Exploring Judique and Surrounding Areas

Every year, I try to participate in as many Celtic Colours events as possible.  It's a given that I attend the finale show at Centre 200 every year but I also like to immerse in other activities hosted by the festival.  I don't buy advanced tickets to any other concerts because of my work schedule but other events, like markets and guided hikes, are easy last-minute things I can participate in.  

I love the guided hikes that are hosted by Celtic Colours because I can explore that part of the island and learn about some history and culture of the area too.  In the past, I did the Whitney Pier Historical Walk and guided hikes in Boisdale, Lennox Passage, Cheticamp and New Waterford. This year, I did a guided hike in Judique.

I've been to Judique before but usually it's just to pass through to get somewhere else. It's so far away from where I live that I just rarely make it to that area of Cape Breton.  Like Isle Madame, another area that I haven't explored enough, I've made a promise to myself to explore those regions in the south of Cape Breton more in the coming years.  

I left home at 5:30 AM the morning of the hike which was due to start at 9:30.  I wanted to give myself enough time to get through construction zones and stop somewhere to enjoy a nice breakfast.  

I grabbed something to eat in St. Peters and dined at the canal as a bald eagle soared above and the sun started to appear from behind the clouds. 

The final leg of the first leg of my journey didn't take long.  I made it just in time for the Musical Walk at the Celtic Music Interpretation Center in Judique.  A crowd had already gathered and after registering at the front desk, we split into two groups and made our way outside and onto a nearby trail that connected to the Celtic Shores Coastal Trail.  

As we walked through a section of forest amidst the beautiful fall foliage, our guide shared some of the local history with us.  As small as Cape Breton Island is, I'm always learning new things about the fascinating history and culture!  

We eventually arrived at a beautiful beach that I didn't know existed.  Yes, another beach I didn't know existed on my little island and, according to our guide, it was a safe beach to swim with some of the warmest waters in Atlantic Canada! As we stood admiring the view, a pair of musicians appeared and played a few fiddle tunes for us. 

Back on the trail, we took a different route and ended up in a very old cemetery with headstones so old that you couldn't even make out the inscriptions on them.  Many of them were cracked and crumbling from age and the adverse weather conditions of the area. 

Back at the interpretation center, I stayed a bit longer to explore the exhibits. Perhaps in my younger years I just didn't have the appreciation for such places or perhaps it was simply because I didn't even know the place existed.  Either way, I felt a bit embarrassed that I had never visited the Celtic Music Interpretation Center before.  After all, the exhibits related to my cultural and historical background being part Scottish!  I was amazed at the amount of items that were on display, some interactive ones too!  I was also amazed at the amount of written information there was.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to read and explore everything that day as I had other plans further up the line, but I did make a promise to myself to return and explore it some more. 

After I left Judique, I planned to stop in Mabou and rent an E-bike for several hours so I could explore some of the Celtic Shores Coastal Trail.  Unfortunately, mother nature had other plans.  The weather was decent as I drove along the Ceilidh Trail.  I stopped at Sandeannie's Bakery in Port Hood for an afternoon snack to keep me going.  This was yet another place I didn't know existed and although I only got a delicious mint Nanaimo Bar, the menu looked good enough to plan on returning in the future. 

As I drove off towards Mabou, the sky got darker and before I reached the edge of town, the rain started. My plans to rent an E-bike shattered. I kept driving to Inverness and, even though it was raining heavier by the time I arrived, I drove down to the beach just to get a look at it one last time before winter set in. 

The rain continued as I drove through Cheticamp and into the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. At the top of the first Mountain, it started to snow.  Fortunately, it turned back to rain once I was at a lower elevation. Approaching Cape North, the rain started to let up and the sun even started to appear.  This is when I came up with a last-minute plan to take an unplanned detour. 

Instead of going toward Dingwall, I turned toward Bay St. Lawrence.  My intent was to head straight to Meat Cove before the rain reached the area.  It had been a few years since I took that old backcountry road to the tip of Cape Breton Island.  I drive a small car and that road is often too rough for me to get through.  I crossed my fingers and hoped the road was in good shape that day.  In my opinion, Meat Cove has the most beautiful scenery on the whole island and I wanted to see it with the fall colours in full bloom. 

