Roberts Mountain Spectacular
Roberts Mountain, Pleasant Bay
Day 5 of Hike the Highlands was all about avoiding rain and we did it. All three hikes we got in. The last hike of day – Roberts Mountain lived up to expectations & more. It provided hikers with spectacular coastal scenery. Local guide Tina Roach, Pleasant Bay, indicated the Mountain was named after Robert MacLeod, one of the three families that had came over in 1800’s from the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Hiking up Roberts Mountain was a great day for hiking with poles, up and down a mountain. I remember the proper techniques instructor Linda Murray had demonstrated the day before at Nordic Walking workshop.
First hike of the day was Lone Shieling, a short hike led by guide and park interpreter John Francis Lane who provided hikers with an interpretative talk on the crofter’s house, the acadien forest and some studies being done in monitoring. The second hike of the day was MacIntosh Brook, a short hiking trail to falls and one of the five geocaching sites in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Guide Lisa Dixon took us to the geocaching site and to falls which were flowing quite good due to the rain lately. MacIntosh Brook is also a picnic site and campground and has an excellent picnic shelter and washrooms.
Day 6 hikes are Otter Brook, the first half of Pollett’s Cove and Salmon Pool. The day ends with a social evening for hikers at the main theatre at Cheticamp Visitor centre. Hosted by Les Amis du Plein, a co-operative organization that runs the Nature Bookstore and a new partner in the Hike the Highlands festival. The evening will feature Acadien and English Folklore music, refreshments and food. The Nature bookstore will be open from 7-9 pm.