january 17, 2007The May 24th Weekend. It's a big one in Newfoundland. I'm certain in other places they're raising a glass to Queen Victoria. But here for many folks it's about pitching a tent (or parking in the RV) in a provincial park and enjoying a few beers with friends. Not my cup of tea but each to her own. For paddlers, it means a weekend based out of cabins in Traytown near Terra Nova National Park; the opportunity to paddle the ocean or rivers, take a stroke or river-running clinic, participate in a day paddle with new and old paddling buddies, enjoy a cold beer at the end of the day, throw a frisbie, dance in the pub on saturday night, take in a banquet dinner with a guest speaker (fab kayakers like Justine Curgenven and Ruth Gordon) sunday night, and wake up hungry monday morning while the KNL board of directors cooks up an open-air pancake breakfast.
Yeah, cold days like this I'm looking forward to this May 24th - Kayak Newfoundland & Labrador's 7th Annual Retreat. About 100 paddlers of both sea and WW persuasion come out to the retreat. The location is ideal: two rivers nearby offer great WW runs and where they spill out to the ocean, offer the opportunity for sea kayakers to practise some moving water skills. And the rocky coastline is riddled with bays, coves, arms, inlets and fjords aligned in different directions so there's usually somewhere to paddle even when it's blowing. It may snow, rain, hail (paddled in all three one year) or be blistering hot. And if it's really too windy to paddle, well there's lots of hiking trails to go on in the nearby national park.
4 comments:
Nice bongo slide on the link!
Grazie - my first go at surfing - luckily we had small waves - hopefully get a chance to do some more this year (now I've got a nice red helmet!). Alison
The closest I got to paddling in Newfoundland last summer was out of Terra Nova Park. Unfortunately the high winds kept us ashore. I have an invitation to try again this year, not in May, but in July and I fully plan to hold them to it! We're looking at an overnighter out to Swale Island and the Lion's Den areas for starters. May 24th looks fun though...
Michael, that's a pretty area. I've paddled out to Swale Island as part of a 2-nighter (we stayed at South Broad Cove) and have wanted to continue to Lion's Den, only weather or time have not been favourable last trips. Hope you have more success. Wonder what the origin of that name is? should be black bear's den! Alison
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