SEPTEMBER 19, 2018
We had selected another site nearby for the next day when we had checked in. Moving our little camp isn't a problem. I had cooked up some supper, roasted potatoes, pork chops and some fresh yellow beans we got at the Green Pig. Rain had been coming and going as we entered the evening hours and the wind was vicious. I ended up tying the Clam shelter to the car to keep it from blowing away. Little Stella rocked and rattled all night in the wind coming over this high perch above the Bay of Fundy, but everything was still there in the morning and the wind had calmed, a bit, but it is constant here. We slept over 10 hours..guess we were tired. After a great breakfast in the Clam overlooking the bay, we tidied up the camp, collapsed the Clam and moved the whole camp two campsites over, not quite as good of a view but a great site none the less.
Around noontime we packed up some meager provisions for an afternoon of hiking, protein bars, trail mix and apples and a lot of water. I dropped my camera into the pack and by 12:30 we were heading down the trail toward the bay and what was now becoming mud flats. When the tide goes out here it really goes out.
The point we were hiking to is only accessible during the low tide cycle when the beach and mudflats are exposed. We had timed it right, and the beach area provided a nice wide walking area which was still a bit rough on the feet as the exposed small rocks made for a lumpy roadbed. Walking along the rocky shore we saw all sorts of new things, long flowing streams heading to the sea, the remains of trees that had fallen from the high bluffs above and such a wide variety of stone We hiked out to a distant point and up over the rocks to take in the view of the bay and the next distant point. We chatted with others who were making the same hike, and surprisingly they are all our age..retirees camping midweek after labor day. The stone of the bluffs was all quite different in along the shore. Red sandstone and grey granite mixed in with different kinds of stone that I couldn’t recognize sat as a backdrop to the mudflats. Mist filled the bay as it continued to drain. Exposed seaweed provided a hanging tapestry draped over the rocks up to the high tide limit.
After hiking back up from the beach we went back to came and had a bite before hiking on to the Red Head Trail. The red Head Trail starts a little over a half a mile from our camp and is up hill all the way. And then for another half a mile or so we climbed steadily. This was a beautiful woodland trail which started on a hilltop meadow of wildflowers all buzzing with bees and butterflies.
It was a busy place for those little critters. And did this place ever smell good and into the woods the smell of the Canadian pines was just fantastic. We hiked steadily for quite some time and almost always upward. The we began a descent and continued steadily downward for quite sometime until we reached a beautiful overlook where we had apples and water. The trail was just spectacular in it's variety of vegetation, and it was easy walking with the exception of carrying my heavy self back up the hills. This is certainly a beautiful park, and I know my words could never do it justice.
Back at the camp we checked our electronic devices and they told us we had walked over 6 miles today. We sat and chatted in the screen shelter which does a great job of keeping us out of the wind as we had installed side panels on two sides. We still had our view, and had our comfy chairs and tables. A perfect place for a glass of wine, on a high bluff overlooking the Bay of Fundy. Carol said she would cook tonight so I made a beeline for the shower and washed off six miles a sweaty trail, dried off, donned fresh clothes and sat to write these words. Carol made a fantastic supper of pasta and dogs and local zucchini and multigrain bread. I think we are going to turn in early tonight and try to get off in good time in the morning. . .heading toward Cape Breton. Below is a gallery of images from the day. Click on the images for a larger view.
