The Richardson's planned to go on several snowmobile trips during the winter of 2021 but had to cancel due to pandemic restrictions. Fortunately, we were able to defer the bookings for a year and were thrilled to partake of these long-awaited winter outings over the last month.

This photo shows my husband John and me on the left, beside our longtime friends Nancy and Rick, enjoying a bit of snow shoeing at Elk Lake Wilderness Resort in February.

The four of us stayed in one of the resort's heated cabins overlooking Elk Lake, near Earlton in northern Ontario. With gas fireplace in the living room, full bathroom and kitchen, and two bedrooms, the cabin was a cosy home base for our 4-day holiday.

Our friend Nancy took this photo of the rest of us on our sleds, in front of the resort's heated ice fishing hut.

The resort staff made a different home cooked dinner each evening and brought it to our cabin. One memorable meal was roast chicken, potatoes, salad, and blueberry pie. We cooked our own hot breakfasts, using the food in the fully-stocked fridge.

We toured the local region on beautifully groomed snowmobile trails for about 6 hours one day, swooping through scenic forests and farm fields. We plan our trips so they fall during the middle of the week to avoid busy weekend traffic, and we mostly had the trails to ourselves.

Thanks to the efforts of many volunteers in the local snowmobile clubs, the trails were well signed and extensive. John tells me there are more kilometres of groomed snowmobile trails in Ontario than there are paved highways. The winter infrastructure in the frozen north really is amazing.

Our machine has a GPS navigation system, two gas tanks, and supportive heated seats. I ride on the back and my hand grips, face shield and under-jacket, are also heated electrically. Combine that with snowmobile suits, boots, and helmets that are put together like space suits, and we can be outdoors in a blizzard all day and still be comfortable in our own little bubbles.

Another day, we explored the shoreline of Elk Lake by snow shoe, tried our hand at ice fishing, and relaxed and chatted in the cabin. In the evenings we had fun playing board games and putting together jigsaw puzzles on the kitchen table. We were so appreciative of this quality time with our friends, after many months of isolation. 

In early March, we went on our second snowmobile adventure, based at Edgewater Park Lodge on Sand Lake, near Kearney (north of Huntsville, Ontario).

Pictured here is the 2-bedroom cabin we rented, with our truck, trailer, and snow machine parked outside. Our friends Nancy and Rick joined us on this 4-day trip as well.

Here is the view from the Lodge property looking onto Sand Lake. The tracks reveal how this lake serves as a link to many of the local snowmobile trails. The people way out there are John and our friends getting set up for ice fishing.

John used a battery powered drill to auger a hole in the ice which was three feet thick. That is me in the camp chair holding a fishing rod over the hole. (No fish were harmed, or even seen, during this escapade!)

Good fortune shone upon us and the weather was clear, sunny, and mild every day. The snowmobiling was superb; as good as it gets. We spent a day and half touring the region's excellent trail system through one of the loveliest mixed forests I have visited.

We drove by huge white pines and maples, gorgeous yellow birch, and lots of beech saplings with their dried leaves adding pops of golden pink colour to the winter scenery.

There had been recent snowfall, as branches were loaded with fresh 'icing' and the trails were very smooth with good traction.

One of the excellent side benefits of these winter adventures is that I have access to gorgeous wilderness scenery, to take photos I can use for painting ideas.

Here are a few shots that I think would make great paintings.

Our snowmobile adventures this year were easy and fun, and we very much enjoyed the camaraderie of our friends. We feel lucky to live where we easily can access world-class snowmobile trails for winter getaways.

Here are John and I standing on a scenic section of trail, surrounded by the beauty and tranquility of the forest. Life doesn't get much better than this.

We hope you have had a good winter and managed to spend some time out in nature.

I put together this 1-minute video to give you a glimpse of how lovely our northern snow trails can be. I took the footage using my iPhone, holding it above John's head as we drove along. (Please forgive the sound quality.) Click on the picture below to view the video.

What do you do to enjoy the outdoors in winter? If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post. 

Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter if you wish to see more painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming painting classes and exhibitions.

This past August, as my husband and I explored the north shore of Lake Superior with our travel trailer in tow, we had the immense good fortune to obtain a serviced camping site for a week in a most amazing place that very few people have heard about: Pukaskwa National Park.

Over the years, we had seen the sign for the turnoff to this Park on Hwy 17 between Wawa and Marathon and finally dropped in for a few hours in the summer of 2020, to check out the camping facilities.

We were so impressed by that short glimpse of the Park that we made plans to camp there this year.

