Just completed a round trip to all the maritime Provinces, in two amph. Supercubs ( Smiths), four guy's. All in all we covered about 1875 miles, 335 app. over water. We tried to leave Saturday morning, but low ceilings held us back til noon. We departed YQI (Yarmouth, where we fueled up) and stopped at Miramichi , NB for there rest roam. Soon we were off for our day's destination of Gaspe QC. The next morning we fueled up and set coarse for Anticosti Island. We landed in a lake just to say we were there. Tried a few cast but no luck. The lakes there are crystal clear, never seen a rock bigger than your head on the entire island. Things will soon change.
We departed for the shores of northern Quebec and followed them all the way to Labrador. We landed in the last Quebec community for fuel but had not called ahead and the fuel man was out for the evening. With an hour and a half of fuel left, we set out for a lake in Labrador to try a little fishing. Without knowing where to try and with strong winds no luck. Went back to Blanc-Sablon Qc and stayed over night. The next morning after fueling up we departed for a lake 15 miles north to try one last time. The locals said it was not really fishing, because all you do is cast out and reel them in. I guess we are not fishermen , same luck. That's it for fishing on this trip. Now we depart for the rock, Newfoundland. Anticosti had no rocks, but NFLD is a rock, nothing else , ie no gravel or soil that we could see. Must have had some soil, because they grow trees there. There were no trees on the Quebec, Labrador side, just barren and flat rock. NFLD was something else. 2000 to 3000 foot mountains with numerous fiords. Words cannot describe the scenery all the way down to Deer Lake. Shortly after departing Deer Lake for the island of St. Pierre (France) the topography returns similiar to the Quebec/ Labrador coast. Many ponds and flat rocks, all the way to the coast, and then it returns to tree covered mountains, fiords and lakes.
We clear customs in St Pierre and spend the third night. While clearing, the thought occures that customs will be needed to return back to Canada. This creates a problem as the airports we chose with customes don't have fuel , and vis versa. Our best option is a direct flight to Sydney NS, following the NFLD coast to Port Aux Basque then cross the Cabot Strait. I think that leg was 3 1/2 hrs. After lunch and refueling we departed for Margaree to meet up with a Rotorway (helicopter) friend, then returning to Sydney for over night.
Wednesday, we set sail for the Iles De La Madeleine. There we get a tour of the island ,from a friend . Soon we are off for Charlottetown PEI, for our final refueling. Our last leg to my strip (CLE4) took 2.8 hrs.
All this flying in five days with beautiful weather, (once we leave) in the Maritime provinces is unheard of. I would like to have a dollar for every time I heard someone saying " it's good to see the sun" as we have been socked in fog here all spring. The folks in Gaspe said they had three days of sun since spring began. Today , yesterday and tomorrow. I guess we hit it right.
Sorry for the long post, but you didn't have to read it!!!
Ron
We departed for the shores of northern Quebec and followed them all the way to Labrador. We landed in the last Quebec community for fuel but had not called ahead and the fuel man was out for the evening. With an hour and a half of fuel left, we set out for a lake in Labrador to try a little fishing. Without knowing where to try and with strong winds no luck. Went back to Blanc-Sablon Qc and stayed over night. The next morning after fueling up we departed for a lake 15 miles north to try one last time. The locals said it was not really fishing, because all you do is cast out and reel them in. I guess we are not fishermen , same luck. That's it for fishing on this trip. Now we depart for the rock, Newfoundland. Anticosti had no rocks, but NFLD is a rock, nothing else , ie no gravel or soil that we could see. Must have had some soil, because they grow trees there. There were no trees on the Quebec, Labrador side, just barren and flat rock. NFLD was something else. 2000 to 3000 foot mountains with numerous fiords. Words cannot describe the scenery all the way down to Deer Lake. Shortly after departing Deer Lake for the island of St. Pierre (France) the topography returns similiar to the Quebec/ Labrador coast. Many ponds and flat rocks, all the way to the coast, and then it returns to tree covered mountains, fiords and lakes.
We clear customs in St Pierre and spend the third night. While clearing, the thought occures that customs will be needed to return back to Canada. This creates a problem as the airports we chose with customes don't have fuel , and vis versa. Our best option is a direct flight to Sydney NS, following the NFLD coast to Port Aux Basque then cross the Cabot Strait. I think that leg was 3 1/2 hrs. After lunch and refueling we departed for Margaree to meet up with a Rotorway (helicopter) friend, then returning to Sydney for over night.
Wednesday, we set sail for the Iles De La Madeleine. There we get a tour of the island ,from a friend . Soon we are off for Charlottetown PEI, for our final refueling. Our last leg to my strip (CLE4) took 2.8 hrs.
All this flying in five days with beautiful weather, (once we leave) in the Maritime provinces is unheard of. I would like to have a dollar for every time I heard someone saying " it's good to see the sun" as we have been socked in fog here all spring. The folks in Gaspe said they had three days of sun since spring began. Today , yesterday and tomorrow. I guess we hit it right.
Sorry for the long post, but you didn't have to read it!!!
Ron
