A Hike Down The Long Road to Caplin Cove

Another Great Cape Breton Hiking Adventure Before the Summer Heat

But First, the Long Drive on that Familiar (and Bumpy) Road - The Fleur de Lis Trail

I know that road in rural Cape Breton like the back of my hand.  Probably not as well as my father knows it as he's been driving it weekly for the past 60-some years, but I know it quite well. On this particular day, driving along the Fleur de Lis Trail from the exit from the Sydney Bypass (or 125 as it's often referred to), through Marion Bridge, Gabarus, Forchu, Framboise St, Esprit, L'Archeveque and Grand River felt like deja vu because I had just done the exact same drive less than a week earlier.

Again, I met my friend in the parking lot of the big church in Grand River and we drove together to Caplin Cove. Well, not exactly to Caplin Cove but to the road leading to Caplin Cove. The road is not well-traveled which means it's in very poor condition. We drove a little bit and when the conditions deteriorated, we parked and hiked the rest of the way. But that was the intention of the day anyway; to go hiking!

A Long, Difficult Trek to the Coast

I hoped we would be able to drive in at least a kilometer or two before the road got bad.  I knew the road was about 7 kilometers in so that would make the trek 14 kilometers total and I wasn't sure if we would have the time.  Alas, we had no choice.  My car wasn't going any further on that road! 

We coated ourselves in sunscreen and bug spray and grabbed our gear and a few beers to have on the beach when we arrived and headed off on that old wood road into the unknown. 

The walking was good for a while and then I saw it in the distance; a huge puddle.  Actually, it was more like a lake right in the middle of the road. I just knew by the size of it and how it went clear across the entire road that we have to do some bushwhacking to get around this one. We carefully made our way through the bushes ad swarms of flies and emerged with wet feet, bug bites and branches stuck in our hair. I hoped this would be the only such obstacle we would face.  Boy, was I wrong. 

Long story short, there ended up being 18 more large puddles like this, some even worse.  After several hours of navigating around them, we emerged at the coast soaking wet, full of mud and covered in bug bites.  

 

Was it worth it?

Despite being tired and battered, I instantly knew we made the right decision to do this hike when I laid eyes on the beautiful scene before me.  I forgot how beautiful this rugged, remote coast was and just wanted to see what was beyond every bend! But first, we needed to rest.  I pulled two Alexander Keith's out of my backpack and we sat barefoot in the soft sand and enjoyed some cold beer.

When we felt sufficiently rested, we started hiking to the left side of the beach.  One bald eagle.  Two bald eagles. Three...four...five...six bald eagles!  Seems that we happened onto a bald eagle colony.  There were old ones and young ones, perhaps generations of a family not used to seeing people in their peaceful, remote hideaway. 

The wind was strong enough that I could feel a cool mist coming off the ocean as I trekked around bend after bend, curious to know what was behind each one.  We found a little beach at a point where it didn't look like a good idea to go any further and ate our lunch. Because it took so long to hike to Caplin Cove and we still had a long hike back, we had to cut our visit short to be out before dark. I took one last look at that incredible vista knowing that it could be another ten years before I lay eyes on it again. 

The Long Walk Back to Civilization 

If getting around the large puddles wasn't hard enough, the mosquitoes were out in full force as w started the journey back to the car. I always said it seems like the hike back is always quicker than the hike there. Fortunately, this seemed to be the case on this hike!  Or perhaps we just learned how to better navigate those puddles. 

In what seemed like no time, we were back in one piece despite being sunburned, bitten and exhausted. I dropped my friend off at her car and, following tradition, took the long way home with a detour through St. Peters where I grabbed a Timmie's coffee for the road. Now, onto swimming season.  Hiking will take a backseat until late September but I'm looking forward to two months of sand, sun and vitamin sea!

Summer Has Arrived in Cape Breton!

 

Outdoor Adventures, Sunburns and Bug Bites 

Enjoying some Hiking in the first Days of Summer Before it gets too Hot

Summer is finally here on Cape Breton Island but it's still cool enough to enjoy a few hikes before it gets too hot and my outings turn into lazy beach days swimming in the cool Atlantic Ocean rather than days trekking through the woods in the hot sun. 

