Tag Archives: Biscan Cove Path

Mickeleen’s and Biscan Cove to End the Summer!

August 31, 2016 gerry.ryall Leave a comment

Hi folks! Back to work, so the last two weeks of semi-regular hiking are coming to an end, but I managed to squeeze in one last hike on an old favorite on Friday, Mickeleen’s Path, and with my work schedule being somewhat sensible today, I got out for a speedy afternoon hike on Biscan Cove Path. I count that as my last summer hike because I’m mentally not 100% back to work yet 🙂

It looked like a nice, cloudy day for my Mickeleen’s walk on Friday, but as I pulled onto Quay’s Road, it was raining. Just a shower, but there were enough little showers at the start of the hike to have me stowing the camera for the vast majority of it. While I don’t have many pictures, it was a wonderful hike: I made great time, saw some awesome scenery, stood in the wind on South Head and sat on the rocks at Chest Cove. Good memories, if not good pics. It was great to see some traffic on the trail as well. Here are a couple of the pics I did take:

Chest Cove is a wonderful place for a break.

Rocky coastline.

I got one of the trailhead at the end, at least!

Today’s hike on Biscan Cove was definitely one for the ages. I was finished my afternoon session at work at a sensible hour, and having predicted that, packed my bag at lunch so I could scurry off to the trail. I vowed to power through the hike but saw lots of picture opportunities and explored new territory a little bit (which is incredible, given that I’ve hiked this trail about 20 times).

While I didn’t get any pictures to prove my stories, I had three very cool wildlife experiences. There is an eagle nesting somewhere along the trail, probably two different nests actually, and I always see one south of White Point. Of course on arriving at White Point I scan the trees to the south, and very close to me is Mr. Bald Eagle. I gingerly set down my pack, reach in, grab my zoom lens… and he takes off and is, in moments, gone around a cliffside. So close. Next, walking out along the road to Cape St. Francis, I was humming to myself, when a bird of prey swooped low over the trees in front of me, across the road, and then down over the edge of the trees on the other side. I ran to see if I could catch a glimpse but couldn’t get another look. I barely saw anything, so there are a wide variety of birds it could have been (a downward-looking hawk or an owl?) but it was cool nonetheless. Finally, pulling out of the softball park (at which there was a softball game and half of Pouch Cove by the look of it), a GIGANTIC moose, full antlers, ran across the road about 10 feet to my right! He was quickly in the woods behind a house along the main road. Pretty wild.

Anyhow, a few pics from today’s hike, with a little physics chat! Enjoy!

A late afternoon hike on my fave!

Sat down in my secret spot and saw this massive thing! That’s my hand for reference. It’s a great time of year for mushrooms. Thinking this is some kind of Bolete but I didn’t look too closely.

The view north from an unofficial viewpoint.

Looking back towards Pouch Cove.

Freshwater River empties into the ocean. Have seen many eagles here.

Ok class, physics lesson. Does anyone see anything in this picture that might be applicable in a classroom?

Initially I thought I was looking at waves diffracting into Biscan Cove, but it looks like it’s actually reflection. The ocean waves (solid black wavefronts on the top left of the picture) follow the red arrow in and impact on the headland that juts out into the mouth of the Cove. There are big crashes here as those waves impact on the edge of that headland. The second, curved wavefronts (red) appear to originate from that headland when we trace perpendicular lines (accounting for my perspective, bear in mind this is some MS Paint level physics and art) back from them. The ocean waves impacting on the headland are being reflected out from it, or at the very least, the crashing of the waves is creating new wavefronts that originate from that point as if it’s a point source of waves. Pretty cool. Will be showing my students.

East Coast Trail, Hiking

2016 Season is Underway!

April 14, 2016 gerry.ryall Leave a comment

Plenty of folks have been on the trails but I’ve been lazy for the past few months. I’m a bit out of shape but the best way to get back into hiking shape is to hike! As is becoming a tradition, I decided I’d start the year with a hike on the Biscan Cove Path, a favorite of mine.

In terms of trail conditions, there is only one tiny (ie. 1m) patch of snow on the entire 7kms of trail, so I’ll go ahead and call it ice free! The trail is in great shape and isn’t even that muddy considering the season. River crossings are easy: it doesn’t seem like they’ve swollen much with the melting of snow.

One change that concerned me since the last time I hiked the trail: at a small gully past Big Bald Head traveling north, there is a new, unmarked branch. It is easy for hikers to take the wrong branch here as the ECT typically stays with the coast but the correct branch is the one to the left. The one to the right is an ATV trail, and it looks fairly well established. Following the trail reveals a large area of cutaway just off the path, which is very disappointing. Perhaps it’s time we rally government for boundary/corridor lands for the ECT in the style of the Appalachian Trail. Pics of the branch below.

It started as a gray day but the sun came out as I rounded White Point and despite the waves there wasn’t a breath of wind. A spectacular day for hike number one! Now to lose this winter weight and get my legs back in shape!

Pics below!

Horse Gulch is always a spectacular sight at the start of the trail heading north.

The seas are looking rough despite the wind being nonexistent on this gray day.

Parts of the trail are starting to get a little tight! A first for me on this trail.

The side trail at Freshwater River always makes for spectacular views.

I was disappointed to see this on either side of Freshwater River. The firepits couldn’t have been more than 50 feet from one another. If you’re going to violate the prohibition on open fires along the trail, at least reuse established pits instead of creating new ones, folks. As users of the outdoors we need to learn to Leave No Trace.

Here is the unmarked branch pictured above. Hikers should keep left (both because that’s the continuation of the trail and because heading right will be disappointing).

The cutaway at the new branch, Pretty sad. Someone cleared more than an acre… much more than is needed for a cabin.

Looking back at the cutaway it is clear how much destruction has taken place.

The sun came out as I approached the aptly named White Point.

The gulch past White Point is another spot that never disappoints.

This is all the snow/ice left on the trail as of the 2nd week of April! Not bad.

Looking down towards Biscan Cove before descending towards it.

East Coast Trail, Hiking

An Iceberg Viewing Hike at Biscan Cove

May 18, 2014 gerry.ryall Leave a comment

Hi folks, so here’s the second late update. Last weekend Heather and I headed out to the Biscan Cove Path; it had been my goal to get out on this trail early in the season regardless, but the presence of icebergs close to Pouch Cove made it all the more enticing. When we pulled up to the parking lot reserved for hikers, it was obvious that other folks had the same idea: as regulars on this trail, we’re used to seeing two or three cars, but the lot was full!

It was another cloudy, chilly day, but Biscan Cove is a workout with the up and down nature of the trail, so as long as we didn’t slow down at the exposed points on the trail we stayed nice and warm. As the day went on the clouds got more and more ominous, and eventually I put my camera away for fear of being rained on. We got a couple of small showers at the point where we were approaching the trailhead in Cape St. Francis.

We passed a few of the hikers that we knew were on the trail, but it seems like we missed the rush, or that it was ahead of us for the most part, at least. We were a little late starting the trail so I suppose most folks were out on it well before us. We did pass a couple of hikers who had been counting hikers headed in the other direction: the first had a firm number of 43, and the next said they had seen over 50 hikers! That’s simply astronomical for this trail. It had to be the attraction of seeing the icebergs.

Anyhow, without further ado, here are the pics I snapped on the trail. Check out the icebergs, just spectacular!