Cape Canso,   August, 2005

Clean air, super clear water, lots of wildlife, and friendly locals. I'm definitely not talking about the Connecticut shore. No, I'm referring to the Canso Peninsula in Nova Scotia.

Our friend Sheldon had set up a group trip there, and Judith and I decided to join in. This was the only part of the province that I had not yet seen, much less paddled, so I was really looking forward to going. We got to Seabreeze campground about 10:30 PM Saturday, having driven the 16 hour trip straight through. Cheryl and Fran were also staying there, but it was a little late to go looking for them. Everyone else was staying at Foxberry by the Sea, over in White Head.

Sunday was tentatively planned to be a wavehunt for those who arrived a day early. We slept late, and missed the launch, so we paddled in the bay at the campground. We followed the shore out to a rocky point about 2 miles from the campsite. I went to look for a rock garden or some cliffs to paddle along when we spotted two whales passing by. They were far enough away that we couldn't see exactly what species they were, but the locals said they most likely were pilot whales, as the annual mackerel run was in full swing, and also that there was a glut of squid in the area this year, and the whales were feasting. We paddled around the bay, and around Fox Island in the middle of the bay. Fox Island was where the original transatlantic telephone cables were connected to North America. It's now deserted, and there is no obvious sign of human habitation. Quite a pretty island, in fact. The rest of the group didn't find any waves, and had a sedate paddle out of Foxberry in White Head and Tor bays.

Monday, everyone met up at Foxberry by the Sea and we launched into White Head Bay. We headed out to White Head light, and then along the outer perimiter of islands along the shore to Dover Island. We were searching for a beach to land on, when Sheldon thought he saw one. He and I checked it out, and found a small bay between several islands with no less than 5 sandy beaches! This is highly unusual in the area, so we took full advantage. The bay was shallow, and the water was as clear as it is in the caribbean. We took an extended break and explored a bit. I padded around the bay with a camera taking photos. 16 miles later, we arrived back at Foxberry, and hung out for a while before discussing the next day's plans.

Looking out into the ocean from Dover Island

Tuesday came, and we paddled out of the town launch in Canso. Seems everybody in town saw us, and wanted to ask a couple of questions, including the ranger who oversees the waterfront park. We paddled out to Grassy Island, site of one of the earliest french settlements in North America. We walked around the island, reading the historical information at platforms around the island. Very interesting history. The french cut channels in this and several other of the local islands to be able to escape attacks by the british. The channels now make for some fun paddling and easy escapes from bad conditions on the other side of the island. And, as we found, also are home to millions of very yummy mussels. A few of the group picked a large number of mussels, which were cooked up tuesday & wednesday night. Claudine found a pearl in one of the mussels. There was no issue with red tide, so a feast it was! While they were picking mussels, the rest of us were watching a large group of seals on a rock, who came out to see what we were all about.

After lunch, we paddled the outside of the harbor islands, playing in rocks and swells, and then headed back to town just as a substantial offshore wind picked up. By the time we got in, everyone was a bit tired from the slog back & we headed our respective ways. Judith and I went down to the docks, and bought about 5 pounds of fresh caught snow crab from the manager of the local processing plant, who happened to own a trailer at seabreeze & already knew who we were. Cost: 8 beers. A bargain!

Wednesday, we paddled out of Little Dover. The bay there has a southern exposure, and a fetch that goes to the Caribbean, which means big swells and surf if the winds are right. There was a surf break just south of the launch, and a few folks played in it while the rest were getting ready to launch. We paddled out of the bay, and around a headland that had some big dumping surf along the rocks there, and into what the locals call "The rabbit run". It's basically an inside passage that weaves between the islands there that shelters you from bad conditions for about 80% of the transit from White Head. We paddled to the back side of Dover Island, and landed in a cove next to a fishing cabin & dock for lunch. It was foggy, and a slight breeze was bringing in more fog.

