Sept 26-

I was awake at dawn, to a dark, rainy, yucky morning.  No point in doing the Cabot Trail in yucky weather.  I cook breakfast (running out of oatmeal), and the rain stopped.  The clouds parted, and cool, dry air moved in.  I packed slowly, and my stuff was mostly dry by the time I got out of camp at about 10 am.  Too late of a start, but it’s nice to pack dry gear. 

The Cabot Trail was spectacular. 

Not all of it is along the coast, the parts that are have big cliffs, waves, the whole show. 

I did some exploring at the northern tip of Cape Breton- more pretty fishing villages.  I also went to Meat Cove- it’s supposed to be really pretty, a good place for whale sightings, has a campground, 

and a friend says the Chowder Hut has the best chowder on the planet.

A hurricane did heavy damage to the area about one month ago.  The road to Meat Cove was washed out in several places and they lost a bridge.  The military had to get people (including tourists) out, and bring in water and supplies to the locals.  The road is “fixed”, and the bridge has a Bailey in place. 

The road surface is mud in various degrees of slippery goo to rock solid.  Where it is rock solid, it’s covered in marble size gravel.  It was not fun.

The campground has potential, the beach was closed because the road to it is gone, and the Chowder Hut was closed.  No whales to be seen, either.  It would be a spectacular road on more than 2 wheels, or if the road was in better condition.  2 guys on ST1300’s were stopped at a turn off part way in- I hope they turned around!

The west side of the Cabot Trail seems better than the east.  I finally saw a whale!  At least I saw one about ½ mile away, swimming along the surface and breathing every 10 seconds or so.

I turned right on to the Cehlidh Trail on my way to Canso.  This is a the area where lots of Cape Breton fiddle music comes from and is the root stock of Cajun- the Cajuns are French that were displaced from here.  I got to the Music center about 6pm only to see a sign for a concert 3-6:30.  Rats!

I crossed the bridge at Canso, leaving Cape Breton.  I camped somewhere not too far east of there.  I had a nice, private campsite.