Up Here The Views are Out of this World...Welcome to Cape Clear

I believe it was 2008. Or maybe, it was 2009.  I was still living in St. John's Newfoundland and returned home to Cape Breton Nova Scotia that summer seeking adventure in the short two weeks I had for my vacation.  I know Cape Breton Island well having explored it all my life but, despite its small size, there were still so many places in the great outdoors I hadn't seen yet and wanted to scratch some of those places off my list.  One of the places I wanted to explore was North River Falls. 

After much pleading, I convinced my father to come along with me on the 19-kilometre return hike.  He had mentioned wanting to go in the past but thought it too far to hike at his age.  I knew he could handle it and thought it might be his only chance to see those lovely waterfalls he had seen so many times only in pictures.  

The day we hiked to the falls was also the day we discovered another hidden gem quite off-the-beaten-path in the Cape Breton Highlands.  You may have recently heard about this spectacular place as many people are now discovering it. But back then when my dad and I first heard about it, it was almost unknown.  I'm talking about Cape Clear. 

It was quite by accident that dad and I learned there was a look-off up on the Highland Road in the Cape Breton Highlands somewhere and the views were among the best anywhere on the Cape Breton Island.  Hearing this, we knew we had to find it. The man who told us about it drew a map with some directions on it so we would be able to find it easily. Although it's in the Cape Breton Highlands, the shouldn't be mistaken with the Cape Breton Highlands National Park.  The park is an easily-accessible, well-maintained tourist area while the area of the highlands that the Highland Road passes through is remote. 

The first time we tried to find Cape Clear was after our hike to North River Falls.  Although we were both exhausted from the long hike (the trail had been rough the heavy rains a few days earlier), we decided to take a drive up into the Cape Breton Highlands to see if we could find Cape Clear.  It was already getting late in the day but according to the map, it didn't look too far.  The sun had gone down when we turned back toward Hunter's Mountain having not found any trace of it. It was as if it didn't exist at all.

The following week, dad and I returned to the area to search for Egypt Falls near Margaree.  It took a while to find them because they weren't where we thought they would be.  The hike to these falls isn't long so we had plenty of time to venture back out into the Great outdoors of the Cape Breton Highlands and continue our search for Cape Clear.  This time, we found it.

It was much further along that old gravel road than we thought.  We drove and drove for what seemed like hours and there it was; a sign with the words "Cape Clear" pointing to the left.  The road was not as well maintained once we left that main road but passable enough to get within a short walk of the Look-off. 

For more than a decade, I didn't return to Cape Clear or that region of the Cape Breton Highlands but over the years, many more people started to discover this treasure tucked deep in the great outdoors of Cape Breton's highest peaks. 

It wasn't until a few weeks ago that the opportunity to return to the look-off presented itself.  My sister was home from away and had heard about it and wanted to go.  Dad was hesitant because he only has a Toyota Corolla and my Hyundai Sonata is too babied to travel such a messy road.  When a family friend offered to go with us and take her Jeep, it was a done deal. Off in search of Cape Clear we went.  I say "in search of" because it was so long since I or Dad had been there that neither one of us could remember exactly how far up in the Cape Breton Highlands it was and how many turn-offs we had to make.  The hope was the signs were still up. This isn't a highly trafficked area and I have no idea who takes care of signs and if they're even replaced when they fall down or get stolen to decorate someone's shed.  

The main road wasn't so bad but it took longer than I remembered to reach the first turnoff to Cape Clear.  We even had to stop and ask some hunters for directions. "You're on the right track! Just keep driving for another 30 or so kilometres". It started to rain but turning around wasn't an option at that point. At least it wasn't snowing.  Rain is typical Cape Breton weather this time of year. It usually snows in the highlands in October. About 45 minutes after the encounter with the hunters, we reached the sign pointing to Cape Clear. 

This new road was in fairly good shape.  We drove for a bit before coming to another sign pointing to Cape Clear.  This road wasn't so great. I can't remember if we had to turn again but either way, the rest of the trip was on a pothole-ridden, muddy, narrow gravel road that got worse and worse.  Finally, we reached a giant puddle and the owner of the Jeep said "no more".  As we got our camera gear and jackets ready, a pick-up truck came from the direction we were headed.  We watched as he carefully navigated that huge puddle and cringed near the end when we heard a loud scraping sound.  Good call on leaving the Jeep behind.  We walked the rest of the way in the rain.  

Five minutes was all it took to reach the first lookoff area and the main one was only about a minute from that.  The rain let up just long enough for us to admire that stunning view.  With it being so out-of-the-way, it could be a long time before any of us return so best to enjoy it while we could and enjoy it we did.

The air up there in the Cape Breton Highlands feels different, smells different. It's so quiet and the lack of buildings and people make it sound almost hollow, for lack of a better word. Like you're on top of the world and looking down on everything else....high up where the noise and distractions of modern, everyday life can't reach you.  An escape from the real world.  The only sound was the howling wind, not through the trees but coming up from the valley below and sweeping the plateau we were standing on. It was a cold breeze.  One that brought with it a dampness that chilled to the bone.  It felt like it might snow. Now and again, the wind blew just right to get a whiff of rotting leaves that had recently fallen from nearby trees. A typical late fall day on Cape Breton Island.  

In my opinion, the views that are enjoyed at Cape Clear are the best on Cape Breton Island. If you don't believe me, just check out the pictures of the place...or take a trip up the Highland Rd. and check it out for yourself.  It's worth the trip and I promise you won't be disappointed!