Pukaskwa (pronounced PUCK-a-saw) has been a National Park for over 40 years and covers an area of 1,878 square kilometres (725 sq mi), protecting part of the longest undeveloped shoreline anywhere on the Great Lakes.

There are four large natural sand driftwood beaches in the Park, three of which are pictured here. (That is my husband John walking on a typically uncrowded beach.)

Our stay coincided with a week of hot, dry weather due to a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico pushing a warm front up our way.

Even though summer high temperatures along the shore usually max out at 15 C (59 F), we enjoyed a whole week of daytime highs of 24 C (75 F) and mild nights. There were no mosquitoes or black flies, but lots of birds and butterflies.

It was a glorious week; we swam, strolled the beaches, went for hikes, paddled in our kayaks, ate alfresco meals at our campsite, and generally enjoyed being out in nature in perfect conditions.

There were four easy to moderate hiking trails surrounding the campground, all less than 4 km (2.5 miles) in length. A few of them took us high above the lake to viewpoints that offered stunning vistas such as those shown here. The trails were so awe-inspiring that we hiked them more than once.

The water is very clear, and the white sand bottom gives the water a turquoise appearance similar to Caribbean or Mediterranean waters. But the wonderful thing is, Lake Superior holds fresh water, not salt, so there was nothing to bite, sting, or eat us while we swam!

This lake is so vast, you think you are looking at the ocean when there is only water as far as you can see. It is the largest body of fresh water on earth, with a surface area of over 82,000 square km (31,660 square miles), and over 4,000 km (2,500 miles) of shoreline.

We spent a lovely afternoon in our kayaks exploring the protected bay of Hattie Cove. (Our kayaks are too short to withstand the waves out past the islands.)

These photos show us with massive rock cliffs in the background. The bay was shallow and featured many interesting islands of varying sizes and shapes.

There is something about islands, even tiny ones, that always captures my attention. I'm certain the ones shown in this post will be featured in my paintings some day. 

Speaking of paintings, I wrote an article about my first six paintings inspired by Pukaskwa. Check out New Works: Nights on Fire.

To sum up our week-long experience, I think the Park pamphlet says it best:

"Pukaskwa National Park is a vast, wild, natural playground found on the edge of the world's largest freshwater lake. It's a place where powerful waves collide with rugged, towering coastlines; a place of endless sunsets over sandy driftwood beaches...A place where Lake Superior's untouched beauty can be seen, experienced and remembered by all who visit."

I agree wholeheartedly.

As in all National Parks, Pukaskwa has a pair of those iconic red Muskoka chairs installed, overlooking picturesque Pulpwood Harbour. What a lovely spot this was to rest after a day spent clambering over these magnificent rocks. 

I have a treasure trove of photos from our time in Pukaskwa, ready to inspire more new paintings. Stay tuned!

If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post. 

Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter to see more of her painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming exhibitions.

In a previous post, Smoke on the Water, I revealed four paintings inspired by our time at Lake of the Woods in northwestern Ontario this summer. After our stay there, my husband and I slowly traveled east for a few weeks, exploring the north shore of Lake Superior.

Luckily, we obtained the last available camp site (shown here) in Pukaskwa National Park near Marathon, for a week-long stay. We enjoyed hot sunny weather every day, which is rare on the Lake Superior shore. A 50-amp electrical hookup, as well as music from our satellite radio, were icing on our cake.

Pukaskwa (pronounced PUCK-a-saw) has been a National Park for over 40 years and covers an area of 1,878 square kilometres (725 sq mi), protecting part of the longest undeveloped shoreline anywhere on the Great Lakes. This photo shows me kayaking in a protected bay near our campground. 

We were so charmed and delighted by this gorgeous park that I have posted a photo article entirely devoted to the highlights of our stay. See Pukaskwa: Lake Superior Perfection (Top Ten Photos).

For now, I would like to show you the first six paintings this special place inspired me to create. I assumed my initial pieces would feature magnificent Lake Superior water and rocks, but in fact the trees start out as the stars of this show.

One evening during our stay, we were strolling through the campground and I noticed how beautiful and varied the tall tree silhouettes were against the twilight sky.

I took a few dozen reference photos such as this one, looking up at the treetops.

Back in my wee mobile studio (otherwise known as the dinette in our trailer), I let my imagination run loose. I wondered what would those trees look like with a radiant sunset, starry night sky, northern light display, or a combination of these backdrops.

These paintings are the result of absorbing the essence of this magical place and letting my creativity soar.

