixing his washer had said he thought it would be the thinnest across the dune, and we went for it. We shouldered one kayak at a time over the sandy part, and then dragged it over the tall SOFT grasses to the lagoon. About half a mile. A bit buggy maybe and definitely heavy, but not bad, really.

The wind was actually quite strong inside the lagoon. I was surprised at first. Then I remembered that this is actually where the kiters and the windsurfers go! The lagoons are surrounded by dunes, not much height for shelter! It was raining that day and our hands were quite full so we don’t have many pictures to share. We paddled around the southern end of the lagoon and then to lunch in a great little restaurant on the shores of the next island, Ile du Havre aux Maisons (Harbour of the Houses Island). We were both hungry, I was cold and tired from paddling against the wind and current so the pit stop was welcome and the soup was great! That’s one of the best things about traveling in la Belle Province of Quebec: the food! We weren’t sure how far to commit up the coast of this Island since the winds were predicted to be quite strong against us the next day and we needed to catch our ferry out-a-there so… We stopped a few miles later in Pointe Basse (low Point). This was a great little beach beside a busy harbor covered in colorful boats.

The old smoke house is still active, with up to thirty layers of herring fish drying in the giant barn. Both the barn and the drying techniques are centuries old. Tasty lunch !

We did our commando camp thing again, but this time with a little more luxury: we stopped in the century old B&B called la Maison d’Eva-Anne up the road –actually hoping for a room!- but instead walked away with a nice bottle of red and a couple of glasses, to celebrate our last night on the islands and, really, the culmination of a wonderful 2 month kayaking trip. Another great sleep during a windy night. We had amazing crepes at the B&B in the morning with the same homemade caramel recipe from the beignets, we walked around on the island amongst the colorful houses, visited an old herring smoke house and then got on the water for our last paddle.

More gorgeous cliffs and arches and a little more wind. It was against us close to 15 knots this time, which I find quite a workout so I was a little concerned about making the ferry. Bryan wasn’t worried at all –of course, 15 knots to him is peanuts and he has this thing about being too early for ferries ! Anyhow, he humored me and we left with plenty of time. We got there with enough time to walk up to a lookout, have a beer and then sort ourselves out for our carry-on adventure.

I had heard of this place all my life and have a deer friend from there and I have to say it was quite an event for me to finally go. So it was with a twinge of I-wish-I-could-stay that I got on the ferry that night for home. Of course I want to go back. For the places we didn’t see, for the ones we did, for the many cultural activities we didn’t have time to explore –outdoor shows, spas, painting workshops, galleries, the lobster season, you name it- and because the rhythm of life and the area just emanate the sea. We LOVED it.

Paddling around the Magdalene Islands means paddling in the wind to some degree and the water is cold. We didn’t find there to be much current and tide issues. There are many options both for accommodation and paddling. The outer coastlines are sometimes better protected than the lagoons since the shores are higher and all are interesting to explore. There are many B&Bs and other accommodations from hotels to Gites (rooming houses). A paddler should simply create their itinerary according to what the winds are doing, with some thought to reserving a few key rooms or campsites since the summer season is busy. The Islands are very small and covered with many things to do, weather outdoor sporting activities or cultural. This place is a must for any one in the Northeast and to add to the list for any one further!

It always amazes me how many people we get interested in kayaking with a project like this. People see the boats at gas stations and ask questions, spectators at filming locations get very curious and sometimes even the mainstream media picks up on a thread and runs with it. Just yesterday I received a call from CBC Radio requesting to do an interview with me about the Eastern Horizons project and specifically our trip to the Reversing Falls in New Brunswick. This was a great opportunity to share the project with thousands of loyal CBC listeners!

CHECK OUT THE INTERVIEW HERE … scroll down the list of interviews until you reach the August 6th story on the Reversing Falls.

Ask most paddlers what the Bay of Fundy is best known for and they will probably respond with “the world’s largest tides”. Ask many of the Halifax paddlers or Chris Lockyer of Committed 2 The Core where to paddle in the Bay of Fundy and they will quickly respond with “The Shubie”. Formed by the surge on the flood tide, “The Shubie” is a tidal bore that occurs on the Shubenacadie River 365 days a year. Tidal bores form in very few places around the world and the Shubenacadie bore may very well be the most sea kayak friendly. Timing and local knowledge are a must with most tidal features and bores tend to be even harder to uncover without plenty of research. Do you want it on springs or neaps, what tide station do you base it off of, when does it happen, where on the river does it form, how long does it last, are there significant hazards upstream of where the bore starts to form? These are just a few of the questions that must be answered before you can even get close to getting it right. Fortunately “The Shubie” is Chris Lockyer’s local play spot and he has the place dialed. According to Chris, very few people have ever hit this place just right and it changes from year to year. He was even concerned about our trip, as just a week prior he had been out on a smaller tide and it did not seem to be working nearly as well as in years past. My guess is that if it involves sea kayaking, Chris always sports this big grin.

Chris was keeping us monitored on the Shubie since the day we arrived on the Fundy Coast. He had honed in on the biggest tides of the early summer and the plan boiled down to a mid day bore on Sunday and Monday. We would use the first day to play and get familiar with the features and the second day we would have a boat from Shubenacadie River Runners to film from. Because the majority of the features form in the center of the river and they move around as the bore travels upstream, it was clear that a boat was the only way of getting multiple camera angles. Prior to arriving I told Chris we would be able to capture a lot from boat mounted cameras, but some land angles would be essential. Chris keep reiterating that land angles would be impossible…the slippery mud covered banks would swallow booties, the waves would form to far from shore and the features would move faster than I could set the camera up. He was bang on with this assessment and it would even prove to be very difficult to film from the boat.

Let’s get into the hydrology of this place before I go much further. As the tide starts to rise out in the Bay of Fundy, a surge or bubble of water begins to push up the Shubenacadie River. This is the bore itself and you can see it begin to form and move upstream. The bore according to Chris is very rarely “surfable”. It is usually a big messy wall of foamy water that flattens out pretty quick. We were very lucky the two days that we surfed, as the bore wave had a decent shape and provided about a 10 minute long ride!

