From Moncton to Kouchibouguac was a short pleasant drive through second-growth spruce forest. Almost all of the old growth forest was logged in the 1800s. Kouchibouguac National Park was encouraging the old-growth forest to return but it would take time.
Kouchibouguac Visitor Centre
At the park entrance, we stopped at the visitor centre to get a park map and look at the exhibits.
Statues honouring early pioneers
We booked into our campsite then went on a series of short interpretive walks. Each trail was in a different ecosystem which included a bog, salt water marsh, beaver pond and pine forest.
The 2.7 kilometre bog trail was particularly interesting because of the array of flowers that were specifically adapted to a bog environment.
Tuberous Grasspink
Bog Laurel
Emma and Sonaa on the Salt Marsh Boardwalk
The Salt Water Marsh Interpretive Trail included a nice Boardwalk that enabled you to walk out into the centre of the marsh.
Opportunistic Fireweed grew in many open areas throughout the park.
Beaver Pond Interpretive Walk
The interpretive signs on the beaver walk were excellent. They showed the location of the old beaver pond and how it had become overgrown as the pond matured and the beavers moved out. Therefore there were now no beavers or pond on the Beaver Pond Interpretive Walk but the signage was quite informative.
Tent Caterpillars
Pine Forest Interpretive Walk
The pine forest walk went through a beautiful forest of second growth pine. Unfortunately, mosquitoes were out in force and we had to run a gauntlet of blood sucking predators.
No problem for intrepid hikers like us. We donned out bug suits and sallied forth.
Happy Emma in full regalia
Emma at Kelly Beach
Kellys Beach was great because it was raining gently. We had the boardwalk and beach to ourselves as both the other people and mosquitoes took shelter.
Kellys Beach
Kellys Beach
Common Tern
July 16
It was a beautiful warm clear day when we headed down to the water for a canoe ride in the Gulf of the Saint Lawrence.
The boat rental store at Ryan fixed us up with a nice canoe for our morning paddle.
I had my canon camera in the canoe so encouraged Emma not to bounce around too much as I didn't want to go swimming. Also, as the photographer I wanted to be in the back.
"Why do you want to be in the back of the canoe", asked Emma. "To photograph you my dear without having to turn around", said I.
True, I got some nice photos of Emma. Also, we had a long sedentary driving day ahead of us. I'm okay with that but Emma was high energy and needed lots of exercise before a long car ride. I sat quietly in the back of the canoe taking pictures and offering words of encouragement as Emma paddled us around the bay.
Red Squirrel
As we packed up, this athletic Red Squirrel was hanging upside down watching us leave Kouchibouguac.
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