Some Fall Hiking in Sterling and Framboise

I never know where I'll end up when I go to Framboise with Dad.  There's always a new place to hike, a new beach or lake to see or a road I've never been down before.  

Last week, the weather called for a nice day on one of my days off and with winter approaching, I wanted to get out and enjoy the great outdoors.  That's why I said "yes" when Dad asked me to join him for a day of hiking in Framboise.

I love these little day trips with Dad.  We leave early, grab some breakfast and coffees somewhere along the way and make the long drive to this remote part of the island where it's just coastline and forest as far as you can see.

It was a little windy and cool that day so Dad suggested we do a hike in the Sterling which is away from the coast.  I haven't done a whole lot of hiking in that area and a walk in the woods with the leaves changing color sounded good to me!

We parked the car a little ways up a dirt road and started walking from there.  It was a nice, easy walk through some thick forest and at one point, we crossed a stream lined with colorful trees.  There wasn't a whole lot of water as we are going through a drought but it still made for a nice picture.   I stopped for a few minutes and took in the picturesque scene before me.  

About twenty minutes into the hike, we reached an old, abandoned farmhouse.  I love coming upon these sites and exploring the grounds while I imagine what it must have been like so many years ago when a young family thrived here.  It's sad to think that they are all gone and this is the legacy they left behind.  Somewhere, there are descendants of those people still living who likely don't even know that their distant relative's old homestead still stands.

The trail kept going a little ways beyond the homestead and when the brush became too thick to keep going, we turned around and headed back to the car.  

It was still early enough to do another hike so we went down the road to one that we had attempted a few years ago.  The last time we did this hike, the bridge was washed out.  This time, it was rebuilt and intact so we were able to cross and keep going much further than we did before.  In fact, we went so far that it was almost dark when we decided that we should turn around before we got caught hiking at night without flashlights.  

We were going to head home the way we came but I convinced Dad to go to St. Peter's and take the long way home via Route 4 along the Bras d'Or Lakes.  We grabbed some coffee for the road and made the long drive home.   

The Wildlife of Kananaskis Country

While visiting with my sister and seeing her new-to-me place was a priority during my trip to Alberta, the mountains and scenery were a welcome bonus!  But there was something else that drew me to the remote area of Kananaskis and that's the wildlife.  "There are deer, elk, bears and bighorn sheep everywhere" was all I heard from anyone who was familiar with the region and I certainly wasn't disappointed on this trip when it came to the abundance of wildlife. 

As soon as we turned off the Trans Canada onto the Kananaskis Trail, we saw three deer and several bighorn sheep.  While unpacking, I heard stories from my sister and her partner about animal encounters in the area.  A neighbor's dog was injured in a cougar attack, a grizzly bear wandered through the backyard in broad daylight and black bears raided some nearby campsites. 

The second day I was there, I saw three black bears.  One mamma bear and her cub eating in someone's backyard and a huge black bear walking down a remote road. Later that same day as we watched from on top of a hill overlooking the golf course, a very large grizzly bear walked around an area where several golfers were teeing off nearby. I don't think they had any idea that the bear was in the area and the bear didn't seem to be bothered by the activity nearby. 

I was a little afraid to drive by myself after my sister went back to work.  There were so many animals wandering onto the road at all hours of the day, I was scared I would hit one and damage her car or one of the sheep would turn and attack the car as I tried to get by them.  Those bighorn sheep like to block traffic and honking, waving and yelling does nothing to get them to move any quicker or budge an inch so you can get by.  They move when they feel like it.  Sometimes they move and several others will run out of the woods from the other side and sometimes they turn around and look like they are going to start kicking or head bunting the car. 

Here at home, the whitetail deer either run out in front of cars or stand in the middle of the road.  They are constantly getting hit!  But in Kananaskis, the deer just stayed in the ditch nibbling on grass.  I didn't see any on the road at all.  

Grey squirrels are certainly plentiful in Kananaskis but it was there strange behavior that caught my attention.  In the mornings, the little squirrels were lined up along the highway on their hind legs and facing the sun.  Not sure why they were doing this but it was definitely a cute and funny thing to see.

Although I had seen a grizzly on the golf course, it was so far away, I couldn't get a decent picture.  I kept hoping to see another one from a safe but closer distance and I finally did get that chance.  I dropped my sister off at work and drove to the entrance of Peter Lougheed Provincial Park.  I noticed a car pulled over to the side of the road and two people with cameras looking in a grassy area.  I scanned the area looking for whatever it was that caught their attention and there it was; a large grizzly bear calmly eating some grass and making it's way across the field to a little stream. 

 

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!