Many of the tidal bores that I know of are a one shot deal. If you fall off, you missed it and have to try again another day. The Shubie is a bit more forgiving. If you fall off the front wave, the second and third waves are still pretty good.

Now this is where the fun really begins. The bore keeps moving upstream, but flattens out and is not much of a surf. So you wait for the tide to keep covering the sandbars and the bore to hit the upper reaches of the river and send sets of waves back out towards sea. Yes…sets and sets of big glassy green waves that form over the sand bars. Some of these sets get rather large and stamina becomes very important. Staying at the front of the sets takes an amazing amount of power and energy, but the rewards are tremendous.

Chris had also invited Krista Wuerr, one of Halifax’s best paddlers, to join us for the two days of surfing. Krista is an undercover ripper in a sea kayak. She comes off as very soft spoken and humble, but can paddle like the world’s best. She heard word that we were coming to town and that Lise-Anne was game to surf the Shubie. That was all she needed to jump on board. It was a real treat to paddle with Krista and she added a great energy to the crew. Love this shot of her dropping in…check out the torso rotation!

Filming the Shubie proved to interesting, but we managed to nail it despite some hairy moments. It will certainly be some of the more unique footage in Eastern Horizons. On the second day, Lise-Anne and I rode in the boat to film and photograph Chris, Paul, and Krista. Filming from the boat was the only way to get up close to the action. However, we found ourselves a little to close to the action at times. Filming sea kayaking has some inherent risks. Operating several thousand-dollar HD cameras near the salt water is one of those risks. As I tried to get us in close for a shot in one of the lower sets, a huge wave pushed the bow of the Zodiac under water and swamped the boat with a foot of water. Fortunately Lise-Anne and I had fast enough reaction time to ditch the cameras in their trusty Watershed bags and zip then. I mean literally zip them 2 seconds before we were completely soaked head to tow. It was about as much adrenaline as I had experienced on the entire trip!

The Shubie was hands down the most unique tidal feature I have ever played in. From the brown silty water to the beautiful waves, the surfing felt magical. A huge thanks to Chris Lockyer for all the beta and hospitality. With timing boiling down to a matter of minutes, we would have never surfed what we surfed without Chris. Just as we left he was gearing up for his Kayak 4 Kenyon project. He will be crossing the Bay of Fundy to help raise money for lukemia. Check out his site for more details and how you can help support the cause. Here are a few more shots from the Shubie.

We are moving north to the Magdalene Islands now. We will drive across PEI, walk onto the ferry with our kayaks, and hopefully make it around this unique archipelago that sits in between Prince Edwards Island and Newfoundland. More coming soon!

The plan for the Bay of Fundy was to spend 3 days at the Reversing Falls and then head to the Subanacadie tidal bore for a couple days. Chris Lockyer of Committed to the Core had been helping us coordinate our plans and was keen on making sure we got the Shubie just right. After 3 days at the Reversing Falls we were completely whooped and got on the phone with Chris in hopes of coming straight to the Shubie. He quickly advised us to find something else to do for a couple days, as the bore was good but we would need to wait until Monday before a boat would become available to film from. This was a critical logistic, as Chris had reiterated many times that it would be impossible to film the Shubie any other way.

When I first started researching the Bay of Fundy, Scott Cunningham’s article on Cape Chignecto displayed some of the most striking photos of the extreme tides. We bounced the idea of Cape Chignecto off Chris and he said we could not go wrong with that move. We quickly packed up the Commander, took a few last shots of Saint John and headed North along the coast. Our first stop along the way was St Martin. I had been wanting to film a time lapse of the tide coming in at a location with fishing boats dry docked. We had been told by several people that St Martin was an ideal location and a must see while we were in New Brunswick. The visual at St Martin on the beach and in the harbor at low tide was impressive. The fisherman have the tides figured just right so that they can get in and out of the harbor during a short window at high tide. Amazing!

Road trip adventures never seem to go without some interesting moments along the way. Traveling with our “perfect “ golden retriever Chuya has produced a few of those moments. She has been a saint on this trip for the most part and we have managed to leave her with people and in kennels to allow us the freedom for multiple days out shooting on the water. Her perfection was compromised in St Martin when she decided to roll in the remains of lobster bait outside one of the fishing shacks. Lobstermen use rotten fish as bait, so you can imagine what the left over juice from the bait containers smells like. Two baths later she was at least tolerable in the vehicle, but the scent still over powered the stench of all the festering paddling gear.

From St Martin we boogied to Cape Chignecto Provincial Park near Advocate Harbor. We rolled into Advocate first thing in the morning. The dense maritime fog welcomed us, which gave us a couple hours to sort our plans for the next couple days. Options were to paddle right around the cape on a 2-3 day trip or spend a day at the Sisters and another at Cape D’or playing in the current. We opted for the later, as by the time the fog burned off, the first day was half over. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it allowed up the opportunity to film the Cape Chignecto area at high tide and then again at low tide 6 hours later. The area was stunning. Giant sea stacks, impressive cliffs, and by far one of the most remote coasts to date on the trip.

In just six hours the tide dropped over 40 feet. We took the opportunity to paddle back out to the Sisters right at sunset to see the change in landscape. It was un-believable. Here are some shots of the same location at high tide and then six hours later at the low.

High tide…

Low tide…

Here is another example of the extreme difference from high to low. We paddled through this arch on the high and then walked through on the low!

For me the best hours of the day for filming are generally sunset and sunrise. The light is magical and there seems to be so much energy in the air. Pictures and video can only capture part of that experience. Paddling around the Sisters at sunset was a real treat. It was hard for all of us to believe that just a few hours earlier we had been paddling between the stacks!

On the second day in Advocate we decided to go check out Cape D’or and the Dory Rips. Many people in the area and some of the local paddlers had warned us that this place was extremely dangerous on Spring tides. Paul and I approached it with extreme caution as a result. We made sure that we were early enough and that we had an out if things were bigger than we wanted. 4 different currents in the Bay of Fundy colliding just off Cape D’or form the Dory Rips. The main flow of the incoming tide, two back eddies formed by the cape and a giant upwelling all slam into each other and form a rip that spans many football fields. The single biggest issue is that if something goes wrong you get flushed out into the Bay of Fundy. Fortunately the wind was calm and we had a “mild” day at Cape D’or. The rip was big, but we found a nice eddy to get back up to the top and a great little surf wave to park the sea boats on.

