Cabot Trail ride report

The basics:
Nearly 1100km of secondary highway in 2 easy days
Camped in the National park for the night,
We saw 2 moose, a few rabbits, a deer, a waterfall or two, a snake (which I hit by mistake as it sunned itself on Cape Smokey), and lots of water/mountains.
Peter on his 95 VFR, I was on my 2000 cbr 600 f4,

Friday morning we packed up the bikes. I just had purchased a set of Cortech sport bike side and tail bags and was marveling at the pockets. They mounted very nicely, and were far enough back that it didn't interfere with riding or staying comfortable.

We packed up sleeping bags, the tent, water, tools and a change of clothes... all fit nicely aboard. Then we headed out on the old highway 2 (not the 102 which is the big 4 lane highway). We took in some nice twisties and enjoyed a traffic free ride.

Got to the first major town (Truro) and jumped on the highway to bi-pass it. Jumped off the 104 and got onto the old highway 4. Logged another 100 or so great miles of twisty roads and no traffic.

By about 2pm we had made it to Cape Breton - the choice to be made - slab it through the middle to the trail, or take the scenic route along the shore? Tough choice - we hit the 19 all the way up to Cheticamp on the Western side of the Island. The roads were pretty good - and on route (Andrew Duthie if you're reading this ) we stopped at the Glenora Distillery. They make a fine whiskey called Glen Breton. It is made from Scottish parts, with fresh mountain spring Canadian water, aged in Scottish oak casks and sold as whiskey although it is as close to a true scotch as you can be without being Scotch.

This section of road has you passing mountains and going around them - not into them... it is very pretty and I would have loved to have had a helmet mounted camera.

At Cheticamp we fueled up - from here through the National Park is about 170km of scenic road (meaning no gas stations). It was also the last stop for alcohol so we stuffed an 8 pack into the cortech bags (they didn't seem to get full). On to the trail!

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On the side -

The trail itself is about 170km long - made up of 4 main mountain climbs the rest of the time is either coastal bay areas or inland following rivers between mountains. It is a National park so you have to pay a nominal fee to enter, and a nominal fee to camp. The trail goes through the western side of the park, out into a coastal community (outside of the park) where food/lodging is available, back in to the park, along the northern edge and to the eastern shore to Neil's Harbour (outside of the park) and back into the park for the final leg down the eastern shore.

Riding the trail - we did it friday (everyone else at work) and early saturday morning - not much traffic. We had the roads to ourselves BUT we did ride at a moderate to conservative pace. First, any accident up in the trails is about 80km from the nearest help and any accident on a mountain runs the risk of it being a much further fall than you had intended. Secondly, the road is not a road we've ridden 100s of times and there are some turns that are very very technical. Of which I link to a video of Cape Smokey ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cEVGS7_ ... ed&search= ) - where at the bottom is a very very nasty 25km/h posted right hand near 180 degree off camber turn, where it looks like the majority of traffic can not (due to turning circle) make it within their own lane. A sane person will take this turn at 20km/h and through pride and adventure aside.

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Back to the trip

From Cheticamp we heading towards the first mountain. We checked into the park, and found the appropriate camp sites on the map with a very helpful park's person.

Into the park! The very first section has some of the most photographed views - not because they are the best, but because it is at this point you first see the highlands and you can't help but stop and take a photo. The road is hugging the coast as you ride up and along cliffs... you can see for about 30 kms the road stretching along the coast... and no picture I have ever seen has captured the twists and turns and elevation changes as well as that one view can.

On we go - bikes in top gear purring at low rpms. Remember we're touring not racing. Up we go! French mountain is ascended by a series of long sweepers and a few turns. Midway up you're riding the edge of the mountain in a series of turns tight by common standards by conservative by measure of what is to come. At the top is a great view of the bay below and the valleys below merging. We see below in big white lettering 'Restaurant' - it's now 6pm and that sounds like a good plan.

We head down the mountain - and entirely different procedure. First the bike is being pulled down the hill and so braking before turns and managing speed is a very important part... going up you can be throttle happy safely, going down you have to be a lot more cautious. On the way down is a set of 180 switch backs - each sign posted 30km/h. Riding conservatively we were using near full lean angle on each turn - hard left for a full 180 degrees - 400 meters of straight, hard right a full 180 degrees - and this repeats a number of times before finally the grade changes and you're spit out into a nice twisty road going down to the bay.

At the bottom we found our supper - sat on the deck overlooking a cliff and the sea. Watched a boat go by which apparently was the owners... fresh fish for supper for the seafood lovers. We just grabbed a turkey club and drank a few litres of water. (One of the hottest days of the summer - ~32 C with plenty of humidity).

We made the trip into our campsite and found the perfect spot. Just off of the road (at night there is next to no traffic) was a little parking area - a cook house (complete with stove, sinks and trestle tables - screened off to keep it bug free and with electricity... the perfect spot for a group evening) - toilet house (tiled floors and running water!) and our camp spot - behind a screen of trees. We pulled the bikes into our site - had a small area - maybe a 70' diameter semi circle grassy area surrounded by trees (oak, maple, beach, birch, hemlock and spruce)... a small brook behind babbling all night (all chilling our beer that evening)... a 2km hiking trail to a waterfall and surrounded by mountains on both sides. Absolutely perfect.