#1: Sweet Dreams, varnished watercolour on 8 x 8 inch panel. Click here for more information about this piece.

#2: Nightfall, (below) varnished watercolour on 12 x 9 inch panel. Click here for more information about this piece.

#3: Awakening, varnished watercolour on 9 x 12 inch panel. Click here for more information about this piece.

#4: Last Light, (below) varnished watercolour on 10 x 10 inch panel. Click here for more information about this piece.

Then I progressed to these northern lights scenes:

#5: Night Fire, varnished watercolour on 10 x 10 inch panel. Click here for more information about this piece.

#6: Night on Fire, (below) varnished watercolour on 8 x 8 inch panel. Click here for more information about this piece.

I look forward to sharing with you more inspiration from this exquisite National Park. Stay tuned!

If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post. 

Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter to see more of her painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming exhibitions.

Earlier this month, my husband and I camped in our trailer while visiting family at Lake of the Woods for ten beautiful days.

The weather was fine and hot, but every day was hazy or overcast due to smoke from forest fires burning in northern Ontario and western Canada.

Some days we could smell the smoke, even though the fires were not in our region.

I thought that photography would be challenging, but the haze actually provided some interesting atmospheric effects in my photos of islands in the lake.

While staying at Lake of the Woods, I was able to work on four small paintings inspired by 'smoky' photos such as those shown here.

Each day, I set up a tiny 'mobile studio' at the dinette in our trailer, to work on these paintings for an hour or two in the morning.

There was just enough room to work on small format paintings (8 x 8" or 10 x 10"). I protected the upholstery from paint splashes with plastic tablecloths.

When traveling, I take minimal painting supplies with me: a small paint palette with lid, a fistful of brushes, a few tubes of paint in primary colours, cloth rags, and pre-cut watercolour paper taped to foam core supports. 

I mixed up a big batch of blue paint in a tin camping mug, used my metal mixing bowls to rinse brushes, and relied on a tub of rolled oats to support my boards at the right angle. I'm a big believer in 'making do' with equipment on hand when we go camping.

The four new paintings are pictured here, along with their titles and 'stories'.

Click on each image to see the painting in its frame, art value, and availability.

#1

Beyond Blue Water, varnished watercolour on 8 x 8" panel.

Under the glow of a million stars and a full moon, a cluster of venerable pines guards the rocky shore of a northern lake, while the evening mist approaches.

#2

Blue Bliss, varnished watercolour on 10 x 10" panel.

Bathed in the gentle glow of moon and stars, weathered rocks and trees survey the surrounding lake from a cluster of islands. What a blissful place this would be to spend the seasons.

#3

Blue Beckons, varnished watercolour on 8 x 8" panel.

As mist floats in on a soft breeze on this northern lake, the glow of the moon and stars reflects off the water. Rocky points, laden with clusters of pine trees, appear to float in the mist.

#4

Just the Stars for Company, varnished watercolour on 8 x 8" panel.

On a quiet summer night on a still northern lake, the landscape is reduced to its simplest forms. A lone pine tree perches atop a rocky island, enveloped in a gentle mist, with just the stars for company.

I have a treasure trove of more photos of Lake of the Woods islands, ready to inspire more new paintings. Stay tuned!

If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post. 

Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter to see more of her painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming exhibitions.

It is hard to believe my husband and I have enjoyed 16 seasons exploring North America in an RV. And the last ten seasons have been spent with our Earthbound travel trailer, shown above in Quetico Provincial Park in NW Ontario a few weeks ago. Most of the reference photos I use to inspire my paintings are taken during these travel adventures.

This year we discovered that recreational vehicles (RV's for short) provide the perfect mode of travel for the current global pandemic. Having owned two travel trailers and a fifth-wheel trailer since 2004, and embracing the RV lifestyle up to 4 months each year, we fully understand why the RV industry in Canada and the USA is experiencing record sales since the pandemic began.

Shown above is our first travel trailer, an Award, camped in Nova Scotia in 2005.

People have become leery of boarding airplanes and cruise ships but still want to get away with their family to enjoy quality time together. RV travel is the perfect way to isolate with most of the comforts of home, while safely enjoying the rejuvenating aspects of nature.

In June of this year, the president of the Canadian Recreational Vehicle Association, Shane Devenish, said in a statement that recreational vehicles are more desirable now because people can prepare and eat meals in a private space, use a private washroom and bed, and have peace of mind knowing who is sanitizing the space and how.