The small communities in the Cape Chignecto area were a real treat. We got the opportunity to stay with Werner and Elsa at the Advocate Harbor B&B and they helped point us in the direction of some good local eats. The Beach Cafe was one of our favorites. It was right on the ocean and had a great feel. The company on these types of trips is really important to keeping it fun every step of the way. Sharing stories from the day and making plans for the next with Paul and Lise-Anne over dinner each night was as much fun as the paddling!

Capturing the extremity of the tidal height in the Bay of Fundy was our goal at Cape Chignecto and we walked away with plenty of evidence. The dry docked boats were one of the most impressive examples. Here is a before and after of Advocate Harbor.

Cape Chignecto was by far one of the most impressive places I have ever paddled. If it is not on your list of must do’s, put it on! Between the paddling and beach combing, it offers a unique experience and serves as a stunning example of how extreme the Bay of Fundy tides are.

Next stop…big wave surfing at the Shubie!

The Bay of Fundy is known across the globe for having the world’s largest tides. In just six hours the tide can rise over 50 feet along the Fundy Coast, producing currents of over 20 knots, generating tidal bores, and covering huge beaches in a matter of minutes. Because the Bay of Fundy lines up perfectly with the oscillation of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Maine, a funneling effect is produced and amplifies the tides. As a result the Bay of Fundy has always presented significant challenges to navigation and is one of the world’s most dynamic bodies of water.

Many sea paddlers steer clear of the Bay of Fundy or approach with trepidation. And rightfully so. The tides are definitely a force to be reckoned with and it dawned on me in New York, that in order to safely operate in the Bay of Fundy I needed at least one more paddler to join us. It was for that reason that Lise-Anne and I franticly scrambled to get Paul Kuthe of Portland, Oregon to meet us in St John, New Brunswick on last minute notice. Those of you who are familiar with Pacific Horizons, know Paul as the stunt master in both Skooks and Okisollo tidal rapids. He is an exceptional paddler with the humble attitude necessary to operate in advanced sea conditions. Alder Creek graciously supported the idea by footing the bill for plane ticket and we somehow re-configured the vehicle to fit him in. He would fly in a day later than we would arrive, so we could spend some time scoping our filming locations.

Turns out that our key local contact Harry Cox (yes Hairy Cocks is his name and he eats it up!) drives the jet boat for the tour operator in the Falls. So I jumped on the opportunity to get a water level view of what we were about to get into. I don’t think I will be stealing too many trade secrets on their "dry suit" material to pass along to Kokatat!

After another episode with the Maritime fog, we snagged Paul from the Fredericton airport at 2:30am. He was suppose to fly into St John, but got re-directed into Fredericton a couple hours away due to the “tick fog”. That gave all of us about 4 hours sleep to prepare for 20 knots of ebb tide at Reversing Falls the next day. We had been warned the Reversing Falls were “challenging” on Spring tides. To our knowledge, Ken Whiting and Alex Matthews were the only other paddlers to tackle the Falls with sea boats. I talked to Ken in detail about some of the features and he confirmed that we would have our hands full but would also have a good time. The only thing Ken failed to mention is that we would also need a fresh pair of underwear every day. I’ve never seen a more intimating tidal race!

The Reversing Falls form where the St John River dumps into the Bay of Fundy. Every day the equivalent of all the world rivers worth water gets forced up into the river on the flood and six hours later comes rushing out on the ebb. Again, let me remind you that there is over 40 feet of height difference in the tide. Rapids form on both the flood and the ebb. In the spring and early summer when the St John River is high, it counters the force of the flood and accentuates the power of the ebb. Our plan was to play in both directions, however the flood never produced many good play features due to the high river levels. The ebb on the hand was as I mentioned, “accentuated”. By this I mean, huge volumes of water, giant whirlpools, fast waves, strong eddy lines and even more giant whirlpools downstream. Did I mention the need for fresh undies!

While the intimidation factor was high, we managed to pull off some big surfs on “Greasy Chicken” and “Broken Paddle”. These are two of the play spots that whitewater boaters hang out on most of the year. We had initially thought that these features would be way too steep to surf in the sea boats, but we managed to drop the long boats in without too much trouble. The swirly water below was more of an issue than the waves themselves.

While we were on top of the first day for the most part, we managed to spend a little too much time talking kayaking with local paddlers Dan and Adam and missed the very start of the ebb. I have always been decent at estimating the size of features from shore and then adding a bit to compensate for what it will look like sitting in a boat, but I was consistently off at the Reversing Falls. Paul and I were both in agreement that everything was bigger and pushier once we got on the water.

Our second day we made a point of coming to see what the flood was doing and while there were a few small features to play with, we opted to film the change of the tide and save energy for the ebb. Getting an early start on the ebb produced some of the best surfs on “Broken Paddle”. It had a great shoulder, a bit of a foam to play with and enough room to get two boats on the wave at the same time. We also managed to convince local whitewater paddler Dan Coates to give his Explorer a try in the falls which was fun for all of us. He had a blast and it convinced us that we were not completely insane to be playing around in the falls in long boats.

There are two channels at the Reversing Falls. The main channel which is about 150-200 yards wide and a side channel that is only about 25 yards wide. The play features form in the side channel and the main channel is just huge, huge water. The entire time that we were there, the fog kept coming and going which made our attempts at running the main channel difficult. We scouted and geared up for a main channel down river run on the second day, but made the decision to call it off when the fog rolled in. The side channel proved challenging enough to navigate in the fog.

St John is one of Canada’s oldest towns (some of the locals claim it is the oldest) and is filled with buildings that reflect the strong history. While the town was established in the early 1600’s the “great fire” in 1847 burned most of the town to the ground. As a result, many of the building were re-built in stone and brick. The old churches were an incredible sight to see and the city market had a ton of character.

After three days in the city and plenty of time in the Falls, we opted to move north to experience another aspect of the tide. Next stop…the giant tides at Cape Chignecto and the“dory rips” at Cape D’or!

