travels with janne

The final stop on our New Brunswick adventure is yet another national park. We have wondered how to pronounce the name of the park – Kouchibouguac. To our great relief, a woman in the visitor centre leads us over to a poster that explains it and she pronounces it for us until we have learned it. The word means “long tideway river” in the language of the native Mi’kmaq people.

Our cosy oTENTik is nestled among the trees at the campsite. We discover there is a propane barbeque, so we drop the boring freeze-dried bags of food for a day and gorge ourselves on red meat, pork sausages and corn on the cob. Yum!

The park has numerous lush hardwood forests, bogs and marshes, and long stretches of sandy dunes and beaches. The forests look tempting for some good walks, but we quickly discover the mosquitoes, these ravenous, intensely annoying little creatures that descend on us the minute we open the car doors. We have three choices: cover ourselves with bug spray, wear protective clothing or go somewhere else. We try all three, but end up spending most of our time away from the wooded areas.

One enchanting walk leads us through a bog.

The plants here are fascinating. There are flowering, carnivorous pitcher plants, carnivorous sundew, and spongy sphagnum.

We also enjoy time at the beach. It is accessed by a boardwalk that goes through a marsh, where we spot heron and other birds.

We go for a long walk along the shore and see numerous harbour seals in the water, peering at us curiously. Good thing to have long legs for long walks!

A maple tree has started to show its startlingly red autumn foliage, a reminder that fall is on its way and the summer will soon be over.

Prior to visiting Hopewell Rocks, we have hiked wild nature trails in the area around the small town of Alma just outside the Fundy Bay National Park.

We take breaks once in a while, this time to enjoy the view of the bay.

The tides continue to fascinate us while in Alma. Here are some low tide pictures.

We take pictures of the same spot at both high (left) and low (right) tide, illustrating the marked difference between the two.

In the national park we camp in a so-called oTENTik, a very practical camping solution. It sure beats dragging a huge tent or several small ones plus air mattresses over on the plane from Europe.

Fundy National Park was established in 1948. Prior to that, there was extensive logging and sawmill activity. The number of easily available trees declined, and refuse from the sawmills polluted the water, ruining the salmon fishing. The native people had lived sustainably on this land for centuries but then the Europeans came along. Same story, again, again. Anyway, now it is a lovely national park that everyone can enjoy. Its 207 m² include 25 waterfalls, forests and rugged, hilly scenery.

We hike several trails, enjoying nature while exercising our muscles. The paths go up and down. Some of the trails go over an internet of tree roots where you have to watch where you put your feet every step of the way. Even though it makes walking more challenging, we like the fact that the trails follow nature’s shapes and forms in this way instead of being levelled, straightened and covered with gravel.

We walk; we rest; we take our time to appreciate the surroundings.

Along the way we spot interesting flora.

We see an unidentified larva and a busy squirrel that fetches food in a hurry and eats in a hurry. Always in such a rush!

New Brunswick is known for its covered bridges. The wooden bridges were covered to protect them from the weather. Apparently, a covered bridge lasts for 100 years while an uncovered wooden bridge lasts for just 20 years.

One day I decide to spend time on my own so the other four girls hike out to some waterfalls. I take another route and end up down by the river at low tide.

The tide is on the way in and it comes quickly!

I also find a short and pretty but rather hilly route with a small waterfall.

In the final week of my seven-week holiday my friends and I close Nature’s Nest for the season and leave for new adventures in the neighbouring province of New Brunswick. I always feel sad to leave my beloved spot but happy with the thought that I can return again next year.

Our plan is to visit two national parks in New Brunswick, namely Fundy National Park (left) and Kouchibouguac National Park.

A fascinating feature of the area surrounding the Bay of Fundy in both Nova Scotia to the south and New Brunswick in the north are the tides. The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world with a record-breaking 16 m difference having been observed. A billion tons of water slosh in and out of the bay twice daily, i.e. two high tides and two low tides with approximately six hour-intervals. Nature is amazing.

We see evidence of this fascinating phenomenon several places. One of the most spectacular is at Hopewell Rocks Provincial Park. Here so-called flower pots (or sea stacks), which consist of rock that has been eroded by the tides for aeons, are the main attraction.  

