15 August 2019, Thursday
Our destination of the day is Meat Cove, the northernmost community on Cape Breton Island and probably one of the most isolated. After breakfast we make a brief stop back at Green Cove. O has been rereading the brochure on the rocks there and wants to make sure he identified them properly. While I check in with Dad back home, O walks out onto the rocks and meets a geohydrologist there. Although the man’s specialty has more to do with water than with rocks, he is very familiar with rocks. He and O together identify aplite (a form of pegmatite with smaller crystals,) pegmatite, schist (the oldest rock at Green Cove,) and gneiss.
From Green Cove we drive north, continuing in this direction at Cape North instead of following the Cabot Trail. We stop at Cabot Landing Provincial Park to have a look around. This is presumed to be in the vicinity of John Cabot’s first landfall in North America in 1497, which established England’s claim to North America. From this park one can also see evidence of slippage that occurred about 125,000 years ago along the Aspy fault. This is one of the largest recent visible fault displacements in Canada according to our Geological Highway map.
From the Provincial Park we continue north to Capstick at which point the pavement ends. O drives the next stretch of washboard, unpaved road. In many places we are on the edge of cliffs with a beautiful view of Bay St. Lawrence to the right. Although it is only 8 more km to Meat Cove, the drive feels longer to me. The road ends at a campground at Meat Cove. Here we find the Meat Cove Chowder Hut and stop for a late lunch and the scenic view. O and I each order fish cakes with beans, a traditional Cape Breton meal. The fish cakes are made by mixing mashed potatoes with onions and chunks of fish.The cakes are then fried until nicely browned. They are very tasty, as are the baked beans. We note these fish cakes are much superior to the ones O sampled in Judique, but Judique definitely had better music.
From Meat Cove we drive back to Cape North stopping at North Highlands Museum. The museum explores the history of the people who settled this remote part of the Cape Breton Highlands; Scots, Irish, Basque, and French fishermen, survivors of shipwrecks, soldiers and sailors. The community was also the site of the first telegraphic cable linking Cape Breton with Newfoundland and Newfoundland with Ireland. Unfortunately Cape Breton’s connection to Newfoundland did not last very long.
From the museum we return to Broad Cove and finally make it down to the beach to enjoy the late afternoon sunshine. I am down to just one crutch as I hobble slowly down the gravel path. We photograph a bald eagle perched in a treetop and catch a photo of a distant duck-like bird which I am at a loss to identify.
Back at camp we have a delicious cup of extra chocolatey hot chocolate and then spend the evening chatting with Philippe and Constance once again.