North Highlands Road

Summary

Extended Description

As I described here, in 2006, I noticed what proved to be North Highlands Road on a hike along Cape Mabou Road that started at the Cape Mabou Trail Head of the Cape Mabou Trail Club’s magnificent system of trails in the Cape Mabou Highlands and ended above Broad Cove Banks (southwest of Inverness village). I added it to my “to-do” list at that time out of simple curiosity to see where it went.

I scouted out the Foot Cape end of North Highlands Road on 2007 July 24 by car, noted that 410 North Highlands Road would be a good place to leave the car on a hike, and drove as far beyond there as I thought wise (0.6 km (0.4 mi)). It looked like a very nice hike, so I decided to return when the occasion offered itself.

The summer of 2007 was much rainier than normal and since my previous hike along the Cape Mabou Road led me to not expect many distant views, I picked a cloudy day to check out North Highlands Road so as to keep the better days for trails with views. On 2007 July 30, a warm cloudy day with some rain showers, I set off down the North Highlands Road.

0.3 km (0.2 mi) beyond 410 North Highlands Road, one passes through the lovely shaded grove of trees I discovered on my scouting trip here; a large stand of gorgeous evergreens on the right faces an equally large stand of deciduous trees on the left. Three thrashers caught my eye as I passed beyond the grove and I heard, though I did not see, an eagle above. The road climbs first gently and then moderately some 60 m (197 ft) over 1.25 km (0.8 mi) to reach the base of the hillside up which it will subsequently ascend.

And ascend it does! At this point, the road starts sharply up, climbing 120 m (394 ft) in 0.5 km (0.3 mi); it literally left me breathless—I stopped four times for extended rests (seventeen minutes of hiking time and fifteen minutes of rest). The gravel road here has several sharp turns as it winds its way up the hillside; there are some trees downed which protrude into the road and some erosion is noticeable where water has washed away parts of the gravel surface, in one case leaving a curve banked badly enough that it might pose a problem even for a truck, though trucks have clearly been through here in past years. There are occasional tree-shrouded views of the area to the south and, as one approaches the summit, one can see the sky begin to appear above the road.

Once past the hard climb, the gravel road levels off considerably and becomes first a sandy lane and then a grassy one, though it does continue to climb, gaining another 60 m (196 ft) over the next 0.7 km (0.4 mi). I did not notice them on the way up, but they were impossible to miss on the return trip: about ten minutes past the end of the gravel road, there are views behind one of Lake Ainslie and of the mountains beyond. About four minutes further on, there are also views on the left of the mountains to the south towards Riverville, Smithville, Hillsboro, Mull River, Glencoe Mills, and River Denys Mountain; given the very dark skies (I got rained on during the return trip), it is hard to tell what mountains I did see or how far away one could see on a good day. Moreover, the photos I did get were taken by balancing on small boulders at the side of the road—it would have been great to have been high enough to see over the trees! But I was expecting no distant views at all and instead got two different sets, so I really have no cause for complaint.

The last 2.7 km (1.7 mi) gains only 20 m (66 ft) in elevation as it traverses forested land and passes beside a fenced hayfield that looks as if it hasn’t had any attention in several years to reach Cape Mabou Road, turning back into a gravel road well before it reaches the junction. J. L. MacDougall’s History of Inverness County, originally published in 1922, tells us of “the daring and devoted pioneers,—the Frasers, McKinnons, McQuarries, McKays, McLeans, McInnises, the Burkes, McNeils, McDonalds and McIntyres” [p. 603; spellings and punctuation are as in the text] who once populated the “fine old farms” of this plateau and laments their loss, “now deserted and forlorn”. As one passes along North Highlands Road towards its junction with Cape Mabou Road, one can make out several cleared areas wherein it looks as if habitations might once have been nestled. Because it was misting and raining lightly and threatening worse, I didn’t explore any of them to see whether I could find old foundations or not, but I’d not be at all surprised to see them lying there amidst the brush and grass.

This area was very pleasant to walk through and enjoy, in spite of the weather. Unfortunately, there were also five great and deep puddles lying in this part of the road (so big I somewhat hyperbolically called them “ponds” in my trail notes). In my hiking oxfords, they took me some time and effort to sidle past, as it was necessary to hold onto brush and tree branches as one inched along the slippery ground above the puddle. On the return trip, I managed to slip and get one foot wet, not that it mattered all that much as both shoes had already been soaked in the wet grass and rain. Still, it should be noted that woods boots would be well advised for traversing this part of the road even on a dry day. I had stupidly left them in the car, not thinking about the two other hikes on the Cape Mabou Road where I also needed them!

Near the Cape Mabou Road junction, I was surprised to notice that I could see across the White Brook ravine to the communications towers in the pastures at the South Highlands, just past the Cape Mabou Trail Head. I didn’t remember that that was possible on my previous hike—I must have had my head down when it should have been up! Several vehicles had passed me that day on the Cape Mabou Road; there were none this day on the North Highlands Road.