Maine was high on the list of destinations from the minute we started planning to come East. I was looking forward to coastal sea kayaking along the diverse coastline, connecting with old paddling friends, and capturing the culture of Maine. Lise-Anne on the other hand had one simple focus…eating lobster! Maine is well known across the world for its lobster and we quickly became enthralled with these crustaceans and the culture that surrounds them.. Lobsters like crabs molt in order to grow. Up to five times of year they shed their hard shell and then eat it in attempt to hide the evidence from potential predators. The lobstermen of Maine call them “bugs” and their own regulations have played a big role in ensuring healthy populations. Size restrictions, notching the tail of egg bearing females, advancements in trap technology, and the collapse of the cod industry have all contributed to a vibrant fishery.

Our first stop in Maine was Boothbay, home of John Carmody of Sea Cliff Kayakers. Boothbay is a quaint coastal town within striking distance of several great paddling locations. Outer islands, surf beaches, tide races, wildlife, protected bays…mid coast Maine has plenty to offer and Jon is the guy to know in this region. Within 10 minutes of arriving at his house, the dinning room table was littered with charts and we were deep in decision making for our first few days in Maine. Our primary goal was to get out into the off shore islands that Maine is famous for. The biggest challenge would become the fog that Maine is also famous for! John was confident we could get to any of the desired locations, but made no promises that we would actually “see” the said locations.

Something I try to never loose sight of as a filmmaker is enjoying the moment and taking advantage of what is unique to each location I travel to. My first instinct was that the fog was going to be a real pain for filming. And while it was for the most part, paddling in the fog was magical and also a quentessintial Maine experience. If you are scared of fog and navigation, you probably would not paddle much in Maine!

Because kayaks create so little noise, it is possible to hear things better than any other craft on the water. This becomes an essential part of navigating in the fog. Listening for fog horns, gongs, and other boats heightens your awareness on the water and makes everything seem a little more exciting and mystical. While many paddlers opt for GPS, a chart, compass, and watch are the only tools necessary to navigate successfully in the fog.

It is hard not to become immersed in the culture of the lobstermen while paddling in Maine. Bewteen the thousands of lobster pots on the water and the weathered boat houses tucked into the harbors, Lise-Anne and were constantly trying to learn more about the lobstermen. Like paddlers, they love the sea and enjoy the freedom found traveling via water. For us this project is as much about the places and people we engage with and learn about as the kayaking.

John took us to so many great places, it was hard to pull out any one specific highlight. Navigating our way to Sequin Island was our favorite trip, but every day we found some nice coastal rock gardening, saw lots of wildlife, and relaxed into a much slower pace than New York City. From Boothbay we wandered North along to coast to Bar Harbor to hook up with Mark Schoon and Mel Rice of Carpe Diem Kayaking.

A few years ago Mark and Mel left the urban environment of Washington DC and retreated to Mount Desert Island . A perfect location to focus on expanding Carpe Diem Kayaking and fulfilling their dream of living in one of the best sea kayaking destinations in the world. Lise-Anne and I rolled in late in the evening, had a fantastic dinner with Mark and Mel and started to formulate a plan for the next few days. With unlimited options and sunshine, we had landed in a yet another sea kayaking paradise.

The first day we managed to catch up on a little sleep before heading out into some of the small islands just outside of Bar Harbor. Steep coastline, pink granite and no fog made for a excellent start to our time with Mark and Mel.

Mount Desert Island reminded me of the Orcas Island in the San Juan’s in so many respects. It has a big tourist draw, a large portion of the island is set aside as park, the mountains provide enough elevation to see out over the coast and there are multiple locations to launch a sea kayak. The real beauty of this venue for Mark and Mel, is that they have all types of water conditions within 30 minutes of their house. For the first couple days we concentrated on scenery.

All along the Maine coast there is incredible camping and options for great multi-day trips. Maine was the pioneer of the Water Trail system and the state has set aside many uninhabited islands or parts of islands along the coast specifically as camping destinations for human powered craft. While we did not manage to get out on a huge trip along the coast, we certainly got to experience some of these beaches and the beauty of being on the water in the evening and night hours.

Now back to the lobsters again. Aside from all the pots and boats we saw out on the water, the amount of products we saw claiming to contain lobster was absurd. Just about every store you walk into has something lobster. We saw lobster ice cream, lobster flavored candy, lobster rolls, plastic lobsters, ceramic lobsters, dog treats in the shape of lobsters. You name the product and Maine puts a lobster twist on it. While it did not have a lobster flavor, we even managed to find some lobster beer!

One of Mark and Mel’s favorite local spots is the Sullivan Reversing Falls, which is a bit further "Down East" of Mt Desert. It seemed odd to be working our way North along the Maine coast and have everyone keep saying we were heading "Down East". The term comes from the old sailors that would travel from Boston to Maine. Because Maine is east of Boston and the winds were at their backs, they called it "Down East". So we packed up our gear and loaded the boats and headed further "Down East" to Sullivan Falls.

Sullivan Falls is a reversing falls and is a bit bigger on the ebb than the flood. The falls run on almost any tide, but the Spring tides are bigger and a bit more fun to play in. I got out and played for the first bit of the ebb and then took a bunch of shots of Lise-Anne and Mark playing at the peak of the tide.

The grand finale with Mark and Mel was big crossing out to the island of Petit Manan. The appeal of this trip for us was the possibility of seeing Puffins. I had never seen them before and Petit Manan is one of the few locations in the lower 48 where you can see them. We had our fingers crossed but also took in the beautiful coastline on the way out.

When you approach Petit Manan, it instantly feels quite remote. While you can see the big lighthouse on the crossing, it takes a good amount of time before you actually hit the island. The island is a National Wildlife Refuge and is managed for both puffins and artic terns. As we approached the island, there were hundreds of terns dive bombing us!

Then the real treat…we saw lots and lots of puffins!

Mark and Mel were great hosts and they showed us an amazing diversity of water, scenery, and wildlife. We absolutely loved Maine and can’t wait to come back!

We are now off to the Bay of Fundy for a week of tidal race paddling. Paul Kuthe is flying into meet us and paddle some exciting water! Off we go into Canada…

More to come here soon. Thanks for tuning in!

