Journal Entries

After successfully navigating around the Cape - an interesting and exciting mix of tides, current and eddies - it was time to put in and have some lunch and a rest!

I met three new guy paddlers this trip - making a total of 7 men who were VERY helpful with the heavy lifting - add 4 of us women, we were a group of 11. Art, the organizer of this trip - and several other cycling and hiking events @hammerhead and I have been part of - is so capable and amiable and just a lot of fun to be with. He's the guy second on the left sitting on the rock of the inner circle. We'd had a good day; hiking; competing who was most accurate at throwing rocks to knock a plastic bottle off a ledge; couple of the guys did go out for a crazy-windy paddle; relaxed and read - and after this photo got busy making a bonfire on the beach and cooking supper. This is the life!

Too windy to paddle around the Cape - about 30K, gusting higher - so it's a hiking day. Boats poised for launching the next day, with a better wind report. Thankfully we have cell coverage on the beach - and some very able and experienced paddlers in the group. Lots of weather discussion, which is both fun and educational for me.

Hiking along Bay of Fundy - a lunch stop with a view. Considered going as far as Bald Rock (see it jutting out - not the island :) but we decided 11k return was enough. Perfect weather!

Camped on the beach at Seal Cove. This photo was taken about 8:45PM - just before crawling into my sleeping bag to music of the waves - pretty magical!

Called the Three Sisters - felt like they were in view "forever" paddling into a brisk head wind. However, such beauty surrounding you is energizing!

First day paddle from Eatonville to Seal Cove, Cape Chignecto. Some wind, lots of beauty - made camp on the beach. Little nap before supper and conversation with great paddling mates.

The Bay of Fundy - among other things like red sand-rock and whale watching - has the highest tides in the world (https://www.novascotia.com/about-nova-scotia/regions/bay-fundy-annapolis). When the tide goes out the ocean floor can be firm enough to walk on, have little pools, small ridges, and is usually pretty mucky close to shore. A beauty unique to itself - photo taken by Five Islands Provincial Park, NS, which provides a water tap up at the parking lot to clean off clothes, shoes and bodies before getting in your vehicle!

Staring at a Mountain you are due to climb all morning is not a great motivator for me. Parkview mountain looked intimidating from the moment we got it in sight. It also didn't help that Jonathan Let's comment was along the lines of "it's steep but mostly worth it". And several people commented on the shelter hut near the summit. Yet again, thunderstorms were due, so we were under a time crunch. We summited around 1pm, and could see the storm rolling in quickly. We legged it to get down off the ridgeline and into tree line, and managed to get down into treeline about 70 hours later (read: two) because the "trail" was just a cross country pile of cairns for the most part, and included several surprise climbs. We finally got to the next water source (did I mention this Mountain was also completely dry?), But only after we had been rained and hailed on. Luckily, the sun came back out as we got to camp, so we could dry ourselves out before bed time.

Another hike recommendation for you all: the Bowen Pass loop trail. Get on it. It's beautiful, and currently bursting with wildflowers. 10/10 would recommend.

Saw a few moose, dodged another thunderstorm, and only got rained on a little. Generally kicked butt on the 6th July. Sadly, it is now definitely mosquito season, so we are forever on guard from the blood sucking marauders. Our camp that night was the worst spot by far, and we weren't even near any water!