All in all, this turned out to be a much better hike than I had anticipated when I had first seen the road last year. The beautiful grove, the unexpected views of Lake Ainslie and the hills to the south, the captivating back country walk beside field and through forest haunted by memories of the original pioneers, all contributed to mitigate the unpleasant weather and make for an enjoyable hike. I did indeed find the climb arduous, but that is the case for many hikes these days; I suspect I will most likely return here on a good day to see just what the views really offer and perhaps even to do some exploring of the sites that I thought might be old homesteads.

Side Trips

Anyone who finds this hike too short can easily extend it in three ways.

• Start from the beginning of North Highlands Road, i.e., at the Y junction on Foot Cape Road, rather than at 410 North Highlands Road. This will add a climb of 40 m (131 ft) over 0.8 km (0.5 mi) and give you a chance to admire MacIsaacs Brook on foot as it passes under the road just beyond the Y junction and the fine views of the Cape Mabou Highlands available from the road.
• At the junction with the Cape Mabou Road, take the left fork and pass through the White Brook Ravine and on to the community pastures below the communications towers at South Highlands. This will add a nice climb of 80 m (262 ft) and about 2.5 km (1.6 mi) one way.
• At the junction with the Cape Mabou Road, take the right fork and hike towards Broad Cove Banks. Beware that there is another “pond” here that you will need to bypass, but, on a good day, there are fine views of Margaree Island and the coast to Chéticamp Island from near the end of this road. This will add another 5.8 km (3.6 mi) one way to the hike and a 230 m (754 ft) change in elevation if you descend all the way into Broad Cove Banks (you can easily stop as soon as you see the coastal views and save much of that climb on the way back).

Photos

Given the poor weather, I did not take many pictures on this hike, so I don’t have a lot of photos to share. I begin with some photos taken from near the Cèilidh Trail (Route 19) to offer some context and then show those photos I have of the area of the hike from 410 North Highlands Road to the Cape Mabou Road.

Taken 2007 July 24 from the field beside the bridge over the Broad Cover River on the Foot Cape Road 0.2 km (0.1 mi) from the Cèilidh Trail (Route 19)

This wide-angle shot shows the Cape Mabou Highlands as they are seen from a field just off the Foot Cape Road. They run a little to the west of south above the Cèilidh Trail (Route 19) as it passes from Strathlorne to Mabou village. Cape Mabou Road runs along the plateau on top of the Cape Mabou Highlands well in from the edges of the plateau one sees here. The sloping hill one sees near the right of this photo is the one North Highlands Road ascends on its way up to the plateau.

Taken 2007 July 24 from the field beside the bridge over the Broad Cover River on the Foot Cape Road 0.2 km (0.1 mi) from the Cèilidh Trail (Route 19)

This view is a close-up view of the sloping hill seen in the previous photo. Across most of this photo’s width, one sees the plateau along the top of which North Highlands Road runs, though it is well back from the edges of the plateau one sees in this view. To the right of the dark line of evergreens along the slope of this hill, one can probably make out the course of North Highlands Road as it snakes up through the trees before making a sharp left somewhat below the summit.

Taken 2007 July 24 from the field beside the bridge over the Broad Cover River on the Foot Cape Road 0.2 km (0.1 mi) from the Cèilidh Trail (Route 19)

This is another close-up view of the sloping hill, but looking further east. Again, one can probably see at the far left of the photo the course of North Highlands Road as it ascends to the plateau. 410 North Highlands Road lies below the knob in the centre. Until it starts its ascent, North Highlands Road runs parallel to and some distance away from the base of the plateau.

Taken 2007 July 24 from 410 North Highlands Road

This is the view of the plateau from 410 North Highlands Road, the trail head. 410 is actually a driveway to a house which lies in the glen along an unnamed brook below, out of sight in this photo. The sloping hillside up which North Highlands Road climbs is the leftmost one visible here. The ravine to the right of that hillside is carved by another unnamed brook, which will eventually flow into MacIsaacs Brook.

Taken 2007 July 24 from 0.3 km (0.2 mi) to the west of 410 North Highlands Road

This backwards-facing view (to the east) shows the stand of evergreens on the left and the stand of decidious trees on the right.

Taken 2007 July 30 on North Highlands Road
about three minutes after the gravel road turns into a sandy/grassy lane

This backwards-facing view shows Lake Ainslie with the mountains which rise above its shore on the east lying under a threatening cloud which had already dumped some rain earlier in the afternoon. The character of North Highlands Road on the top of the plateau can also be seen, though it will soon turn to gravel further down the hillside.

Taken 2007 July 30 on North Highlands Road
about five minutes after the gravel road turns into a sandy/grassy lane

I have seen this lovely pink flower nearly everywhere I have travelled in northern Canada, from Kapuskasing and Cochrane in northern Ontario to the northern shore of the St. Lawrence in Québec and in the Cape Mabou Highlands. I have never learnt its name, but I know from experience that it has explosive seeds which, when dried and left in a car’s trunk for a few days, will make a real mess out of it and everything in there when they let go!

