Fun on the Water

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Zac

As the summer months are here, people start to think about heading out to the lakes. There is so much you can do, I won’t and indeed can’t fit it all into one post. I do remember some pretty interesting times on the water however. The time I went kayaking in Dundee with a group of friends from Ontario, the day I proposed to my wife on the bowsprit of a schooner, the time I went on a catamaran around Baddeck’s Kidston Island, the time I…. the list could go on but the point remains, there is much to do.
That day I went kayaking in Dundee was unforgettable. We were all staying in Port Hawkesbury and about 7 of us drove in a minivan to Dundee where we had rented individual sea kayaks. That day was quite windy, enough to create whitecaps (wind-whipped waves that look white from the froth), and I remember some having trouble getting in the kayak. The trick is to launch from a dock or a floating walkway, with a friend steadying it. The really memorable bit was the way back, but to tell the story properly you need the start of the venture. See, the day was fairly calm at first (we launched from a bay) and even though whitecaps were appearing, it was really fun and we had no problem getting to our island destination 2 kms or so out. It wasn’t until the way back we understood why it was so easy getting there. We’d had the benefit of a tailwind, while on the return we faced a headwind. Well I would love to boast that I was unfazed and my being a Cape Bretoner made me impervious, but truth be known, I was a little rattled. Mostly because I could see my friends struggling, and in fact one couple of girls were being pushed backwards even while they were paddling their hardest. The hero of the day for sure, was my bricklaying friend from Ontario who connected the struggling pair to his kayak and towed them back to safety (there are ropes designed for that attached to most sea kayaks).
What makes kayaking so fun? People will answer many different ways, for me it’s freedom. Freedom to go anywhere you please quickly, quietly and efficiently. That sums up sailing as well, except you need a ‘boat-full’ of cash (sorry I couldn’t resist). Kayaking as a youth gives you quick access to many parts of the lake otherwise difficult or impossible to get to. For my money, it doesn’t get much better than sitting in the middle of the Bras d’Or Lakes, the sound of water lapping against the kayak, sun shimmering on the waves, and the feeling of absolute peace, as you gaze at the ‘gulls playing overhead.
So there is much fun and beauty on the water, but a handful of caution is due, as it is easy to forget the power of water. Huge waves, undertow and raw power can combine to ruin an otherwise perfect day. Take a friend, check the weather report, ask an expert, then go have fun!

Posted in Baddeck, Bras d'Or Lakes, Cape Breton, Kayaking | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cycling the Cabot Trail

Posted on June 4, 2010 by Zac

In my last blog I mention cycling around the Cabot Trail, all 305 kms of it. How many people actually do that? I don’t know, although the 3 times I did I don’t remember seeing anyone else going all the way. There were many cycling parts of it however. Whether you feel like taking on the entire Trail or just small sections, there is just so much to do and see it will be worth it.

