Neighborly Hospitality: Adirondack Style

Thursday October 8, 2009: "Travel"........... Is said to be the best educator of all, and I tend to agree with those words. Isn't it funny though how we sometimes don't realize just how much we'll learn from a journey until we're actually back home and the trip is over? Take neighborly hospitality for example. If there's anything I've learned on this trip, its how some northerly neighbors will unselfishly take it upon themselves to look after you during your time of greatest need.

You know, like them taking time from a busy schedule to ensure you return home from a long arduous journey to a freshly vacuumed floor and a well stocked refrigerator. Believe me; it just makes my heart as soft as.............well..........marshmallows.

Problem is, how do you ever repay a friend like that? Well, I suppose I could start by cleaning up his yard of debris and putting it in a nice out of the way place. That way, when they come home they don't have to deal with yard work.

I could mail gifts to show my appreciation and being handy with tools, maybe I could even do some "fix-it-up" things that look to need attention. You know, stuff that looks broken or in obvious need of repair.  Like say...... a mailbox that needs remounting or something easy to do, yet extremely helpful.    hee hee.

Naturally, it's always a great idea to use tamper-proof screws when securing something valuable in place. You know, the type with special head designs that require a specific tool that most homeowners, thieves and would-be wrongdoers don't have. That's it, nice and secure so the box can't be stolen or easily removed.

I'm even thinking of giving them a cookout, Adirondack style. You know, with plenty of marshmallows and a nice high vantage point for optimal viewing of the fall foliage. Yeah, that might be appropriate considering it's the giving season. I'm starting to feel better already and the stresses of the trip are but a fading memory. Amazing how a mental redirect can change an attitude isn't it?

I'm finding there's a lot of truth in the old adage that "there's more pleasure in giving, than receiving". It's all about give and take as well as attitude. If life gives you lemons..........make lemonade. If your friends bring the franks and marshmallows, then by golly, it's your responsibility to provide the roastin'.     Just doin' my part to be neighborly ye know.  hee hee.....

Go, Stay, or Return to Michigan

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Sunday October 4, 2009: Stuck here in Antigonish, Nova Scotia in a campground about 35 miles west of Cape Breton Island and the Cabot Trail. Pouring rain all day and I'm doing laundry. Received news of Jerry's death and I'm waiting for funeral details before deciding whether to continue on or abort and return to Jackson. Whether or not I could even make the 1,600 miles home in time will depend on the funeral schedule. Turning back would be dissappointing, but with continued rain forecast for three of the next four days, it wouldn't be that difficult since I'm not getting the weather to enjoy the Cabot Trail or take the photographs I came for in the first place.  Time will tell.

Tidal Bores and the Shubenacadie River

Shubenacadie River and the Tidal Bores: Being the host of the world’s highest tides, the Bay of Fundy also delivers the most exhilarating way to take in this natural wonder. The great Shubenacadie River empties into the Cobequid Bay of the Bay of Fundy, and is one of only about seven places in the world where you can experience the thrill and exhilaration of tidal bore rafting! With tidal bores that can reach up to 10’ in height, you’ll have an experience you are not likely to forget.

The tidal bore is a tidal phenomenon in which the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave (or waves) of water that travel up a river or against the direction of the current.   This happens twice a day as a result of the incoming tide and guides will take you for an adventurous white water rafting adventure upstream.  

While the timing of my arrival (and approaching nightfall) prevented me from actually witnessing a tidal bore event, I did learn a lot from the Interpretive Center and talking with people who have participated in rafting it.  Apparently, there are but 11 places on the planet where this phenomenon occurs with only 5 of those in North America.  

Bores usually occur in areas with a large tidal range such as the Bay of Fundy, and where incoming tides are funneled into a shallow, narrowing river via a broad bay. The funnel-like shape not only increases the height of the tide, but it can also decrease the duration of the flowing tide down to a point where the flood appears as a sudden increase in the water level.  For more information on visit: http://www.tidalboreraftingpark.com/gallery.php

The Bay of Fundy Coastline

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Saturday October 3, 2009:  Weather last night allowed camping for the first time on this trip.  Fortunately, I was able to make it to the Cape Split / Scots Bay area just in time to sit up camp on a small cliff overlooking the bay.  Since I had printed off the tidal charts to bring with me, I already knew I was arriving almost exactly at peak low tide.  Careful where you sent up camp because the Bay of Fundy has the highest tidal changes of anywhere in the world!  While most of us have witnessed a normal 3-4' tidal change at the beach, the geographical layout of the bay causes extreme tidal shifts in the 41-48' range between low and high tide. 

Scotts Bay Pier: Fishing boats, on the Bay of Fundy,  have to schedule their departure and arrival into home port with the tide as most harbors don't have any water during low tide.  Boat owners have to prop the boats up to prevent them from falling over when the harbors dry out and the boat ends up sitting on the somewhat dry ocean floor.  The picture above, taken at Scotts Bay pier, shows lobster pots waiting for high tide to allow the boat in/out of port. 

