Views from the Railway Trail kiosk in West Mabou

From Northeast Mabou, I drove to Mabou and stopped for one last time before leaving Cape Breton at the Railway Trail kiosk in West Mabou, from which the photos on this page were taken. I visit this kiosk very frequently when I am in the area; it is a fine spot to watch the sun set before the West Mabou dance on Saturday nights or after dining in one of Mabou’s fine restaurants. And the views, only a portion of which are shown in this photo, are among my very favourites in all of Cape Breton.

Photo #1 looks across the mouth of the Southwest Mabou River (at the far left) and Big Cove (at the far right) at the southern flank of Cape Mabou on the north side of the Mabou River. Neither of the prominences here have names, so far as I am aware, but the taller is visible for quite some distance away wherever the land allows a glimpse towards Cape Mabou. The landmark green barn along Mabou Harbour Road is just left of centre, near the bottom of the green field that climbs more than half way up the mountainside; stopping by the road there is a great spot from which to survey both West Mabou and the Mabou River; a tree on the river bank across from the barn is a favourite haunt of eagles during their morning fishing hours. The point of land across Big Cove is known as Murphys Point—the Mabou River flows on its far side—and blocks the view of Mabou village from here. The rows of objects in Big Cove are, I understand, part of an oyster aquaculture project (I am not certain, but I believe this assessment describes this project).

Photo #2, along with the two following photos, show the trees on Murphys Point across Big Cove, where some fine colours were showing on this still very beautiful day. The mountainside above Murphys Point is in Northeast Mabou on the southern flanks of Cape Mabou.

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Photo #3 continues the view in photo #2, with which it overlaps, looking further to the east. Again, beautiful colours are seen along the shore of Murphys Point and part of the southeastern side of Cape Mabou in Northeast Mabou is at the far right.

Photo #4 continues the view in photo #3, with which it overlaps, looking far enough to the east to bring the rising slope of Mabou Mountain into view at the far right with the municipal water tower nestled in the trees on its slope about halfway up. The V-shaped gap between Cape Mabou on the left and Mabou Mountain at the right is responsible for the aforementioned storm conditions at Hawleys Hill.

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Photo #5 looks to the west across the Southwest Mabou River at a brilliant red tree on Nicholsons Island which caught my eye as I was returning to the car. The month of October was two-thirds over and most of the trees here are green or just beginning to change; only a few have their fall colours, but this red one does itself proud.

With this photo, dear reader, my last day on Cape Breton ends: I crossed the causeway not quite an hour later and left the island for this year. I will now conclude this very long essay with two additional pages that collect photos taken at various times that I did not have room for on the preceding pages.