On the River in Truro

On the River in Truro / 16x16

THERE SEEMS TO BE a lot of geographical bragging about the Bay of Fundy tides and tidal bores.

The tides are highest in Burntcoat Head in Nova Scotia, according to several people, and one page on the Internet. 

These guys were behind us on the road and
could tell we were looking for something

According to a sign we see, the tides are highest in the town of Hants. 

No, the tidal bore is best in Truro, on the Salmon River, says Kathy at the Truro information station, and this is echoed by two nice guys who think we are lost and stop to help. 

But no, says a woman at the information center in South Maitland, the bore is best in South Maitland, where the railroad bridge used to be.  

“Bore” is an old Norse word for “wave.” When the water from the rising tide in the Bay of Fundy is funneled into the Shubenacadie River,  the narrowed channel, huge amount of water and topography of the river floor combine to make a tidal wave or bore, a not-so-huge whitecapped wave that announces the arrival of the incoming tide. 

Kathy 

This is followed by a series of standing waves, as the water continues to funnel in, and then, a little downriver, a whirlpool and - suddenly and amazingly - rapids big enough to ride on a raft. 

Our first encounter with tidal-bore bragging takes place Tuesday morning, when the guys who think we are lost direct us to the Truro Tidal Bore station to see the wave. It’s great, they tell us, a brand-new facility with beautiful washrooms, benches, picnic tables, everything. 

So off we go. Turns out the tidal bore won’t hit the area until about 4 in the afternoon, so I make a painting and Carol talks to Kathy, the information goddess, and then we decide to drive to Burntcoat Head, where the tide change is supposed to be the greatest. 

But in South Maitland, we cross a bridge, and the Shubenacadie riverbed spreads out before us, huge and undulating and nearly empty of water. 

“That’s all I need!” Carol shouts. “That’s enough for me!” 

So we turn off. A couple hours later, we are standing on the remains of an old railroad bridge, with about 60 others from all around Canada and the US, and we are watching the tidal bore form and the tide come steadily in. 

The tidal bore is very cool, but it is not the most exciting thing I’ve ever seen. It is not dramatic. It is not thundering. It is not even very close. But it is fascinating, and it is rare, and I understand the world better for having seen it. 

And the experience of watching it with a group of supremely happy, superbly friendly tourists, is something neither Carol nor I will forget soon. 

My painting in the landscape

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Weather Watch

A SPONSOR HAS ASKED for some weather info, and I love this idea! So here goes. The weather has been just like you see in the photo to the left, for the most part - cloudy with occasional bits of rain. The temperature has been in the 70s, but when the sun comes out, as it does while we are waiting for the tidal bore to appear, it's hot! In the 80s. Carol and I both get sunburned, watching the river. 

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Photos from the Day

 The dark areas above are tidal waters coming in to the Shubenacadie River from the Bay of Fundy. If you look hard, about halfway up the river, on the right, are two lines of white. These are whitecaps on waves formed by the tidal water flowing fast from the Bay of Fundy.

The river before it fills up

You can't really see how fast the water is running here, but it is running fast! 

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Dog of the Day

This big lummox was from Vermont. I met him on the observation deck over the Shubenacadie River. He was not too interested in the tidal bore, but he thought the people were great. 

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A Final Thought

"One's destination is never a place, but always a new way of seeing things." 

- Henry Miller

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