Our plan for New York was to first spend the weekend in Manhattan, then go to Orient Point on Long Island and finish off with some time on the Hudson river upstream from New York City. We spent the night in Philadelphia on our way up from North Carolina and made it in to New York City basically sans traffic. We were extra pleased when we got our kayaks off the roof of the “pimped out” P&H rig we’re driving and parked without either getting lost or bending one of the fenders! I’m sure you can imagine New York is a pretty hectic city to drive in when you live in BC, where all you need to do is put on your blinker or step into the street with the intention to cross and traffic comes to a stop for you! Not quite the same in NYC. The horns from every direction were enough to flash Bryan back to Peru.

To be honest, the thing that made our arrival in Manhattan so smooth is that as soon as we got there, we hooked up with Tim Gamble, our NYC host. He rode his bike to an intersection of the super busy extra large boulevard/highway along the Hudson at Pier 66 and helped us quickly unload our boats. The vehicle was illegally stopped and Bryan drove away and parked immediately while Tim and I carried the boats into the Boathouse there. First lesson: expect no slack from NYC parking folks. They WILL tow you and/or ticket you even if you are with the vehicle.

Coincidentally, one of my best friends Becky Bristow was in town because her last film Dog Gone Addiction was showing at the Explorer’s Club so we hooked up with her and spent the day cruising around the city, seeing the sights. We just came from North Carolina where it was really hot and there were many birds in the estuary. NYC was surprisingly similar that first day: super hot and lots of odd birds!!

Our first interest in NY was to spend some time with Tim Gamble and see what it’s like to paddle out of such a big city. He peeked our interest because he doesn’t only paddle out of downtown NYC, he also rides a bike everywhere! He planned a circumnavigation of Manhattan for the Saturday evening and got a few of his city paddler friends to join us. We were to paddle downstream and with the Ebb from the Boathouse at Pier 66 to the Statue of Liberty, take a break on Governer’s Island off the southern tip of Manhattan during slack, then paddle up the East River under all the famous NYC bridges and ride the Flood up the East side of the Island, in to the quiet Harlem River and around the Northern tip of the Island, then south down the Hudson home to the pier for about 10 pm. So off we go to beautiful statue!

NYC Lesson # two: there is lots of boat in NY harbor and to them, you and your fancy kayak are mere speed bumps. We made it safely to Governor’s Island but all eyes on deck, I tell ya, those ferries and tugs book it!

NYC Lesson # three: If they forecast a thunder storm, it’ll probably come! We were in the shelter of the Governor’s Island concession –yes, they serve lattes!- for but a minute and the rain started, followed by the loudest thunder and the longest lightning strikes I had heard in years.

Our host Tim…enjoying a cupcake at the latte stand as we waited out the storm on Govenor’s Island

NYC lesson #four: It’s not because there are hundred of piers and docks that you can take out your kayak anywhere. We pushed off Governor’s Island –interestingly the original NY settlement- after a lull in the storm and when we could again see the city skyscrapers which had disappeared in the clouds for a while. It didn’t take long for the thunder and lightning to return. We pulled up to a set of docks belonging to a float plane and booze cruise company and the attendant was worried about us so she let us weather the storm there. Two hours, two inches of rain and many lightning and thunder strikes later, we sent the drivers in cabs to get the cars and take our soggy a…s home.

NYC lesson #five: don’t ever go without dry clothes, the taxis won’t take you if you’re stranded!

Now some people might think this outing was a flop since we never achieved the goal set, but we thought it was great. We saw all the planning that went into it with tides and current charts and heard the weather forecasts predicting “changing weather”. And then we got to paddle with about a thousand boats in the harbor! Ferries, tugs, Donzies, jet skis, pleasure yachts… and with all those piers, not that many are low to the water and welcoming to kayaks so landing isn’t that obvious… Honestly, the kayaking in New York harbor was just about as hectic –and exciting- as driving the car was and there are as few "landing zones" as the remote west coast of Vancouver Island!

New York city being the riverside port that it is has taken a beating throughout the years. We were surprised to hear how much progress has been made in the cleaning process and, aside from the surface stuff that the 2 inches of rain brought down on the Saturday night we got stranded, the water felt/smelt/looked fine. As a result, there is more and more interest in the downtown shoreline and the city is building a new water park and increasing the recreation opportunities along the Hudson River. The “water trail” is busy with walkers, bikers, roller-bladers and all other meanderers, especially on weekends. That is when the Downtown Boathouse offers free half-hours of kayaking out of 3 of the Manhattan Piers.

Yes, free. No cost. Zip. Just put on a life jacket and get ready to have a wet behind and off you go! Close to 25,000 waivers were signed last year, and many of those came more than once. The deal is: stay inside the piers and don’t go out into the Hudson’s current and be back in half and hour. Some of the volunteer’s favorite regulars include the kids from the Bronx that don’t know Manhattan is an island, the nun in full habit and the 80 year old. The sit-on-top boats were all donated, volunteers –many volunteers- run the program and the city helps out with the buildings so it’s all about sharing the love and introducing folks from the city to kayaking and getting them more closely connected to their waterway. Love it. And if they like it they can get involved in the Boathouse and volunteer time and learn all the skills they need to move out of the pier bays and even get the opportunity to store their boat there. Cuz needless to say storing a 16 foot kayak in a Manhattan apartment isn’t exactly … doable!

The main thing that kept coming back when we asked people if the kayaking was any good in NY was the diversity. Agreed. After NYC, we drove out to the very tip of the Northern fork of Long Island and met up with the good folks of Atlantic Kayak Tours.

Bill and Janice Lozano and the rest of their staff showed us a great time at Orient Point. The weather can change really quickly here we heard and the wind can howl, making for challenging conditions but we hit it pretty mellow, really. There is some tidal activity in an area known as "Plum Gut" and we had a good time paddling and filming.

This is the less traveled part of Long Island and it showed. Peaceful, remote, rural… yet only a couple of hours from Manhattan, this is one of the areas many paddlers keep high on their hit list. We enjoyed the scenery and the obvious history as much as the paddling.

