Days 14-16: Cabot Trail

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From PEI I took the ferry over to Nova Scotia. This would actually take the same amount of time as driving back in the opposite direction and taking the bridge back over; however it would be a different scenery and let me relax for a couple of hours instead of driving. I made my way to the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, where I would spend the next three nights: the first in Cheticamp, second in Fishing Cove and third in Broad Cove. Cheticamp is at the Western entrance of the Cabot Trail and is a front country camping site. The following morning I hiked the Skyline Trail, known for its spectacular sights and moose. In the afternoon I hiked down to fishing cove, one of the only back country sites in the Cabot Trail. It was a two hour hike down along the fishing cove river to the stoney beach below; 6km trail with a 350m overall vertical descent. This was an exhausting hike, since I had to carry all my gear with me: tent, sleeping bag, thermorest, pots, stove, gas, food, water, etc. Not to mention my camera (obviously) and the necessary precautionary equipment, like first aid kit, bear spray, bear bangers, knife, etc. This safety equipment was definitely needed in light of word that moose and bear had been spotted in the area at night; it was unsettling but increased the sense of adventure. Needless to say, at about 50lbs or so of gear, it would've been much easier with two people, as the load would've only increased slightly. The return hike was tough on the legs, but easier for footing than going downhill. Regardless, the pain and work was all worth it because the campsite may very well be the most beautiful I have ever seen. There were eight tent pads scattered on the site and on that night there were about ten of us total. I met a group of really nice guys from Halifax and hung out with them the whole time. The next day, I hiked back up to my car and made my way to Broad Cove. I was exhausted after the hike and having been woken up in the middle of the night by some large animal roaming through the bush (probably a moose). Let's just say the blood was flowing and I had my knife and bear spray in hand pretty quickly. Broad Cove was another front country site and I found myself surrounded by Ontarians, from Toronto to Oshawa. I made sure to take a quick dip in the Atlantic Ocean when I arrived. The following morning I did a couple other hikes and then made my way to North Sydney to catch the ferry to Newfoundland. This ferry was the mother of all ferry boats; more of a cruise ship than anything else. I was able to snap some great pictures of the sunset aboard the ship when we were in the middle of the ocean.

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