Sunday, February 25, 2018

Waiting two weeks for a walk ...

In most places on this planet going for a walk along the shore does not require one to wait two weeks before setting out; but that is not the case if you are planning on walking along the shore of the magnificent Bay of Fundy.

I wanted to go  walking along the shore at Blomidon Provincial Park.

Blomidon in sight.

Given Fundy's 35 ft. (11 m.) tides that required some planning.    I needed to find a day when low tide was just after mid-day; then to allow for the maximum walking time I would arrive two hours BEFORE low tide.  I had waited two weeks for the tide times to be right. Yesterday low tide was at 1:30; so friend Mickie and I got to Blomidon at 11 am.

Once at the park we decided to check out a trail to Borden Brook Falls.   Sadly the only ice around was on the trail which made for some perilous walking but the dodgy walk was well worth the effort.  The slope was slippery and you can see that even Sooki didn't like the unsure footing.  But oh my gosh the water fall was beautiful.



We couldn't make it up to the top of the falls.  I had a few false starts of trying to scramble across the greasy slope, clinging onto trees to keep from slip sliding down to the rocks and river below.  It was quite an adventure but aside from a muddy bottom I got out relatively unscathed.


The one route to the beach was via a closed staircase that was signed: "Unsafe structure.  Keep off".

Well ... since it was the only way down, we took it.  It was only when we were coming back up after our walk that we saw the reason for the sign.  The support poles under the steps were pretty much floating in air as the earth around them had been washed away !


Walking on the ocean floor and avoiding the very mucky bits.


Mucky bits.


The eroded cliffs are quite spectacular.  I think that all those Birch trees were once growing at the top of the cliff and came down with a landslide but since enough earth came down with them, they have been able to survive in their new location.


Walking closer to the cliffs we were able to see roots and trees hanging over the lip of the cliff.


These blue and red chunks have fallen down from above.  They look solid but crumble easily.   


The sun came and went but the winds were constant as you can see by Wendy and Sooki's blowing ears and Remi's furry face.   We walked outbound with the wind at our backs which meant that when we turned back we were facing into the wind.


At one point I leaned against the cliff and was surprised by the constant plinking of what I thought were ice crystals around and upon my head. I was startled to realize that they were tiny pebbles.  Notice the piles of sand and stone to the right in the picture above.  At one point the pebble fall grew a bit more forceful and Mickie and I comically dashed away from the cliff bottom thinking the whole thing was coming down !   In truth the odds of being in a car accident on the way to these cliffs are far greater than the chances of having the cliff come down on our heads.

I am certainly more than willing to take that chance in exchange for the experience of just being here.


8 comments:

  1. That was quite the adventure! And yes, those birch trees look so very odd at the bottom of the cliff.

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    1. Debra, apologies that I never got notified of these comments. So many amazing things happen on Fundy

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  2. What an adventurous trip, Sybil! So glad the cliff didn't come tumbling down on you, and that you made it safely back from the beach. What a stunning place!

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    1. I think the drive is far more dangerous that walking beneath the cliff. :-)

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  3. It looks like it was worth the two week wait. The eroded cliffs are so beautiful. Fun adventure, Sybil!

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