Joseph Berkovitz Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 (edited) Bold Coast 2020 Trip Report People: Joe Berkovitz, Bob Levine, John Monroe, Janet Lorang, Prudence Baxter, Barb Todd, Yong Shin, Vick Marciulionis, Cath Kimball Photo credits: Yong Shin Thursday, Aug. 27 We arrived at the Sunset Point Campground over the course of the afternoon and evening. Not surprisingly given the events of the year, it seemed to be running at maybe 40-50% of capacity, but it was as clean and well-managed as ever. The campground is on a peninsula that juts out north into Johnson Bay, and courtesy of a low over Labrador the NW wind was a fine 15+ knots or so when we arrived with nothing in its way. So we had a few setup and cooking challenges, but skies were clear and the wind was expected to die overnight. We didn't plan our trips quite yet. Everyone knew that Tropical Storm Laura would be arriving over the weekend, restricting our options somehow. We hoped the weather picture would become clearer overnight. We were all disappointed not to be able to explore Canada on this trip due to the travel restrictions, but knew that there were plenty of other great things to do... Friday, Aug. 28 Bailey's Mistake to Bog Brook Cove and back (12.5 nm) Launch: 09:30; Land: 15:30 Cutler tides: 2020/08/28 Fri 07:27 AM 12.92 H 2020/08/28 Fri 1:36 PM 1.31 L 2020/08/28 Fri 7:49 PM 14.17 H (Note to others on the trip: Please post pics for this day, I don't have any!) Friday looked like the surest shot for a trip on the coast, with a much-diminished WNW wind and seas around 2 feet. Air temp was in the 60s, water in the low 50s; drysuits or dry pants/tops were worn by everyone as I recall. We opted for a sort-of-tidally-assisted route from Bailey's Mistake in the general direction of Cutler, expecting to have lunch and turn around at appropriate places based on the group pace. With such a beautiful coastline, a fast pace really doesn't let you fully enjoy the rock walls and many crevices and slots to play in. We launched at comfortably high water at Bailey's. (We noticed and later were told that the deserted falling-apart spec house at the end of the road has now been repaired and purchased by someone or other.) Our route took us first past Balch Head to Haycock Harbor for what has become an annual ritual viewing of a sunken sailboat that is gradually decaying. (Recap: according to local hearsay it's the second sailboat to be sunk in that location; its wealthy from-away owner lost a previous one in the same way and then bought a new one, only to moor it and then sink it in exactly the same place.) On a personal note, I stopped to talk to a family in a log cabin on Haycock Harbor where my family stayed on a vacation 30 years ago. These people turned out to be the daughter-in-law and grandkids of the person who bought the cabin after I stayed there; we had never met. It was nostalgic and fun to meet them as that was the visit when I first fell in love with the Bold Coast. The conditions were very agreeable and we kept playing and noodling along the rocks to the big cliffs of Eastern Head, and then across Moose Cove to a lunch stop on the gravel beach. A family left the beach just as we arrived but we did not see other folks after that. It was a beautiful, peaceful and appropriately-distanced lunch with an unmatchable crystal clear view of Grand Manan in the distance. Some mare's tails formed in the west, possibly an indication of things to come tomorrow. Near the point outside the beach, some ebb current could be felt in a weak mini tiderace but otherwise we seemed well away from the influence of the ebb which could be seen flowing more strongly far out in Grand Manan Channel. After lunch we went a bit further to the next cove along, Bog Brook, where we stopped and got out of our boats for a bit of a stretch. At around 1:30 this made sense as a turnaround point; the tide was also turning. To the extent that the flood might be assisting our return, it would now do so. (After a few trips I now think that the flood is more of a factor along this coast than the ebb, although there are still many back eddies.) On the way back we crossed Bailey's to play around Jims Head, a spot which always attracts some fun swell. We caroused (but did not carom) among the rocks, slots and cavelets in the bouncy water, while Bob wishfully looked up at the slanted rock face that I know he will one day jump off of. Sadly, the jump was not to be this particular day as time and tide were not on his side. Then back to the put-in at Bailey's around 3:30 pm with the now 10+ kt wind in our faces. Unlike last year, it was not dead low when we landed: another plus for doing this trip with midday LW, the opposite of what we've done in the past. Saturday, Aug. 29 Sunset Point Campground to Eastport/Dog Island and return (14 nm) Launch: 09:00; Land: 14:00 (16:00 for Lubec Narrows group). Eastport tides: 08:31 HW 17.3 