Round Up...

Put down the cameras, step away from the computer....

It's time once again for this years seventh annual KNL Kayaker's Retreat. The weekend retreat is for white water and sea kayakers both. Guests for the WW crowd one year and then sea kayakers the next. A few years ago, we had the pleasure of a visit by Justine Curgenven. I still thank her for the introduction to moving water at the mouth of the Terra Nova river....interesting, fun and wet...my first time on moving water, and all in a 19 foot sea kayak. This year the Retreat guests will be Freya Hoffmeister and Greg Stamer. They will each teach Greenland rolling and stroke clinics over the next few days.

There are usually around a hundred of us. We meet in Traytown, which is along the north east coast of the island. Ice free at this point, but further out to sea and all the way up north, there is still plenty of pack ice on the ocean. So it's still cool in this part of the world. Cooler than normal. Any forecasted highs, never seem to materializes.... and even when we do get the the odd high, the temperature usually touches 0c within a 24hr period.... still can't seem to shake winter's grip. A few days of sun though....just to remind us that summer is still coming. Rum may be the order of the day once we return from the sea each evening.

Not much rain this spring, in spite of the cool temperatures....so rivers are down for the white water kayakers. Still good rivers, just not as high and powerful as many of them like. With little rain, wonder what the forest fire index will be once summer comes?

As for Icebergs....lots of them along the coast. I'll drive around a bit and see what I can find this weekend as I travel north. May get lucky and find some close to shore while kayaking in the Traytown area.

Also, Hadas Feldman and Tomer Sabag will be arriving on the island within the next week, to start their attempt at a circumnavigation of the island of Newfoundland. They will be heading out from the west coast of the island, so it may be well over a month before we see them near the St. John's area. Hopefully, many of us will get an opportunity to paddle with them.

If all goes well, the temperatures will be up for the weekend....and that we'll see some icebergs too. I'll post photos after the weekend's events.