Cabot Trail motorcycle ride

In this installment of our Nova Scotia adventure I’m finally going to share that Cabot Trail motorcycle ride that you’ve all been looking forward to. But first I have to tell you about one of the most wonderful little towns I have ever visited. Chéticamp, Nova Scotia.

Chéticamp

Chéticamp is located at the western entrance to Cape Breton Highlands National Park (which contains the Acadian Trail and The Cabot Trail). Chéticamp is a small fishing village of less than 4,000 people whose main industry had historically been fishing. As fish quotas have declined, tourism has taken over and has greater importance as the largest industry these days. Attractions for tourists include whale watching, swimming, hiking, golfing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, cultural events and festivals. They also host an International Dance Festival.

Arriving in Chéticamp via Route 30

The downtown area is located on a harbor which is protected from the waters of The Gulf of St. Lawrence by Chéticamp Island. It was here in this downtown area that we met some of the warmest, most welcoming people on the planet. For starters there was the owner of the local welding shop that cheerfully loaned me an appropriately large-sized wrench, along with a four foot long breaker bar, to effect a temporary repair on a bent highway peg on the bike. Yes; I dropped the big bike earlier that day when trying to pull back onto a remote road after pulling off into way too deep of a shoulder. There really are only two types of bikers, you know? Those that have dropped their bikes and those that lie about not ever having done so.

The protected waters of Chéticamp Harbor

The first permanent settlers arrived in Chéticamp in 1782 and it is considered one of the Acadian capitals of the world. The downtown area overlooks the harbour on the Chéticamp River and is protected from the waters of the Gulf of St. Lawrence by Chéticamp Island. The Chéticamp River flows into the Gulf of St. Lawrence approximately 3 miles northeast of the village.

Food, Lodging and New Friends

The servers at The Doryman Pub and Grill were great and the featured live local music was welcome entertainment after the long, wet day in the saddle. We stayed at “The House Next Door” (Yes, that really is the official name of the quarters where we spent the night) overlooking The Chéticamp River where it flows into The Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

“The House Next Door” • Next to The Doryman Pub and Grill

Worthy of special mention would be the hairdresser in town. Not only did he provide my girlfriend with a proper shampoo and blow out after 7 days of enduring “helmet hair” (I’m sure you female riders can relate to that); he also filled us in on some of the finer points of life in Chéticamp…along with the low down on some of the more colorful local residents. You know? The kind of info you can only garner by getting the scoop from the local beautician.

The view at sunset from our room at “The House Next Door”

The Cabot Trail

Let’s start our Cabot Trail motorcycle ride. Leaving Chéticamp you are on The Cabot Trail within a couple of miles. It is one of the world’s great motorcycle roads; laced with technically challenging turns, multiple elevation changes from sea level to almost 2,000 feet; all coupled with breathtaking views of The Gulf of Saint Lawrence and The North Atlantic Ocean. It is a 185 mile long loop around the northern tip of Cape Breton Island, passing through Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

An aerial view of a section of The Cabot Trail

Unlike some of our country’s well-known motorcycle destinations, like “The Dragon” between Tennessee and North Carolina, riding the Cabot Trail is a real commitment. Once you get on it, you’re committed to it for at least 130 of it’s 185 miles. It has been named one of the best road trips in the world by Lonely Planet. The trail winds through breathtaking landscapes along the Margaree River, the Canadian Heritage Salmon River, and through spectacular rugged oceanside highlands.

Choose Your Direction

There is a saying that every great road is really two great roads; providing different views and a different riding experience when you ride it in the two different directions. On this trip we chose to ride The Cabot Trail in a clockwise direction leaving from Chéticamp in the morning, circumnavigating all of Cape Breton Island and ultimately spending the night near Pictou, and the ferry to Prince Edward Island, some 275 miles later.

The loop around The Cabot Trail, The Meat Cove detour then west to Pictou

Next time the plan is to ride it in both directions on the same day. Make no mistake. Three hundred miles on The Cabot Trail is a full day of motorcycling. This is no boring interstate burn. It is an incredibly technical and scenic road that just begs you to stop often and take in all the grandeur that it offers. The added bonus of following this both directions plan is that I’ll get to spend two nights in Chéticamp.

Weather Considerations

Nova Scotia in its entirety is subject to rapidly changing weather conditions. Passing showers and storms are common in The North Atlantic region. On the day I rode the trail I encountered everything from bright blue skies to a steady, drizzly rain. The temperature shifted almost 25 degrees with the changing weather. I’m happy to report that the major portion of the day’s ride was done under pleasant conditions.

Rain clouds rolling in over The Cape Breton Highlands

The highest temperature ever recorded in Chéticamp is 92°F. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −21°F. Visiting here in July I experienced a range from 48 degrees to 82 degrees Fahrenheit just while riding the trail. Dress accordingly. Dress in layers and plan on adding/removing them as conditions dictate. Do not forget your rain gear.

Blue skies and rain clouds over The Cabot Trail

Check for local traffic reports before you head out. Not that you can do anything about most inconveniences, it’s good to be mentally prepared for them. I encountered a stretch of about 5 miles that was under construction. The tarmac had been ground away as the road was being prepared for a fresh surface. The underlying red clay became as slippery as ice in the light rain that was falling as I arrived at this section of the road. It was a bit of a challenge piloting the big Harley ElectraGlide® two up through the slippery construction zone. It may be the first time I was the one responsible for backing up traffic.

A scenic view from within Cape Breton Highlands National Park

The Meat Cove Detour

Meat Cove is, literally, the end of the road. On a Google map of Nova Scotia, it is surrounded by nothing…no roads, no services…nothing. This solitude is what makes it so desirable. Located there is a “community center”, which doubles as a restaurant…sometimes. There is also a campground. That’s it.

A paved section of the road to Meat Cove

To get to Meat Cove you’ll get off The Cabot Trail at Cape North. It’s about a 17 mile run to Meat Cove and the last 7 or 8 miles are unpaved. An ADV rider will have no trouble getting there, but think twice if you’re riding two-up on a big touring bike. Your reward for taking on this challenge is some of the most beautiful North Atlantic scenery anywhere.

A bird’s-eye-view from the drone flying over the cliffs at Meat Cove

There are a number of trails from a stroll on a short boardwalk to hikes out on to the cliffs. Extreme caution is warranted to those adventurous hikers reading this. The cliffs are as dangerous as they are spellbinding. Many hikers have plunged from the cliffs to the water and rocks below. Experienced adventurers only, please.

Leaving The Highlands Behind

Back on The Cabot Trail I continued navigating the highlands in a clockwise direction. It is here that you enter some of the most scenic areas in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. Numerous scenic overlooks are located right on the side of the roadway. Allow a few minutes to take advantage of them. It would be a shame to have travelled this far and not take the time to soak in all of the grandeur.

When you reach the town of Baddeck you’ll have a decision to make. You can turn back northwest on Cabot Trail Road to complete The Cabot Trail loop; or simply keep heading southwest to leave Cape Breton Island. If you choose the latter don’t let your navigator lead you to the Little Narrows Ferry. My GPS unit, which I have affectionately named “Dumbo”, did just that. I suppose it was looking out for me as the ferry route saved me about 5 miles over the alternate route. For that mileage savings I had the privilege of waiting nearly an hour to board the cable ferry which spanned a waterway less than 100 yards wide!

Silly “river” crossing on the Little Narrows cable ferry