There and Back Again

The first week of August 2011 found me back in Cape Breton visiting my mom in Sydney. My brother was also home visiting and it was the first time in about a decade that the three of us were under the same roof. He brought with him his lovely girlfriend, and I brought with me my favorite sidekick: my Canon.

Sydney is a small city. It's not a place of skyscrapers or gnarled traffic. It is quaint and beautiful, both day and night.

I spent one full day about two hours outside of Sydney, driving and then hiking near Baddeck. Before I even got there, however, there was a pit stop that I stopped to take in.

A guard rail on the side of Kelly's Mountain overlooking St. Ann's Bay serves as a guest book for those who bear witness to this little piece of heaven

 In case you were wondering, that's....

Once hitting the trail to the falls, I was mesmerized by the sheer peacefulness of the hike. The trail is groomed and easily manageable for the most part with only a few tricky areas and well-kept bridges like this:

Then you come to the falls itself, which I was convinced was the most magical place on Earth. The path ends at the bottom falls with a smaller flow, and above that, almost beyond sight, is a 50 foot waterfall that looks like something straight out of a fairytale.

It was as I was crawling over rocks and the few other onlookers that had made the trek that morning that I remembered reading something about an unpromoted foot path on the other side of the brook that would lead a more adventurous hiker to the bottom of the larger falls. It was not recommended and I was packing a tripod, backpack, and camera bag, but when I spotted it winding it's way up the side of the cliff I figured I'd give it a go. 

I made it. 

Boy, did I make it.

This is the view from the top of that footpath. 

I gawked. 

I couldn't believe it. 

And although it's been years, I've been there before! 

This was single-handedly the most beautiful, peaceful, magical place I had ever been, and after a few minutes, I had it all to myself. I swear, I stood there for a good 10 minutes before the heaviness of my camera and tripod reminded me that I would be able to capture the absolute serenity before me to save for years to come... or try to anyway. I crawled over rock and limb, shooting like a crazy woman, getting my feet wet and sliding over rocks that required using my tripod as a crutch to get back up on. Lucky you, you get to see a couple of my favorites. :)

I did eventually leave. I didn't want to... I sat and stared for an hour or more before I dragged myself out of there. I had more shooting to do... although not until after I pulled the car over to chat with this lovely chap.

That night, Canadian rock legend Kim Mitchell was in town to celebrate Sydney's Action Week Festival, and headline the Rock the Dock outdoor concert. That man is 60 years old and still puts on one helluva show!

and the next night saw the festival closing with local favorites the Carlton Showband and a spectacular fireworks show which, of course, I wasn't going to miss!

 I make a lot of trips back home, but it never seems to be enough. Every time I am there I see something I had long forgotten and it reminds me that no matter where I go, my heart is always on Cape Breton Island.