So, the story. My 45 year old friend calls up and asks me if I want to take a mountain bike trip around the Cabot Trail. You have to understand, at this point I am maybe 16 years old, go to school full time and I don’t even own a bike. “No problem”, he says, “My friend can lend you one”. Great I think, I can take on an ‘old’ man on a mountain bike. Sure I wasn’t in the best shape, but I had like 30 years on the guy! We started off in Cheticamp which is an Acadian fishing town on the northwest corner of Cape Breton. His plan was to go clock-wise so as to minimize the mountain ascents. (slightly easier grade) Now, at this point, I haven’t even seen ‘my’ bike. His on the other hand I had, and it was a beauty. A Specialized hybrid, with a 1” travel front suspension, but a road bike frame and road tires instead of knobbies. Needless to say, perfect for Cape Breton’s not so smooth tarmac. It had the best of both worlds. Smooth and fast on the pavement, but a little give for the bumpy sections. This is the kind of bike you want for the Trail. When I saw the ride he had for me, my heart sank. A CCM Ice, pre aluminum era. So full steel frame and only 18 half-working gears. It must have weighed 50 lbs no joke. Well after all this you might be thinking that I had a horrible trip. Lets recap: Not in shape, heavy bike, 300+ kms to go. Right, recipe for a bad time. Except you’re leaving out the final ingredient: Cape Breton Island’s Cabot Trail. It winds its way along the Atlantic coast, over time-worn mountains that Alexander Graham Bell himself said were his favorite of all the mountains in the world, with sights along the way that you get to feel and smell as you go. Well at least until you hit North Mountain, one of the steepest ascents you will ever do at close to 15% grade. Again having the proper bicycle will be paramount. I however did not (remember, CCM Ice) and so after only 10 minutes up I had to start walking. My 45 year old friend kindly waited for me at the top, and graciously said little about it. When I started the descent I thought, “what a relief”. Then I started to really pick up speed, and while I had so wanted to stop at the look-offs for the spectacular views, my bike sadly was not capable of slowing me down fast enough once I came around the corner and noticed the view. (this was rectified the next year when I had my own new bike) If you’re thinking of going, don’t be concerned. Modern bikes have excellent brakes, some even with the same technology as cars, disc brakes. We stayed the night in a B&B a few miles from the base of the mountain. I was very grateful of the rest, sorely needed I tell you. We left at dawn, or shortly thereafter, and headed toward Ingonish. This is a fast ride with the ocean always right with you on your left (remember we are travelling clock-wise) and can get quite windy. We stay the night in Ingonish (next year we don’t, we keep going) as we are a bit slow, or rather I am a bit slow. The next day is going over one of the biggest mountains named ‘Cape Smokey’ which is 366 meters high. We are going clock-wise so it’s easier, but the ride down the other side is absolutely thrilling with tight switchbacks and cliffs that plunge directly to the ocean! I stay the night in Baddeck as by this point I am technically home (that’s where I lived) and more importantly am completely exhausted. (rectified the next year by doing actual exercise) My buddy kept going of course and made it back to Cheticamp that night.

Well that was my first adventure on bicycle around the Cabot Trail, and before I moved off the Island I had done it twice more, the last time in only a day and a half! (one 10 hour day, one 8 hour) It was a point of pride that neither of us walked our bikes up any of the mountains (French, North, Smokey) on the last two runs, although by reason of his easiest gear being slightly harder than mine, he ascended North Mountain 45 minutes quicker than I. (2 teeth less!) Also don’t eat a meal replacement bar right before any of the big mountains, we did that the second year and had no energy for the climb as our stomachs were busy processing.

So go ahead and enjoy the ride! If you do it in 2 days, or 5 days, you will have the ride of a lifetime.

French Mountain with MacKenzie Mountain Facing (they merge)
Posted in Baddeck, Cabot Trail, Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Cheticamp, Cycling Cape Breton, Ingonish | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

An Introduction to Our Blog Section On capebretonisland.com

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Zac

As you can see, there have been many changes to the website, this blog space included. This section will have blogs dedicated to thoughts, notions, events or anything else regarding the Island. Growing up in Baddeck, Cape Breton is something I cherish and take with me wherever I might be. Cape Bretoners usually say something like that. Why? Personally, there is a tangible “specialness” to the Island. Maybe it’s a sense of history; When I crest the ridge of Beinn Bhreagh on my cross-country skis, and look down on the Bell estate overlooking the Bras d’Or Lakes, I can’t help but be enchanted by the past history amid the present beauty. Many places have “history”, but are often ruined by modern civilization, or the beauty has been tarnished. I never felt that in Cape Breton. Whether it was biking the Cabot Trail (yes all 305 km of it!) or kayaking around the lakes, I felt the beauty and power of the Island. I have so many memories of just standing and staring off into the distance, contemplating what was before me. Even the 55 minute school bus ride I took every day from Baddeck to Sydney Mines never got boring. The view going past Englishtown on the way up Kelly’s Mountain in the morning, with the fog is in one word surreal. I always looked out the window and drank in the sight.
So when you hear people wax lyrical about Cape Breton Island, it may be because the beauty, power and history of the Island combine to create strong emotions that stay with them forever!
In future blogs I will go into more depth on those biking/kayaking/hiking trips that I enjoyed, not as a simple memoir, but as a sort of guide for anyone else who wants to know how it might be done. For example the 305 km bike ride around the trail: How many days? Where did I stay? Did I take a partner? Stay tuned.

Posted in Alexander Graham Bell, Baddeck, Bras d'Or Lakes, Cabot Trail, Cape Breton, Celtic Colours, Cycling Cape Breton, Kayaking, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments