Archive for the ‘Newfoundland2008’ Category
Posted by derrick on
June 16, 2008
Hi All! Greg is on his way. Here’s this from Neil Burgess. . . .
Greg started his trip at 10:00 this morning and headed south from St. John’s around Cape Spear (the most easterly point in North America). Light NE winds, light rain, 8 degrees C, 1-metre seas.
The photo above is of Greg out paddling with Kayak Newfoundland & Labrador club yesterday at Cape Broyle (which he will probably pass by again later today).
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Cape Spear as Neil said is the most easterly point in North America and is a national historic site in Canada. The Cape Spear Lighthouse is oldest remaining light in Newfoundland and has been restored to it’s mid-19th century glory. You can read more here.
Good luck Greg, stay warm, stay safe and always stay a sociably acceptable distance from icebergs. . . .
Posted by Greg on
June 16, 2008
Yesterday I paddled with KNL (kayak Newfoundland Labrador) on a daytrip to Cape Broyle harbour. It was good to get out, test my kayak, see some old friends and make some new. Cold, foggy and wet, but we were greeted by two Icebergs off the coast. The “Pro” felt great — surfs like a demon with a following sea, and a good fit (although I was squirming my toes a bit).
Fortunately my third gear bag arrived from Newark, and I was up past midnight outfitting the kayak (installing North Water cockpit bags and under the deck bag), etc. Thanks to Neil and Isabelle for treating me to a feast of traditional seal flipper pie!
It’s raining now at 9:00am, and is forecast to rain for the next two days. I am expecting to get a late start on the water and make this an easy “shakedown” day, prior to “finding my groove” and getting up to full speed.
It seems that my cell phone — using the Roger’s network, won’t do me much good outside of a few major towns, but I am traveling with a satellite phone and will be sending daily updates. It’s fantastic to finally be setting off!
Posted by Greg on
June 14, 2008
Tom Petty summed it up best in his song, “…the waiting is the hardest part…”. Continental airlines “misplaced” one of my three gear bags. Since I need the contents to outfit my kayak, each day the bag hasn’t arrived will result in a day’s delay. There is only one flight by that airline into St. John’s nightly. The flight last night was cancelled. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the bag has been found and will be delivered tonight. That said, this is just a part of traveling that you have to take in stride…
Immigration interviewed me for quite some time when I landed Thursday night. Apparently the combination of a one-way ticket and staying 60+ days, spelled “trouble”. I was asked a number of interesting questions such as “what kind of work do you do that allows you to take 2 month vacations? Where will you sleep and stay along the way? Why are you travelling around the island?” My unspecific answers, “I will paddle until I find a beautiful spot and then camp”, didn’t fit nicely into the safe, strict ininerary that the officer wanted to hear. Eventually, though the officer smiled and said “have a nice trip”.
Rain is pattering on the roof. Weather is foggy, wet and cool — but a welcome break from the heat of Florida.
Neil Burgess was gracious enough to drive me around town to obtain groceries, white gas, and other supplies. We picked up the kayak that I will be using for the trip. The kayak has been modified by changing the rope-skeg mechanism to a wire-skeg, but the design looks bomproof and works smoothly. Malcolm Rowe had a lovely dinner for me and a few close friends last night. Many thanks for the warm welcome and hospitality! Also many thanks to Neil and Isabelle for hosting me in their home.
Posted by Greg on
June 12, 2008
Bags are packed, I fly out of Orlando this morning, and will arrive in St. John’s Newfoundland just before midnight. Many thanks to Neil Burgess and Isabelle for hosting me in St. John’s! The new luggage fees are making these trips more expensive. One bag is free, the second is $25.00 and the third is $100.00. Ouch! I didn’t want to risk shipping items by ground and having duty charged, or worse, the items held in customs.
It will take two days to outfit my kayak and purchase some food and other items that was not practical to carry on the plane. If preparations and weather cooperates, I will be on the water next Sunday! The waiting is difficult — I want to be out there!
Posted by Greg on
May 30, 2008
A dry run at packing is always wise when you have a new kayak and new gear. Good old elbow grease and idle threats always seem to help… Many thanks to my good friend Russell Farrow at Sweetwater kayaks for providing a “test” Greenlander Pro.
Early this morning I donned my wool socks, pulled on my jet-black Kokatat drysuit, and wriggled into my size 11 Chotas. I slid into the Greenlander Pro with my boots squealing in protest against the hull until they found the footpegs. A snug fit for my feet, but it will work. All dressed up and nowhere to go! Unfortunately, I wasn’t about to glide among icebergs or sea stacks, rather I was merely testing the fit of my new boots and was racing against time before I began roasting in the sweltering Florida heat. I jumped out just as I started to feel the first trickle of sweat running down the suit. The neighbors glanced over but didn’t even say a word. From rope gymnastics to strange rolls to wearing a black drysuit in “summer”, they stopped asking questions long ago …
Snow fell recently in Newfoundland and icebergs continue to spill down “iceberg alley”. That can be difficult to fully grasp when living in the land of palm trees, humidity and alligators with the mercury rising over 90 degrees. One of the delights of kayak expeditions is that you can jump aboard a jet and suddenly be exploring an alien landscape — literally a different world in a matter of days or even hours. At this time last year, I distinctly remember the excitement of seeing a moonscape of black volcanic rock appear beneath me, as my plane descended in Iceland, one day prior to beginning a kayak circumnavigation.
Preparations for my Newfoundland circumnavigation are proceeding smoothly, and I expect to be getting underway the second week of June. My life is currently a flurry of excitement and activity: buying months worth of dog food for “Bear”, my Chow/Golden Retriever mix (he’s in the photo, but you’ll need “finding Waldo” skills to see him); ensuring that all the bills will be paid; learning to become proficient with new gear (even practicing putting up and taking down my new Hilleberg tent) working out an efficient packing scheme, and hundreds of other details both big and small.
