Thursday, August 25, 2005

A NEW IVV SANCTIONED WALK EVENT

The following walk is an addition to our 2005 schedule of events for this September, come out an support your club and the newest members of the (CVF) Canadian Volkssport Federation, "The Northeast Highland Hiking Adventures".

The Cape Breton Island Hoppers Volkssport Club will host one (1) IVV sanctioned event during the Highland Hiking September 16 to 25, 2005.

When: Saturday, Sept. 17th, 2pm
Start Point: Keltic Lodge parking lot
Trail: Middle Head Trail and Ingonish Beach
Dist: 10K 2C IVV Sanctioned
Walk Leader(s): Rollie and a rep. from the "festival" Dupie Milne-Ashton.

If you want more information about the "Highland Festival" and a registration package for other walks or hikes during this hiking festival, contact pat.leblanc64407@ns.sympatico.ca at 1-888-897-4094.

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

REMINDERS:

The Cape Breton Island Hoppers are now featured on the Celtic Colours website with one full page dedicated to our Celtic Colours Walks program and you can even download a copy of our lunch and dinner registration form on the same site.

If you haven't already done so please register soonest for the lunch and dinner on Sunday the 9th of October 2005.

Registration must be done by the 19th of Sept to allow time for the caterer and the Highland Village to make the required preparations.

If you plan oncoming for the day and do not register for the meals we cannot guarantee you a place at the table(s). Preference will and must be given to those who have taken the time to plan the day by preregistering.

Two Meals For $33.00/person!!

The Iona/Grand Narrows area is one of the ideal picture postcard areas on the island, however there are few restaurants if any nearby especially in the fall of the year.

Come out and enjoy the walks (probably the easiest for this year) and have a good meal after the events and enjoy the friendship of fellow volkssporters.

I believe The quote that our Area Director Lynda kanne uses on her signature block sums it up quite nicely:


There is nothing like walking to get the feel of a country.
A fine landscape is like a piece of music; it must be taken
at the right tempo. Even a bicycle goes too fast.

- Paul Scott Mowrer

GOOD NEWS!

The Island Hoppers are now associated with PATHWAYS CAPE BRETON who will be coordinating trails, walking, hiking, cyclist, snowmobile an ATV groups and almost anything to do with the outdoors and active people such as ourselves. You can go to their website for a more accurate description of their mandate and please note our links from their site to ours under walking/hiking.

ONE OF OUR MOST FAVORITE WALK EVENTS!

The next walk for the Island Hoppers takes place in Gabarus on the Gull Cove Trail.

Sunday, 28 of August at 2pm, rgistration begins at 1:30pm

OUR FAVORITE WALK LEADER for this event is Bill&Shirley Boutilier

If you require more info check our websites calendar of events.

YES, we are paying to much for GAS, so lets do something about it!

one solution, stay at home and we can all become couch potato(e)s!

OR another solution "CAR POOL" and enjoy the company of fellow walkers!

OR you could "Walk/bicycle-scooter" to the nearest "Year Round Event" with your event and distance book in hand and support your club.

Thank you to all who are supporting our "Year Round Events" during these hard over inflated gas price times.

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

A WALK ACROSS CANADA"s LATEST NATIONAL HERITAGE SITE



The 50th Anniversary of "The Strait of Canso Causeway" and our 10k walk began with a cloudy cool day, The Island Hoppers set up a Start Point across the highway from the "Gut of Canso Museum" and just left of the Skye Motel in Port Hastings on the Cape Breton side of the causeway.
Thirty-seven walkers signed-in for the event and we were led off by Piper Heather MacLeod and our Honouary Walk Leader Rilla MacLean. Rollie lead the walk across the causeway to the weigh station near Auld's Cove and as usual the weather cooperated with a light drizzle of rain as we returned to the Cape Breton side.
At the swing bridge there is a small isthmus of land where there is a lighthouse perched on a hill and a pioneer graveyard, where there is seven lonely gravesites of former settlers to this area. We had a short break in this area and when we entered the coast guard and DFO area Rollie and Lynda Kanne were interviewed by a local FM radio station.
We continued to the Trans Canada Trail/Ghost Beach portion of this event and by this time it began to rain; Rollie reminded everyone that this is a great beach and trail with a wonderful view of the mainland and the strait area on a more sunnier day.
Except for the rain everyone had a good time and many returned to the Port Hastings firehall for a cold plate dinner and then onto the official ceremonies and the official parade across the "Road to the Isle".

Sunday, 14th of August, 9am, Tanya MacNutt of the Central Nova Volkssport Club (CNVC)led 23 participants on a very nice 5-10k walk event along the boardwalks and beach at Pomquet Provincial Park.This is one of the hidden jewells of NS, the white sandy beach of this area had only four swimmers including the two lifeguards while we were there for our walk event.
My sincere Thanks to Tanya and Tom MacNutt for hosting this event on the mainland and then coming to our afternoon walk on Cape Breton at Craigmore.
At Craigmore we were hosted by Clare and Blaise MacNeil. Clare led us on another 10k beach walk (the mtn trail was cancelled due to a number of deadfalls along the trail) and Blaise led another group along the Ceilidh/Rail Trail for those who wanted a nice flat 1B trail.
After the walk event we had a BBQ/picnic where Lynda Kanne the Atlantic Area Director presented Bill and Shirley Boutilier with the 5 year Ron Colpitts award for exceptional volunteer work with volkssporting, along with the award Lynda read a letter from The CVF President Graham Fawcett thanking both for their time and effort in promoting The Island Hoppers and CVF.
Overall a great weekend of walking and socializing.

WANT TO SEE MORE PICTURES OF OUR CAUSEWAY WALK "CLICK ON TRAIL PHOTOS" --->

Fun, Fitness and Friendship