Bill and Janice were so nice to hang out with and so generous that we just had to go to their zone up the Hudson a little ways. A tidal estuary 170 miles long, the Hudson in West Saugerties is fresh water but still tidal. It took me a little bit to get my head wrapped up around that one. Again, close to New York the city but totally not downtown and hectic, more rural and quaint and totally picturesque.

We had a fairly short visit but really enjoyed the area and got enough of a teaser to want to see more. Personally I was excited to see the zone not just to kayak there but also because I had heard of it for some time through some of my favorite people in the whole world - my aunt Gisele, uncle Michel and cousin Mitch- who travel there in their motor boat most summers –in fact, we just missed them. So I soaked the short time we had and took all the scenery in.

The Hudson up-river form Manhattan is a totally different waterway but it remains a busy one with lots of commercial traffic and pleasure craft. It amazed us how quickly it changes from the downtown port to the rural, peaceful, meandering river. There is a plan to have the “water trail” go from NYC all the way to Albany with campsites at appropriate intervals. The current is totally interesting to figure out, with a constant downstream mixed with a tidal exchange. Toss in a little wind and some changing weather and you’ve got New York paddling!

Altogether we were impressed with the diversity of paddling and the number of people excited about kayaking. We found conditions to please the rank one-timer beginner and the most experienced and thrill thirsty, with everything in between. Oh, and the people weren’t anywhere near as scary as we thought they’d be! In fact, they were very friendly and welcoming. Traveling with a perfect Golden dog might have something to do with it, or maybe it’s the kayaking…

We are off to Maine!

I’ve spent my fare share of time in airplanes this year flying back and forth from paddling events, but I set some new records leaving Newfoundland in route for North Carolina. I for some reason calculated that it would be easier to fly home to BC and spend 36 hours resorting gear and logistics before heading to North Carolina for the start of our two month trip up the East Coast versus just going directly from Newfoundland to NC. While it seemed like a solid theory, the logistics and flight time eliminated out any "convenience" of heading home. Staying sane through 9 hours of flight time back to BC, renting a car to get home to Squamish, exploding and repacking in our living room in about 5 hours, then jumping in the car to get back to Vancouver, sleeping in the airport for a 6am flight, then 3 connecting flights and another 7 hours squashed next to several overweight individuals and crying babies was not exactly and easy start to two months of filming. Fortunately I arrived in Asheville to the hospitality of Jim Hagar and his wife Lisa and instantly started to decompress from the chaos of travel. Thanks to the efforts and support of Jim, Brian Good and the rest of the P&H/Pyranha crew, Lise-Anne and I arrived in Asheville to a swank Jeep Commander and two beautiful Cappella 161’s. Needless to say we were stoked to be saddling up in this rig!

Our first stop after hitting the road was Swansborrow, NC. The plan was to visit Lamar Hudgens at Barrier Island Kayaks for his annual symposium, present Pacific Horizons, and then paddle the Barrier Islands after the event. We left Newfoundland excited about warm weather, but we got a little more than we bargained for. With the heat index cresting above 100 degrees, we quickly realized that good air conditioning in North Carolina is directly porpotionate to level of happiness. Just like a good winter in Newfoundland equates to the amount of firewood on hand, survival in the south during the summer relies on big air conditioning units, shade trees, and cold beverages. Although the heat adjustment took us several days, we got right into the swing of the event and found ourselves in great company with some of our favorite sea kayaking friends…Nigel Dennis, Lamar, Jean Totz, Russel Farrow, Marsha and Ronni from Sea Kayak Georgia and many others.

We got the opportunity to hang out for the first time with Greenland paddling guru’s Cheri and Turner which was a treat. There are several people from the East coast that I’ve known of for a long time, but this trip is giving both Lise-Anne and I a great opportunity to get to know some of them. Cheri and Turner will be coming to BC in August and we are looking forward to paddling again with them.

One of the things we were hoping to take advantage of in North Carolina was the early morning light. It ended up being the best time of day to be on the water by default due to the heat. While we were involved with the symposium, our days were free to film and we managed to get some beautiful shots in the intercoastal water way just out the back door of Lamar’s shop. Lots of beautiful calm water. birds, and islands to relax into.

The early morning light was incredible!

Nautical charts are an interesting thing in this area. It is actually very difficult to find and accurate charts, as storms shift the islands and sand bars. Many shoals on the chart and small islands don’t exist any more and it is very hard to determine water depth. Looking at the chart to determine what channels would have enough water in them at low tide would not always provide us with the best answers. Local knowledge is key in this area to figure things out!

On the Saturday night of the event I gave a presentation on Pacific Horizons. The evening kicked off with a proper low country boil that Lamar’s wife Lisa prepared. Complete with local shrimp, corn, crab, potatoes, and cajun spice, we were spoiled with true southern cuisine and incredible hospitality.

As the event came to a close, our plans for North Carolina were picking up steam. Directly North from Swansborrow are the Barrier Islands…one of the finest sea kayaking destinations in the Southeast. We packed up the rig and started moving North with Lamar towards Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras. Lamar had told me several times before coming out that he had some spots he really wanted to show me and we had been looking forward to seeing the lighthouses, sand dunes, and crystal clear water that he described to us months ago. As we moved North into this zone, the culture picked up a notch. Some real southern folk with a proper drawl, more hard core fishermen than kayakers, and everyone was moving pretty slow. This is the beauty of these types of trips and projects for us. As much as we are paddling, we are also immersing ourselves in new cultures and regions. While some people think of North America as somewhat homogeneous…it is far from! The Southeast has a real sense of hospitality, perhaps the most unique accent in the U.S., and of course grits.

When it comes to paddling in North Carolina, Lamar Hudgens is the man. He has a very soft and gentle personality and an answer for just about every question you toss at him. He organized the logistics for a few days of paddling at both Cape Lookout and Caper Hatteras, which turned out to blow our expectations away. Lamar kept saying that we would find some "interesting water". We certainly did. Thanks Lamar!

On the way out to Cape Lookout we came across some of the feral horses that are found in the islands. The theory is that they would have probably come from the early explorers when they ship wrecked off the coast. The coastline of the Barrier Islands is littered with shoals that extended as much as 20 miles offshore and have grounded over 2000 ships. It is appropriately named the "Graveyard of the Atlantic".