ft 14:48 LW 1.6 ft Currents between Moose and Deer Islands near Old Sow eddy location: 09:20 SBE 13:24 max ebb 3.17 kt 142ºT 15:50 SBF The forecast called for TS Laura's remains to hit Downeast Maine directly, around the middle of the afternoon, with E winds spiking up to 20 kt and higher, seas building to 5 feet and rainfall around 1 inch. The sunrise this morning was lurid: However the morning looked benign otherwise, with clearing skies and almost windless. We weren't comfortable going on a trip outside and maybe being caught in the onset of the storm, so we decided it would be a good Cobscook day allowing us to launch and land directly at the campground with no cars involved. Our plan was to head to the Eastport area and see a part of the coast we have never visited before, and try to get near the site of the famous Old Sow Whirlpool (http://www.oldsowwhirlpool.com/ — of course, the largest whirlpool in the western hemisphere has its own website and an "Old Sow Whirlpool Survivors' Society"). We wanted to get to the whirlpool area around max ebb, on the advice of some website and on our sense that interesting stuff generally happens at max ebb. (We didn't do a lot of careful research on the timing, since our schedule was pretty constrained by the storm and the whirlpool idea was kind of improvised on the spot.) The first leg of our trip had us launch around 9 and then head up Seward Neck to the site of some underwater turbines that were not visible at high water, but it was a pleasant paddle along a wooded shoreline with some nice views and wildlife. The ebb was just beginning to build. At our turnaround point, we headed out into the channel and rode the building ebb down to the overhanging cliffs of Shackford Head where we stopped to look around: n to Estes Head. Since we would have to come back around this point during the later part of the ebb, we wanted to check carefully that there was an attainable eddy here. It was thin, but it was there. We proceeded up to Eastport in the increasing gloom. The sun was gone but as yet there was no rain and little wind. Eastport from the shore looked partly a ruined complex of decaying marine buildings, but a somewhat lively main street with many people fishing from the pier and an outsize Paul Bunyan-style statue of a fisherman. Continuing on to the Dog Island light, we kept an eye peeled for a whirlpool or anything like it. Barb noticed a pair of bald eagles on Dog Island, one adult and one juvenile, which temporarily scotched our plans to climb the island and get a good view of the channel between Dog and Deer Islands where the Old Sow was presumed to hang out: People including myself were now quite hungry as it was maybe 12:30, so we stopped at a beach for lunch. Then back to Dog Island. There was certainly a strong current running. Some folks hung out in an eddy in front of the island while Bob, Janet and myself climbed up to the now eagle-free island to get a view from a higher point. No big whirlpool! Just some interesting and chaotic eddy lines with the kind of smaller moving whirlpools you usually see. A nearby homeowner carried on a shouted conversation with the three of us about the Old Sow. He said it normally appeared at high tide. "Hmmm", we thought to ourselves. I said, "so, I guess we missed it by a few hours". He said that was true, we were several hours early. "Hmmm", we thought again, as low water was several hours away. We moved on, without attaching any great credence to his information. We got off of Dog I. quickly as the water around it was rapidly disappearing. Bob and (I think) Yong went out into the channel to take a closer look at the rough water out there, while I stayed with the rest of the group and we began moving back towards Eastport in what amounted to a large back eddy. (Bob, maybe you could give us a description of what you saw in the channel?) More thorough research has since pointed out that we were looking in exactly the right place, but the wrong time: The Old Sow typically appears at max flood, not ebb (possibly what the guy meant), and even then it is not at all a sure thing. Sometimes it is there, sometimes it is not. One thing we do know: at this time, it was not. We paddled back towards Estes Head, aware that the ebb in this area was rapidly disappearing. It had begun drizzling at lunch, and in the west rain was starting to obscure the landscape. The breeze was picking up and the sky was a solid overcast. We decided to not bother working around Estes back up towards Shackford, instead going for a direct crossing to Treat Island and then back to the campground. This worked well enough; there was still a southward ebb from Cobscook towards the Lubec Narrows, but it was pretty small. The opposing wind was becoming a much bigger deal than the current. At this point the group split and Bob, Vick, Yong and Cath went off to investigate the Lubec Narrows at slack building into