The first time I became smitten by a boreal forest was when we visited Quebec in 2024. I felt a strong affinity for the fauna, which reminded me of growing up in Highlands as well my favorite spots near home that lie high up on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Thursday we hiked the Chapel Gully Trail in Canso. It was about a 40-minute drive to the town, which is right on the tip of the peninsula.
The 45 minute drive itself was worthwhile. The road borders the coast most of the way with scenic views, the occasional house or “development” of 3-4 modest homes on the waterfront. We past scenic churches and a small lighthouse on a rock outcropping. Along the way the Chedabucto Bay came in and out of view and a massive shelf cloud formation drifted overhead.
Canso is tiny but boasts a harbor and ocean access. The town looks out on the Canso Islands and the North Atlantic and is surrounded by a wilderness area that holds a large array of birds and beasts. It had one depressingly dark & tiny pub and a café with limited hours. They did have a hospital, which we are old enough to find reassuring.
We had come for the hike, and the parking lot was just beyond the town. We set out past privies on a well-marked, gravel trail decorated by a series of whimsical objects. The scent of spruce was thick in the air, reminding me of childhood Christmastime.
It was a six mile circuit that led us through a magical boreal forest. The whimsy faded after a while and the fabulous scenery of water, trees, and thick mosses took over. The fall colors were on with red berries (Ash) and yellow Birch. The blue water was perfectly clear. The trails themselves alternated between boardwalks, gravel and a few challenging, steep rocky stretches. A line of windmills came in and out of view as we progressed, making a sound like a distant plane.
We stopped at ate our sandwiches at a bench overlooking the river. We seemed to have the place all to ourselves, but then came upon two other women chatting in a gazebo. They had seen our NC license plate and were curious about our travels. We walked on to meet a man who greeted us with “Are you from North Carolina?” I love these travel moments when the ordinary [us] is transformed into the seemingly exotic via a shifting perspective.
Pip was able to walk off leash a good bit of the way and even got in a quick play with a dominating Doodle, Marvin. What a perfect day to experience the sights, sounds, smells and feels of a wetland boreal forest!
