Pollett’s Cove

On the stormy Remembrance Day weekend, two avid hikers and friends of TAO set off for Pollett’s Cove.  It sounded like a fantastic trip where they set their rhythm to the adventure.  “We ate when we were hungry, slept when we were tired, and hiked some more,” said Dan.

My friend Liz Cook and I spent three days hiking and camping at Pollett’s Cove on the north eastern shore of Cape Breton Island.  We knew the weather was supposed to turn bad before we pulled up to Inverness Beach and were happy to have the bulk of the driving done beforehand.

The wind picked up on Inverness Beach where we stopped to catch a few hours sleep in the back of Liz’s mini-van. We woke up the next morning to the wind rocking the van and rain rapping on the windows. We continued on to Red River and the trailhead to Pollett’s Cove. A few hours later, we arrived at the trailhead and began our hike. There is one major water crossing at Otter Brook and heavy rain had swollen the brook so much that we couldn’t cross in the normal spot.  We found an alternative further upstream.   On our first night at Pollett’s Cove the flapping tent fly and tarp was our constant soundtrack. When I emerged from the tent the next morning I was greeted by cold temperatures and hail.  We also observed some pretty big surf on Saturday. Our camp was farther up the valley to offer protection from the wind, so I didn’t actually notice the surf until I went to get water.  When I saw the surf, I couldn’t wait to get to the beach.

The wind constantly pelted us with sea foam and the hail stung our faces as we trekked along the beach. We hiked further up into the valley searching for a safe crossing upriver, but the terrain grew steeper and the river deeper. Unfortunately the river was too swollen to cross. We hoped to climb one of the hills on the northern side of the valley but decided to save it for next time when the river crossing was more formidable.   After our wander up the river we returned to camp to dry off and warm up, at which point we quickly feel asleep. We woke up to darkness and significantly less wind a few hours later.

The storm passed and the sky cleared, leaving a full moon, which bathed the valley, beach and surf in light.  Because it was such a beautiful and serene night, we ate supper on the beach. When I stuck my head out of the tent the next morning, I met a big blue patch of sky. We had beautiful weather and sunshine in our last few hours at Pollett’s Cove. These conditions gave us great ocean views and amazing photo opportunities.

Submitted by Daniel O’Brien

TAO THE ADVENTURE OUTFITTERS

Has the honour of hosting MICHAEL HAYNES on Wed. Nov. 23rd. at 8 PM at TAO The Adventure Outfitters, 5187 Salter St, Halifax.

Michael Haynes has written numerous guide books for the Maritimes and other areas of Canada.  He has traveled internationally as a keynote speaker and we are priviledged to have him before he leaves the province to continue is work.

Michael is currently writing a 2 volume guide book focusing on the mainland and Cape Breton.

This is a Public Event. Admission is FREE with 1 food bank donation.  Draw prizes and refreshments provided!

A traveler and friend of TAO, Jennifer Yakamovich traveled to Ladakh, the region of Jammu & Kashmir, in the northernmost corner of India. She did a week-long trek through the Himalayas but travelled extensively for several months.  Here are some of Jennifer’s photos and accounts from Ladakh.

The first one is of myself with my Tibetan friend & teacher Sonam Peter during our trek in Ladakh.

This photo was taken when we’d reached the major pass, GandaLa, the highest point of our trek at 16,270 feet.

That evening when we reached camp I described it as so windy and chilly and awesome. Breathing’s heavy, sky’s light. The mountains are magnificent and breathtaking. Our adrenaline is soaring as we run through the snow. At the top we hang our prayer flags to immortalize the beautiful moment, and also to acknowledge not only this pass, but the Pass of life. What a blessing.”

The second photo is of Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala, where the Tibetan exile community lives. It’s situated at the foothills of the mountains.

The month I spent here was the most illuminating time in my life. I can’t wait to go back.

The last photo is of myself and Amanda and Jo, having chai at the top of Triund in Dharamsala, the “Lesser Himalayas.”

THANKS TAO, FOR YOUR SUPPORT
my Sherpa sweater has been my most prized possession during this trip, and my pack has been my home.

All the build up and it`s finally here; our first TAO presenter night of the season since last spring.  Karen Jones brings photos, video footage and tales of her firsthand experience climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro with her high school students.

This is a great opportunity to connect with other outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers.  You`ll also hear about next month`s presenter, a well-known authour and avid hiker.

DETAILS: 8pm-10pm.  Food and Drinks provided.  Bring a canned good for food bank.

SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Krista Riander (right) was the winner of two tickets to Neptune Theatre’s production of Lost.  Using her eagle eyes, she scoured the store and found the ‘lost’ lion cuddled up inside a kayak skirt!  Congrats Krista and enjoy the show!

THE TWITTER WINNERS ARE: John Burke, Todd, Sam, Jake & Max Hatchette.

At 12:50pm today, five young men were the first to charge into TAO wearing red and sporting an ‘I Love Local HFX sign – gaining them a brand new kayak for just $100 (reg. $550).

In an effort to test how many people actually use twitter, we went wild this week with a ridiculous kayak deal.  From Thursday til Saturday morning, we tweeted that on Saturday, a kayak regularly sold for $550 would go to the first group to arrive wearing red and holding ‘I Love Local HFX’ paraphernalia for $100.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we do something crazy like this again.  @TAOHALI.

Surf Adventure

By George Kitching

Last weekend I was determined to test out my new surfboard a South Point 6’6” fish in the surf that was coming in on Saturday and Sunday from Hurricane Ophelia. The challenge I faced was getting out to Lawrencetown beach with my board, some camping gear, without having a car or license. My solution was to rig up a Bob Yak trailer onto my bike and pile all my gear on that. It worked well throughout the 3 hour bike ride there and I picked up some beautiful waves. Sunday was especially good at the point when the wind dropped! The waves were head high with the occasional set in that was overhead. Overall it was definitely worth it, though the rain persisted for the entire trip. There’s nothing quite like biking in the mist and surfing in the rain!

George hails from Toronto and spent the last two years in Wales, UK learning to surf.