Pollet’s Cove and South-western Cape Breton

Mac and I have done a lot of hiking during our travels. There are certain hikes that stick out in my mind as clear favourites (Papa Stour and Mt Toubkal first come to mind), but our hike to Pollet’s Cove easily slides into position of one of my top 5 favourite day hikes. This magical slice of paradise is in northwest Cape Breton and it was a true highlight of our time spent on the Cabot Trail.

Day Hike to Pollet’s Cove

After a relaxing evening spent camping by the beach, Mac and I were invited in for morning tea to the mobile home of a lovely Texan couple parked beside us. These folks have been driving around the US and Canada in an RV for over nine years now. Their get up with the comfy couch, satellite TV, queen-sized bed and three-piece bathroom had us reconsidering our car-camping choices!! Contact information exchanged, Mac and I set out north along the western coast of Cape Breton to the trail head for Pollet’s Cove. The few signs and maps we saw were united in their differences, posting distances ranging from 5-8km (one way) for this hike. We packed a bit of extra food and water just in case and headed out mid-morning for what would turn out to be a spectacular day hike.

Looking at a topographical map of the coast, we could see that the trail went up and over three heads, with creek/stream crossings in between each one. After the first uphill, then downhill slog, followed by a soaking foot after a misplaced step, I was wondering what we had gotten ourselves into! Fortunately the views of the neighbouring mountains and sea were enough to convince us to soldier on.

The Most Incredible Lookout

After ascending the third head, we came to a break in the forest and walked into a meadow overlooking one of the most breath-taking beaches I’ve ever seen! Pollet’s Cove was situated below where we stood, and the white-sand beach with a river flowing through it contrasted spectacularly with the blue sky and bright green rolling hills surrounding the area.

We made the slow descent down to the beach (trying not to break an ankle en route with our eyes focused on the scenery and not the trail!) and our excitement doubled when we saw that the brown and white specks on the green hills were not boulders, but horses! That’s right, in addition to being home to some stunning vistas, Pollet’s Cove is also home to some quasi-wild horses! We heard through the grapevine that the horses are owned and occasionally fed by a nearby farmer, but they prefer to spend their days on the hills and around the beach of the cove. We made sure to keep our distance, but we could have watched them all day long.

The crashing waves on the beach also revealed another cove resident – a seal! We ended up spotting two seals splashing about in the waves and briefly debated joining them (before finally coming to our senses). I did do a bit of splashing around myself, but opted to take a dip in the calm stream waters (where I could be assured I wouldn’t be bulldozed by a burly wave!). As I mentioned in my last post, showers were a rare luxury on this road trip and I wasn’t about to miss an opportunity – no matter how frigid the water!!

After a few hours spent ogling our surroundings and scheming how we could build ourselves a little hut with the abundance of driftwood scattered about, we decided it was time to venture back to our car. We hiked up the hill mostly facing backwards, not wanting to miss any view of this special place. On the way back we ran into several other hikers decked out in full backpacking gear. We learned after talking to a few groups that camping is allowed on the beach and judging by the number of people we passed, it’s quite a popular activity!

Before long we were back at our car, stretching out our achy muscles in the afternoon sun, mostly wishing we were still back at the beach. But we had grand plans for touring the rest of the Cabot Trail and even making our way into the heart of Cape Breton island… so off we went!

A Taste of Islander Hospitality

Our original plan after our hike to Pollet’s Cove was to camp on the beach outside Cheticamp – a small village marking the entrance to Cape Breton Highlands National Park. While I was making dinner on the trunk of the car, Mac wandered down to the beach and began chatting with a four-generation family, out celebrating a birthday. He even brought the great-grandmother one of our chairs to sit on after seeing that she was one of the only ones left standing.

Later, when we were eating my trunk-tastic meal, the great-grandmother and great-grandfather pulled up beside us and, after returning our chair, invited us to camp on their lawn in town. They even offered to make us breakfast and let us use their bathroom. Well we didn’t need much convincing! (Refer to my aforementioned comment about shower luxury!!) We jumped on the offer, incredibly grateful, and unbelieving of the generous hospitality of islanders.