He went on to say that "RVs lend themselves to outdoor activities where crowds are nonexistent, like hiking, biking, fishing, geocaching, photography, off-roading, rockhounding, exploring back roads, kayaking, etc.".

Shown below is our second RV, a 31-foot Wildcat fifth wheel trailer, pictured in New Mexico in 2009. This model had a small garage in the back that would transport either our ATV or two small motorcycles.

When the pandemic hit in March of this year, we assumed we would be spending most of this spring and summer at home. (That is why we decided to embark on a food-growing journey in our back yard, and you can read about it in these Garden posts.)

We were relieved when Ontario campgrounds opened in June with safe protocols in place, and since then we have taken some short camping trips.

Shown below is our current typical camping setup, complete with dining tent, pictured at Rainbow Falls Provincial Park on the shore of Lake Superior. We bought this 29-foot Earthbound travel trailer in 2011 and still love the layout, build quality, and amenities it provides.

We often refer to our trailer as our 'bubble', because it is a self-contained unit with its own kitchen, 3-piece bathroom, bedroom, and living room with TV and satellite radio. It is the perfect setup in which to isolate and entertain ourselves during the pandemic, while still being able to enjoy the outdoors.

When we are set up a campground with full hook-ups (water, electrical, and sewer connections), we have essentially a condo unit. Campsites have lots of open space, which makes it very easy to keep safely distant from other campers during this time of isolation.

If we need to, we can camp for up to a week without services, by using our solar panel, batteries, propane tanks, freshwater tank and sewage holding tanks. This 'boon-docking' capability allows us to camp in more remote areas for brief periods. Shown below is our rig stopped at a Lake Superior lookout on Hwy 17 a few years ago. 

The easiest way to explain what makes our innovative, eco-friendly Earthbound special is that it is built like an aircraft rather than a house. It was constructed aerodynamically with recyclable materials, has no wood in it, and only weighs 4,500 lbs (compared to 10,000 lbs for our previous fifth wheel toy hauler trailer).

All this makes for an easy-to-tow, extremely durable RV. It is short enough to park in most campgrounds, but long enough to contain the amenities we like. Let's take a look inside.

Shown above is the view from the entry door (which is in the living room), looking at the kitchen. The kitchen slide-out is in the 'out' position, which has expanded the hallway by a foot. The kitchen has a large round sink, 3-burner propane stove and propane oven, and a fridge/freezer that will operate on 120V, 12V or propane.

Across the hall from the kitchen is our little bathroom. The shower has glass doors and a built-in seat. We appreciate having hot running water and our own flush toilet.

The photo above was taken in the kitchen, looking back toward the entry door. The large living/dining room with lots of seating was a feature that attracted us to this model, which is called Copper Mountain. The extra loveseat on the left gives us additional room to spread out. My husband added the convenient illuminated shoe cupboard under the seat by the door.

Shown above is another view of the dinette and seating area. The dinette table can be moved to various positions and is where I work on paintings and drawings.

There are so many storage cupboards in this trailer that it holds everything we need for a 4-month stay. Recently my husband installed a microwave oven in the upper right hand cupboard, which is next to the kitchen.

The photo above was taken from the dinette, looking up the hallway. Underneath the TV is a very handy coat closet. Every surface inside and outside our trailer is washable and easy to keep clean. The Earthbound came with two flat screen TV's, propane furnace, air conditioner and radio sound system with three speaker zones (living room, bedroom and outdoor).

A feature I especially enjoy, being someone who loves to bake and cook, is the pull-out pantry (shown above) beside the fridge.

Shown above is our bedroom, with a queen size pillow top mattress that lifts up on pistons to access the huge under-bed storage compartment. The extensive closet space was another plus with this floor plan.

Shown above is the bedroom dresser and TV. We can run this TV from our batteries, connect our laptop, and watch prerecorded movies and documentaries, even if we are camped in the wilderness with no electrical services. It is a perfect activity for a rainy day. All the windows in the RV are double glazed, can be opened to let in the breeze, and have roll-up screens and roll-down insulated blackout blinds.

I hope you have enjoyed this tour of our travel trailer and understand why I think of it as a perfect Corona bubble.

Are you a new RV owner? Or thinking of getting an RV? Had some safe RV adventures this year? If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post. 

Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter if you wish to see more painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming painting classes and exhibitions.

This year for our Valentine's anniversary, my husband and I and 4 friends enjoyed a 5-day 800-km Gold Rush Tour of the Timiskaming-Abitibi region by snowmobile. This part of northeastern Ontario lies between North Bay and Cochrane.

