Along the Bear Trap Trail

Describing this day in my review of the Celtic Colours festival, I wrote: ”the favourite part of the hike for me was the Bear Trap Trail, a gradual 2.8 km (1.75 mi) climb from MacKinnons Brook Lane to the plateau above on which the MacEachen trail runs; it follows MacIsaacs Glen Brook along nearly all of its course through the sun-filtered forest, with no panoramic vistas at any point. I cannot find words to convey the magic of this beautiful place: the brook’s joyous song; the ever-changing light through the trees as the breeze played over the remaining leaves (many littered the trail and the forest floor but there were still lots of trees in oranges and yellows and even some greens); the birds that were chirping, the jays that scolded me for intruding, and the curious owl with a huge wingspan that watched me from a safe distance and then flew off as the trail brought me close to his perch; the joy of a beautiful fall day; all combined to elate my spirits beyond euphoria!”

This photo doesn’t capture the magic I felt that day, but it does show one spot (about twenty-two minutes after I left the Cul Na Beinne (Beyond the Mountain) Trail, also known as MacKinnons Brook Lane) of the many beautiful spots along this sun-filtered leaf-littered trail, where every step added a crunch to the music of the brook, which here can be glimpsed through the trees running along the trail at the right. The orange marker on the tree in the middle confirms that one is on the trail, which would sometimes be a bit hard to determine without the excellent markers and signage provided by the Cape Mabou Trail Club.