Two days ago I shared a summary of this hike in the form of three videos. I seldom get the opportunity to walk the ocean floor by myself these days. It was a magical time! I accessed the beach just two hours after high tide and as a result had several waits at various pinch points which made for some amazing photo opportunities.
Due to the tide level I walked close to the cliffs for most of the way. I soon became aware of the many, never before seen treasures!
I discovered openings, windows, tight and wide open spaces…
…brightly coloured sea lettuce still dripping with moisture, sandbars slowly emerging from the receding waters and coloured pebbles in sea water puddles.
I always marvel at Nature as the Artist. Wind, rain, temperature changes and the relentless wave action of the highest tides in the world offer up new discoveries with each beach excursion.
When I finally reached the highlight of the beach hike I felt elated!
There, before me the Old Wife Formation spread out larger than life. I had only seen the formation in images, one of them on the cover of the first edition of the Cliffs of Fundy Geopark Sites publication. I had spotted it from a view point next to the Old Wife Rock but never did I have a full on view of this key geological site.
“Located within the boundaries of Five Islands Provincial Park this site offers one of the most significant coastal vistas in Nova Scotia and one of the best exposures of a monumental event in Earth history, the breakup of the supercontinent Pangea 200 million years ago. As Pangea ripped apart, the most extensive outpouring of lava in Earth history gave rise to one of the five (or six) mass extinction events in the history of life, wiping out the competitors of the dinosaurs and ushering in the true reign of the famous reptiles. The dark rocks are basalt (cooled lava) and the red rocks below are the sediments swept by rivers and winds in the rift valley.” – from the Cliffs of Fundy GeoSite Guidebook
Old Wife Rock was my next destination but the basalt chunk covered beach made the approach of the imposing rock seem much further away. It was nearly 30C and the tide was about to turn. I forged ahead. Once I reached the area dividing the basalt beach and the red mud Five Islands Beach I took some time to look around realizing that high tide completely submerges the area I was standing on.
I scrambled down to the beach and suddenly felt tired. Each step demanded tremendous effort as I slowly walked toward the Day-use area at Five Islands Provincial Park.
While this was not my longest day hike I have completed it certainly was among the more demanding. Looking back I am glad I did it. The images gathered will be a wonderful source of inspiration. I hope you have enjoyed today’s recap. Wishing you all a fantastic week, Anna
Tide Rollers & Mudlarkers... 