15 September 2019, Sunday

This morning, after taking advantage of Butter Pot’s very reasonable rates for laundry, we head south on Route 10 to yet another section of the East Coast Trail. Immediately past La Manche Provincial Park is La Manche Road, an unpaved, potholed lane that travels past some houses and a large pond to a parking area. From here it is a one kilometer walk to access the East Coast Trail where one can see the ruins of La Manche Village and walk the suspension bridge built by the ECT in 1999 after previous bridges had been destroyed in storms. La Manche was abandoned in 1966 after a severe storm destroyed the fishing industry there. At the time the population of this small village was only 25 people. 

As we walk down the rocky path several hikers returning up the trail tell us we might see a seal on the rock beneath the suspension bridge. Sure enough, there is a seal down below, seeming to mug for the cameras of all the gawkers above.

Aside from the fun of watching the seal, the scenery itself is so beautiful that I would have been content to stand on the bridge or find a spot on the cliffs to sit and watch the waves crash along the shore for several hours. But by now it is mid-afternoon and time is growing short. O and I walk further along the trail admiring the views and being appropriately awed by the crashing waves. Then we must turn around to head back to Vincent.

Dinner is once again at The Captain’s Table, after which we return to a nearly deserted Butter Pot Park. As far as I can tell there are only 3 other occupied sites out of 175 total sites. This is not too surprising as the park closes for the season at 4 pm tomorrow.