Summer Vacation 2014

Every once in a while, I like to rent a cottage in an “unfamiliar to me” place and hunker down for a week to explore the property, the surrounding area and all the ‘sights and sounds’ in between. There was the log cabin in Roberta, Cape Breton with no TV and the most exquisite sunsets over the Bras d’Or Lakes one could imagine. On the flip side, the flies literally chased me indoors on most days.Then there was the little house in Neil’s Harbour that was perfect ! Situated on the ocean just off the Cabot Trail, one was serenaded to sleep with the crashing of the waves and the rhythmic sounds of navigational buoys just off shore.  

This year I randomly chose a chalet for rent on Nova Scotia’s north shore in Tatamagouche, along the Sunrise Trail. Draw a straight line across the Northumberland Strait from Charlottetown, PEI and that’s Brule Shore - where I parked my butt for a week. A country road changes to a dirt road (a good sign) just past the awesome bakery (another good sign) and then you continue to the very last cottage on the lane. It doesn’t get any better than that !

Perched on the banks of the Northumberland, diving into the warm water was easy but even better was enjoying nature’s daily natural wonder - the changing of the tides. For the first part of the week, low tide was around supper time which allowed one to walk far out into the empty bay with only some sand and eel grass to tickle your feet. Later in the week, an unstable weather pattern along with a full moon seemed to throw off the gravitational show a bit.




Being a fan of the Tour de France, I had to endure a week of cycling withdrawal ! Even though the cottage was equipped with satellite dish service (from Bell) they don’t broadcast Sportsnet (from Rogers) as part of their standard package due to “corporate politics” so I had to rely on replays from the web - but that was OK. Otherwise it was total relaxation -  a time to read, run and explore the north shore.

Main St. Tatamagouche has a new craft brewery with Hippy-Dippy Pale Ale, Bonnyman House Tea Room/Cafe/Used Bookstore with awesome coffee, a cool second-hand store where I scored a Coleman stove for $15.00 as well as the usual banks, grocery store and NSLC outlet.

The village is also known for it’s train car Restaurant and Inn which I found a bit amusing.

Side trips to Pictou County for a new Grohmann knife and a stop at Uncle Leo’s craft brewery in Lyon’s Brook made for a fun day trip. I biked the Butter Trail and enjoyed the delicacies of the Pork Shop in nearby Denmark.




It is a quiet, non-commercial spot with nice folks, beautiful scenery and great hospitality.  I hope to make it back there again.

Gettin' Outa' Dodge

It's been awhile since I did a post but should the truth be known, I'm sure you are not particularly interested in the fact that during the cold, icy wintery days of December and January I cleaned my condo and threw out garbage bags full of items that had lost any useful purpose. I couldn't go for a run outside because the sidewalks were atrocious and you'd freeze your "*~@$!" wazoo off anyway. EXIT!

The last weekend in February was a perfect time to grab a few bags of groceries, fill the car with gas, make a pit stop at the NSLC and 'hit the road' for Cape Breton. Two years ago I bought a cool pair of snowshoes and I am sad to say they had never met the snowy, cold ground of our winter wonderland. ROAD TRIP!

To say that Cape Breton had more snow that Halifax was an understatement. Ankle-height (Hali) vs. knee-height (CB) snow was no exaggeration. With a warm cottage along the Bras d'Or Lake surrounded by 5-foot snow drifts resembling an Elvis Pompadour welcoming us along with clear skies ~ I feel the stress of T4s, tax upgrades and other work-related year-end processes sliding away. Do you have any concept of the work that goes into the production of a T4 slip ??? OK I won't bore you - how long 'til I retire again? GET OUTSIDE!

OK. Here's the thing! I have not seen the Bras d'Or Lake as spectacular as it was this past weekend in February, in many a year. I hope a few pictures below will portray the beauty of Mother Nature in a way that an otherwise endless, crappy winter has us 'near stir crazy'. The fact that six months from now will find many of us jumping into the Bras d'Or for a refreshing swim, I will be thinking of the day that we strapped on our snowshoes and trekked 150 meters off shore across the lake, in a place that more resembled Alaska than Ironville. AMAZING!

(*** Note: you can expand pictures by double-clicking)

Thanksgiving Weekend Oct 2013 at Keji

Last year,  Mr. Harper (yeah....him) deprived many Nova Scotians the thrill of exploring in the winter months our local treasure - Kejimkujik National Park, located smack dab in the middle of southern Nova Scotia.  Thanksgiving Weekend was our last chance to get a go for a 3-day hike in the Park before it shut down for the year on Oct 31st.

**Note: Park staff did tell us that this winter 2013-14, barricades would not be installed at the park entrance, meaning several roads would be accessible at your own risk. No services would be available so day trips only for a x-country ski or snowshoe outing.

My friend and I set out on Saturday morning at 9:45AM from the parking lot at Eel Weir for the 17km trek to Site # 38.  It has been awhile since I strapped on the fully-loaded backpack for a good long trek. The trail was fairly flat for the most part, just a few occasional rolling hills. After about 8 or 9km, your back starts to tighten up a bit and you hip muscles begin to scream. After all, your body is not really used to this sort of extra weight.