The same shoals that have been responsible for wreaking havoc on mariners for a few centuries, are a sea kayaking paradise. The swell wraps around the shoals and creates tremendous clapotis that is a blast to paddle in. It is excellent water for practicing skills and playing. Warm water plus fun swells=big smiles!

Lise-Anne having a great time in the sea boat.

Super bouncy water off Cape Lookout.

The horseshoe crabs date back thousands of years…here they are mating to assure future generations.

Bob was our trip naturalist and runs most of the nature tours for Barrier Island Kayaks. He was full of great information on the natural history of the barrier islands and has the same soft nature an amazing sense of hospitality as Lamar. These guys make a great team.

Bob playing in the surf zone.

After a great day at Cape Lookout we headed North for Hateris. The logistics involved a couple hour ferry ride to Ocracoke which gave us a chance to nap after a huge day of play.

Landing in Orcacoke.

We spent the night in a cabin just South of Cape Hatteras and for the first time in several days got the chance to sleep in past 5:30am. The lighthouse at Cape Hatteras is the tallest in North America at 200 feet and is one of the biggest tourist attractions in North Carolina. I had been wanting to see this place for some time largely because of how highly Shawna and Leon spoke of it. Their old friend Hatteras the cat had a special place in my heart and I’m not a huge cat fan. It felt good to see the cape that "Hat the Cat" was named after. Beyond the historical and personal significance, there was plenty of good paddling to be had. Just down the coast is a place known as Diamond Shoals and we would some great surfing and clapotis.

We only had a few hours of solid play before we had to part ways with Lamar and crew and head North. On the way North we managed to catch the lighthouse at Oregon Inlet and and amazing sunset. Huge thanks to Lamar and crew at Barrier Island Kayaks for helping make this leg of the trip go so smooth. If the Barrier Islands are not on your "must do" list….put them on ASAP!

Next stop New York City!

Did we mention the Newfoundlanders are hospitable? Bryan got Dirk Muir’s contact through someone at the KNL retreat and since he had a place on Fogo Island and we kept being recommended to go, he gave him a call. Next thing we knew he offers his place on Fogo Island. Now he’s not going to be there, but he gave us directions: go into the town of Fogo, turn left as soon as you enter, now there’s a T intersection there, so go left, go over the bridge and down the hill, then up the hill, well you’ll pass a pharmacy and oh, there’s a church beside the pharmacy and a store across the street and so up the hill, and then it’s the fourth house on the right, it’s orange. Translation: go to Fogo, left at the T, orange house on the right. They are funny those Newfies! To get into the house: there’s a window in the basement with a screen that’s torn, crawl into the basement, up the trap door and then you can open the sliding door. OK, off we go to fogo to Dirk’s house. We parked our kayak-laden van in the driveway and stepped out into the blowing rain, sticking out like sore thumbs with the “canoes” on the roof and our colorful Gore Tex jackets. Then we skulked around the house a few times to make sure this was the right one. There was construction material stacked half way up the only window we could find, which made things very tight, but we figures it must be it, being the only orange house around… I volunteered to try the squeeze and sure enough, found the trap door and made my way into the old house under renovations. So to get to the point here: the neighbor sort of saw us doing this and was in his driveway when I opened the door for the rest of the crew standing on the front porch by now and… nothing. Not a peep from the jovial looking guy with the thick accent and the grey Molson Canadian sweat shirt. Not one question about who we were, if we were friends of Dirk’s, if he was around … Nothing, just friendly conversation! The weather was terrible to be honest so we were stoked to have a large wood stove and firewood at our disposal. We decided that winter happiness in Newfoundland must be directly proportional to the size of one’s woodpile. We stayed the night in this trip back in time of a little village but couldn’t really get our courage up to get in our kayaks with the weather the way it was. Besides, if we were to make it all the way up to Khaaaarpoooon, we needed to hit the road.

A step back in time…a typical Newfoundland fishing village.

Frankly, we had our doubts about going to Quirpon Island. It sits off the Northern tip of the province, where the giant Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the Labrador currents come together, with colder and more changing weather than anywhere else in Newfoundland and we were a little concerned about how far it would be to drive there. We met a crabber in Twillingate that got a huge kick out of us saying we were going to Quirpon, he laughed and said “Ahhhhhh, yeer goino Khaarpooon! Oh, you’ll get some weather tere!” But we got the show on the road and drove through Gros Morne National park and up the West side of the peninsula –the only way up there- where we got insane views of Quebec and Labrador across the Gulf of Saint-Lawrence. We started the drive at dusk with all sorts of moose on the road. One was right in our lane, but we had all 8 eyes on deck and I was driving slowly, heeding all the warnings “Oh, ter’s lots of moose out tere, be careful” they said. so thankfully we avoided the ¾ ton+ teenager.

Bryan had been working really hard at planning this trip: most of the winter in fact. He had talked to Ed English at Linkum Tours a bunch, trying to hash out details and schedules and timing and all the rest before we got there. Eventually, he put it straight to him: “Just get yourself here, it’ll all be fine”. Now we know what he meant. He’s the man, Ed. The man with the van, the Inn, the boat, the kayaks… The man that makes things happen in Newfoudland. We made loose plans to meet somewhere on the way up to Quirpon and, since we stopped a little and were a few hours behind schedule, it was great to see him patiently waiting in the tiny hamlet (pronounced Khaarpoon) to take us across to the Island where he transformed an old 1890 lighthouse into a cozy Inn. It was close to 8 pm when we pushed off and we had an incredible sunset on the hour or so paddle in. We landed our kayaks in a tiny cove around a beautiful headland and walked the 3-4 Km to the inn. Instantly, we could see why people told us not to ever pass up an opportunity to go to Quirpon and paddle with Ed. Ever.

