Inverness to Cap Le Moine | Campsite: 46.49576° N, 61.07344° W
4:30. I am up at 4:30 to start the day, preparing to head back out onto the road. The B&B is silent, so I am able to make coffee and enjoy a full breakfast downstairs with full reign over the kitchen. I haven’t had yogurt in a while over this challenge and devoured a huge bowl. Add to that a bagel with strawberry jam, and a second bagel with blueberry jam. I find some cereal and enjoy two bowls. I think it is safe to say that I am now experiencing full-time ‘hiker hunger’! Within twenty minutes the pack is fully prepared after some research over the upcoming five days of walking has been made. The temperature is projected to increase with heat warnings, with the terrain expressing some of the highest elevations I have yet to experience throughout this walk. I believe that I am prepared for the challenge. It comes at a good point in the walk. This terrain follows the hills that were quite serious in New Brunswick, namely those between the cities of Fredericton and Moncton. I believe they served as a formal preparatory initiation into hiking uphill and for the challenges experienced within the province of Nova Scotia, the upcoming terrain of Cape Breton, the Cabot Trail, and the Highlands National Park. I walk to 11:00, taking a half-hour break for a quick lunch and rest, after which I am back out by 11:30. I walk until 2:00 where I see a beach full of people and decide to break for another half-hour. Whale Cove here in the North Atlantic Ocean provides a refreshingly cool thirty minutes in the water and on the soft, sandy beach! The time spent drying my feet off in the warm sand provides time to reflect on the day and survey the beautiful surroundings. While enjoying the beach I speak to a man living in the area about the distance to the upcoming town of Chéticamp, and he confirms that the distance is close to 25 kilometres. The boots are climbed back into and I continue northward. As I am leaving the beach a man asks where I am going as he towels off in the parking lot beside his family van. I tell him and he exclaims loudly, “What?” I repeat my answer. He barks, “For what?” I offer a few reasons that I have been reflecting upon over the past couple of weeks. “There’s a cost, though”, he barks. I say that there are a few trade-offs in every decision. He barks, “Your body will break down and will wear out.” I say, “Actually, I’ve become physically and mentally stronger over the course of this challenge since I began.” He asks, “But to what end?” “Hey,” I say, “I don’t want to die without any big stories to tell, and my exploration has only just begun.” I continue to walk out of the parking lot, hearing him call out, “How much weight are you carrying?” I reply, “About 35 pounds.” He mumbles to himself, “That’s not bad…” I walk into the small village of Margaree Harbour where I take some photos of a very cool tiny house summer rental village alongside the highway. A kilometre later I spot the Margaree Restaurant where I stop for a vanilla milkshake, pint, and large glass of cold ice water. I scan the map north to the town of Chéticamp, journal the day out, then leave by 4:40 to pick up ten more kilometres by the end of the day before setting up the tent in a spot comfortably hidden from the roadway by 5:15. By 5:45 I am inside. The day has been good as I have walked further in the increased heat than I had initially expected. Today’s 42.63 km will reduce tomorrow’s walk into the small town of Chéticamp to 17 km, which should be achieved in just over three hours. I journal, cool down, read, clean, then… sleep.
Today’s distance walked: 42.63 km | Total distance walked: 2,314.16 km
“This immensity made me very anxious; it created a terrible fear that I would not be able to succeed—that I was too small for this task. Yet today I had been a seed and had been reborn. I had discovered that although the earth and my sleep were full of comfort, the life ‘up there’ was much more beautiful. And I could always be reborn, as many times as I wanted, until my arms were long enough to embrace the earth from which I had come.” – Paulo Coelho, “The Pilgrimage”, p. 29.
