Great Island

A number of us made our way to Great Island yesterday. Conditions were ideal - leaving Bauline East we made our way out to the island. The waves from the inside of the island gave us a clue that there would be a greater swell on the east side but the wind was low and there was no sign of fog. The puffins as always were in amazing abundance and continued to skim the surface, bobbing up and surfacing close to our boats.

The video gives a small glimpse into one of the orbits of the Devil's Throat. The deep sea caves were accessible but we were constantly bombarded with droppings from all the birds. At one time I had to drop the camera briefly to resume paddling against the wave action.

We made our way out around the outside of the island - spectacular views, and quite a rolling swell. At varying times it seemed we were ascending small hills. The refraction from the island itself contributed another set of interesting conditions as we paddled to and beyond the Arch. An incredible feature that I avoided photographing at the time, perceiving I needed to be paddling to stay upright.

The island is a protected bird sanctuary and even if you wanted to land there is no safe place to do so on the outside.

Arriving around the south end of the island it seems we startled another younger group of puffins(even though we were quite a distance from shore) and when one group launched another flapped their wings madly waiting for some prearranged bird signal at which time they left, and this repeated itself several times.

This is a great destination but some caution has to be kept in mind particularly with the tendency for the fog to roll in a moment's notice. A compass is essential equipment.

Whales in Mobile

Andrew and I took a leisurely drive out to Mobile yesterday and launched from the beach at Mobile. This is a section of the beach that is linked to the East Coast trail. Occasionally this launch site is difficult due to the surf but this morning it was quiet. We expected to join up with a number of kayakers but there was no formal trip planned. We paddled up the shore of the harbour then into the middle of
activity. A small group of us had gathered in almost a semi-circle and two whales seemed to be investigating us rather than the other way around.
Tony managed to get extraordinary video which he has shared on the KNL link.
There was a sense of amazement but at the same time nervousness because even after a number of sightings, encounters of whales this was one of the closest a number of us had been.
The pictures and video were great but the combination of seeing, hearing combined with the smells go beyond what can be described. You had to be there.

Magdalen Islands

The Iles de la Madeleine were a challenge to reach, but an incredible unique island combination - five hours or so from the east coast of PEI. The toughest part of the drive for us was getting through the wreckhouse region of western newfoundland.
If you are bilingual you will fit right in - for those of us with less than stellar french conversation skills, we were accomodated expertly by the residents and the folks at stores and camping grounds. We managed to discover quite a bit about the islands as well as get out on the water as much as we could.
We stayed at Parc de Gros Cap where we met Danielle and Frederick who led the sea kayak tours plus provided information on winds, other paddling locations and snorkeling spots.
The best way to appreciate the fragile coast is to see the cliffs from the water - the layering provides a clue to the at risk areas of erosion, the more the layers the greatest risk. Some even recall major losses, in 2002 a huge arch collapsed leading to the formation of one of the stacks outside of Gros de cap.
We found nests of kingfishers and of black guillemots. Black guillemots are related to the puffin. They lay eggs on the cliffside but lay an odd shaped egg that won't roll off the edge of the rocky ledge.
The dunes are incredible. In addition, numerous artisans work on the islands for most of the year - traveling and showing in other loactions between November and March.
A good base for making the trip is Souris PEI - there are often houses for rent in the area or Red Point Provincial park is ten minutes from the ferry. Basin Head just beyond Red Point is a great area for swimming, beaches and away from the traditional tourist areas in PEI.

Whitewater at KNL Retreat

The KNL group combine both sea kayaking and whitewater in their annual event. This is great advantage for both learning and connecting with new friends. If you look closely at the river, there are unique features that lend themselves to traiing and skill development. The instructors work these to the advantage of the group. I had to bail early as I packed myself into one of the WW boats I had used for practice but knee couldn't last the full session. But I thoroughly enjoyed being on the river and I am committed to trying again.