 Tips for exploring Cape Clear safely:

• Dress in layers.  It gets cold way up on top of those mountains!
• Wear good walking shoes.  It helps to wear waterproof boots in case the road is muddy.
• Have emergency provisions in your vehicle in case something goes wrong. A blanket, some extra snacks and water and matches and anything else you may need to keep you safe and warm if you break down or get lost. Cell service in the area is spotty at best!
• If possible, don't go there alone.  It's quite remote and there are some dangers to be mindful of including steep drops, adverse weather conditions and wild animals such as bears and coyotes. 
• Don't overdrive your vehicle on bad roads.  This is not the place you want to get stuck in the mud!
• Don't step too close to the edge of the lookoffs.  It's a very steep drop!
  

Cape Breton’s Best Kept Secret?

   

 

                                                   August of 2008. My Dad and I had heard the waterfalls at North River were a must-see and always on the look-out for new waterfalls to photograph and new trails to tackle, we drove to the area to speak with some locals about the trail and to get some directions. We found what we were looking for at the offices of the Department of Lands and Forests in Baddeck. While we were there, we were also told about something else in the area that was a must-see; Cape Clear Look-off. The person we spoke to had not been there in many years and the only thing he could tell us was that it was located off the Highland Rd. somewhere between Hunter’s Mountain and Cheticamp. It was too late to tackle the 19-kilometer trail to the North River Falls that day so we decided to instead set out into the Highlands in search of Cape Clear. After all, it couldn’t be that hard to find. After driving for a while, we found a turn-off marked with a Cape Clear sign. We drove up only to discover that this road was littered with dozens of other unmarked side roads. We drove to the end of the first road which came to a dead end and satisfied that there was no look-off in sight, we drive back the way we came and began the tedious task of driving up every side road that went off the main one. But, that was to no avail as all those roads also had dozens of unmarked roads running off them.

Nightfall came quickly and by that time, we had checked only a small portion of the overall area and all we saw were trees and more trees and more roads. Disappointed, we headed for home, vowing to try again someday soon. That summer, my Dad and I didn’t get to North River Falls or Cape Clear. I ran out of time and had to head back to my job in the city. But, before I left that summer, we vowed to see both the next summer. I returned home to Cape Breton this past August with anticipation for the adventures planned. For the first few weeks I was home, we were unable to embark on the hike to North River due to some unforeseen factors that came into play. When I arrived, Nova Scotia was going through a rare heat wave with temperatures climbing up in the 40’s Celsius. It was just too hot to embark on a hike that long and since Cape Clear was in the same area, we decided to wait until later in the summer to tackle both.
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Mid-summer, hurricane Bill barreled through and caused the temperatures to drop for a few days but by that time, I was suffering from a bout of heat exhaustion due to the heat before the storm. I was off my feet for three days and by the time I was better, the hot weather was back in full force. It was starting to look like we would not get to North River or Cape Clear. Approaching the last week of my vacation, the temperatures had returned to normal. We decided that this was the perfect time to attempt the long hike to North River Falls. It was cool and overcast that day which was a good thing. We reached the head of the falls trail early that morning and by late afternoon, we made it back to the car with still enough time to make another attempt at finding Cape Clear. We made a quick stop at the Department of Lands and Forests again to get some clearer directions. Again, we were told the same thing. The person we spoke to had not been there in many years and couldn’t remember the exact location but he was able to provide us with a map marked with an X in the area he thought it might be. We reached the same turn-off we came to the year before, followed the roads to where the X was and again, we were met with disappointment and a dead end with no look-off. There were no signs pointing us to the look-off which made us start to think that maybe the locals wanted to keep it hidden from outsiders. But, we were not deterred! We started trying different roads which all led to nothing. When nightfall came, we had no choice but to turn around, again without finding the elusive look-off. We were left wondering if we were sent on a wild goose chase and thinking that maybe it didn’t even exist. A few days later, another opportunity to find Cape Clear came up. My sister, who works at the Keltic Lodge in Ingonish, requested that my dad and I take a trip up there to pay her a visit for the day. Since she was working until 5pm, we had the whole day to do whatever we wanted. The only thing we wanted to do was find Cape Clear and this time we were going to do it right! Armed with some research gathered from a Google search, we left very early that morning. After a hearty breakfast at Seal Island, we made yet another stop at the offices of the Department of Lands and Forests to see if we could get any more information. This time, the person there was a little more familiar with the area and assured us that it did in fact exist and the view was out-of-this-world! Armed with this new information, we again made our way deep into the Highlands in search of Cape Clear Look-off and this time we struck gold! In no time, we found what we had been looking for for almost two years and as promised, the view was spectacular! We were on top of the mountains, high above the valleys and raging rivers in the foothills. It felt like we were on top of the world! We spent enough time there to have a light lunch, take some pictures and take in the view before heading on towards Ingonish to meet my sister. A few days later, I decided Cape Clear would be something my Mom would love to see. We could not get on the road until late afternoon but I felt confident we would make it before nightfall. We made it just as the sun was going down and although we couldn’t see much, what a spectacular sunset it was! We returned to Baddeck to grab something to eat at the Yellow Cello restaurant before heading home. But not before watching a beautiful full moon come up over the Bras D’or Lakes!

If you are ever in the Baddeck area of Cape Breton and want to check out the Cape Clear Look-off, here are some directions that should help you on your way! From Hunter’s Mountain: Drive approximately 35 kilometers and you will see a road on the left-hand side of the with a sign that says South Cape Clear. Drive down this road and turn at the fourth road on the left. You must count the roads because they are not marked with signs! Drive down this road until you reach the end and turn left again. Keep driving until you get to an area with signs hanging in the trees that say “caution”. You have found Cape Clear! The road may be bad and you may have to walk a little bit, but trust me, it is worth it!