On Top of Cape Smokey

Years ago, visitors to Ingonish in the warmer months could ride the chairlift to the top of Cape Smokey to get a view of the land and sea from above.  I never got the chance to do it before the service stopped.  

Now, that service is being offered again but it's much better than the old experience.  Now visitors can ride a gondola up the mountain and enjoy a range of other services that are included in a day pass.

I finally had the chance to make my way up to the top of Cape Smokey this August.  It was a spur-of-the-moment decision and, in hindsight, probably not the best decision considering what was going on at the time.  The day I decided to go was in the midst of a province-wide forest lock-out.  In other words, no one was allowed to enter the forest or have a fire anywhere or for any reason due to the dry conditions Nova Scotia endured this past summer.   

My friend and I arrived before the Gondola even opened and walked around the main lodge.  When the ticket booth opened, we got our lift tickets and free cookies and hopped on the gondola to take the scenic 8-minute trip to the top.  The view was amazing but I was not all that impressed with the experience at the top that day.  The only thing we could do was grab a beer, sit and enjoy the view and go back down.  For over 50 bucks, this didn't seem all that worth it but.  Considering that during other times when the forest is accessible, there are e-bike and kayak rentals and hiking trails available, I would definitely consider giving it another try.  

After our mountain adventure, we headed to Black Brook to do some swimming but the water was so rough, we ended up leaving and spending the rest of the afternoon swimming the clear, calm water at The Point.  After supper at the Seagull Restaurant, we made the drive back over the mountain...another thing ticked off my Cape Breton bucket list! 

 

Spectacular Mountain Views are in no Shortage on Cape Breton Island

Whether you are in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, cruising through the Margaree Valley or enjoying the views from the many scenic look-offs that are located around the Cabot Trail, mountain vistas are a common sight! Some of the most notable mountains on the island include:
 

Kelly's Mountain, which is located in the Trans Canada Highway, has two scenic look-offs and stunning views of the Seal Island Bridge. Elevation: 267 metres.
 

Cape Smokey Mountain, which is located along the Cabot Trail via Englishtown, is home to a provincial park, exciting hairpin turns and ocean views.  Elevation: 322 metres.
 

French Mountain, which is situated between Cheticamp and Pleasant Bay, is mostly-known for being the location of one of Atlantic Canada's most iconic hiking trails, The Skyline Trail.  Elevation 430 metres. 

North Mountain features beautiful mountain views and, in the winter, is known for having giant snow squalls that easily tower over the tallest of vehicles. Elevation: 479 metres
 

MacKenzie Mountain features lovely views of Pleasant Bay.  Elevation 355 metres.
 

Franey Mountain, which is located in Ingonish, also has a scenic hiking trail and some of the best views around.  Elevation: 430 metres

It's a fairly steep climb to the top but the views from the trail on Franey Mountain are incredible.

My dad and I hiked the Franey Mountain Trail a few years ago and I can't wait to hike it again this fall!

The view from the Skyline Trail on French Mountain.

The view of Cape Smokey Mountain from Ingonish Beach

Apparently I have a lot of Favorite Places...Here are some more of them!

North River Falls – I always wanted to hike to North River Falls, the tallest waterfalls in Nova Scotia, but the 20-kilometer return hike had me procrastinating for years. I finally decided to do that hike a couple of years ago and it was worth the hike. After dodging fallen trees, dilapidated foot bridges, washed out paths and numerous other obstacles, I finally made it to the falls and what a sight to behold! A raging, cascading waterfall falling into a crystal clear pool surrounded by nothing but forest and wilderness…and I had that all to myself because not many people are willing to do that long, hard hike!

That “spot” in the Grand Canyon that hardly Anyone gets to see – The Grand Canyon has always been close to the top of my bucket list and I finally had the chance to see it in the spring of 2009. Nothing prepared me for the surprise that awaited me during the guided tour I took to the Canyon. I usually hate guided tours but, since it was my first time traveling in the area, I thought it would be fitting to go with someone who knew their way around. The tour left early in the morning and made the typical stops at attractions along the way; the Hoover Dam, Joshua Tree National Park, Lake Mead. While at the Grand Canyon, I embarked on a helicopter ride to the bottom and a pontoon boat ride along the Colorado River. While these aspects of the tour were amazing, it was what came next that really made me happy I took that tour. When the group met back at the bus, our tour guide gave us two options to pick from; we could pay an extra 30 dollars and do the touristy skywalk or we could get back in the bus and go somewhere that only a few tour operators were allowed to go, a place that was gated off and in a secluded area of the park. Fortunately for me, because I had no interest in waiting in line to do the skywalk, everyone voted for the second option. Remote, quiet, wild, lonely, incredible, out-of –this-world…that is just some of the words that can be used to describe that place and that view.