Skyline Trail

The next morning, after a proper (non-river) shower and a filling breakfast, the grand-daughter of our new hospitable friends mentioned that she was interested in hiking the Skyline Trail nearby. This is one of Cape Breton’s most popular hikes, and not wanting to compete with the crowds, the three of us set out right after breakfast. Apparently a few other folks had the same idea, as the newly-expanded parking lot was already brimming with cars. Fortunately once we started hiking, the crowds dissipated and we were able to focus on the incredible beauty surrounding us.

The highlight of the trail is the boardwalk that leads all the way out to a breath-taking lookout. After nearly having our hats blown off by the wind, we started the long slog up the endless stairs and continued the loop back to the car.

Aside from the steep descent to the lookout, the rest of the trail is flat and well-groomed, making for easy hiking. The three of us finished the nearly 10km loop in just over two hours. After stopping at another roadside lookout, we regrouped back in Cheticamp and after a sentimental goodbye to our gracious hosts, Mac and I continued our grand tour of the island.

Bras d’Or Lake & Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site

The lower half of Cape Breton island is mostly taken up by Bras d’Or Lake (actually an inland sea, composed of both freshwater and saltwater). The lake was made famous in the last 1800’s when esteemed inventor and scientist Dr. Alexander Graham Bell took up residence along its shores near the town of Baddeck. Bell lived on his homestead – named Beinn Bhreagh – from 1886 until his death in 1922. During his 36 years on the lake, Bell performed numerous experiments and contributed incredible feats to science and technology. Most notable were the first flights of the Silver Dart and HD4 – an early air craft and a hydrofoil, respectively.

The Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site is a wonderful building on the shore of the lake (just down the hill from Bell’s residence). Inside is a tremendous amount of information about Bell’s life and his contribution to science. There’s also an exhibition about his wife Mabel as well as his early years (one of which was spent in Mac’s hometown of Brantford!).

We arrived just an hour before closing time, but there was so much more we could have explored. The roof of the building provided an excellent view of the vast lake, and it was fun to imagine what it would have looked like in the early 1900’s when Bell was using it as a runway for his inventions.

Back to the Mainland

As the sun was beginning to make its descent through the sky, Mac and I crossed back over the Canso Causeway and started heading down mainland Nova Scotia’s eastern shores. We splurged on a campsite for the night (oh, the joys of running water and actual toilets!) and spent the night admiring the explosion of colour on the horizon followed by a rousing game of gin at the picnic table (I can’t quite remember, but I’m pretty sure I lost, heh).

The day hike to Pollet’s Cove followed by our encounter with Cape Breton hospitality and finishing with a bit of a history lesson at Bras d’Or Lake made for a few incredible final days in Cape Breton. This island is a truly special place and I can’t wait to return someday to discover more of its secrets.

Practical Information

The hike to Pollet’s Cove begins at the end of Pleasant Bay road. The distance to do the out and back is between 12-16km (we think it’s closer to 16km). There are no facilities at the Cove, so pack it in & pack it out. Don’t litter and leave no trace!

The Skyline Trail weaves through some pretty fragile environments. There is a moose exclosure (not an enclosure! The high fence keeps moose out of an area in an effort to help regrow trees) as well as several boardwalks. The boardwalks take hikers over areas that are damaged by the relentless winds and sea spray. Natural netting covers most of the ground which is then covered in seeds to promote the growth of grasses and bushes to help protect against erosion. There are signs everywhere that tell folks to stay on the boardwalks, but we saw a few unintelligent hikers venture off onto the netted areas, endangering the efforts to help this fragile area. Don’t be those people!!! Follow the signs and respect the land! 🙂

The AGB National Historic Site is $7.80 per person, but free with a Discovery Parks Pass. It’s definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area (and still worth a visit out of the way if you’re not)!

Tell me, how much do you know about Alexander Graham Bell? (What an inspiring life he had!) What’s been the best example of generous hospitality you’ve received?

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