Gull Cove Trail improvements meant to boost offbeat coastal hike in Cape Breton
Yvonne LeBlanc-Smith | CBC News | Posted: September 28, 2016 5:31 PM | Last Updated: September 28, 2016
'It's the only wilderness area in Nova Scotia that has a village in the middle of it,' says Gabarus group
A group in Gabarus, N.S., is working to turn an old road that leads to a picturesque but abandoned Cape Breton village into an offbeat hiking adventure.
The Gull Cove Trail Society is restoring a trail to the former fishing village of Gull Cove.
"Gull Cove is a community that is no more. It's somewhat of a ghost town," society member Tim Menk says.
But people from as far away as Manitoba make the annual trek to Gull Cove, he said.
"Sisters, [who] are probably in their 70s now, make a pilgrimage every year to walk to the old homestead."
'Really special'
The only way into Gull Cove is an old, muddy track. But at the very end is a "truly beautiful" view of Green Island, Guyon Island and "the wide expanse of the Atlantic Ocean," he said.
The trek is spectacular and visitors can ramble around the remnants — foundations, circular stone wells and stone walls — of the once-thriving community.
"It's really special," said Menk. "It's the only wilderness area in Nova Scotia that has a village in the middle of it."
The society plans to add gravel and dig ditches to drain parts of the trail, which can be muddy and full of water, Menk said.
So far work on the trail has extended several hundred metres and will soon reach the wildness-protected area where stricter rules apply to what work is allowed.
No ATVs
"So we will have to be a lot more careful," Menk said.
For example, to discourage motorized vehicles in the wilderness portion, there is a restriction of the width of the trail. No widening is permitted, so in some narrow sections hikers will have to walk single file.
An old wooden bridge over Rush Brook, built back when ATVs were allowed on the trail, will be replaced by a set of pontoon bridges, Menk said.
The society expects the project will cost $21,000. Cape Breton Regional Municipality says it will contribute $7,500, contingent on funding from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. The World Wildlife Fund has also committed $3,000.
Menk said he hopes the necessary funding will be in place by next spring and the work completed by the fall of 2017.