Wow...no sound...no "Nova Scotia Rooster" waking me up this morning. It's cold, damp and overcast, but it's not raining. Last night, I "scoffed" at Ed's suggestion that we hike today...but...now there's hope.
I'm able to brew the morning coffee out on the picnic table and haul out the XM Radio "boombox" for the morning news. I'm feeling much cheerier this morning, particularly after a bowl of cereal for breakfast.
When Ed gets up, we start planning our hike for today. We're going about twenty minutes north on the Cabot Trail to the "Skyline Trail", about a six-mile loop up in the mountains along the coast.
Driving up to the trail, I can't help but notice the steep grades. Yes, I made it over the Rockies, Cascades and Sierra Nevadas last summer but, this year, I'm hauling at least 250 pounds of extra gear...plus Ed...it's going to be an interesting drive out of here on Saturday to get down to Sydney for our Sunday ferry to Newfoundland.
The Skyline Trail is pretty nice...even though it's pretty cloudy. The first half goes through forest, mountain plateaus and a few glimpses of the ocean. There are some uphill parts, but the grades are very manageable. People coming the other way are reporting some moose sightings further up the trail, but we don't see any. At the halfway point, there's a steep boardwalk down to the cliffs...250 meters straight down to the ocean. Ed ventures down to take a look, but "Mr. Vertigo" stays behind. The second half of the trail is tougher than the first...all uphill, but easy grades. By the time that we get back to the Escape, we're both pretty sore...and hungry. A well-deserved Milky Way bar is our reward. I'm proud of myself...almost six miles of hiking...all those hours on the treadmill at Bally's are finally paying dividends.
Back at camp, we take our leftover pork tenderloin and "jazz it up" a little with a Thai green curry sauce over Indonesian noodles...excellent with a bottle of L'Acadie Blanc that Ed bought at Jost Vineyards.
After dinner, Ed heads over to a performance by some local artists. They're performing a traditional "Milling Frolic"...which involves wool and music (a classic combination). Later, Ed and some friends from the campground head over to a local motel for some more local music. Your humble blogger, however, sticks close to camp...tired after a long hike and more than content to listen to the radio before bed...a much-deserved sleep tonight.
Ed's Sidebar, Day 30:
They should have a bumper sticker that says 'I drove the Cabot Trail' in Cape Breton. More so, they should have a sticker for those who (successfully and completely) hike the Skyline Trail there. It should say 'I would have watched for moose and coyotes except I was watching my feet for 5.7 miles'.
When you are hiking, things can happen. One thing that happens is roots, rocks and mud pools. And you thought golfers had it tough with their carts and two-irons to the green from the rough. Let me tell you about rough, mister golfer. Rough is a pack of leach-looking things feasting on something squashed beside a mud pool in the shadow of a standing root growing around a granite from the Ice Age. A pride of lions would do no less with a stumbled zebra. That's rough. Try not to trip now.
How does a wet, slimy thing that looks like a leach get on my picnic table, inches from my notes around midnight, without me seeing it? Holy crap, it's raining invertebrates. Run away!
Went to a Highland 'Milling Frolic'. Look it up, if you're into history and culture.
Met fellow campers Bruce and Heather, Carl and Karen for drinks and cielidh (kaylee) at a local pub. Fiddle music, dancing and fun ensued til midnight.
Uh oh, where did that leach go?
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