At high tide they are tree-covered small islands scattered here and there in the water. At low tide, you can walk the ocean floor and look way up at these islands, whose flowerpot shape is now revealed. The difference in the water level between high tide and low tide is an astounding 14-16 m.

Another interesting tide phenomenon is tidal bores. These are created when incoming tide is squeezed into a narrow passage, such as a river, where it meets the river current on its way out to sea. The resultant wave is a tidal bore. We place ourselves by the Peticodiac River in Moncton, New Brunswick, at exactly 12:36 pm, which is when the tidal bore roars by. The incoming tide can raise the height of the river by 7.5 m, which in itself is pretty impressive, but the wave itself is most fun to watch. It only takes a few minutes, so you have to be on the spot at the right time. Have a look in the video:

Our cousin reunion is over and I have three weeks on my own at Nature’s Nest before the next round of guests: four girlfriends from western Denmark. I am so pleased that they are interested in coming all this way to see my beautiful native country.

They are here for two weeks. The first week we spend in my cottage, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, spotting beaver, observing hummingbirds, listening to loons, feeding the chipmunk, hiking in the area and enjoying each other’s company.

We drive up to Digby on the Bay of Fundy and stay the night to be ready for a whale watching adventure the next day. Digby is a fishing town that boasts of being the scallop capital of the world, so of course we eat seafood, including fresh scallops. Yum!

We discover a good hiking spot with interesting rock formations just out of town.

Next morning, we begin the day with a hike out to Balancing Rock, a basalt rock formed by volcanic action and erosion. The walk goes through a lush forest with lots of lichen called old man’s beard/usnea (“skæglav” in Danish) hanging from the trees.

253 wooden steps lead up to a platform with views of St. Mary’s Bay.

We cannot stay too long because we have an appointment with some whales, so we proceed to Brier’s Island via two short ferry rides and some driving. The whale watching is perfect. The weather is clear, the ocean calm and the whales stay close to our boat. We spot several groups of about 6-8 humpback whales. They spout, breach, dive and show their tales (called flukes) before disappearing in the briny depths. I am not quite sure where we are, but it is somewhere in the Gulf of Maine, which leads out into the Atlantic Ocean. We might even be in American waters, who knows? The whales don’t care and we sure don’t!

Back in the harbour, we note that the tide has switched from high to low while we were away. The difference is dramatic. When we left the boat was as high as the dock, but when we return it is so much lower. The water has completely disappeared from the beach.

The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world, but lots more about that later. Stay tuned!

Continuing on the subject of the national park from the previous blog, Kejimkujik National Park includes a seaside adjunct. Nova Scotia has approximately 7500 km of coastline, so you are never far away from Maritime experiences even if you live inland, like I do on Tupper Lake. It is refreshing to visit the seaside.

It costs nothing to enter the Kejimkujik Seaside Adjunct. There is a sign advising you that there are bears and coyotes in the area, so if you are walking alone, it is a good idea to make a sound once in a while to alert the animals that you are there. The climate here can be harsh with salty winds blowing in from the Atlantic.

Nevertheless, there are nifty bog plants, including carnivorous pitcher plants.

There is also snakemouth orchid and a white flower I have not identified.

After a hot hike under the baking sun, the water looks tempting.

We go for a dip only to discover that the water is positively frigid. It is like sopping in a basin of ice cubes. No matter how long we stay in the water, it does not get better. Looking around, we note that no one else is bathing. We find out later that between Nova Scotia and the balmy Gulf Stream, there is the Labrador Current, that transports water down from the cold north, i.e. melted icebergs. No wonder it was a cold experience!

Not far from my place Nature’s Nest is Kejimkujik National Park. I visit the 404 km² park every year and this year was no exception. I went several times with my family and, later on, with girlfriends that came over from Denmark. 

In Denmark the national park concept is just getting off to a tiny start, so Danish readers may want to take note here. In Kejimkujik, as in other Canadian and American national parks, nature reigns supreme. Humans take second place. The national parks are not created to earn money or to create a backdrop for other human activities; their aim is to protect nature. That does not mean that we humans are not permitted to be there, of course.