Taken 2007 July 30 on North Highlands Road
about seven minutes after the gravel road turns into a sandy/grassy lane

This backwards-facing view is again of Lake Ainslie, from a bit further down the lane. Notice again the pink flowers in the foreground.

Taken 2007 July 30 on North Highlands Road
about eight minutes after the gravel road turns into a sandy/grassy lane

This photo shows the sandy/grassy lane at the point where it reaches the summit.

Taken 2007 July 30 on North Highlands Road
about eight minutes after the gravel road turns into a sandy/grassy lane

This backwards-facing photo shows the sandy/grassy lane at the point where it begins to descend from the plateau.

Taken 2007 July 30 on North Highlands Road
about eight minutes after the gravel road turns into a sandy/grassy lane

This view is to the south. The hills in the middle ground lie beyond the Cèilidh Trail and to the east of the Smithville Road; it is hard to say where the mountains in the far distance are—any identifying features are too blurred by haze and rain to be made out, even in the original. Due south from this point are Riverville, Smithville, Hillsboro, Mull River, Glencoe Mills, and River Denys Mountain, in order from near to far. What one might see from here will therefore have to wait until a clearer day. Looking at the photo, I wonder whether the hole in the foreground might have been a cellar: wouldn’t this be a lovely spot in which to locate a homestead?

Taken 2007 July 30 on North Highlands Road
about ten minutes after the gravel road turns into a sandy/grassy lane

Now firmly on the plateau, the road loses its sandy base and becomes a grassy lane through the forest, littered with wildflowers abloom everywhere. As the grass attests, this road is little travelled, either by man or vehicle.

Taken 2007 July 30 on North Highlands Road
about ten minutes after the gravel road turns into a sandy/grassy lane

These lovely red berries added a colourful accent to a scene that was otherwise mainly a symphony of greens. I should know what these are, as I have seen them in many places, but alas I do not; my best guess would be chokecherries.

Taken 2007 July 30 on North Highlands Road
about twenty-one minutes after the gravel road turns into a sandy/grassy lane

This clearing in the forest looks like another likely homestead site. Notice the wild roses abloom. What lovely flowers to have at one’s doorstep!

Taken 2007 July 30 on North Highlands Road
about twenty-two minutes after the gravel road turns into a sandy/grassy lane

This field with relatively modern fencing appears to have lain undisturbed for some time. Along the Cape Mabou Road, closer to Broad Cove Banks but otherwise not too distant from this field, another field was still being hayed as late as 2006, but this one appears to have been left alone. The clover in the foreground is ubiquitous along this road on the plateau.

Taken 2007 July 30 on North Highlands Road
about twenty-two minutes after the gravel road turns into a sandy/grassy lane

This is another view of the same field, but towards the east (backwards-looking) rather than the north. It shows that North Highlands Road here is a farm road. There seems to be somewhat more traffic here, as the grass is cut and the road is well-defined.

Taken 2007 July 30 on North Highlands Road
about twenty-two minutes after the gravel road turns into a sandy/grassy lane

This view is from the same spot as the previous one, but looking forwards down the road (towards the west).

Taken 2007 July 30 at the junction of North Highlands Road and Cape Mabou Road

This is the western end of North Highlands Road, taken from the middle of the Cape Mabou Road and looking back down the road. The road here has regained, at least in part, a gravel surface, which it retains for about twenty minutes from this junction. The arrow on the red sign directs those coming up Cape Mabou Road from the White Brook ravine to the left, indicating that North Highlands Road is not the main road.

Taken 2007 July 30 on Cape Mabou Road
a few steps south of the junction of North Highlands Road and Cape Mabou Road

Cape Mabou Road starts down here towards the ravine carved by White Brook. Above the trees to the right of centre, one can see the community pastures at South Highlands, run by a coöperative, and (barely) one of the communications towers there. Cattle from all over Cape Breton Island (and beyond) are trucked here to spend the summer grazing on those pastures.

Taken 2007 July 30 at the junction of North Highlands Road and Cape Mabou Road

This is the view to the north along the Cape Mabou Road. As can be seen, Cape Mabou Road is in much better shape than North Highlands Road; indeed, in 2006, it was drivable by car from its junction with the Glenora Falls Road to Broad Cove Banks, though there was some rutting and erosion on the descent into the White Brook ravine that would have given me pause (I haven’t driven it all of the way, but the day I hiked it I met three passenger cars and a couple of pick-up trucks, so it’s obviously passable by car).

• Vic’s Web Site
• Cape Breton
• Hiking Information
• Hike/Trail Descriptions
• Inverness County
• Cape Mabou Highlands
• North Highlands Road

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• ©2008 by
  Victor Maurice Faubert
• vicmf@concentric.net
• Page last updated:
  2008 March 23