early flood: The rest of us decided to get to camp before the storm truly hit for real. We just made it in time. The final 1.3 nm crossing from Dudley Island to the campground was straight into the rapidly building wind, rain and chop. It seemed to take forever. Finally we arrived just as a real torrent began to dump from the skies. Boats were carried in the rain. Now the new challenge was: how to get into dry clothing in the now-horizontal downpour? It took a while, but somehow we managed it. Prudence and Janet fled to town rather than try and cook. Vick and Barb decided to forego the rest of the trip and drive to their respective dry Maine homes in a completely reasonable decision. The rest of us hunkered down in our tents or under the shelter. I did not want to leave my tent for the first hour of the downpour, and I will forever be grateful to Cath for passing me a cup of wine (and airdropping some unexpected tangerines) through the ventilation gap of my tent. I had hot soup for dinner, which was perfect, and my tent thankfully survived the night without leaking. I think everyone who stayed made it through the night without getting soaked. Sunday, August 30 "The Easternmost Paddle in the United States" Carrying Place Cove around W. Quoddy Head and back (4 nm) Launch: 11:30; Land: 15:30 Cutler Tides: 2020/08/30 Sun 09:29 AM 13.19 H 2020/08/30 Sun 3:35 PM 1.01 L We awoke from the stormy night to still, damp and foggy conditions. Appearances were definitely deceiving, as we were in the middle of Laura's low pressure system. As the system moved away towards Newfoundland, a cold front was forecast to sweep through the region bringing ripping 15+ kt NW winds (again!) and dry, sunny weather. The marine zone forecast had 5+ foot seas. Prudence, Janet and John were fairly decided on hiking this day, but the rest of us (now down to myself, Yong, Bob and Cath) decided to drive to Quoddy Head SP with the hikers and take a look at what the water was actually doing, then decide. We got a bit of a late start, but got to the park around 10 am. We decided that Quoddy Head with its high cliffs and general NE/SW orientation was giving good lee and the swells seemed more in the 2 foot range near the shore. There was a rough looking tide race between the lighthouse and Sail Rock as the ebb was going pretty good. So we decided to paddle. But from where? At first we had discussed going from Bailey's east towards Quoddy and then back, but that would be a long haul with a potential strong headwind all the way back if the lee did not pan out on other parts of the coastline. On the drive to the park I had spotted what looked like a public trailhead leading to Carrying Place Cove, a beach just to the west of Quoddy Head, so we decided to scout the trail and see just what kind of carry it might be (after all, it worked for the original inhabitants of the area)! In fact, it turned out to be a very smooth and grassy quarter-mile trail perfect for a boat on wheels, with a reasonably generous roadside parking area. So that was our new plan: launch from this cove and immediately paddle east around Quoddy Head, then come back and possibly do an out and back in the other direction if we felt like it. (Bob and Cath separately scouted a nearby road to another part of the same cove, but it sported unfriendly No Trespassing signs.) Once we got on the water at 11:30 or so, it became apparent that conditions were just about as perfect as a Bold Coast cliffside paddle can get. There were chunky 2-3 foot swells coming in from the remains of the storm, but with the offshore wind direction (and a lot of lee from the cliffs) only minimal wind and chop. So many dramatic slots, walls, ledges, pinnacles, coves... with the amazing high landscape looming above it all. This is always my favorite stretch of the Bold Coast, but this time was perhaps my favorite experience of this favorite stretch. We slowly played, threading through dramatic gaps in the rocks, marveling at the landscape. A hiker far above took this photo of us from the coastal trail: At Sail Rock the tide race had disappeared and we went around its tip, then turning back towards the main headland. As we rounded the easternmost point in the US near the lighthouse, the NW wind finally hit us. We turned around and had lunch in an intimate pocket beach below the Coast Guard Trail, inaccessible from the top thanks to vertical cliffs rimming the beach. Bob found some very interesting rocks that we are still trying to puzzle out the nature of. Finally we made our way back. The wind seemed to have built and/or changed direction, there was much more chop, and I felt we were fighting the building flood current although it was hard to be sure with the much rougher water splashing around us. Working our way back around Quoddy, the coastline became more west/east and conditions became rougher and rougher. The last bit before turning the corner into Carrying