The Lady Chantel: The picture below, taken on the backside of the same pier, shows the "Lady Chantel" sitting on the harbor floor during low tide.  Here she'll sit for another 5-6 hours until the arrival of the next high tide which will occur around 1:00am on this particular day.  The boats owner brings her along the mainland side of the pier and secures her during high tide to allow the boat to settle to the soft sandy bottom instead of the unforgiving rocks on the seaward side. 

Burncoat Head:  (B) on the map above.  Home of the highest recorded tidal change in the world.  So here I was on the Bay of Fundy, minding my own business, when I realized that normal people don't get to see 100 billion tonnes of seawater flowing back and forth in front of their kitchen windows every day. As someone who didn't grow up on a coastline, it's almost unfathonable for me to imagine how much water that is.  Let me say it again; "100 billion tonnes of water" flow in and out of the Bay of Fundy during each tidal cycle and that occurs twice daily!  How much is 100 billion tonnes of water you ask?  It's more than the combined flow of all the world's freshwater rivers! 

To help illustrate, take a look at the island at Burncoat Head pictured above. This is what it looked like upon my arrival around 12:30pm.  The picture below, taken only a couple of hours later, starts to give you an idea of the volulme of water that moves in and out. Keep in mind that a full tidal change takes approximately 6 hours and 15 minutes.  Unfortunately, I had not the time to wait for low tide, but given the amount of water moving in just a couple hours, I can only imagine the view after another four hours of receding water.

Visitors can see two extraordinary high and low tides every 24 hours. As such, you can reasonably expect to see at least one high and one low tide during daylight hours. Tide times move ahead approximately one hour each day, and tide times vary slightly for different locations around the Bay.

Again, keep in mind these pictures represent only about two hours worth of tidal change versus the the complete.  Maybe I can get the time to capture the full effect later on my way back.

Twice everyday the Bay fills and empties of its 100 billion tonnes of water, creating the highest tides in the world. The height of the tide is about (11ft) along the southwest shore of Nova Scotia and steadily increases as the floodwaters travel up the 174 miles of shoreline to the head of the Bay where in the Minas Basin the height of the tide can reach 53 feet.

The Princess of Acadia and Western Shores of Nova Scotia

Friday October 2, 2009:  The storms continue to haunt me all the way to the Saint John's ferry terminal so not a lot of pictures to share.   The three hour passage to Digby, Nova Scotia was aboard the MV Princess of Acadia.  A bow and stern loader built here in the Saint John shipyards in 1971, she is 480' long, 67' wide and has a normal draft of approximately 15 feet.  With a gross tonnage capacity of 10050 tons she's capable of carrying 240 tons of fuel oil, 164 tons of fresh water, 650 passengers, 155 automobiles, 33 tractor trailer units and/or (1) yellow BMW motorcycle on two large cargo decks. Bikes always board first and the crew was extremely friendly and helpful at getting the bike secured to the floor anchors with rachet straps which they provide.

Not until we're away from New Brunswich and in the middle of the Bay of Fundy do we leave the omenous skies behind and are greeted with much welcomed sunshine.  Been so long since I had witnessed any, I had to ask what the blue stuff was.  The passage takes three hours and covers 39 nautical miles to the port at Digby, Nova Scotia.  The ship is well equipped with a cafeteria, business lounge with free wireless, seating lounges, bar lounges, arcade, newstand, etc.  The ferry ride saves 7 hours and 362 miles of driving.  With the rain being what it was, I needed the break from rainy riding to just relax and enjoy the scenery for a change.

 
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An Acadian Welcome

October 01, 2009: For me, Fall is the one of the most anticipated seasons of the year. Having never visited the New England states, it seemed reasonable to time it with the peak in fall colors. It's true that the weather can change rapidly and it becomes increasingly cooler especially at night and in the early morning. Water temperatures are falling precipitously, daylight hours are shrinking rapidly, and the curtains have closed on most campgrounds and many motels, especially in the remote areas which I prefer to visit.  This is playing out to be a significant factor which I had not anticipated well enough.  What this has meant is a lot more nights in motels, and lot less photographic opportunities than I would like.

                              

October 01, 2009:  Since the weather has been so bad, I decided to forego Acadia National Park and the Bar Harbor area in hopes of better weather coming back and besides, peak foliage is still a week or two away in this region.  So, a quick visit to the local police station in Ellsworth, Maine to check my weapon for passage into Canada and I high-tailed it up the coast in an effort to outrun the storm.  Fat chance of that.....haaaaaaaaaaa.     

I traveled up state Hwy 189 in the Northeastern most corner of the United States through Lubec, Maine, across the bridge onto Campobello Island with intentions to ferry across Passamaquoddy Bay to mainland New Brunswich.  From there, I was to make my way to St. Johns and ferry across to Nova Scotia.  As luck would have it, I hadn't checked the ferry schedule well enough and arrived to find it had closed for the season a day earlier.  So, I backtrack into the storm in seek of an alternative northern route and 60 miles later, cross into Canada at Calais Maine.