JOURNEY #20 - August 25/27/29, 2002
Sunday, August 25
With a rare ten days of time off from work, we decided to spend six days in Prince Edward Island. The drive is 12 hours from Ottawa (assuming use of the Confederation Bridge, not the ferry) and we decided to split the trip in half, both there and back.
We found a bed and breakfast located on the waterfront of a small inlet of Rustico Bay, which is in the middle portion of the northern section of the island. The bay is formed by a long peninsula which is technically an island (Robinson Island) and constitutes the eastern section of Prince Edward Island's only national park.
The north shore is sparsely populated, and the main attraction is the raw beauty of the ocean crashing into the eroding red cliffs. Wildlife in the Rustico Bay area features an incredible number of great blue herons, as well as osprey and bald eagles, and countless varieties of shore birds. Red foxes inhabit the forested areas, and although rare, one might also run into a seal, as we found out.
On our first morning on the island breakfast was served to us on the terrace at 9:00, and featured sliced peaches fresh from the owner's father's farm. We ate everything provided (which was quite a lot) and decided we would go kayaking, despite greyish skies and a light rain. This was a good choice, because the weather cleared up!
We drove the yaks through a weedy trail down to the water's edge and headed east out into Rustico Bay. There was a decent headwind and some small waves. We decided to cross the bay, heading towards some large red sand dunes in the distance. It took us about an hour, and before we reached the sandy shoreline, Julie spotted a red fox hunting along the shoreline. He took off before we could get a picture, but we decided to stop and do some beachcombing. We had a nice stretch and collected some small rocks and shells.
We were a bit disoriented with our position, but decided to head northwest to try to find the opening to the ocean. We got it right, and were rewarded with a roaring surf along the sandy point directly across from the harbor, which features a breakwater and a lighthouse. The waters were shallow, making for a relatively safe environment for our first experience with surf kayaking. We had been on the ocean in York Harbor in Maine, but the waves were nothing compared to these.
Simply put, it was a thrill ride. The first time we paddled parallel to the beach, we both got washed onto the shore. We got out for another stretch, and bailed out our cockpits (the nylon sprayskirts we own are not really a match for the ocean). We went for another run, this time giving ourselves a bit more room from the shore, and also moving a bit further northeast, where the waves were even higher. We each had a couple of flirtations with capsizing.
Right after turning around with the intent of heading back to our room, we were crashing through the waves when Keenan suddenly started making excited gestures out into the ocean. There, among the whitecaps, was a single harbor seal, bobbing in the surf with a curious look on his whiskered face. We both got a good look at him, and suddenly he was gone.
We had now been out for almost four hours, and the sun was now out and it was getting warm. The wind kept us cool, but we hadn't brought sunblock or hats, so we headed back, as it had been almost four hours and we were still a bit stiff from the long drive.
Tuesday, August 27
Today was to be our big kayaking day. Breakfast came sharply at 9:00, but we took our time enjoying the morning sun and the strong breeze on the patio.
The plan was to head northwest out of the bay and along the north shore towards Cavendish. We set off about 10:30. Where our little inlet joins the main area of Rustico Bay, there was the usual brigade of blue herons staring at us from the shore, and a couple of osprey flew by. One of the neighbours had told us to be on the lookout for two adult and one infant bald eagles, and we did in fact see the two adults soaring overhead. A nice start to the day.
When we hit the bay, the wind was really blowing hard out of the northwest, right in our faces. The straps on our hats were pulling hard on our necks. As we crossed the harbor towards the breakwater, there were some pretty big waves, but at this point, the main concern was the headwind, which was slowing our progress. As we started down the coastline along the beautiful eroding red cliffs, we could see some serious swells would be waiting for us at the next point.
We got slammed pretty hard with some whitecaps right in our faces, but made it past the first point. The wind was still head on, requiring some pretty hard paddling, but it was not too difficult to split the waves. Our kayaks were finally getting to do what they were designed to do! When we spotted a small beach area prior to the next point (which turned out to be a stop known as Cape Turner on the PEI National Park scenic highway) we decided to beach there and check out the area on foot.
