spider

I might be wong but are you talkng about thurs the 13th?

Thought I would give a try with the bird id's. My vote for the "evil gull" is a Black Legged Kittiwake...ok it was the black legs that were the big clue. Ussually they are in groups and not all that aggresive but then again there are always exceptions. (you can usually tell the juveniles cuz they slouch a lot and often have a cigarette ..though secretly) The group of birds on shore... I could play it safe and just say they were Plovers... but I'll go for Piping Plovers... more of them up there and they always seem to have that slightly worried look like you just caught them doing something they shouldn"t be doing. You should definitley take credit for seeing the Puffin...Macareaux..."the petit clown" ok I took that right from the Parc series magazine issue L' Archipel -de- Migan . Wish I was remotley as good with whale Id you had awesome sightings!! oh the Anticosti Isle...it was the story of the Cannibal that got me out there (by ferry back then) crossing by kayak is way beyond my capabilities....

Well that is an excellent trip report if ever there was one !! Beautifull photos !! Rowdy stuff at the Mingans. (I was wondering where all that calm water at the begining of the trip was from) First time I ever met sea kayakers was at the Mingans 6 or so years ago They had just been storm for 4 days... congratulations again !! (ummm... I might be quoting myself on this response...sorry about that I'm not to good with this stufff...)

Looks like an excellent excellent trip. Haven't made it through the whole report yet..but very envious of your trip. We have been to the Mingans and Saguenay...but... not by kayak, which is what we are working up to for next year (Mingans). I have to do my homework about the Bergeronnes...it's the 1st time I've seen reference to it...and I thought I knew my way around up there.... I've hit a bit of a dead end trying to find out info for the "Route bleue"... for the Gaspe Peninsular(other shore) using google translation is a great idea...I'll have to learn more about it. your trip on the Cote nord being the much wilder of the two shores. thoughts of Anticosti circumference cross your mind ? There is one fellow from Chicoutimi who I believe linked together much of the area a year or two ago.) Well congratulations on a great trip...I'll get back to reading more of it ! spdr

Yes, it was nice to be "out and about" meeting good folks for the 1st time. Our one lonely crab looked suspiously to be cruising the shoreline wondering if it was going to be his "lucky" day. Getting "picked up" by us was probably not his idea of what getting, picked up, was all about.....oh well, we but him back safe and sound to tell stories to his future generations...

Yes, I'll be glad to . I had excellent luck today (Fri) seeing them...

a little update I just received my issue of the Canadian "EXPLORE" magazine where they listed the archipelago as one of their best adventure destinations. Travelling East to West they say four or five days, but I would set aside more time than that to have a more leisurely trip and time to wait for weather if need be. It is listed as 90 kilometre trip with 40 limestone islands.(of course not all allow camping) One of my favorite things about the Mingans is that they aren't even shown on many maps...

It's very beautiful in awith it's unworldly monoliths. It's been several years since we've been there . It is also where we met our first kayak campers. (We used a water boat transport service) We are lookin forward to returning to it in the next couple of years. We will be picking up a tandem for some "expedition that area. Excellent bird life as well as well as flora unique to those islands. The parc service is bi lingual but it never hurts to brush up on your french for day to day things like supplies and what-not. Very remote when we were there and very friendly.

As it is I'm working that day but I will look forward to meeting whom ever they have to inspect boats. I wonder if they will be well recieved, I hope so. I'm going over there this morning for some practice. Friday I got off the water just in time to see the arrival of two huge speed boats from a Plaistow boat racing place. Looked like the equivalent of NASCA on the water, complete with all the stickers and sponsers etc....can't imagine what they would want with such a small lake ...I mean it would take them like 30 seconds to cross the lake, if that. Hope that was just a fluke, it certainly isn't the norm, at least off season. Looking forward to that 71 degree water !

Well we just went with a group from PIK to see the horseshoe crabs along the Parker River refuge yesterday(5-28-07) and while we didn't see a lot of them We did learn more about them than I ever would have by myself. Some of which I hope I remembered correctly. The species is one of the oldest on the planet, estimated at aprox 250 million years old. the female lays upwards of 30,000 eggs of which there is about an 90 to 95% mortality rate. It is on the high tides when they come ashore to lay their eggs. It is on the full moon that the tides are the highest and many will key into that particular tide as the crabs can lay their eggs in higher dry land with a greater hoped for success rate that the eggs will not be washed away till the next full moon when the eggs will hatch and tiny thumb sized crabs will make a dash for the water (at least those that have survived till that time) June is probabbly the best month for Great Bay. Horseshoe crabs are not crabs at all but members of the Spider family...who would have guessed?

I see that the there is a full moon next Thurs May 31. It's a Blue moon, the 2nd full moon of the month. I have heard that Great Bay NH is a good place to witness the phenomenon of hundreds or thousands of crabs coming on shore. Has anybody seen this before ? I'm thinking the Wagon Hill area? Also I was wondering if it is on the flood tide or ebb tide or does it not matter. .and of course I'm wondering if anyone is going to be checking it out this year...?

a little humor It had me wondering as I come from a backpacking background...to go "hiking commando" means hiking sans underwear. When camping discrectly in a non designated place it is often refered to as "Stealth camping" at least in hiking language.. I figured for sure you meant the later of the two phrases...

