The first supported, guided tour that Adventure Cycle Experience ran this summer was the Cabot Trail, on northern Cape Breton Island, from July 8th - 13th. I've seen Cape Breton described as the crown on top of Nova Scotia, and the Cabot Trail as the jewel on that crown. A bit corny, maybe, but a jewel the Cabot Trail truly is. During the 6 day tour, a loop starting and finishing in Baddeck, we had nothing but beautiful weather. Clear skies and sunshine greeted us every day, and made for a stunning background to this amazing scenery. A much-quoted line from Alexander Graham Bell goes, "I have travelled around the globe. I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes, the Alps and the Highlands of Scotland, but for simple beauty, Cape Breton out rivals them all!". Now, this seems like quite the boast, and there are those of you out there who may find it hard to believe. I grew up on the outskirts of the Rockies, and have cycled across them, as well as spending five months cycling the spine of the Andes. And while direct comparisons are hard, I have to say, Cape Breton is one of the most amazing places I have ever been, and takes your breath away time after time (in more ways than one!). Stunning beauty meets you around every bend as the highway clings to the coast, climbs over mountains and capes, and follows the river as it winds its way through the highlands.
The climbs over French and North Mountain both exceed a 13% grade in places (compared with a relatively gentle 8% grade found crossing most passes in the Rockies!), and leave you literally breathless as you slowly make your way up. We all agreed the climbs were more than worth it as we rocketed down the other side (I personally hit 76 km/h, and almost turned around and climbed back up to try the downhill again, being sure that 80 km/h was well within my reach).
On the morning of our third day we enjoyed the optional whale-watching tour from Pleasant Bay, where our Zodiac floated alongside Minke and Fin whales, seeing the burst of mist as they came to the surface for a breath. We were relieved to even sneak in a quick stop at a secluded beach in a hidden cove, unreachable except by boat.
We detoured off of the Cabot Trail to take the scenic alternative to White Point, where we hiked a short trail past the small fishing harbour to reach the point. I know that both pictures and words cannot do justice to that place - with the ocean lapping the cliffs below, whales breaching in the distance, bald eagles soaring overhead, and the lowering sun contrasting the deep greens and blues of the grass, trees, and ocean - it was another breathtaking moment, in a completely different way.
Our tour finished off riding alongside the beautiful Bras d'Or Lake. (I know it might seem we're overusing the word 'beautiful', but this is just what it is). Coming in along the lake, we reached the town of Baddeck, and the same waterfront we left from only 5 days before. The first tour was a great success, with nothing but great reviews on the food, accommodation, and organization. After enjoying a celebratory ice cream cone in Baddeck, it was unfortunately already time to head back to Halifax. From here we had one day off, before continuing on to Prince Edward Island for our next tour of the summer, a tip-to-tip camping tour of PEI.
A more complete photo album of our tour is available both here, and on our Facebook page. The Cabot Trail is available as both a camping and bed and breakfast tour with Adventure Cycle Experience, with prices starting as low as $1099 for a six day tour. We'll be running both tours next summer; if you're interested, feel free to contact us at tours@maritimecycletours.com anytime to receive more information, or visit our website at www.maritimecycletours.com!