After a few rest and snack breaks, we arrive at our destination six hours later at 3:45PM. Tired and a bit sore, it feels really good to take off the pack for the last time today.  We get busy setting up camp and then it is time for a hot beverage (with a hint of scotch ;) and a little relaxation. A fire is a must as the temperature will be dropping to a cool 3 or 4 degrees this evening.

Our campsite was quite spectacular - one must cross a small bridge to get to it - like a drawbridge.  It is located at Poison Ivy Falls (not to worry I didn't see any poison ivy), between Peskowesk and Peskawa lakes. We did see several paddlers pass by

as they were  making their way to site # 40 or 41 further up the lake.

I slept fairly well, a good test for my -7 degree sleeping bag. I am up first in the morning so I start the fire, knowing that soon we would be sipping steaming hot pressed coffee and enjoying a bowl of warm oatmeal. Once the fire was going, I had to grab my camera and capture the morning mist that hovered over the river and lake. It is moments like this that make the hiking all worthwhile.

By noon, we are packed up to start the hike back to our destination for night # 2 at the Peskowesk Yurt. Just knowing that today's trek was only 12km seemed to make the pack feel a bit lighter.

After about four hours we reach the yurt and it is as awesome as I remember from two years ago. With a huge wood stove in the middle of the yurt and several built-in bunks, we are guaranteed warmth and comfort for tonights sleep.

Before dinner, we explore the river and falls just a few meters from the yurt. The river runs fast and furious and there are mini waterfalls to enjoy. We dine on noodles, pasta salad, chicken vindaloo and Apple Brown Betty for dessert.









It is a short 5 km jaunt the next day back to the car.  We were blessed with sunshine all three days and the peace and quiet that only Keji can offer. Just to piss off Mr. Harper, I do plan a visit this winter to ski or walk or snowshoe or 'pee on a tree' and I hope everyone else does as well.

  

Farewell to Y-Camp a.k.a. Camp Barrachois

Ever since I was a kid I made the trek from my aunt's house over to the Y-Camp in Ironville - a seemingly long walk in a kid's world. While my mom and aunt chatted, my dad would ask "Anyone over the camp" ?  I would always hope for a  'NO' response (you would never go over if camp was in progress) and off we would go. You would pass a few private cottages before spotting the camp in the distance, just past that Private Property sign.

I would find little treasures the campers may have left behind or peek into the neat yellow cabins that were originally built in Sydney (about 30 km away) and transported by rail, in the 1940's, up to Ironville. Now that I am older I realize that it was only a five minute walk, if that !

In 2013, the YMCA of Cape Breton - for various reasons, made a decision to sell the ten acre property (you can Google that) .  The YMCA is a terrific organization and I'm sure the decision was a tough one to make, as so many folks in Cape Breton have very fond memories of the camp. Although never attending the camp officially, my memories are just numerous childhood walks around the cabins, down to the shore and back to my relatives' place where we would play on the swing between the two big birch trees and watch the eagles on the mountain across the road.

In recent years, a family member built a cottage in the area and I was able to bring friends on that short hike over to the Y-Camp (sorry for trespassing). It is disheartening to see how the cabins have fallen to a state of total disrepair, how the grass is knee-high and how all signs of kids having a blast "away from home" have evaporated. The wharf is hauled up on the shore in pieces while the basketball and ball field areas looks more like a pasture.

On one visit, a buddy and I could hear an alarm sounding on one of the lower cabins but sadly, there was no one around to hear... or care for that matter. It was rather eerie! On subsequent visits, another friend and I would take our cameras and try to capture a slice of the past, a place where many kids who under normal circumstances could not partake in such an adventure, had a opportunity to eat, play, swim and camp out with other kids.

  

It is a beautiful piece of property and anyone who has ever seen it would probably think "If I had lots of money, I'd buy that!" I guess, now, someone will.

Labour Day Weekend at Keji National Park

On fairly short notice, we decided to call Kejimkujik National Park to see if there was any hope of getting a backcountry site for the upcoming Labour Day long weekend.  What better way to finish off the summer than a trip to Keji. The kind park attendant at the other end of the phone line informed me that the park was fully booked but that she had just received a cancellation, minutes before.  She offered it to me. Hmmmm.. Was it a really long haul...nope. It was for Site #1, the easiest backcountry site to reach in all the park, a simple 1 km trek from the parking lot to the site.

Beggars can't be choosers, so I said sure!  It would give us a spot to setup camp and then hike from there, perhaps in opposite directions each day. Good plan! The more I thought  about it, the more I realized that there are advantages to this - specifically the ability to bring not only a small cooler with real food but best of all BEER. This is almost impossible on a longer trek. Heck, an emergency stash in the back of the car was an option!

We arrived at the site about 11AM and proceeded to put up our tents and start to make ourselves at home. There were two large tent pads, a well stocked firewood shelter (multi-purpose...you'll see later on), outhouse, picnic table and a short path to the lake. An hour later our tasks were done, the sun was strong in the sky and we could take off for a hike. But there was cold beer ! To make a long story short, it turned out to be the laziest of afternoons spent at the campsite or down at the lake: reading books, watching the frogs, taking pictures, building a fire and snacking. Steaks on the open fire, baked potatoes, wine and homemade granola bars rounded out the evening dinner menu. No boring, dried space food on Site # 1. It was so RELAXING !