Everyone towed snow machines from home and gathered in New Liskeard on the shore of Lake Timiskaming, where we stayed overnight at the Waterfront Inn and parked our trucks and trailers for the duration of our snow adventure. As the photo above shows, we had our machines stationed right outside our patio doors. We had a lovely view of the lake, complete with dozens of fishing huts (some of which are shown below).

Our first day on the trails we rode from New Liskeard west to Gowganda. The weather was relatively mild and sunny and the trails were well groomed and smooth, so I was able to hold my camera in my bare hands and take a bit of video as we rode along. Usually it is too cold to do this, so it was a rare treat to be able to capture this footage to show you what trail riding is like.

Click on the picture below to view the 2-minute video:

We stopped at a trail bridge to take some scenic photos. Shown below is me walking out on the bridge and then a photo of the beautiful view of the frozen river. I think this will make a great painting.

In Gowganda we stayed at Auld Reekie Lodge, which was easy to find due to the trail signage, shown below. The Gold Rush Tour had excellent trail markings along the entire route, thanks to the dedicated volunteers who clear the trails and post signs like these every winter.

At Auld Reekie, the 6 of us shared a 3-bedroom lakefront cabin (shown below) and enjoyed a delicious pork schnitzel dinner and full breakfast in the main lodge.

The second day we snowmobiled from Gowganda to beyond Gogama. The weather was colder but riding conditions continued to be excellent and the scenery was fantastic.

Occasionally our group stopped on the trail to stretch our legs, bask in the winter wonderland scenery, and enjoy cups of hot chocolate and coffee from our thermoses. We  carried trail food for snacks (such as trail mix, chocolate bars, cheese, water) and equipment for emergencies (saws, tow ropes, first aid kit, space blankets, cell phones, tools, etc). Snowmobile trips are more like safaris than road trips. Below is a photo of my husband and me on our snowmobile at one of our rest stops on the trail.

By late afternoon, we arrived at our next destination, the Tata Chika Pika Lake Lodge, where hosts Henri and Annie gave us a warm welcome. Our rooms in the 6-bedroom sleeping cabin (shown below) were spacious and warm.

Everyone enjoyed drinks and conversation at the bar in the main lodge before dinner (shown below).

The owners had mounted a magnificent 62"-wide moose rack (by comparison, I am 64" tall) above the field stone fireplace, shown below with me and my husband as we shared a laugh.

That evening we were served an awesome gourmet dinner of pork tenderloin with wild mushroom sauce, roasted organic carrots, twice-baked cheddar potatoes, and an old-fashioned Queen Elizabeth Cake for dessert. Beyond yummy. We had such an enjoyable stay at this lodge that my husband and I want to return in the summer with our travel trailer, to camp at their adjacent campground and do some exploring with our ATV and kayaks.

On the third day we headed for Timmins and stopped on a bridge above rapids at a control dam (shown below). There might be a painting subject or two here...

In Timmins, we stayed at Cedar Meadows Resort and Spa, which we have enjoyed many times in the past. We soaked in their outdoor hot tub and had an excellent chef-prepared dinner in their fine dining room. The 6 of us went on their afternoon elk-feeding wagon ride, which I describe in detail (including video) in my previous post Hand Feeding Elk in Northern Ontario. The photo below shows me feeding Rocky the bull elk, a gorgeous gentle creature.

On the fourth day we journeyed from Timmins to Kirkland Lake, again with excellent snow conditions. I must mention our memorable lunch stop at the Cosy Diner in Matheson. We had lunches at restaurants four times during our trip, and this one was the best of the best. My husband and I enjoyed home made hot roast turkey sandwiches, fresh cut fries and fresh made creamy coleslaw that were superb. If you ever find yourself going through Matheson, I highly recommend stopping at this diner.

That night we stayed at the luxurious new Microtel Inn which is accessible from the trail in Kirkland Lake, and some of us enjoyed the indoor pool and hot tub before a pizza-delivery dinner.

On day 5, we journeyed from Kirkland Lake back to New Liskeard. Below is a photo of me and my husband on our machine, which has a GPS navigation system, two gas tanks, and room for both of us plus 3 pieces of waterproof luggage. I ride on the very comfortable back seat which, along with my hand grips, helmet visor and underjacket, is heated electrically. Yes I'm spoiled.

Quite often during this trip, our route took us along hydro line right-of-ways, which provide convenient corridors through the forest and the opportunity to enjoy riding fast on swooping curves and hills (shown below). Woohoo!