The Drive Along the North Shore – Just knowing that I will going to Ingonish is enough to make me happy but I also look forward to the nice drive there, in particular the section of the route that passes along an area known as the North Shore which runs from the Englishtown Ferry to Cape Smokey Mountain. The windy and often deserted road passes through an area that is home to old farmhouses surrounded by forest, large fields, distant mountains and ocean. The drive takes about 40 minutes and along the way, I like to stop at the various resting places to admire the view, have lunch or just relax in the peaceful surroundings. I often see wildlife in the early morning or evening hours and the night sky is so visible on clear nights because there are no lights to obscure it.

Mira Gut Beach – As a child, my parents took me to this beach almost every weekend in the summer. We left early in the morning and stayed until the sun went down. We swam, we sunbathed, we had picnics and we had bonfires. We were even asked to be in a music video that was being filmed on the beach one day! There are two sections of the beach; a long sandy one with less crowds and a more crowded smaller area on the other side of the breakwater. A bridge separates the gut from the opening of the Mira River and on the other side of that bridge, there is a swimming area as well. We spent most of our days on the long, sandy beach area and migrated to the river bank at night to have a fire. When I got older, I spent a lot of time on the other side of the breakwater where, over the years due to people moving away for work, the crowds got smaller and a bald eagle perched on the edge of the breakwater every evening.

Freshwater Lake – Ingonish Beach is one of the most popular beaches on Cape Breton Island and one of the reasons it is so popular is because there is so much to do there. There is a long, sandy beach, a freshwater lake and a hiking trail to name a few things. Freshwater Lake, in particular, is one of my favorite places on the whole island. When I am staying in Ingonish, I wake up early, grab a coffee at the Bean Barn and drive to the lake area. I take my place in the sand or on a nearby picnic table and watch the sun come up over Cape Smokey Mountain. It is so quiet there first thing in the morning and the sounds of the ocean on one side and the deep woods on the other make for a great start to the day.

That Sandwich bar at Pearson International Airport – Almost every trip I take via plane includes a long layover at Pearson International and I hate that place with a passion. Long lineups, poor signage, rude employees who hate giving directions…and the list goes on and on. However, amidst the chaos that is Pearson, I once found a little sanctuary that I now retreat to every time I am there. It is a little sandwich bar (I can never seem to remember the name of it) with a quiet and relaxing ambiance and the best veggies sandwiches I have ever eaten!

My bike route along the shore – I have a bike and although I don’t really have the time these days to ride it much, I do, from time to time, go for a ride on warm summer mornings or afternoons on the weekends. And I always take the same route from my house in Lingan along the shore to the lighthouse in New Victoria. I love this route especially in the summer when the sounds of children playing and softball games at the field I drive by and the smell of barbecues fill the air. I try to stick to the roads that are close to the shoreline so I can watch the sea with all the ferries and fishing boats coming and going.

The Rocky Beach in the Little Village where my Mom Grew up – At the end of a road at the edge of Cheticamp in Northern Cape Breton is a long, rocky beach. I first went there as a child when my mom took me there every summer to spend time in the place where she grew up. She always told me stories about how she used to play on that beach as a child. Now that she is gone, that place means so much more to me. I feel like her spirit lingers in that area she cherished so much. Whenever I’m in Cheticamp, I take my coffee to the parking lot above the beach and sit for hours, just watching the waves roll in and imagining my mom there as a child. Sometimes I walk the beach and I am always the only person there which makes it even better.

The Lonely roads of Mira at night – One of my favorite places to drive at night is Mira. Those lonely, deserted, dark roads through dense forest areas and small villages are almost spooky at night. The stars are always brightest out there where there is no light pollution and the foxes, deer and raccoons are on the prowl. If it is nice enough, I stop at Mira Gut and sit on the beach and watch the night sky for a while before continuing on my way.

Squeaker’s Hole – At the far end of the parking lot at Black Beach near the village of Ingonish in the Cape Breton Highlands is the entrance to a short walking trail. This walking trail leads hikers to a place called Squeaker’s Hole and a place where I spent much of my time over the years. The trail snakes off into two directions at one point; one trail leads to the bottom of Sqeaker’s Hole and the other leads to the top. Some days I will hike to the bottom where I can swim out to a rock in the middle of the little cove and watch the rough seas churn around me. Other days, I will hike to the top where I can sit on the side of the cliffs and sunbathe, read a book or just relax to the sounds of the birds, the sea and the other natural sounds around me.

Some More of my Favorite Place Near and Far

Baddeck Boardwalk – It doesn’t matter where I’m going – around the Cabot Trail, to Halifax or just for a drive along the Trans-Canada Highway – I always stop in Baddeck, even if it is just for five minutes. One of the things I like to do when I stop in the little village is grab a coffee and drink it on the boardwalk that lines a part of the harbor. I can sit there and kick my feet in the water and watch all those luxurious yachts float by and wonder what famous person might be enjoying some time away from the limelight in the peace and tranquility of little Baddeck where no one realizes who they are or pays any attention to them.