Glengarry to Inverness | Accommodations: Dusky Diamond B&B, 21 Beach No 1 Rd, Inverness NS
I do not want to get up. I stay in the bag until 5:00 before forcing myself out into the morning. I think I have gotten enough sleep over the night. I was quite exhausted after yesterday’s escapades through uninteresting terrain stretched out over an unnecessarily-long trail. I am ready and on the trail by 6:00, and the morning’s 5-kilometre walk into the town of Mabou is actually quite nice, offering views of mountains and rivers. At least there is some kind of payoff today—I am able to take a few interesting photos. By 8:00 I reach the town of Mabou, pausing to rest, make hot chocolate, and look over maps of upcoming sections of the trail. I do not want to get caught on another uselessly long trail bordered and treelined without views of surrounding landscapes. I walk toward the supermarket on the far side of town in search of water. I pick up everything I need and enjoy some fruit before walking out of town northbound. The midmorning had clouded over, but the day soon heats up when the clouds parted, revealing a hot sun radiating rays from a sky clearing overhead. Sometime around 11:00, I find a spot to sit down, cook food, rest, and dry out the socks, boots, and feet. I continue on to the town of Inverness, arriving at a corner store on the outskirts of town. Some refreshing beverages are purchased, and I take the time to ask the owner about local hotels. The woman tells me that there are very few in the area, with the likelihood that all are fully booked. She gives me the number to a B&B, and when I make the call—sure enough—it is full. As I relax into the Adirondack chair and enjoy my drink, my phone rings two minutes later. The woman I just spoke to at the B&B informed me that she has just received a cancellation for the evening, and that if I was still interested in the room it was available. I am and I make the reservation. I make the short walk into town, stopping at the visitor information centre on the way. Within ten minutes I am checked in and unpacking the bag. A quick restorative shower is enjoyed before I walk to the beach ten minutes away. I then find some food downtown (pizza and pints) and return to the room by 5:45 with my take-out. I eat while resting with mindless daytime television on in the background. All images from the phone are transferred to the laptop, organizing all files into daily folders. All voice memos are transferred and air-dropped into place. This takes close to two hours, and I am exhausted when finished. As I have no energy for writing, I turn off the lights and quickly sink into a deep sleep.
Today’s distance walked: 37.32 km | Total distance walked: 2,271.53 km
Craigmore to Glengarry | Campsite: 46.04022° N, 61.44899° W
Feeling fully rested upon waking up is amazing. I quickly eat breakfast, stretch, and break camp in order to be on the trail walking by 6:00. The landscape today is as beautiful and majestic as yesterday, and the trail is neat and groomed. I learn that Canadian military engineers, through a 3-year program called “Bridges For Canada” assisted communities across the country throughout the Trans Canada Trail network to construct and restore bridges. This is one of the reasons why these sections along The Great Trail I’ve walked since leaving Toronto have been such a wonderful experience. I meet a couple walking the trail toward me and I ask if the variety store in the village of Judique is worth stopping at for food, and they confirm that I will be able to pick up dry goods for the pack. The man, I learn, had ridden by my tent last night on an ATV and had seen me camping alongside the trail. The trail into town is clearly marked and nicely groomed. And yes, I am able to pick up food, coffee, a few free cookies, and donuts. Plus the owner suggests that I leave my battery bank with her to charge while I have a look around town. She even gives me a small solar panel charger to try out on the trail. I decided to give it a try, and upon testing it later in the day confirm that it is able to provide charge to my phone. I find a comfortable patio next door where I am able to eat a snack and enjoy my coffee on the patio of a cultural centre not yet open for the day. Comfortable tables and chairs with exterior wall outlets provide everything I need for an hour and a half rest—time enough for charging the smartwatch. What a wonderful morning! I have walked 13 km from this morning’s campsite to Judique, and am comfortable that the newly-acquired supplies will be more than enough to get me to the town of Port Hood which is 18 km away. It is followed by the town of Mabou, a further 14 km north. This is the town that the family owners of Gary’s Groceries spend time in every year, enjoying the beauty of the region. This should most likely round out my day at 43 km. The trail followed towards this destination, however, is longer than I had predicted, as it meanders quite a distance into the interior of the province. So much so that by 7:30 in the evening I am shocked to learn that I have walked close to 50 km and am still quite a distance from the town of Mabou. I set up the tent and write off the afternoon as one in which a more “scenic” route has been followed.
Today’s distance walked: 49.53 km | Total distance walked: 2,234.21 km
“This citrusy IPA was named after the largest natural giant ever recorded. He’d dead lift anchors to pass the time. Raise a pint and test your strength.” – From Breton Brewing can of “Black Angus” 6.2% IPA (Cape Breton NS)