We spent the final night at the Waterfront Inn in New Liskeard and drove home the next day. Our snowmobile adventure this year was easy and fun, and we very much enjoyed the camaraderie of our friends. We feel lucky to live where we easily can access world-class snowmobile trails for winter getaways.

Thank you to our friends Nancy, Rick, and Mike who contributed several of the photos in this article.

One of the excellent side benefits of these winter adventures is that I have access to gorgeous wilderness scenery, to take photos I can use for painting ideas. Shown below are a few of the paintings that resulted from years of snowmobile excursions. Click on the photos for more details about these pieces.

Frozen Two, watercolour 6 x 12"

Snow and Stone, watercolour 16 x 12"

Winter on Lake Kashwakamak, watercolour 11 x 14"

February Flow, watercolour 18 x 24"

Cabin in the Snow, watercolour 9 x 12"

Wild Wonders - Lynx, watercolour 22 x 15"

Fresh-Fallen Snow, watercolour 7 x 10"

February Farm, watercolour 5 x 15"

What do you do to enjoy the outdoors in winter? If you have comments you wish to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post. 

Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter if you wish to see more painting stories, travel tales, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming painting classes and exhibitions.

This past spring and summer, my husband and I spent 3 months and drove 15,000 km with our truck and trailer, exploring the island of Newfoundland. I took over 2,000 photos of the beautifully rugged scenery and abundant wildlife, distilled to almost 300 paint-able references.

During our journey, we were thrilled to see the sometimes-elusive wildlife for which this province is famous: whales, moose, caribou, and puffins.
 
In a previous post I shared our whale tales. Today I am presenting our sightings of the four-legged variety.

We spotted caribou herds on two occasions. The first sighting, shown above and below, was at the Port au Choix National Historic Site on the northwest coast.

This small caribou herd is a familiar sight to residents of Port au Choix, roving regularly between the lighthouse on the National Historic Site, through streets and back yards, as far as the Foodland grocery store on the other side of town.

The Port au Choix herd has a mix of bucks and does, with two babies. The youngest one is still white and is pictured standing in the photo below.

The caribou is depicted on Canada's 25-cent coin (shown below).

Our second sighting of caribou was on Hwy 480, which connects Stephenville to the remote port of Burgeo on the south coast of Newfoundland.

The native species of caribou in Newfoundland is named woodland caribou, and numbers about 32,000 animals.

Woodland caribou are a sub-species of reindeer. (Yes, the ones that pull Santa's sleigh.) 

I was thrilled to film a few of these magnificent mammals, including one on the highway in front of our truck and trailer. Check out the short video below which shows both sightings described in this article.

Our sightings of moose were more distant ones, for which we actually are thankful. With an island-wide population estimated at 125,000 to 150,000 animals (the highest density of moose in North America), and an average of 700 to 800 moose/vehicle collisions each year, we were OK to see these large animals from afar.

When we left our campground in Kings Point, (which overlooked a saltwater bay full of visiting icebergs and whales), there was an 8 km stretch of gravel road on the way to the trans Canada highway, due to construction. We crawled along at 20 km/h with our 4-way flashers on, to avoid damaging our trailer on the bumpy gravel. Our slow pace allowed for two excellent moose sightings. We spotted a bull beside a pond (shown below) and only a minute later, a cow crossed the highway in front of us (shown above). We were able to stop and get pictures even though the animals were fairly far away.

Their long legs make moose ideally suited to forest living, stepping over logs, negotiating thick brush, and moving through deep snow. Their hooves spread widely, supporting the animal's weight in bogs.

The most interesting moose sighting was at the L'Anse Aux Meadows National Historic Site and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Before our guided tour of the 1000-year-old Viking settlement remains, we spotted this cow moose with twin babies (below).

A few days later, we journeyed onward to Roddickton, which apparently is the moose capital of the world (see photo below). There was a very interesting moose interpretive centre there. 

We learned that two breeding pairs of moose were introduced to Newfoundland in 1904 to add variety to the local diet. It is believed the current population is descended entirely from these 4 animals.

But the most fascinating fact we learned about moose is that they are truly at home in water. In fact, they can snap their nostrils shut and dive down 5 metres to feed at the bottom of a pond! Who knew?!

If you have unusual animal sighting stories or other comments to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post. 

Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter if you wish to see more travel tales, painting stories, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming painting classes and exhibitions.

As my husband and I explored the island of Newfoundland earlier this summer, we were thrilled to see the wildlife for which this province is famous: whales, moose, caribou, and puffins.
 