Place was flat-out paddling into the wind with chop and swell and reflections everywhere. This time, it felt fun, although I can think of trips when it definitely did not. Maybe it was the scenery and the good company and the bright weather? Anyway we made it back to the beach, which turned out to be a pretty OK landing spot even at low water. Wheels helped us once again, and we all hauled ourselves over the trail back to our cars and to our very, very windy campsite where we used our cars to create a windbreak around the shelter so dinner could be cooked. The hikers rejoined us, and we had a festive end to this year's Bold Coast Paddle. This was a good one. Can't wait until next year! In the meantime, I hope others who came on the trip will add their own photos and personal observations. Bob and I would like to thank everyone who joined us for their companionship, energy and a lot of great paddling! ... . . . j Edited September 1, 2020 by Joseph Berkovitz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cath Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Sometimes you have to have faith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cath Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 More trip photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/AB7TH6CRGMkA4yUQ7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Carr Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 It looks like you all managed to squeeze out a lot of fun from a relatively challenging time of weather. I am not surprised by that given the people participating in it. I hope to join you next year for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Carr Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Glad to see Bob is still doing his spam cooking. Some things should never change Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted September 3, 2020 Share Posted September 3, 2020 Great stuff. Hoping to join next year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prudenceb Posted September 4, 2020 Share Posted September 4, 2020 On 9/2/2020 at 8:59 AM, Daniel Carr said: Glad to see Bob is still doing his spam cooking. Some things should never change Turns out Spam isn't bad! We all tried it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prudenceb Posted September 4, 2020 Share Posted September 4, 2020 (edited) A mini trip report to follow Joe's. Mine is more of the "rah rah we all had a good time" type. Joe is more technical. Messages from the sky seemed to dominate our weekend. This is the sky that greeted us when we arrived at the campground on Thursday. Janet and Barb and I drove over to Quoddy Head and went down a long flight of stairs to the beach. Beautiful day for just gazing out. First day paddle: Bailey's Mistake to Bog Brook Creek and Back. Day One breakfast. Bob is loyal to his brands! Once we were on the water, there was a fun detour into the cove Joe described above with the sunken ship. Everyone checked it out. Here's Janet. It was a warm sunny day, and all of us in dry suits (that would be everyone but Vick) got a little toasty. Janet cooled off. Bpb and Barb under the cliffs. Half the group paddling along, dwarfed. Our lunch stop on a rocky beach. Let's just say there were many to choose from. We discouraged one of the group from leaving with a 30 pounder... More paddling along cliffs after lunch... The wind picked up and seas got livlier in the afternoon. Here's Barb in the blue... Beautiful day required a good supper. Always impressive to watch Joe cooking on his bought-in-Iceland pan. Everything looked pretty benign as the sun set... Second Day Paddle - Campground to Eastport and Back OK, remnants of Hurrican Laura definitely on the way. This was the sight that greeted me from my tent around 5 am. And when the sun was up, the sky was definitely getting spooky. We set out from the campground on flat calm water and overcast skies. Lubec in the background here. We hugged the coastline, where we saw the occasional sign that fall is on the way... More calm paddling... Joe pauses off of Eastport. Even on the water, you can't escape politics... After lunch, with sprinkles on and off, the wind picked up, and we had it in our faces as we headed back. Seas picked up, too. Here's a view of the bridge to Campobello over the Narrows, where half the group went to play for a bit... Janet and joe paddling into the wind... And I followed Janet and Barb as it started to pour... Seemed like a long way back... but we made it. It seems like a long boat carry...and it was... We showered and took refuge in our tents as the sky opened and the wind howled. Poor Vick's tent was facing into the brunt of it, and with every gust was bending almost to the ground. All of his gear got soaked, and he wisely ended up heading home that night. Barb did, too. When a warm dry house is only two hours away, hard to resist! Also hard to resist was Janet's idea that