KNL Retreat at Terra Nova

We just finished our annual retreat this weekend. Kayakers from all over the province made their way to the Splash n Putt to meet, socialize, kayak and learn.
There was something for everyone - Saturday sea kayakers had the choice of a short paddle from Salton's Pond to Minchin Cove or a long paddle around Swale Island.

Thirty six of us decided on the short paddle. We left Salton's Pond where the Park's Marine Interpretation centre is located. The first section of the paddle to the narrows brought us through the Terra Nova Bird Sanctuary. The northern part - Buckley Cove we saved to last, where eagle's had been spotted the previous week. As we paddled we saw a number of immature eagles and a large eagle nest.

We meandered our way to Minchin Cove, which is classified as a primitive campsite by the park and the site of a mill years ago. There are still remnants of the mill around the beach. A wharf made it possible for a local friend to reach the site by a speed boat and surprised us with chile, hot chocolate and a warm fire. Hiking in is possible but this usually takes 5-6 hrs.

Just as we were reaching our take out back at Salton's blue and sun broke out and made for a leisurely relaxed post paddle cleanup.

Icebergs

This past week has seen a tremendous amount of iceberg traffic. A number of
kayaking friends have been out but timing is critical - one extra meeting or two and the window of opportunity is missed.



I am not sure what this means from an environmental perspective but the trails are full, the southern shore is doing a brisk business of folks driving down to hidden spots and folks attending conferences from all over the world are getting some extraordinary views.

These photos were taken as I was running along the Quidi Vidi loop to Signal Hill. The top one is taken from the trail at Cuckold's Cove and the other is a small iceberg almost blocking the entrance to the Quidi Vidi harbour.

10,000 steps

We have recently been working on a CPA initiative that has us monitoring our steps per day and making up the difference by walking or running.

For the average person 10000 steps wouldbe a good minimum.

It works out to 8 - 10 km per day depending on your stride.

For kayakers and swimmers,of course you have to convert - in the pool I am looking at trying 1000-2000m to add to the total. Kayakers have to use their GPSs to log on their mileage.

Whatever you do log it on to your exercise training plan.

Here is a useful section from the CPA website:


Why do physiotherapists recommend walking 10,000 steps per day?

Walking is a healthy weight-bearing exercise that can provide a total body workout. Walking, skating, blading and other cardiovascular activities help fight obesity, heart disease, arthritis and osteoporosis.

How do you know if you’re doing enough? One way to monitor your activity level is to wear a pedometer that counts the number of steps you take in a day. 10,000 steps per day is the ‘magic number’ recommended to achieve an active lifestyle.

By setting a daily step goal that builds up to 10,000 steps a day, you will realize a significant decrease in body mass index and blood pressure. Put your best foot forward today!

Getting started

1. How active are you?

Lifestyle Index Sedentary Low Active Somewhat Active Highly Active
Steps/day* <5000 5000 – 7500 7500 – 10,000 >10,000

* The above recommendations are for healthy adults. Children and youth require more steps/day. Elderly and disabled persons require less steps/day.

2. Aim for 10,000 steps/day

Research shows that taking 10,000 steps/day will have health benefits.* If you're walking at a brisk pace, 10,000 steps is about a 30 to 60 minute walk! This advice fits with Canadian Physical Activity Guide recommendations to accumulate at least 30 to 60 minutes of activity most days of the week.

From your current activity level, aim to reach 10,000 steps/day over a 6 week period by adding 500 steps every 2 weeks. If you’re already highly active, keep it up and consider increasing your steps for greater fitness capacity.

A few examples of activity step equivalents are listed below:

Cycling at 5 mph =50 steps/minute
Cycling at 15 mph =150 steps/minute
Slow steady swim =100 steps/minute

3. Measure your progress

Record your daily steps to track your progress. Research shows that keeping an activity log results in increased steps taken per day and commitment to reaching and maintaining your goal over a long period.

Steps added = Calories burned!

Steps Per Day Calories Burned Per Day
2100 100
8400 400
10,000 476

Other useful resource:

http://www.10000steps.org.au/

http://www.tenksteps.com/