Mid-October… and a perfect opportunity to be outdoors! Who better to get “out and about” with than Jan and Chris from “A for Adventure”. These gents have become close family friends after their arrival in Canso in August of 2013. Brassy as all get out, they were part of a team that left Canso Harbour in a kayak and paddled to Sable Island in aid of Brigadoon. Since, they have become annual visitors to our end of the Eastern Shore, regular over nighters at the home of my parents, and key volunteers at Stanfest. A for Adventure has a mission… they are all about inspiring people to get outdoors and experience adventure.
So, after Stanfest ’17 we synced calendars and picked an October date to head for Smelt Lake and some exploration time! To be honest, I did tiptoe into the weekend with some trepidation. These youngsters are hiking, paddling, lugging and dragging through wild and tame areas all across the Atlantic Provinces. I’m an “almost 50” vice-principal that walks high school hallways through hordes of teens. I was worried that I may get left behind or even more ego bruising… carried back! However, I was game for anything. After meeting at the first portage, we were quickly setting up at Camp Lumsden early Friday evening and preparing to hit the water in the morning for a day of exploring.
Saturday was spent with kayaks and SUP (cool acronym for Stand Up Paddle Board) as we portaged the Cooeycoff trail and navigated some of the fairly choppy freshwater lake that abound in this part of Guysborough County. Circled by the Canso Wilderness and Bonnet Lake Barrens, the rugged landscape is a mix of deciduous tree, a dash of hardwood (dressed in all its fall colour), and the low lying scrub and glacial erratics of the barrens. We checked out a nearby waterfall, boated the leeward side of the lake and went on a 5km trek on an abandoned path along the southwest portion of the lake. Evening saw food from the grill and guitars into the wee hours. All in, I had an awesome trip.
I learned a lot through the weekend. It was fun to see an area I’ve roamed for the past 40 plus years through the eyes of another. The questions Jan and Chris asked, pictures they took, and their keen sense of curiosity were infectious. I realized that in so many ways some of the most interesting and meaningful lessons are not found abroad, but in our own backyard. We left with the idea that this may become an annual trek… and I’m all in for that! Many thanks to A for Adventure for the much needed visit. Cheers guys!