The Pow-Wow and Country Pond are connected, but it isn't a "river run" like you would think, it is more of marsh area that is best at high water before it fills in with vegetation. I checked on it yesterday and it's starting to fill in. Nice birding in through there though. (I would love to know where the public put ins for Country Pond are located if anyone knows...)

Thanks for the info folks. We are ok with the French Language (actually It's my wife who has become more fluent) I'm ok with the simple stuff but would bog down on something more complicated, like a trip to the hospital for example. Inreality it's random on who might have "some English" and who doesn't know any English words. However "Please and Thankyou" works wonders in either language. Many people are shy to try any of their English so as not to embarrass themselves, much like I am when I try my French. (Yes, there is a big difference beween asking how the Deer hunting season went as opposed to asking how the Horse hunting Season went...I'll probably never live that one down,...but it's all in good fun) back to Kayaking... I have found a site for the tide predictions. On the North shore there are more bays that run out of water at low tide... any web sites or kayaing web sites that might have info on stuff like that ?? Also, I never think in terms of doing a crossing of the St Lawrence but....I would like to know how far you drift in relation to wether the tide is comming in or going out...much like the Merrimack River.. How do you factor in your speed in relation to the tide??

It's the Mingan Islands that I'm thinking of though that's not for this year (we have been there before but not with kayaks) The trails I have in mind are along the north shore of the St Lawrence refered to as the "Trail of the Whales" I believe as well as the new trail they are developing on the south shore... Matane to Cap Chat so far... which is closer to the area we spend our summers. Though we have paddled in parts of Parc Forillon we are tempted to paddle to the "lands end" which we have seen change dramaticaly within what seems very short minutes. ... the Saguenay.. it is that area that we most often hear quoted as being the area that has the most rescues and the reason some of the rules or laws that are put in place for kayaking in Quebec. We have been there a couple of times but not on the water as yet, we are on the cautious side...enough so that we understand that our PFDs' are not approved though they are down here. We will probabbly buy our next ones up there so there is no confusion etc..

Hmmm..Looks like I better do my homework. Here in the States when I read of people using various VHF radio these people have licences? Right now when I'm on the water and want to check in with home I use a small "walkie -talkie" thing with a limited range. I'm thinking the VHF radio is the kind that we've used when doing some volunteer work with Fish and Game..technically were we operating them under their licence ? Actually now that I think about it, perhaps that is why so many kayakers don't bother with them...

Starting to think about carrying a radio esp. now as we hope to do some of the Kayak trails up in Quebec. So if we get in a jam and need to use a radio will I be talking in French...(or for that matter if we are down South America would we be speaking Spanish)? Ok back up in Quebec... is channel 16 still the channel of choice? thanks spdr

Interesting about parking across the street as it is posted No Parking Tow Zone. I often wondered if that was enforced. Too bad that guy had his little rant at your expense. H aving been around this area for 20+ years, I remember when the parking area was twice as large and completley over run on both sides of the road with..yup you guessed it P boaters. Kingston finally had enough of that and hence the small parking area they have now. I have only had positive experinces with people there but I'm usually there at odd hrs.

I've been going there pretty regulary since ice out for practice. Was there tension last year about the parking... seems I remember something about that...?

I was up at KTP today (Sun) and was talking it over with one of the folks up there. Though I don't know what boats you have, she did add a word of caution. To her understanding when you look at various WW boats the plastic or (whatever it is) is not uniformly the same thickness throughout. It is thicker in some areas, probably the underneath, thinner on the hull. Though she was not familar with people reshaping the hull she thought that you would be working on the section that already is at it's thinnest... so whether some integrity problems might be an issue as a result might be something to consider. I just bought a "Lil Joe" for general WW and surfing ..listed as a River Runner. ...when I look inside at the foot area I noticed that they got some more foot room by making it lower for your heels, not exactly an option afterwards. You might just get away with wearing some generic speedos for your feet..no not those bathing suits..well... er... you could... but that might be more infomation than we care to know....

I know it's a typo ..but it's does bring a smile...pretty humorous in it's own right.

Wow..quite the story. Glad your ok. Mighty cold stuff...

Sure I'd support it... right after they make bicycle registration mandatory....which I would hope is never. So far I'm not to worried about it...chasing down all the offenders would seem a lesson in futility...plus the court time for those who want to take it to trial...etc etc...

Yes, I'm interested.

I need to rethink the way I'm dressing for these temps and all. Yesterday I wore hydro bottoms along with my regular spray skirt (neoprene) and I was drenched by lunch time. I was the only person standing around like "Mr Soggy Bottoms" while every one else was nice and dry. It had been an exceptionaly easy paddle so it has to be generated by myself. It was a dry ride other than that. If it's closed cell or not is what I'm unsure of. I didn't start thinking it through till I saw that mukluks are offered as water proof neopreene or the regular kind which keeps your feet warm though wet. For example I don't know which type my spray skirt is made of.