For example, if a nesting osprey is aggressive to visitors, as was the case some years ago on the absolutely most popular hiking trail, the park authorities close the path to the public to protect the osprey. They do not remove the bird to protect the public.

As far as I know, no animals have been introduced or removed. The area is not fenced in because there is no need; the park is surrounded by more nature, including free roaming bears, coyotes, beavers, deer, porcupines, raccoons, etc. Here is a brown-eyed toad sitting on a fragrant bed of pine needles:

The video shows a squirrel eating a pine cone. I guess you could call it fast food.

To get into the park, you drive on a paved road and pay a small fee. There are no activities such as horseback riding, logging, farming, berry picking, beehives, firewood gathering, or tidying up of sick or dead trees (except if they block hiking paths). Just nature.

There is a small snack bar at one of the lakes (closed this summer, though), canoe rental, public camping for tents and trailers, and back country camping where the only access is by canoeing or hiking. You can swim and canoe in the lakes and rivers, hike the numerous groomed trails and, recently, ride mountain bikes on select trails. The priorities are clear with regard to hikers and cyclists:

The result is a dynamic and biodiverse landscape shaped by lightning strikes, storms, diseases, beavers, grazing animals and predators, but not by humans. Nature itself takes care of adjusting and adapting. This was not always the case. Decades ago, there was both logging and farming, but now you can only see faint traces of these activities. When nature is given a chance, it rebounds.

In order to protect the environment, including sensitive plants, you are not permitted to trample around all over the place.

Instead, you take paths and boardwalks.

They lead you through an enchanting mix of forests, bogs, meadows, rivers, lakes, and waterfalls.

It is easy to find a quiet place to sit down and enjoy the wonders of Mother Nature.

This year at the cottage was pretty special for a number of reasons. One of them was that we had a family reunion at Nature’s Nest – all five of us. (That does not count the next generation. Including them would add five more people.) This huge family of mine consists of a Danish cousin and her husband plus our two American second cousins. Since we have been separated by thousands of miles all our lives, we do not see each other too often, so there was a lot of catching up to do.

Fortunately, we all enjoy nature. One morning my American cousin and I went for a peaceful paddle in the canoe.

The weather was miserably hot and humid, so we did a lot of swimming, including at this spot a mere 1.6 km from my house (the swimming in “my” lake is not too great because it is rather shallow and you get entangled in lily pad stalks):

We visited Ross Farm, that re-enacts farm life from a couple of centuries ago, and where I found a beautiful Large purple-fringed orchid.

We also wandered around in the picturesque little fishing village Blue Rocks:

We paid a visit to Peggy’s Cove, which has probably the most photographed lighthouse in North America. The rock formations and quaint houses are the big draw.

One of the things I truly enjoy while staying at my cabin on Tupper Lake in Nova Scotia is to sit and observe. I call the place “Nature’s Nest”. Hummingbirds whiz busily by all day long, the local beaver glides through the water in search of food at dawn and dusk, bald eagles and ospreys soar in the sky, loons call to each other with their haunting sound and frogs made strange noises at unpredictable hours. The first video has the sound of the loons while the second one shows the birds on the water. Don’t forget to turn on your sound!

I particularly enjoy the changing light. It is like looking at new paintings every day. The following pictures are from sunrises:

The next photos are from afternoons:

The following photos were taken during the evening:

This is the earliest in the season I have ever stayed at the cottage, so I was delighted to discover several flowers I had not seen before, among them what I think might be a snakemouth orchid:

I also noticed that the sundew had flower stalks, which I have never seen before:

These fascinating carnivores have sticky droplets that ensnare insects. The more insects they can consume, the better the flowering, apparently. Makes sense:

Other nifty flowers on my land were Virginia meadow beauty, pickerel weed and some I don’t know the names of:

I also saw a barred owl (try googling “barred owl sound” to hear their strange call), a fat larva that looked like a banana, and several white-tailed deer, including fawns, met a green frog, and made friends with a little chipmunk.