Biking With the Bovines

Hi Blog!

Tuesday, June 12, 2018, was our last full day in Cheticamp, Nova Scotia. We decided to stay close to camp and ride our bikes out to the lighthouse on Cheticamp Island. Little did we know we would be biking with the bovines!  Look closely here, and you'll see a mama cow, on the left, with her two twins.  If you look even closer, you'll see that she was keeping her eye on us as we snapped our photo:

The day started out bright and sunny. We took our coffee down to the beach.

After doing our chores and running all our pre-move errands, it was time to ride. We set our sights on the Enragée Point Lighthouse. As we started, we passed a few homesteads, but the further out we rode, the more rustic and undeveloped the island became.

The gravel road soon gave way to a rocky farm road. However, we were rewarded with great views of downtown Cheticamp across the harbor.

As with most Acadian towns, the church dominates the scene.

Halfway to our destination, we entered cow country. The Pasturage Co-op de Cheticamp, a non-profit society run by a small group of cattle farmers, owns 625 acres on the northern half of Cheticamp Island where the lighthouse sits. Lucky for us, they allow visitors to use the farm road. However, they ask that we don't bother the cows. Most of the cows kept their distance. A few young bulls started to come toward us, but we pedaled safely away.  We think the cows are pretty lucky to graze in the neighborhood of an historic Cape Breton lighthouse:

After outrunning the bulls, we stopped to look across to the Cabot Trial and Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

Our destination!

Enragée Point station was established in 1937. The light is an octagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Unfortunately, this was as close as we could get.

While the light still shines, the old keeper's house is in disrepair and the site has been fenced off.

The light is located on the northwest point of Chéticamp Island. Just across the bay behind it, you see the Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

In order to get the best view, Dave had to hike out into the cow pasture right on the edge of the cliff. The loneliness of the long distance photographer!

On our return trip, we found ourselves fighting a headwind.

While the trip was only 10 miles round trip, we were happy to see the campground appear around the bend.

And, thus ends our adventures here in Cheticamp. Tomorrow we move to Baddeck, Nova Scotia. That will be just a short stay as we prepare to take the ferry to Newfoundland!