The Driveway at Anamaya – I’ve only been there once and may never be there again but I will always remember going for my nightly strolls down the driveway to Anamaya Yoga Retreat in Montezuma, Costa Rica, a place I had the opportunity to stay at for a week last year. The reason I loved taking this stroll every evening before bed? The calm, warm, tropical air, the sights and sounds of exotic animals and insects going about their nocturnal business and the quiet and peaceful atmosphere that was only compromised by the distant sound of the waves crashing on the Pacific coast below.

The Drive over Cape Smokey Mountain – I spend most of my summer in Ingonish, Cape Breton so I’ve driven over Cape Smokey hundreds of times. I often hear stories of tourists hiring local drivers to take them over the mountain because they find the hairpin turns and high cliffs terrifyingly dangerous and I often take people over that mountain because I know that road like the back of my hand. I’ve driven it in the winter, in thick fog, in heavy rains, in thunder storms and on clear summer days. I’ve driven it in the morning and in the dead of night. Every trip is different and I never get sick of that view from the top, no matter which way I look!

The Skyline Trail – I drove past this hiking trail hundreds of times before I decided to hike it myself…and I am glad I finally did! Nature, scenery, wildlife – this trail has it all and the best part of it is the end where the sea meets the sky and a boardwalk spirals downward toward the rocky coastline where whales can be seen frolicking in the surf below. I can sit there until the sun goes down and what a sight it is to see a sunset from that place!

The St. John’s Battery – Right at the bottom of Signal Hill at the end of the trail and right before you enter the little village at The Battery are some old army barracks. The barracks cannot be entered but there is a little hill right beside it that leads to the top of the small building and a flat concrete surface. When I lived in the city, every morning before the sun came up, I started the walk around that trail and rested in that spot to watch the sun come up and the boats come and go through the narrows. Some evenings I went there to watch the sun go down or just admire the spectacular view of the city at night with its distant city sounds - so close but yet so far away.

The Joseph and Clara Smallwood ferry – This ferry is no longer in operation, I made the crossing between North Sydney to Argentia, Newfoundland at least a hundred times over the years. Although I may have sometimes dreaded impending trips across The Gulf, looking back, I have very fond memories of some of those eventful crossings. Impromptu bands made up of traveling musicians from all around the world getting together for jam sessions in the bar, last minute excursions across “just for something to do”, card games with new friends made in the cafeteria area, long talks with complete strangers on the outside deck and even life-long friendships made simply by being stuck on a ship together for all those hours and having nothing else to do! Sometimes the seas were rough and I would retreat to “my spot” on the seventh deck – a reclining chair in the Baccalieu lounge, way back in the corner away from everyone else and in view of the TV in case I wanted to watch whatever was on.

Corner of Bond and Prescott, St. John’s – I moved away from home for the first time when I was 19 and made my new home in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Although I had several apartments during the twelve years I lived in the city, the last one I lived in is the one I will always remember the most. With so many run-down, outdated and expensive apartments around, I was lucky to find this near-perfect gem at a decent price and in a good neighborhood that was close to everything. The apartment was located right downtown but far enough from the main roads to be surprisingly quiet. It was only a short walk from my work and all the other services I needed. It had been just renovated right before I moved in. It had wood floors (I hate carpet). It was high off the ground on the third floor of a house that was at the end of row of attached houses which meant I didn’t have to worry about floods or dampness. And it had a spectacular view of the downtown area and the harbor which allowed me to watch the sun come up over Signal Hill and the boats come and go.

Black Brook Beach – I visited this beach with friends many years ago and have been returning every summer since. It is one of my favorite beaches on all of Cape Breton Island. When I was younger, I loved the main part of the beach where the waves are quite large and all the young people tend to congregate. As I got older, I started to migrate to the lesser used side of the beach where the waves are smaller, the water is calmer and there are less people. This beach has everything; several hiking trails, some look-offs, picnic areas, a waterfall, freshwater swimming area and a beach with warm water, lots and sand and hardly any jellyfish!

Jasper National Park, Alberta – The Rocky Mountains were something to see for sure but it was Jasper National Park that won my heart in the end. In comparison to the other mountain towns in the Rockies, Jasper was more to my expectations in terms of ruggedness, untouched beauty, nature and wildlife. The lodge was exactly how I pictured a Rocky Mountain Lodge to be and that fresh, mountain air made me feel so alive and in touch with my surroundings.

Gampo Abbey Monastery – I heard this place existed but no one ever seemed to know where it was located. I found it one day quite by accident when I decided to drive down a road I had never been down before. I was driving through Pleasant Bay in Northern Cape Breton when I noticed a sign for Red River Road. It looked vaguely interesting and I had some time to kill so, out of curiosity, I turned down. I passed over a small bridge and continued on a windy, country road that soon turned into a gravel road that ran between some rolling hills and the ocean. I soon realized what the road led to when I happened upon a Buddhist shrine on the left-hand side of the road. Not much further passed that was a small parking lot. I parked the car and wandered around and found a little trail that went into a wooded area along a little brook. Little Buddha statues were scattered around the area and I soon happened upon the monastery itself; a simple facility right on the water. The area was so peaceful and immersed in nature that I could see why the area was picked for the sight of a Buddhist monastery.