Inland views–the Polletts Cove River Valley

This web page provides inland views of the Polletts Cove River Valley that I captured from the waters off Polletts Cove. Again, there are doubtless better vantage points for looking into this valley, but I hope these photos will nevertheless provide an illuminating perspective. As with the other photos at Polletts Cove, haze and clouds diminish the clarity of these photos, but the sun was doing its best to break through and, while that makes for problematic lighting, brightened up what would otherwise have been very gloomy photos.

Photo #1, a telephoto view from off Polletts Cove, is dominated at the left by the mountain east of and above the Blair River, seen on the previous web page. The Polletts Cove River Valley is seen at the right of the photo as it moves inland. The mouth of the conjoined Polletts Cove and Blair Rivers is in the centre of the photo, with a thick stand of evergreens as a backdrop.

Photo #2, a moderately wide-angled view from directly off the beach, is far enough south to bring the successive mountains on the north side of the Polletts Cove River into view. All, of course, are connected parts of the Cape Breton Highlands Plateau, with the indentations carved by tributaries of the Polletts Cove River descending from the plateau.

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Photo #3, a telephoto view from off the southern end of Polletts Cove Beach, adds a bit of the mountain on the south side of the Polletts Cove River Valley as well as a good portion of the cliff up which the southern coastal plain can be seen ascending. At this instant, the sun was brighter inland than it was near the mouth, though glints of sun can be seen on the waters in the foreground. The skies inland were beginning to clear as well, with patches of blue sky starting to be uncovered by the dissipating squall clouds. The detached trees along the ridge left of centre in the middle distance seem to argue for open areas there on the plateau, but I was unable to confirm that using magnification.

Photo #4, a moderately wide-angled view from directly off the Polletts Cove Beach, shows more of the mountain on the south side of the Polletts Cove River Valley. Under magnification, the furthest ridge visible just right of centre in the photo appears to have an open meadow just below the summit, which is lined with evergreens at the very top. The caprices of the sun light up various portions of the landscape, with a narrow strip of light relieving the gloom of the mountain on the south side of the Polletts Cove River.

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Because the lighting was so variable, I have included a couple of extra views that nearly duplicate those previously seen on this page so that a better idea of the various features visible can be obtained. Photo #5, a moderately wide-angled view, includes a sea gull which followed us for some time, whether hoping for a handout of some kind or just curious or worried at our intrusion on its space I do not know.

Photo #6, a telephoto view, shows more of the distant ridge in the centre of the photo. The mouth of the conjoined rivers can again be seen, this time at the left and again with a backdrop of a stand of evergreens. The forest on the sides of the valley is decisively deciduous, though numerous evergreens are visible rising above the hardwoods. The valley is indeed one beautiful spot!