Planning a trip and doing it can be two different things, This is a good example of this. On this trip I planned to go from the 103 just east of Jordan Falls down to Mud Lake, Hayden Lake and Ogden Lake and end in Jordan Bay. All started out well there was some paddling and some lining to get to Mud Lake. From there we headed down stream do Hayden Lake when things went bad. While lining through a narrow rocky area the canoe got turned sideways and the up stream gunnel dropped and it was pinned on a rock. With some effort we were able to get it off but as a result it split open the bottom of the canoe.  Normally I carry a roll of gaffer tape which would have patched it up and we would have been on our way but on this occasion I did not have any. Luckily I was near the power line that went right by my brother-in-law home and he was able to come with his tractor and drive us out. So lesson be learned always carry Gaffer Tape.

While looking at my maps and  considering where my next trip would take me I looked at Beaverdam lake(not the one beside Deception lake the other one) when I saw that Round Bay River flowed out of it. I can say I never noticed this river before but with the recent upgrades to Google Earth I was able to take a good look at it. This is a route is a Paddle to the Sea. Which brings up memories of the book by the same name I remember reading as a kid. With the route planned out I emailed my friend Ron Chute to see if he was interested in joining me. He was and we a date rain or shine. For the record it did not shine, but that did not deter us from enjoying the trip. It is a very nice paddle through Bower’s Meadow. On the upper part we saw 3 beaver dams. The first of which we had to carry around, the others we were able to paddle over. The river continues twisting & turning for about 9km’s when we got to a narrow rocky area. When I first saw it I was wishing I had brought my tripod with me to be able to capture it properly. Like I say about most areas I travel to but I have to return to this spot sometime soon. Anyway we had no choice but to line the canoe through this spot. After this there is a series of stillwater’s, rock gardens & shallow spots till we arrived at Round Bay from there it is a short paddle across to where it flows out to the Atlantic. The trip took us about 4.5 hrs and was well worth the effort. It is often said by many around that Shelburne County is an undiscovered gem of the South Shore.
Oct 5th, 08
Today I began a journey, one of undetermined length. I should correct my self in saying that it actually started several years ago but only recently became an organized thought. It all began while I was driving somewhere for work (which I do a lot of). I was thinking of things when I thought “I wonder….” how many of life journeys begin with these words. Anyway what I wondered was how many lakes are there in Shelburne County. A question that is easily answered by consulting my collection of maps and I came to a total of 116 named and several unnamed. To date I have been on 15 of them.
    As I said this journey actually started several years ago when I met a man named Dan Fry, a Master Canoe Builder and has become a good friend over the years. He encouraged me to build one of his designs. While returning home from vacation in PEI the decision was made and soon after construction began. With great pride I finished my first canoe and put it in the water on the Roseway River by Bowers road. This was the beginning of many adventures to come. Since this day I have had the opportunity of travel many of the waterways around SW Nova Scotia. This is not a journey I take alone, I have had the pleasure of having friends and family join me along the way, as I go forward I will include as many as I can to show & experience the beauty that is Shelburne County.
    Today I loaded up the canoe and headed to Welkum Park on Welshtown Lake.  As I set out I headed North West straight into the wind to explore that end of the lake. When I got there I found a small brook that continues NW and winds around and ends at a small ledge.  This is a beautiful spot in all the fall colors I must return to see it in the spring.
    Over the next weeks & months I look forward to spending countless hours planning for future trips.
Canoeing is something that I have always been interested in but rarely got a chance to. I have been a avid woodworker for many years now and had often thought about building a cedar strip canoe but was a bit intimidated by the idea, this all changed in 2003 when I met Dan Fry who is a master canoe builder. In this spring 2004 I build my first canoe. It is a 16' tandem canoe designed by Dan. This was the beginning of a journey that has taken me many places. Over the winter of 2008 I was driving one day when a question came to mind. "How many lakes are there in Shelburne County?" After consulting my maps I came up with a total of 121. So with that answer I have set out a goal of paddling all of them.To date I have been to 57. I have set up a website documenting my travels. (www.canoeshelburne.com) Over the next few weeks I plan on transfering over many of my blogs to this site.I hope you enjoy reading about my travels as much as I do in taking them.
Mink Lake at Dawn
This past spring on my first canoe trip of the year Ron Chute and myself put my canoe in on the Roseway river just above Upset Falls Bridge in the Toebiatic our goal was to head north to Junction Lake. Day 1 was a long days travel to Mink Lake where we made camp and a spot well know as Keatings campsite. This is a great place to camp. After a well needed night sleep we woke up to a windy day, so the decision was made to stay put. We did do some exploring around the area but knew that the days delay made it impossible to finish the trip north. The second morning we woke up to a beautiful sunrise and shown in the picture, after a good breakfast we broke camp and headed south back to the truck.

About Me

Dan
I am on a journey to paddle every lake in Shelburne county, A total of 121. With each outing there is a story to tell.
View my complete profile

Quote

I am always doing that which I cannot, in order that I may learn how to do it-

Pablo Picasso



Powered by Blogger.

Followers