Queensport

I've rarely made the long and winding drive along the Eastern Shore, so Guysborough County is mostly undiscovered country for me. This truly is a shame, as I learn today, because here on the Canso Peninsula is a rugged, coastal landscape— a type of natural beauty you can only find in Nova Scotia.

The Queensport Road was probably, at one time, an important route between the coastal communities of Queensport and Cole Harbour. These days it's now part of a faded network of footpaths and cart tracks scattered throughout the Bonnet Lake Barrens Wilderness Area. The trail begins in the parking lot of St. Vincent DePaul's church in Queensport, looking out onto Chedabucto Bay. The wind coming in from the ocean brings a biting cold with it, so Kris and I start out at a fast pace.

About one kilometre into the hike the trail crosses Southwest Pond Brook. On our left is a long-useless dam spanning the water, a huge gap blown through its wall. We pause to inspect the hole and climb on top of the concrete structure which is still in good shape, all things considered. I snap a few more photos and then cross the brook using a makeshift bridge assembled from logs, old doors and ladders.

The next stretch of trail slowly ascends towards the barrens. The trail is wide and easy-going, with forest closing in on either side of us. As the trees begin to thin out some time later, we stumble upon an always-eerie scene. The granite barrens spread out ahead of us, our trail fading into the rocky surroundings. Large granite erratics pepper the landscape, as if each one had been cast aside haphazardly. Kris patrols some of the larger boulders while I climb on top of a smaller rock to take in the view.

We haven't climbed all the way up the hill yet, so the full extent of the barrens isn't obvious. To the east and west, the forest begins again abruptly. Turning to the north rewards me with a wide view of Chedabucto Bay. Towards the south more boulders sit on the horizon, their odd shapes silhouetted against the light and playing tricks with our imagination. Marching towards those shapes brings us over the crest of the hill, and from this vantage point the ocean nearly surrounds us. Behind us is Chedabucto Bay, and ahead of us is Tor Bay. The barrens spread far and wide around us now, interrupted occasionally by deep, dark blue lakes and ponds.

I shield myself against the chilling wind, as the trail becomes well-defined once more and begins to descend gradually. The forest closes in again, only receding now and then to offer us some final views of the barrens. We leave the barrens behind along Second Cow Lake, as the trail continues through a stand of alders. The trail is all downhill from here, and the other trailhead is not much further. As we near the end and approach Cole Harbour I take one last glance back, knowing that we've only just scratched the surface here. We've only glimpsed a small fraction of what the Bonnet Lake Barrens offers. What we have seen is isolated, unique and distinctly Nova Scotian.

Mattew hogg, Used with permission

GPS:

Trailhead (Queensport) - 0635544E 5022146N

Trailhead (Cole Harbour) - 0635533E 5014121N

Directions:

The trail begins in the parking lot of St. Vincent DePaul's church in Queensport, looking out onto Chedabucto Bay.

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