We launched to head back, and we all heard the distinctive sound of thunder to our north. The sun was trying to peek through the fog, so we knew the storm wasn't on us yet. We changed our return route once we got a view of the sky, so that we'd stay behind the storm, as it was paralleling our course. We went around an island to kill some time, and then saw that a tail from the storm was going to hit us, so we landed on an island with a fishing cabin on it. I walked to the cabin, and found that not only was it locked, but so was the outhouse. I joked that the owner must have been an american, because it's very unusual for a cabin in Canada to be locked (And so we later found out, illegal, too if it's on Crown Land - they're supposed to be unlocked and have a 2 day supply of fresh water & non-perishable food in them at all times). So, we sat out the storm on the rocks, and paddled back when the weather cleared about a half hour later. Now, there was clear, bright skies, lowered winds and smaller seas. We had an extended rolling session at the launch & headed to Foxberry for a potluck dinner, which featured lobster & crab salad made from the fruits of our dockside bartering, mussels that Cheryl picked and cooked up, and pizza that Oliver made, among other yummy dishes. And we all agreed that Nova Scotia lobsters are better than Maine lobsters -- they're extremely lively (One that Andy bought jumped out of Judith's hands & tried to run across the floor before he was re-captured & put in the pot), and have a lot of meat in them for their size. They taste great, too!

Thursday, it was real windy. Judith and I decided against paddling, as we had already had 4 great paddling days, and were OK with doing other things for one day. She went sketching, I went mountain biking. I rode into Canso and then out a dirt road to the selected launch site for the day. Sheldon, Pete, Claudine, Oliver, Sue and Andy decided to paddle anyway, and I met up with them right before they launched. Faye, Cheryl, and Fran also decided not to paddle & found other things to do. I spent the morning exploring the backroads and trails around Canso taking pictures. When I got back to the campground around 1:30, I thought about surfing at the campground's beach. The wind was blowing onshore at about 25 knots, and there was about a 3 foot surf, with breaking waves going out as far as I could see towards Cape Breton. I scouted out a place to launch, and decided later not to go. Judith was back by now, and we went for a hike instead. While we were out hiking the cliffs, we saw a sea otter in the rocks below us. Everyone met up at Seabreeze afterwards for lobsters & drinks. Those who did paddle covered about 6 miles in the whole day, but said it was fun.

Shoreline at Seabreeze

Friday, we paddled out of Foxberry, out around the point, and into Tor Bay. We paddled around the bay a bit, and stopped on an island that's a local hangout.There was a bald eagle flying around it as we approached. Claudine spotted an ocean sunfish, and several of the group went to look. After lunch, we paddled around the bay some more, playing in the reflected waves off the rocks. The winds were building again, and we were catching some good surf rides on our way back to White Head Bay. Our return route was through an 8 foot wide canal which connects the two bays north of Foxberry. Actually, we had to portage part of the canal, as we hit it right at low tide. This was our last paddle of the trip, so we were in no particular hurry to get off the water.

On the whole it was a great trip. The locals were super friendly, and everyone in town knew who we were by tuesday or so, and also knew where we had already paddled. Everyone who drove past waved, even when I was out biking, and people walking all said hello or waved. If you wanted to know where to launch a kayak, you get 8 different places as an answer & names of people to ask about others. As a kayaker, I haven't felt this welcome in very many places. I certainly hope it stays that way in Canso.

Specifics:

It's about 820 miles to Canso from Eastern CT, the halfway point being the border crossing at Calais, ME / St Stephen, NB.

Average water temp in the area is 60 degrees in early august, so a wetsuit at the least is recommended. I wore a goretex drysuit with one light layer underneath most of the days, and neoprene shorts and a surf shirt the others.

There are very few places to get food & supplies, so bring a basic stock of non-perishables with you. Most stores are also closed on sunday. The co-op grocery in town is very good. The closest large towns are Antigonish and Port Hawkesbury, both over an hour away. And keep your car fueled, as gas stations are not very numerous. And the gas was about $3.50 US a gallon, so a fuel-efficient vehicle is key to keeping costs down.

Wind is a constant there. The peinisula has lots of islands around it, and you can find good places to paddle in all but the windiest of days. You just have to be flexible in your planning.

Most of the area is Crown Land, which means you can launch or land just about anywhere. If in doubt, ask a local. They're more than willing to share their knowledge. There is an RCMP station in Canso, and they'll know better than anyone what is and what is not Crown Land.

And most of all, when driving or biking, wave to everyone you see. It's rude not to.