July
22, 2005
By
Brian Newhook
Weather:
Sunny, 24 degrees C
Trip Length: 2 hrs total
Paddlers: Brian Newhook, Angie Brace
Kayaks Used: 2x Seaknife SK-17 Pro
Our
paddle route is marked in red (thumbnail - click on image to enlarge)
This
was a light afternoon paddle on a beautiful day. We had paddled Trout River Pond
the day before and we were pretty tired, but it was just too nice to not go out
for a paddle.
We
spend the previous night in the Lomond campground of Gros Morne National Park.
It is a pretty good campground, with grass in most sites and a great view of
Bonne Bay and Killdevil mountain. There is a boat launch and wharf in Lomond
Cove, right in the campground area. We launched on the beach there at noon. The
water was very calm; mirror-like. The park ranger came by and asked us a few
questions about kayaking and where we were traveling from. He was very helpful
and told us that Stanleyville is a short paddle from here, about 45 minutes or
so, and to watch out for the winds, as they come up fast in this area.
Bonne Bay with Killdevil mountain in the background (thumbnail - click on image to enlarge)
The
water in Bonne Bay is very clear, and unless you paddle out from shore more than
50 meters or so, you can usually see the bottom. There are a few beaches along
the way to Stanleyville but its mostly high cliffs with interesting geology. We
enjoyed hugging the coastline and inspecting the shoreline and cliffs, as well
as the sea bottom. A few small fish could be seen through the water here.
Cliffs
around Tucker’s Head (thumbnail - click on image to enlarge)
Just
off Tuckers Head there was a small boat with an older gentleman and his
granddaughter fishing. He mentioned that they had seen a porpoise earlier. We
weren’t so lucky.
Just before entering Paynes Cove, where Stanleyville is located, the coastline is amazing, with rounded out, eroded rocks. I think they are Limestone, but I’m far from a geology buff, so I won’t try to pretend that I know anything about it. Either way it’s beautiful.
Thumbnails
- click on images to enlarge
Payne’s
Cove has a large pebble stone beach and is the perfect spot for a picnic or
overnight camping. There are primitive campsites here but permits must be
obtained from the park. There are picnic tables and an outhouse. There is also a
small brook with fresh water where were we refilled our water bottles. Just up
off the beach on the western side of the cove, there are some rusty pieces of
machinery, possibly old logging equipment. The park ranger told us that there is
a trail here from Lomond campground as well. Stanleyville
was a small community that was active in the early 1900’s but has been
abandoned for about eighty years now.
Thumbnails - click on images to enlarge
After our lunch we set out again to move further up the arm, but the wind had begun to pick up, blowing southwest. We were pretty tired from the day before, so we decided to head back to Lomond and call it a day. Luckily the wind was at our backs so we could basically sail/surf our way back with little effort.
A few notes about paddling in this area. Be very careful of the winds. Bonne Bay acts like a fjord to funnel wind which can come up fast. It would be a good idea to get going early in the morning, as the winds tend to pick up in the afternoon. Again it is a nice, short, relaxing paddle for novices.