we head into Lubec for supper. The idea of a slow meal inside was pretty appealing. So she and I donned full rain gear (not exactly dinner attire!) and drove to the Water Street Tavern. It was my first meal inside a restaurant since March 1. In honor of the dark and stormy conditions outside, I had a ...you guess it... We managed to kill some time, but it was still rockin;' when we left. The flags here give a sense of the wind... Perfect conditions for a selfie. When we got back, the wind started to die down, and we found Joe, Bob and Cath cooking supper under the shelter. Janet posed outside her tent. No spirits were dampaned by the storm for sure! The next day - a Hike Along the Bold Coast and Viewing of the reversing falls at Falls Island But before anything else, moving day for Yong, who had to leave his sweet solo setup (Yongstown) and join the group site. Weather had been predicted to be very windy with five foot seas so Janet, John and I decided to go for a hike. We went over to Quoddy Head with the paddlers who'd gone to scout. When we saw the conditions, we had some regrets that we hadn't brought our boats and gear. Joe, Bob, Yong and Cath had a great day on the water by all accounts. But we had a pretty nice one on land, too. You can't really tell from this picture, but the tide race off of Sail Rock was... rockin' The Bold Coast is as beautiful from above as it is from below. John and Janet enjoy the view. The day sparkled... John reflective at another stopping point. And there was also time for goofing off... The path beyond Green Point narrowed and was clearly less traveled, but lovely, when it wasn't muddy... A crow in a tree as we walked back to the lighthouse. We took a detour to the subarctic bog. While it's best seen on a foggy damp day, it was pretty nice on a sunny one, too... And a fairyland of moss... After we finished the coastal walk, we did the one mile Coast Guard loop, where we spotted an Eagle taking off from a tree not far above our eye level on the high cliff. That evening, the wind didn't let up. I have no idea why I didn't take a picture of the ridiculous two car wind block! But I couldn't resist the necessary Bob and spam picture...We all tried it...and liked it..but maybe not as much as Bob does. Spam and canned corn. How classic a meal? The wind...the wind... But it sure looked peaceful as we all prepared for bed... Wonderful trip. Many many thanks to Joe and Bob for arranging and herding all us cats! Prudence Edited September 4, 2020 by prudenceb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kate Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 So you launched from Carrying Place Cove, how interesting. I have hiked that short trail (having attended several Zen retreats at the one-time Coast Guard station up the road), and drove over to the far side to look for a place to put in a boat, but never really considered that trail's end as a launch point. I am changing my mind now.... it certainly is ideal for exploring the upper reaches of the Bold Coast while skipping the long stretch from Lubec Narrows. It seems like you earned your joyous trips by camping through the hurricane. I'm glad it went so well in a year when so little has gone well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inverseyourself Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 Jonathan, Kelsey and I paddled this stretch with really good energy in the water a few years ago to the tide race below the light house. I remember it as one of the most enjoyable stretches of coast in conditions I have paddled yet. If you time the flow and catch max, the rock gardens below the lighthouse offer superior park-and-play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rylevine Posted September 5, 2020 Share Posted September 5, 2020 Some trip reports attached. It was an excellent series of paddles. Thanks to the participants! Bob Trip Report Bold Coast 2020_bob.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted September 7, 2020 Share Posted September 7, 2020 What a great trip report and photos: thank you! I've been on the sidelines this paddling season, so I especially enjoyed seeing this continuation of what now might be considered an established yearly NSPN event. I attended the past two years and aspire to attend in 2021. Very impressive that a trip of this level and quality has been so well planned and executed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Posted October 10, 2020 Share Posted October 10, 2020 It’s been a while since I checked in. Looks like you all had a nice trip. Bob, your looking great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rylevine Posted October 10, 2020 Share Posted October 10, 2020 Doug, Great to hear from you! Let's get out on a paddle soon. Bob PS. Don't forget the ME Guide renewal this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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