Ed English showing us his local waters off Quirpon Island

The island is all rolling hills covered with grasses, heather, flowers (which weren’t in bloom yet) and cute ponds and a person can walk literally anywhere so long as they don’t care getting their feet a little wet. The views on the Atlantic are incredible, looking North to Labrador and East out to sea, with icebergs sitting right off the shore. The staff at the lodge were exemplary of the Newfoudland hospitality–Ed the owner and make things happen guy, Madonna the Inn manager organizer, Doris the incredible mama cook and loving heart, Jerry the guide and funny guy, Hubert the man of all trades and boat driver extraordinaire-… any more good natured and… I don’t know what happens, I’ve never seen it!

The ponds littered across the island provide ample fresh water.

The lighthouse and inn!

The unique geology found along Quirpon Island.

We spent the next four days in this magical place. Walking around the island, I was moved thinking of people that had set foot there in the past: the Vikings 1000 years ago, the French princess marooned with her lover and her nanny, the lighthouse keepers… All of whom would have seen the place quite like we did. The weather was fine after all, one day of down time we were all actually quite thankful for! We paddled to the local grounded icebergs, up and down the slot “tickles”, which we loved as much for how fun they were as for what they were called! The water is deep to the edge of the large headlands so the shoreline is very interesting, and quite safe to get close to.

Catching a nice little surf along the coast!

Waiting out a stormy day in the comfort of the Quirpon Lighthouse Inn.

The lighthouse at night!

Lots of Ice in the bays and some giant bergs grounded just off Quirpon gave us a chance to try out the ice in some gin and tonics during the evening hours.

We spent a good amount of time exploring right along the coast taking advantage of the gentle swell.

Quirpon is a sea paddling paradise…and then you return to the best hospitality in the whole wide world at the end of the day!

Rinsing off our gear in one of the fresh water pools at the end of the day.

As much as time seemed to stand still on Khaarpoon, it did go by and we eventually had to get on our way. Our flights were booked and we have a busy schedule to come, so off we go. We weren’t there at the right time to see the whales, which come in July and hang out in hordes in the little cove right by the lighthouse inn, so we’ll just have to go back! Our next stop, after a brief visit home, will be North Carolina and we’re looking forward to some heat, some warm water and the southern hospitality!

After spending a day in Twillingate, the locals became curious about our intentions with the "canoes" strapped to the roof of the mini-van. Having kayaked in many places around the world, I’m not shocked anymore by the amount of attention generated by simply having boats strapped to the roof of a vehicle. Twillingate reminded me of being a gringo in South America on several occasions. It is impossible to blend into a remote fishing village with nice puffy down jackets and shinny fiberglass kayaks and we clearly did not have the Newfy accent and dialect. The benefit of being a tourist in Newfoundland over a gringo in South America though is that people are genuinely interested in what you are up to rather than your dollars. With a few helpful hints from the locals on where we could find some of the largest ice bergs, we quickly became immersed and mesmerized by the giant mountains of ice.

Lise-Anne and I scoping out the two bergs just outside the harbor

Chelsea, Lise-Anne and I all paddling near a giant berg that was like a piece of swiss cheese. This one had a giant arch that would be tempting to paddle through if the ice bergs were not so dangerous.  The next morning this berg was 4 or 5 different chuncks!

There are a number of things on the ocean that remind me of how powerful the ocean is, but the big ice bergs brought a whole new scale of danger into my radar on the sea. The sheer beauty of them attracts you closer to them, but as you start to get close the unpredictable nature and realization of how big they are takes over. With over 9/10ths of the ice berg below the surface, only the tips of the bergs are what we see above the surface. They are extremely dangerous to be around, as they can role over, break in half, or implode in a matter of seconds.

Here Lise-Anne and I find ourselves a little close for comfort. This berg would be considered small by Newfoundland standards. We started calling the smaller ones "ice cubes"…the locals called them "bergy bits".

Dwarfed by an absolute monster!

The locals keep telling us that we must venture down towards Little Harbor to check out a giant ice berg that had grounded there a week or so back. One little old lady claimed it was "the biggest ice berg she had seen in 25 years". On her and others advice we spent some time looking at the charts and plotting a plan to get to Little Harbor. I always find it really interesting to get into new places and have to go back to the fundamentals of sea paddling navigation. Doing lots of pre trip planning with charts, identifying hazards, measuring distances, and looking at possible out if weather or sea state kicks up. More and more paddlers are turning to GPS as there primary form of navigation, but traditional navigation on nautical charts still provides me with a certain sense of proper seaman ship. Nothing wrong with a GPS, I just could not imagine doing trips like this without investing time in doing good chart work.  It gives me so much more background information on a location than just simply plotting a course. 

Lise-Anne and Chelsea in Little Harbor. Scale is hard to depict here, but they are probably a good kilometer away from this berg.

Same ice berg, different angle. This shot still makes my jaw drop. Phil took some amazing photos on this trip. This is by far one of my favorites.

Something that I found very unique to Newfoundland was the lack of trees along the shoreline. This made land angles very accessible to both Phil and myself. I’m sure this will become a classic "Bryan in Action" shot for 2008.

I find it quite challenging to be filming as well as paddling, but it takes a dedication to both for these types of trips to be successful. At times I’m running around like a chicken with its head cut off to get the shot and then other times I’m paddling into places for the shot. Lise-Anne and I have been trying to work hard as a team and capture a lot of each other on this project. Unlike Pacific Horizons where the two of us were barely present in the movie, Eastern Horizons will feature a lot more of us and our interactions with the places and people we encounter along the way.

A perfect stern draw. My first kayak coaches Shawna and Leon would be proud of the rotation and edge!

I had introduced in the previous post the term "tickle". They are a coastal sea paddlers dream. I had been scoping this tickle since we discovered Little Harbor and we actually decided to stay an extra day in Twillingate to nail this shot. A perfect little surf wave would set up on the smaller sets through the slot. Big sets were a bit scary, but there were a few safe zones to sit in and wait the turbulence out.

Another "tickle" and quite possibly one of the more dramatic sea kayaking shots I have ever seen. Phil out did himself on this one. This captures the whole experince of Newfoundland in one shot for me. Wow!

I have to give huge props to Phil Tifo for his photos and ability to capture the sheer beauty and size of the ice bergs. His experience as a photographer shinned on this trip and we were blessed to have him along. Thanks Phil! More on our trip to Quirpon Island on the very northern tip of Newfoundland coming soon.