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Published: September 10th 2013
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Today, I would do a short hike and then go into Cheticamp for music at The Dorryman Pub from 2-6. I set off for Corney Brook. This trail follows the brook up the wooded canyon till you reach the falls of this brook. I now know that all the trails here are wide and easy to walk. This one climbs a bit along the stream with maple and alder trees. So you must imagine the ripple and flow of the water creating background music, the sun catching light in the water and sending flickers through the leaves overhead. It was lovely and peacefully. I even stopped to do quiet sitting meditation by the water. The water fall was pretty, falling maybe 30 feet. You hike back along the same trail, but I find that it all looks different coming back the other way. The hike was so short I thought I would go on another before the pub, but I couldn't find the trail head. I think it was fated, because I got to the Dorryman and the tables were filling fast. I ordered a beer and the fiddle music started immediately. This was no amateur hour. The piano accompanist plays
with Natalie McMaster, and the woman, almost girl was a knockout fiddle player. The guitarist for the Rankin family came in to be a part of the audience and an old time player that was a legend in these parts and had never come into the Derryman before. I know all this because I was taken under the wing by Gerry Deveau. He played spoons for Ashley MacIsaac for six years. Gerry grew up in Cheticamp and then moved away, only to come home later in life. Gerry got me up square dancing with a few of the other locals, and when I could breath again, I watched local after local get up to do solo highland dancing at the urging of friends around them. The pianist stopped to dance too, he was incredible. I had thought, I would stop for a beer and a few songs. I stayed till the end, absolutely joyous, with a second round of square dancing.
After the complete sleep of the exhausted, I woke to another round of hiking. I decided to do the Acadian Trail. It leaves directly from the camp ground and climbs till you have stunning views of the ocean
and Cheticamp in the distance. I was just started on my way, when Mary came down the trail towards me. Mary didn't want to do the whole hike alone so asked if she could join me. We had a wonderful hike together, exchanging stories, examining the plants around us, and completely enjoining having some company. The views are on the way up, on the way back we followed another brook. I really love having the movement of water beside me on a hike, and now I marvel about the unending flow after a conversation I had with Lew. This hike took 2 and 1/2 hours, so it was too early to quit. Even though it was threatening to rain, I decided to try kayaking, in a sheltered arm of water just outside the park. It was relatively easy to get my boat to the water and the water was calm even though 20m away on the other side of the isthmus, the waves of the ocean were crashing on the beach. I paddle up to the mouth of the brook, sometimes in water so shallow I almost got stuck. Mist flowed in and the water was like glass. Absolutely gorgeous.
Then the rain came, pouring. I paddle back to the car laughing out loud with the hilarity of it. I was wet through and through. Once I wrestled my kayak, back onto the car and stored my gear, still in sheets of water, I had to squeeze into the back of my car so that I could strip down, towel off and get on dry clothes. I felt marvellous. I even had the energy left to cook a hot meal before crawling into the tent and melting into sleep, the rain sound soothing as I dreamt. Today, I followed the Skyline Trail. All the work is in the drive up to the trailhead. Once there you follow a 9km loop that takes you across the top of the ridge to see huge vistas of ocean, then takes you on to the half barren flats with gnarled trees, lots of heather and grass and berries. The wind had cleared out the rain, but blew with force, so you felt like you could be swept of the mountain top. It also left clear skies so the views were spectacular. I loved it. Now, I do laundry before heading to The Red Shoe
Pub in Mabou, where there is more phenomenal Cape Breton Music tonight.
The Red Shoe was great, there were musician after musician coming in to sit in a round just jamming together. The dance at the hall was even better. The musicians were there too and the whole hall was up dancing square dance sets. I getting better and definitely had a great time. Home late to bed in my little tent. Good night and sweetdreams.
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