Taken 2005 August 17 from the Trap à Mhathain (Bear Trap) Trail
about forty minutes hike from the Cul Na Beinne (Beyond the Mountain) Trail
GPS 46°09.1??′N 61°24.4??′W
I first discovered the Trap à Mhathain (Bear Trap) Trail in 2004; I knew it was there, but I never took it before, in part discouraged by its description on the CMTC map. I’m very sorry it took me so long; this is a beautiful trail. I think, however, it is misnamed: it should instead be called the Singing Brook Trail, as MacIsaac’s Glen Brook, visible to the left of the trail in this photo, parallels the trail for almost its entire length and sings merrily along as it tumbles down its bed. This trail passes through a mixed, but mainly deciduous, forest and climbs up to the MacEachen Trail on the top of the plateau. From the Mabou Post Road Trail Head, it is a gentle, but long, way to climb to Beinn Bhiorach, and I used it that way a number of times this year, completely enchanted with the brook, forest, diffuse sunlight, and relative cool of the trek. This route reduced my panting considerably, but still left me with the sense of accomplishment that going in from the Cape Mabou Trail Head does not because it’s so easy, while not tiring me as much as the other routes to Beinn Bhiorach from the Mabou Post Road Trail Head. It is said to be a sloppy trail when the weather is wet and I can see why that could be, but it was dry each time I travelled it in 2005 [and in subsequent years]. There are no tremendous vistas from this trail, but the forest through which it passes is gorgeous and as one approaches the MacEachen Trail, there are openings in the forest canopy that let one enjoy the sky. I don’t have any idea why it’s named as it is, but I’ve never seen a bear in the Cape Mabou Highlands, though I’ve seen plenty of evidence that bears live there. It has become one of my favourite trails in the whole system and is even more beautiful when the fall colours are out.
[2012] This trail was in generally decent shape when I last hiked it with a friend in 2010, though some dead trees blocked it not far from its eastern end on the MacEachen Trail; they were nothing we couldn’t easily get around.