Taken 2006 August 17 from the Coastal Trail at the middle of Lowland Cove
GPS 47°00.9??'N 60°37.3??'W
For whatever reason, I had never looked backwards during my morning climb up from Meat Cove to the Lighthouse Trail and so I never realized the gorgeous views I was missing! This is not the only one, as at various points on the way down, one can see the Gulf (where I saw a vessel sporting three sails placidly making its way towards Bay St Lawrence Harbour), the mountains that surround Meat Cove, the hamlet itself lying below, and the Meat Cove Road. Here, of course, the view is of Meat Cove (the water), Black Point (this photo reveals why it is so called!), Bay St Lawrence (the water), and the Cape North massif ending in Cape North in the far distance. Yet another outstanding view in a day of marvellous views!
I am definitely looking forward to repeating this hike in 2007. Now that I know the lie of the land and what to expect, I’ll have the leisure to explore spots that I hurried past. I think this time I will go first to Lowland Cove and return via Cape St Lawrence, even though, as Michael Haynes points out, while the climb back is steep either way, returning via the Lowland Cove Trail spreads the climb out over a longer distance, making it actually an easier, if longer, climb; that way, at the time when I’m most tired, I’ll be able to sit and rest as long as I want, secure in the knowledge that Meat Cove is just over the ridge.
There have been very few days since I’ve been home that I haven’t thought about the wonderful day I was so privileged to spend in this area. I have often gone back through the nearly two hundred photos I took that day to bring back the memories of Cape St Lawrence and the unsurpassed scenery at Lowland Cove. I hope you have enjoyed the selection I have presented here.
[2012] Alas, I did not get back to Cape St Lawrence in 2007 nor in 2008, but, as mentioned in the revision notes to this photo essay’s introductory page, on 2009 June 18, I made this hike a second time, though in the reverse direction, i.e., Lowland Cove first and Cape St Lawrence last. It was as incredible an experience as the first time: an absolutely marvellous hike! In the years since the 2006 I hike, I continue to think of this beautiful place often and frequently revisit the photos I took on both hikes. It is definitely my most memorable trek in Cape Breton. I hope I continue to have enough strength to make it back there once again.