Hiking in the summer is doable but the combination of heat, sun and bugs can make it unbearable at times.  I prefer to save my big hikes for the late spring and fall.  Recently I embarked on two amazing hikes; one to a location I had never hiked before and the other to a location I haven't hiked in many years and have been longing to get back to.

But First, Lunch

The first hike was supposed to be to the place that I had been before but that day turned out to be too windy for a coastal hike.  I met my friend in the parking lot of the church in Grand River, Richmond County.  Past Gabarus, Forchu and Framboise but before Point Michaud and St. Peter's for those of you are vaguely familiar with the area.  For those of you who aren't, it's in southern part of Cape Breton Island in an area off-the-beaten-tourist-path. 

We turned onto a remote gravel road and parked by a very old farmhouse because it looked like a nice spot to have our lunch before heading out on the hike. We sat near the weather-worn steps of the old homestead.  

The house had to be close to 150 years old. I doubt anyone has been inside since the family packed up and vacated it many, many moons ago, no doubt for better employment opportunities in a big city somewhere in New England, Ontario or western Canada. Perhaps their grandchildren and great-grand-children don't even know the old property still exists.  The treasures they would find within!  A part of their heritage if only they knew about it! After tea and sandwiches, we walked around the old property and found some interesting old farming equipment and some things we weren't quite sure what they were. 

 

Exploring a New-to-me Trail

The trailhead for the hike of the day was only a short distance up this gravel road.  We parked and hiked into the forest.  I had no idea how long the trail was and there really wasn't any point in asking my friend because every trail is "just a short one" even if it's 10 or 20 kilometers long. I was ok with that.  I had nowhere to be, I had nothing planned for that evening and I was just itching to spend a day in the woods.  After the long winter and the stress of the pandemic, this was long overdue! I didn't care if it took two hours or 20 hours, I was game. 

We walked. And walked some more. All the while catching up on gossip and what has been going on in our lives since we last embarked on a hike the previous fall.  The weather was ideal for hiking.  Warm enough to not need a jacket and cool enough to be comfortable. There was a lovely, steady breeze that kept the flies at bay and the odd light rain shower which were welcome refreshments. 

Finding Paradise By A Lake

Eventually we arrived at a lake where we thought we would sit and enjoy a cold beer. There was nowhere comfortable to sit and the flies were bad near the water so we moved on to the next one.  The next lake was perfect!  There was a little shelter with some seats and a nice breeze that kept the flies away.  

There was a slight but constant ripple on the lake and a haze that the sun's rays just barely poked through.  The trees rustled in that gentle breeze and the sound lulled me into a relaxed state.  The beer also helped. The stillness of the world around me in that moment was so peaceful and the sounds were like the ones you hear on those relaxing yoga soundtracks that city dwellers meditate to after spending 2 hours in rush hour city traffic after a long day at work...but this was the real thing . 

There was no sign of the owners of the nearby boat ramp or the little shelter we were occupying. I'm sure if they magically appeared, they wouldn't mind two women sitting down for a cold one. Around here, they'd probably pull out a chair, start a fire, take out some guitars and invite us to stick around for some more.  But, we were fine just the way we were and for about an hour, we just sat there and took in as much of those sights and sounds as we could. 

We walked for a few more kilometers before reaching an old building perched up high on an embankment.  If we weren't really looking at everything so intently, we might have missed it.  It was dark-coloured and tucked behind some big trees. My friend tried to access it from one end and found a way in.  I went to the other side to check it out but got stuck in some trees and couldn't go any further.  It seemed to be some sort of old workshop.  Like, really old.  Perhaps over 100 years old. I'm not too keen on entering old buildings like that.  I'm always afraid they floor will give out!  I passed on the opportunity to go inside.  

 

The Home Stretch

We reached the third lake on this hike and took a little break before finishing the last leg of the trail. It was after 6 in the evening when we got back to the car.  The flies were just starting to bite and a heavy rain shower was moving in.  Just in time.  

We parted ways but headed in the same direction.  Instead of leaving the way I came, I took the long way home and made a detour through St. Peter's where I grabbed a Tim's coffee and took my time driving home along the Bras d'Or Lakes. Midway home, I started feeling a burning sensation in my shoulders and my skin was hot to touch.  I pulled over to inspect my "injuries". Sunburn. Great. My advice to you: wear sunscreen when hiking even if it's cloudy and drizzly!