An “expedition” just wouldn’t be an expedition without some stress, worry and concern. But everything always manages to come together in time. The inevitable challenges have to be taken in stride. A roof leak, an expensive car repair and an elbow/bicep injury caused some anxiety. Just a week ago I was researching all options to discover a way to get a kayak shipped from Maine to Newfoundland. I asked for help on the forums and spent hours on the phone with shipping companies. That’s when I received an email from Malcolm Rowe, a kayaker/judge who I met last year, offering to let me use his kayak on the trip. At first I refused — as a kayak takes rough treatment on a solo trip where it is dragged more than it is carried. However Nigel Dennis offered to replace Malcolm’s kayak after the trip, which made this option reasonable. Many thanks to Malcolm and Nigel and everyone else who has provided assistance.
Once the trip is underway, I will be posting daily updates to this blog with the help of Karel Vissel, who will provide Google maps and weather, and Derrick Mayoleth, who will create the blog entires. Between internet stops, I will post short status messages sent from my Blackberry or a satellite phone. I’ll capture plenty of images and post them as possible. I hope that you will follow my progress on the trip, and add your comments!
Posted by Greg on
March 29, 2008
Greg Stamer and Freya Hoffmeister among Icebergs in Newfoundland, 2007. Photograph by Neil Burgess (click on image to view enlargement)
As a bit of a teaser for my upcoming Newfoundland trip I have created a photo album of my trip around the Avalon peninsula in 2007. This trip was undertaken after teaching Greenland-skills at the Kayak Newfoundland & Labrador (KNL) symposium. The trip served as a dry (wet?) run for Iceland, and to test and hone our gear choices.
Icebergs are a common sight from the east coast of Labrador to Newfoundland’s southern shore — “Iceberg Alley”. These are bergs from Greenland that have been transported south via the Labrador current. I should mention that paddling close to bergs, as in the image above is very risky business. Kayakers have died when the ice rolled suddenly, due to erosion of the immense ice mass underneath the surface. The ice is as beautiful as it is dangerous.
One local custom is to collect small “bergy bits” surrounding the iceberg and to cart it home via kayak. When added to scotch (or the drink of your choice) it fizzes loudly — literally a “Bergie Seltzer”. The effervescence comes from compressed air bubbles — Greenland air from centuries ago — trapped in the iceberg, that sizzle, fizzle and pop when thawed!
Posted by Greg on
March 18, 2008
Greg Stamer off “The Rock” (Newfoundland) 2007. Photo by Freya Hoffmeister. (click on image to see enlargement)
Hello and Welcome to my new blog and website!
For a few weeks this site will be under heavy construction but please stop by and view the changes. In addition to sharing my thoughts on life and kayaking in this blog, this site will allow you to follow my progress on kayaking trips.
I must admit that I’m not completely comfortable with the humility aspect of having a domain name in my own name, and having my face sprawled across a website. If you are put off by this, then I hope that you find the content to be down-to-earth and interesting.
My next long adventure is a solo circumnavigation of Newfoundland, planned to start June 2008. I hope that you will follow me virtually around Newfoundland and freely share your comments. I will be using an NDK Greenlander Pro and Superior Kayaks carbon Greenland paddles. Many thanks to Sea Kayaking UK and also my friend Tom Bergh of Maine Island Kayak company for help with the logistics of obtaining a kayak for the trip. Please see my complete sponsor list for the people and companies that make my trips possible.
Karel Vissel, who provided weather reports for my trip around Iceland will be providing weather assistance on this trip as well. Thanks Karel!
Derrick Mayoleth will be updating my blog entries from satellite phone text messages that I send nightly. Thanks Derrick! I will be adding my own blog entries and uploading images as I find internet access during my journey.
Press Release:
Greg Stamer will be undertaking an unsupported, solo, sea kayak circumnavigation of Newfoundland, “the Rock”, Canada’s easternmost province, starting from St. John’s in June, 2008. This adventure is more than 1,700 miles around one of the most windswept locations in North America. Newfoundland is also one of the world’s most beautiful kayaking destinations with Icebergs, seals, puffins, breaching humpback whales, sea caves and a formidable rocky coastline. Abandoned fishing villages dot the coast.
Greg fell in love with Newfoundland and its people while teaching kayaking at a symposium there in 2007. “The country has a raw, primal beauty. Never before had I seen so many sea caves to play in, or so many thousands of birds, such as what I witnessed at Cape St. Mary’s in the Avalon Peninsula. Likewise the people are among the friendliest that I have ever met and would literally give you the shirt off their back if you were in true need. During my stay there I was offered berth in houses, inside cabins of ships and inside trailers. While I plan to stay in the wilds as much as possible, I know that interacting with the people of Newfoundland will be one of the greatest highlights of my journey. Winds will be a challenge as will the toll of long, high-mileage days”.
During his Iceland circumnavigation with trip partner Freya Hoffmeister last year, Greg completed two crossings of 90km, and 100km, the latter requiring more than 22 hours to complete. Neither of these crossings had been completed by kayak before. For the Newfoundland expedition Greg will be again be kayaking headland to headland, and making a number of challenging crossings, but he will also allow himself to be seduced into visiting the country’s beautiful bays and historic sites, including the ancient Viking settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows. Greg is president of Qajaq USA (http://www.qajaqusa.org), an organization devoted to promoting Greenland-style paddling. As he did while circumnavigating Iceland, Greg will use Greenland-style paddles for his Newfoundland expedition.