Today I am sharing our 'Whale Tales'. Sometimes their visits were brief and far-off, but on a few occasions I was close enough to take a video.

The photo above shows a baby Beluga whale surfacing at North West Brook, near Clarenville on the Bonavista Peninsula. The reason we were there to see it was because of a couple of tips from the locals.

We were camped at a golf course that also had a small RV park, way out in the boonies near Hatchet Cove, which is on the north shore of the Southwest Arm of Random Sound (a long skinny fjord off of Trinity Bay). A lady at the Clarenville tourist info centre recommended we take a drive along the south shore of Southwest Arm on highway 204, because there was a very pretty fishing port out at the mouth of the fjord.

We took her advice the next day and thoroughly enjoyed the drive on a very hilly, windy, bumpy road out to Southport, pictured above and below.

On our way back, we drove into all the little hamlets and villages along the route. Some of them only had a handful of houses. One place with the charming name of Little Heart's Ease had a pull-off with a picnic table, on a high cliff overlooking Southwest Arm. The view was so stunning I had to stop for a photo. I'm pretty sure the spot was private property because there was a little house on the back lot and the friendly owner came out to chat with us.

She had lived in Ontario for a while but came back as a senior to live with her sister in Little Heart's Ease. While we were chatting, a neighbour woman called over "Did you see the whale?". We looked down at the bay again and, sure enough, in the distance we could see a whale surfacing (see its black back in the photo below). 

The first lady let us know about a baby Beluga whale that had been visiting the marina at North West Brook for the last several weeks. She gave us directions to the marina and we eventually figured out how to access it and stomped our feet on the docks to call the whale. Amazingly, it surfaced near us within a minute and was about the size of a dolphin.

I made the 3-minute video below of the young whale feeding and swimming near us. (Please excuse the wind noise.)

While we were staying on the Avalon Peninsula, my husband heard on the radio that humpback whales were visiting St. Mary's Bay off of St. Vincent. We made a day trip down there and joined several other people on the beach watching the show from shore (see below).

According to the very informative plaque posted on this beach, each spring about 1500 humpback whales journey from the Caribbean to the shores of Newfoundland, to feed on the annual capelin spawn. In late June or early July, millions of tiny silver fish called capelin gather in the shallow waters close to shore. They come to mate and deposit their eggs in the sand.

During their stay at St. Vincent's, an adult Humpback whale consumes up to 2500 kg of capelin each day. The whales can be seen exploding to the surface with water and capelin pouring from their mouths.

We could see large flocks of seabirds feeding on capelin and about a dozen black and white whales jumping and spouting way out in the bay. Unfortunately they were too far out to photograph well.

We also saw Humpback whales and an iceberg in one spot, completely by coincidence, while staying at King's Point in north central Newfoundland. When we arrived at the campground overlooking the bay we discovered the iceberg. The lady working at the campground store told us to take a certain road to the other side of the bay to get a better view of the iceberg (shown below).

While I was photographing the iceberg I heard a whale blow and was thrilled to be able to photograph a mother and calf surfacing and blowing (below).

I compiled this 3-minute video showing icebergs and whales in the bay:

All of the whale sightings we experienced in Newfoundland were from shore. If you visit this beautiful province and want to see whales, I recommend you find a tour company that can take you by boat to get a closer view. 

The best whale watching day we have experienced was in September 2003 in the Bay of Fundy off of Grand Manan, New Brunswick. We went out on a 40 foot sail boat (their sign is pictured below). Afterwards I spoke to one of the other passengers who was a professional photographer who had done this cruise every summer for the last 14 years and he said this was the best whale sighting day he ever had experienced.

We saw a basking shark that was longer than our boat (we knew this because the shark came alongside our boat) and later on we drifted beside a North Atlantic Right Whale and her calf for about 45 minutes (shown below). They were filter feeding at the surface. The captain used sail power to make sure we didn't get too close and disturb the whales with the noise of a motor. We felt privileged to have encountered these rare creatures, which are now listed as an endangered species.

Having had such a rare and wonderful whale watching opportunity, we don't bother going on any more whale cruises. How could we beat that day?!

The other piece of advice I would offer other tourists is to take every opportunity to speak to the local people of Newfoundland. They are proud of their piece of paradise and are happy to let you know about icebergs, whales, and any other exciting things to see in their area.

Where was your favourite whale watching experience? If you have comments to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post.

Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter if you wish to see more travel tales, painting stories, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming painting classes and exhibitions.