We woke up at 5:30 - the stream still burbling - a light dew... packed up camp and hit the road at 6am. The road was perfectly empty as we headed up North Mountain. You look back and see road and highlands - and forwards and see highlands... at this time I spot Pete's brake light come on... then I spot our first moose. We swung into the wrong lane to give space between us and the moose. This was a big bull moose - huge antlers. He looked up for a split second - realized he was by far the largest in the room - and went back to eating. Pete snapped a picture - but we didn't put the bikes into neutral... moose can be funny in that special unfunny way.

Descending north mountain was another exercise in throttle control - too much and you'd be very hot into the next turn. It was very much a get the braking done early, get into the turn, and apply throttle through the turn gently or fear hitting the next turn hot. Turning along the mountains edge (left to go in, right to come out) left hand turns deserved resped (cliff edge) in that you could not see the next right hand turn - getting hot on the left hand turn could mean you'd be really hot for the next blind right turn. With road knowledge perhaps you could go faster - but - you'd never know when you'd find the next moose.

At the bottom we found her - a cow moose - this time on the right hand side... she looked up and when Peter pointed at her she sort of ambled sort of jogged into the woods. She didn't have the same confidence in her size apparently..

We reached Neil's harbour shortly where we stopped to watch the sun rise over a beautiful sand beach. We were still the only people on the road... it was really something.

Onwards! Up Cape Smokey (coming from the West) is not as spectacular as the road down Cape Smokey... none the less we had some fun... going up throttle can be applied a bit more liberally. The inline 4 makes some delightful sounds. At the top we had an awesome view down at the sea and the highlands in the distance.

Down we go - on the way down there is left turn after right after left. There is no point where you weren't in a turn one way or the other - the whole time monitoring speed and maintaining line. Probably the most technically challenging part of the ride. I had one of those AH HA moments mid turn where I'd braked into the turn leaning right as I came off the brakes - one of those moments where the braking and leaning transition was fluid and the turn was smooth. Something that comes from practice and practice we did.

At the bottom of Cape Smokey is probably the single most fearsome turn of all. You're coming down a steep incline into a near 180 degree left hand turn. The turn is off camber. The rubber marks on the road all come across the centerline at you. The turn keeps dropping. It is sign posted 25km/h - but I'd be surprised if one could ride that turn at 25km/h and maintain one's own lane. On the way up it would be one thing, on the way down it's a beast. There must be many many accidents here... anyone showing off on their first ride around the trail would be bitten.

From there on out we were out of the main highlands, running some relatively twisty roads back to the highway... spotting a deer leaping from the ditch to the treeline. (making a crossing at the English Town ferry) at this point we were hungry and wanted to get going - slab it was. We slabbed it some 100km from the Ferry, through Baddeck (worth a stop if you have time - great sea views and the Alexandre Graham Bell museum and original home)

Back to Canso (the town at the edge of mainland Nova Scotia and Cape Breton ISLAND. We hit the slab back to the old number 4 and retraced our steps home.

That's the report so far

After getting home at 2pm Saturday I went to my folks hayfield... moved hay until 10pm. I was beat tired after that.

 

More stuff:

Riding cautiously I still wore the directional arrows off the edge of my new pilots... chewed rubber is in the tread all the way around. It was fantastic.

There was 170km in the Park, probably 400km of secondary road in mainland Nova Scotia (fair to good riding), 300km of highway in mainland nova Scotia (slab Sad), and another 100km of secondary road in Cape Breton (good), plus maybe 100km of highway in Cape Breton (not too bad for psudoslab - I spotted a deer and the road passes through a few towns).

http://gallery.atpic.com/13802

I will tag and sort photos in the next while... until then you can guess,
woot

(Some photo credits need to be put in for photos I have borrowed... anything that looks like it was shot by an amateur is mine... everything else is from google image search for cape breton

 

Damn Woot, sounds like a blast... I haven't been on the Cabot trail since I was a kid..... (did several trips to Cheticamp and Sydney playing in various bands) I like you're idea of getting off the main highway for more twisties and less traffic...

We'll have to hook up for a ride once I get my bike on the road.....waiting for my fork seals to come in now.... need to balance the carbs too one side is way off...and touch up my tank .....

 

ZaGhost... you need to befriend Rich Black.

I'm ready to roll when you are... if you want a spare pair of hands some day I don't mind getting dirty

 

Ok I'll bite ,who's Rich Black?

I may take you up on the offer, I'll supply the beer and or a BBQ to go with it.
Thinking I may need a hand with the fork thing, hehe

 

Damn how I would love to go for a ride there. Beautiful place.

I was along the length of that road about 7 years ago when I was 14 on a family trip. But surely its alot better view by motorcycle rather than a GMC Safari towing a 3000lbs travel trailer.

Too bad I live so damn far away from it, maybe one day I'll make the trip on 2 wheels.