RE: [Paddlewise] Next Summer?

Who's got plans for next summer?  Only 7 months away!


> Remember back in the 60's when everyone was 'dropping out'?  (If you do,
you're showing your age).  Well, I'm about to do the same to end this
century.

I expect to pack the camping & kayak gear and head north up the US east
coast in mid/late May.  I will take 4-6 weeks to travel/paddle up through
Maine, New Brunswick, Quebec and Nova Scotia, arriving in Northern
Newfoundland late June/early July.

If I can figure how to do it, I'd like to head up to Nain, in central
Labrador for a couple of weeks to see if Professor Inverbon is still
researching the Inuits in that area.

There's a 100-150 mile stretch in that area with 100's (1000's?) of islands
that look really neat on the maps.  The only problem is you can't get there
from here.  There are no roads up the coast.  Having an outfitter fly me in
is probably out of the question because of cost; I'll be on a budget
(shudder). There is a supply boat that goes up that way every couple of
weeks....

I think the Labrador Current flows from Greenland, bringing all those ice
bergs (that sank the Titanic) and ice floes.  What's the difference between
ice floes and ice bergs?  I know Flo up the road like 'burgers (sorry).  And
while I'm at it, why is Greenland covered with ice and Iceland covered with
forests?  (curious minds want to know).  I think floes are more like flat
frozen river ice that breaks up and ice bergs are those big things that
break off a glacier.

I think lots of whales and seals summer in these waters.  There are also
lots of bald eagles and caribu.  There are only scattered Inuit (Eskimo)
villages and the landscape starts getting pretty barren.  I think the area
is classified as sub-artic.  They do have 2000-5000 foot cliffs on the coast
which must be awesome to see.  I haven't found too much information about
the area yet.  There aren't many tourist/travel guides.  The most I've found
so far is hunting/fishing trip type stuff.  I have a cruising guide
(sailing) for Labrador on order.

I think July is mid-summer and averages 60-70F on the coast.  From this
point on, I'd be able to head south at a more leisurely pace.
 
Northern Newfoundland includes at least two fantastic looking/sounding bays.
Notre Dame Bay appears to be about 50+ miles long with 100's of islands.
I've been able to gather a fair amount of information and it's noted for ice
bergs, fjords, whales, seals, eagles, etc. and of course commerical fishing
used to be the main industry.

Bonavista Bay is right below Notre Dame Bay and also looks like a great area
to spend a few weeks in.  Plus there's some other areas in Newfoundland that
look/sound great.

The Saint Lawrence Seaway is in the general area and is a pretty big chunk
of water as is the Bay of Fundy near Nova Scotia.  I have a sea kayaking
book for Nova Scotia but haven't done any research on it yet.  Friends go to
Nova Scotia every year for a motorcycle rally and they rave about the Cabot
Trail which is about a 100 mile road through some fantasic mountains
on/trough Cape Bretton Island.  I know (think) the east coast of Nova Scotia
is mostly cliffs.

The only schedule would be to back in Maine/New Hampshire for some fall
foliage camping/hiking in the mountains during early October.  Then after
stopping off for a couple weeks with family & friends, southwards to the
'Glades or the Keys or Islands in Flordia after the bugs are gone.  Or maybe
somewhere else.  Who knows?

There was a story on TV over the weekend about tourist murders, rapes &
robberies occuring in parts of Mexico and Guatemala <sp>.  That would put a
damper on similar activities south of the border.


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