We removed our soaked gear and laid it out to dry as we headed up a path between the cliffs. We were quite close to the road, so we hiked west until we came to the entrance to the Cape Turner rest area. Keenan chatted up a family visiting from Brampton who were picnicking in the area, and snapped some photos. We also found a park map that gave us our exact location, which was about halfway to East Cavendish beach from out starting point. We decided to make the beach our goal for the day, not forgetting that we would still have to paddle all the way back.
We had a couple of rocky points to clear along the way, and the waves at each of them were pretty massive. The point just before our turnaround destination had a wicked surf, and Julie capsized just short of the beach area, but was able to walk in without incident. Keenan played around in the surf for a few minutes, and managed to resurrect himself twice after tipping, but the third time a huge wave sloshed him right in the face as he was attempting to right his kayak, and he found himself in the shallow waters of the ocean.
It was a very interesting area, and there was a man guiding a horse dragging a cage-like device, harvesting the mosses that grow along the shore. Apparently it is used in a variety of products, including ice cream. The small group of tourists on the beach were equally delighted with the presence of the horse, and our own appearance with the kayaks. Many of them eagerly adjusted their shots in an effort to include us in the background of their photos. They also seemed to enjoy the spectacle of watching us capsize in the surf.
Julie bailed out the kayaks while Keenan climbed up to the road to check out the area. He ran into the same family from Brampton, and they chatted a bit about kayaking. We had hoped that there might be a canteen at the beach to buy some food, as we had already downed the snack we brought with us. But we learned that we would have to go quite a distance to the north beach before there would be any signs of civilization. We had already been out about four hours, so it was time to head back.
The wind and waves were stronger than ever, and we were both a bit worried about just making it out of the immediate area and around the point were Julie had capsized. Paddling into the wind had been tough, but having it behind and a bit to the side was much more difficult.
We made it past the first point OK, but at the next one we both got slammed by huge waves and an odd current (perhaps a riptide effect) that caused out kayaks to first surge strongly towards shore, and then spin quickly back out towards the ocean, all the while riding the same wave! It was amazing that neither of us capsized.
The rest of the trip back was not particularly relaxing, although we shared a certain sense of accomplishment with the achievement of paddling one of the more dramatic areas of the north shore. Once we got across the harbor and into the shallow waters around the bay we were able to relax, because it is both sandy and shallow, even if the waves were still quite something. Just before the entrance to the bay, a huge wave picked Keenan up from behind and he surged forward for what seemed like about ten seconds. There was also definitely a bit of a riptide effect here (so much water is crashing on shore that it pushed back out towards the ocean, making it hard to paddle towards shore) so we had to work hard just to get into Rustico Bay.
We mostly rode the wind slowly towards our little inlet, which was at this time completely overtaken by about sixteen blue herons, who were out for an afternoon fish. We did our best to pass by without disturbing them. After reaching the landing area, we wasted little time ripping of our gear and getting into a hot tub.
Thursday, August 29
We were supposed to leave first thing, but decided to spend another half day, knowing that we would not be able to experience these conditions again for a long time. There were still some sore muscles and bruises from Tuesday's adventure, but we were both up for some fun.
We had everything packed in the van by about 10:00 and we headed out into the bay in search of surf to play with. Although the wind was down, the waves were still pretty exciting just off the point near the harbor. Keenan was into taking the waves from the side, and tipped over twice but threw himself back upright by pushing off the bottom with his paddle, once when his head was under the water.
Julie was still very sore, so she went out a bit deeper and rode the waves in like a surfer. We both had fun taking the waves head on as well. It's a real blast watching the wave rolling toward you and sometimes crashing right over your head.
We headed back around noon, to find the house deserted. We grabbed a quick shower, made reservations at a motel for an evening stopover, and said goodbye to the Rustico Bay. One of our last memories will be of the giant osprey that was presiding over the beach as we rode the surf.
Although being in the ocean was an awful lot of fun, we are also looking forward to getting back to the rivers of Eastern Ontario. After our PEI experience, we are unlikely to be easily frightened by a little chop on a lake or the Ottawa River in future.
