The Misty Highlands
Sunday June 16 2002
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Location
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Odometer (km)
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Time of Arrival
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Rest Time
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Gas Expenses
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Broad Cove Campsite
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2217
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15:00
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16 hrs
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We awoke at our first campsite on the Cabot Trail to 100 km sidewinds rocking the van at 5 am. Considering we were parked 3 meters from a cliff we quickly gathered our things and left for a more secure location, a local diner. After breakfast we set out for a drive in the wind and clouds of the Highlands. We found it rather intense, notice the flag on our antenna going sideways although we were doing about 60 kph or so! |
| After climbing and descending the switchbacks roads of Mackenzie and French Mountains we stopped at a forest trail of old growth maples that was a wonderful experience. We were alone in this fabulous place, just us and 300 year old sugar maple trees and this replica of a Scottish crofter's hut. |  |
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Yes, we are "tree huggers" but there's no feeling like hugging something that's been alive for three centuries give or take a decade or two |
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Descending from the clouds to the endless curves of
the trail we got the occasional glimpse of the vistas around us, even
in the fog the magnificence of the area was just overwhelming us. The
fear was too, some of these turns were over drops of 400 meters and
the roads were VERY wet. But as we were getting used to.. We were the
only ones here. We hadn't seen any other cars. That made driving 30
kph down/up these roads alot easier.
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A road leading north off the trail at Cape North took
us to Capstick where we stopped at these wetlands They extended left
about another km. into St. Lawrence Bay. Our drive to the coast on this
road was aborted. The winding mountain road became a winding mountain
dirt road with potholes. We turned back to save our van and Céline's
already frail nerves. ;-)
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Back on the Trail looking behind us towards Cape North we set our sites on Broad Cove, our next stop and campsite for the night where we met up with an online friend we never met, it was a dark and stormy night yet we talked for hours and is a cherished memory of our from this trip. |
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With the arrival at Broad Cove seen up ahead came the
feeling that we might just survive this drive. The roads were flowing
streams in places add to that the hairpin turns in the fog and high
winds this drive was both beautiful and nerve racking. It isn't over
though, first thing in the morning we do Smokey Mountain. (Named for
it's peak perpetually in clouds)
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