Our little slice of lakefront seemed to be home to three frogs: one small, one medium and the King Pin I called Kermit.  Whenever there was an excuse to go down the path to the lake I would look for Kermit and his friends. The water was super clean with abundant lily pads and lots of minnows skating around. I am sure the frogs has their own little slice of paradise there on Big Dam Lake.

The next morning, the skies were darkening as the Kilimanjaro Peaberry coffee was loaded into the press. I had brought an old blue tarp that had ropes tied at each corner so it was time to loft it over the picnic table. Since we only had three trees nearby to brace it to, it looked a little funny but what the heck. A glace at The Weather Network informed us that a sever thunderstorm warning was brewing - you guessed it - over Kejimkujik. The heavens opened and we made a dash for the wood shelter. My tent had never really been exposed to a monsoon before so this could get interesting! Thunder, lightning, the whole nine yards was going on while we sipped our beer.

The next day at the information centre, staff told us that lightning had caused transformer to blow and they had lost power. The heavy rain moved on but it never really did clear up as the forecast had said. That's was OK - our tents were dry and we had another great dinner of biscuits, potatoes and Big Piney stew (damn no wine!)

Since the weather wasn't terrific, no hiking was done this day either. Actually, we ended up not leaving the site for the two full days. Rather, it was some well-deserved downtime after a busy spring and summer. I recommend Site #1 to anyone looking to get away from it all without really having to, well, get away from it all!!

                             

Back Home - Random Thoughts

When you return home from a trip of this magnitude, you deal with all the post-travel tasks i.e. laundry, bills, email followups, etc. Then you have an opportunity to think a little bit about your adventure.

A few random thoughts:

• I will remember and think often of the people we met along the trail and at the base hotel. The folks we met from Norway, Detroit, Australia, Chicago, London and yes...even Amherst, Nova Scotia... they were unique or special in their own way. 
• The young people working at the hotel who taught us Swahili words, brought us beer and knocked on our door when dinner was ready. You rock! You made us feel "at home" and "welcomed".  I know you have it tough at home and you do this to help out your families. I hope your future is as bright as your SMILES that greeted us daily.
• The climb was probably the toughest thing I ever attempted and I freely admit, I near "crapped my pants" in anticipation but at the end of the day, it was a crazy, fantastic ride. Jump out of that comfort zone once in a while - it feels good.
• We took a two-week vacation but so many people are taking 6, 8, or 12-month treks to travel the world.  Maybe in a few years I will be able to do that...here's hoping!
• Yes,  I took a lot of pictures so if you are interested in a seeing a few more outside of the blog, I posted a set of photos on my FLICKR site at http://www.flickr.com/photos/blaisem/sets/72157633958513662/ 
• Check back soon to see if I up to anything else worth blogging about  :-)

Day 4 1/2 & Day 5 - Now How the Heck do I Get Down ?

Like Day 3 ran into Day 4; Day 4 runs into Day 5.  The summit was exhilirating and gave everyone a bit of "second wind".  But the reality was, we had to get ourselves back down, in the daylight, where we could clearly see what was so cleverly masked in the darkness of the climb. Hmmm, should be interesting......

We had a 1.5 kilometer trek along the rim from Uhuru Peak back to Gilman's Point; then 4 kilometres down the scree slope to Kibo Hut, where we were promised an hour's rest. Once the sun comes out, the frozen scree loosens up and becomes loose and gravelly, which is why they prefer we do this section while frozen. We make surprisingly good time on the descent, even able to almost " foot ski" in the sandy dirt. One hour later - we have made pretty good progress; although I don't know this person and don't even remember taking the picture (you get like that in thin air :)

What took us 7-1/2 hours going up took about 2-1/2 hours to backtrack. As promised, we are able to have tea and rest for an hour before continuing the 12 km hike down across the Saddle desert and back to Horombo Hut, where we had stayed on Night #2. Can you say tired -  we fell into bed!

That left 18 km for Day 5, another sunny day with a 7:30 AM start with a rested, recharged group. As I had mentioned earlier this route is labelled the "Coca-Cola"; so we received homemade french fries and cold Coke for lunch at Mandara Hut where we had stayed on Night #1. It was our first drink of pop all week and was a nice treat.

As we ate our lunch, we were treated to a show by the colobos monkeys which were playing around in the forest just below the dining hall.

They are black with a long white tail and white mane across their backside. Oddly enough, they have no thumbs. But they are just a whole lot of fun to watch.

We reach the trailhead at Kilimanjaro National Park by 3PM and complete the necessary sign out procedures and load into the minibus for the return ride to the Springlands Hotel. All I can can say is it is a good job the windows were open on that bus as it had 16 guys who hadn't showered in 5 days!

We have one hour to check-in, get our valuables from lockup and storage, grab a shower and and then meet in the gardens for closing ceremonies. Here you present the tip to the trek staff and we receive our official climb certificates from the National Park.