As my husband and I explored the island of Newfoundland earlier this spring and summer, often I felt compelled to use the 'panorama' function on my camera to record beautiful vistas. I found that standard 'landscape' format would not capture  the scope of many impressive views. This happened so often that I decided to present my best panoramic photos in this post to try to convey the vast beauty of ‘The Rock’.

The scene above is Western Brook Pond, the jewel of Gros Morne National Park on Newfoundland's west coast. The Long Range Mountains, the most northern section of the Appalachian Mountains, flank this freshwater fjord, which has 650 metre cliffs and is up to 165 metres deep. The Park covers 1805 square km and its natural beauty and unique geology earned Gros Morne UNESCO World Heritage status in 1987.

Below is Arches Provincial Park, just up the coast from Gros Morne. Three large holes have been eroded into the long rock formation by ocean waves. The beach, which stretches off in both directions, is composed of smooth round pebbles with fascinating markings. The people in this scene give a sense of scale to the rock formation.

The view from King's Point RV Park in the Baie Verte Peninsula (below) shows charming fishing stages in the harbour as well as the visiting iceberg. Our visit happened to coincide with capelin spawning season, so humpback whales were feeding on schools of tiny fish in the bay while we were there. We could hear the whales blow and occasionally see them surface throughout the day and evening.

We enjoyed hiking in the sunshine along the coastal trail at Sleepy Cove, near Twillingate on the north central coast of Newfoundland. In the scene below the bay on the right is part of Sea Breeze park, the site of a former copper mine, where you can camp for free and watch the sunset. I included the speedboat on the left to give life and scale to the vista.

While in the Twillingate area, we drove to Hillgrade to have dinner and enjoy musical entertainment at a seafood restaurant on the wharf. I took several photos of the gorgeous sunset that evening (shown below).

Near Embree on the north central coast, a light rain shower was approaching in the distance and created a misty perspective in the islands shown below. The scene reminds me of a watercolour painting.

When we explored Dungeon Provincial Park at Bonavista on the north east coast, the sun broke through the clouds to illuminate the rocky peninsula pictured  below. The shadowed background enhanced the dramatic lighting in this scene. The terrain of Newfoundland is predominantly rock, sometimes with a thin layer of stony soil on top that can support only stunted trees and shrubs. But some fantastic wild berries grow in Newfoundland and Labrador.

While most of the beaches we saw in Newfoundland were made of pebbles, gravel, or rock, there were some sandy shores. The one pictured below is Windmill Bight Beach in Lumsden on the northeast coast. Our weather was cool and windy so we didn't see any swimmers that day. 

Acting on a tip from the locals, we drove to see an outport on the Bonavista Peninsula near Clarenville. Southport, shown below, is a scenic hamlet and active fishing harbour in Trinity Bay. There were lots of paintable subjects there so I took many photos. The late afternoon light was lovely. We also saw beluga whales that day.

We spent a week exploring the Burin Peninsula on the south coast of Newfoundland. This is a beautiful region that has vast flat plains as well as hilly coastlines. The photo below shows one of the historic homes remaining in what once was a busy port when the fishing industry was booming.  

On the Avalon Peninsula on Newfoundland's southeast coast, we found many impressive coastal scenes. The one shown below is Bay de Verde, right out at the northern tip of the Bay Roberts peninsula. 

On the west side of the same peninsula, near the town of Whiteway, I took this photo below of Shag Rock. I love the serenity of this simple scene; I think it would make a great painting.

In photography, as in paintings, the way the light catches focal points in the landscape can make or break a scene. One day we were hiking the coastal trail at Cupids near Bay Roberts on the Avalon Peninsula and the sun shone through a gap in the clouds to illuminate this point on an island (below). This is the same kind of dramatic lighting I enjoy creating in my paintings. 

While touring the backroads of the Avalon Peninsula south of St. John's, we drove over a hill and way off in the distance I saw a series of headlands in the ocean. We stopped and I took a quick photo through the windshield of our truck. Afterwards I cropped the photo to emphasize the contrast between the sharply focused foreground trees and the misty background (below).

Many people have asked me which parts of Newfoundland were highlights for me. If I were to plot the locations of these panoramic vistas on a map, you would see that they represent most of the island. That is one remarkable feature of Newfoundland: its beauty is everywhere.

If you have comments to share, please do so using the 'Leave a Comment' button at the top of this post. 

Subscribe to Karen's Newsletter if you wish to see more travel tales, painting stories, studio news updates, or notices of upcoming painting classes and exhibitions.