I drove along the scenic road through Cape North and made the turn to Meat Cove.  The road started out good and continued to be good and was good all the way to the end!  A few potholes and washboard sections but nothing my car couldn't manage. The sky cleared and the sun shone down on the changing leaves making for a spectacular drive through the valleys leading to the ocean. 

By the time I made it back to the main road, the sky had darkened again and soon, the rain returned.  I took a quick drive down to Bay St. Lawrence and headed back to the Cabot Trail and onto Ingonish. By the time I left Ingonish, it was dark and rainy for the long drive home. But, despite the weather, it was a fabulous day.  Over 600 kilometers almost completely around Cape Breton Island!   

 

 

A Fall Trip Around the Cabot Trail

When the Celtic Colours Festival schedule was released, I immediately looked at it to seeif there were any community events I could attend on my days off.  Specifically, I was searching for guided hikes.  Two stuck out but I ultimately chose the Aspy Bay Trail because it was longer and in an area of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park that I hadn't done a lot of hiking in. 

The hike started at 10:00 AM and since it was an almost three-hour drive, I left before 7 that morning.  I didn't take into account traffic delays with the Newfoundland ferry traffic at that hour of the day and construction work.  I knew by the time I reached Ingonish that I would be late and there was no point in rushing because I was never going to make it in time.  I was ok with that since the wind came up and it started to rain. Four hours in the highlands trudging over rough terrain didn't sound all that appealing in the rain. 

I took my time going over the Cabot Trail admiring the beautiful fall colours. I have to say that this year is the best I've seen the fall colours in a long time and when the sun peaked out every now and again, it made those sprawling vistas even more beautiful!

It was 11:00 when I passed the trailhead to Aspy Bay.  Before I reached it, I took a little detour and stopped at Cabot's Landing Beach in Cape North.  I was only out of the car five minutes when the weather took a turn for the worse so I turned back to the Cabot Trail and kept going over the mountains.

The Lone Sheiling is one of my favourite stops along The Trail so I stopped there and got at least a little hike in since I missed the one I came for.  It rained there too but at least I had that thick canopy to shelter me.  I contemplated hiking the Skyline Trail as I hadn't done it yet this year but it was way too windy to enjoy it. 

I intended to eat my lunch in Cheticamp but hunger struck about a half hour from the village.  I stopped at La Grand Falaise and faced my car toward the ocean so I had a view while I ate in the warmth of the car. 

At Cheticamp Island I attempted to walk the beach but, once again, the weather took a turn for the worse.  This time it was high wind, heavy rain and hail!  

I left the island and drove straight through Margaree, Lake O'Law and Middle River where the fall colours were even more spectacular!  Even with the poor weather conditions, it was an amazing day and I got to do a trip around the trail while the leaves were still on the trees and turning those vibrant colours.  This time next week, they won't be nearly as nice. 

I Found Another Beach on Cape Breton that I didn't know Existed!

I thought I had already found all the beaches on Cape Breton Island but today, my sister proved me wrong. A day trip to Ingonish was supposed to be a day spent on the local beaches but turned into a rainy day spent in the car driving around aimlessly until we got bored of that and decided to drive deeper into the Cape Breton Highlands National Park towards Cheticamp. On the way, my sister mentioned that someone had taken her to a beach in Cape North Near the Hideaway Campground and Oyster Market. I remembered seeing the sign for this place many times on my drives through the area but had never ventured down the gravel road to the campground and market. I had no idea there was a beach there until today and jumped at the chance to see it! We drove down the road for about ten minutes until we came to a parking area and walked to the rest of the way to the ocean. Sure enough, there was a long, sandy beach at the end of the foot path! It was not much different from the other beaches I have seen in the area but there was one peculiar that made it stand out from the rest; tall cliffs with lots white lines of gypsum running through them! We stuck around there are walked the beach and took pictured for a while since the rain had stopped and than made our way onto Cheticamp to search for a fin whale that was said to have washed up on a beach there. We didn't find it but we grabbed some coffees to go and headed back over the mountains towards Ingonish and spent the rest of the evening eating fries in the dry car in the parking lot at Ingonish Beach. http://www.campingcapebreton.com/ http://www.campingcapebreton.com/oyster-market.html