Monday, December 20, 2010

BEST WISHES FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

CAPE BRETON ISLAND HOPPERS AND FRIENDS,

 

At this time of the year I would like to take a moment to wish all of the Island Hoppers and our friends a Holiday Season blessed with Peace, Love and Joy!

Sending you my heartfelt wishes for a Joyful Season!

May you have a Safe and Happy New Year!

May you walk with Friends and have Fun!

Joe MacKinnon, President CBIH

Monday, December 13, 2010

WINTER WALKING PROGRAM

The Canadian Volkssport Federations Special Winter Walking Program started 15 October.
The program was set up to encourage everyone to get out and walk or participate in all the CVF programs during the winter months.
You are encouraged to do at least 60 walk events or snow shoe/cross country skiing until 31 March during the winter season.

This coming Wednesday 15 December, 1:30pm, you are invited to attend the Sydney, Year Round Event starting at the Cambridge Suites.

On this occasion our club President Joe MacKinnon will have already reached the maximum challenge of 60 Winter Events  for the season.

Come Join Joe on this 10k walk as he reaches his 60 Event quest!
Members and guest may opt to do  a 5k walk if so desired.

Some of our members who have already joined the program such as Carmel, Elsie, Judy and Lucy are not far from catching up with Joe.
So come on out and challenge yourself to keeping fit for the winter.

Winter Walking Program

Location: Local, regional, national.
Cost: $5.00 for special registration card and pin; IVV credit
Awards & recognition: Pin upon registration; certificate & mention in Volkssport Canada upon completion. Multiple levels of achievement possible. IVV credit & Awards.
Special characteristics: any walk type [except RLDW] sanctioned by the CVF
Dates:Annual program from Oct 15 each year and closes March 31 the following year.



Applications for the CVF Special Walking Events Program can be found on the website: www.walks.ca 

For Sale: 
Cape Breton Island Hoppers Walking Sticks
Walking sticks are engraved with CBIH logo
Contact Elsie for details 562-3117

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

NOVEMBER EVENTS FOR THE CB ISLAND HOPPERS

November marks the end of our season for 2010 with 2 walk events in November and our Annual General Meeting (AGM)


BROUGHTON WALK EVENT


Start Point:  2108 Broughton and Morrison Road B1B 1M9
Reg: 1:30pm, Sunday 7 November
Walk Starts:  2:00pm
GW lead by Shirley Pettigrew
Distance: 5-10k
TR:  1B

Walk takes place mostly on country roads with very little traffic if any and through wooded trails to the former Broughton Arms Hotel and the ghost Town of Broughton. Find out about this fascinating but short history of this long almost forgotten community. There is also a remediation program taking place nearby at the former Broughton Coal Mine

Directions from Sydney, Hwy 125 Exit 8 to Rte 22 and turn left on Morrison Rd, continue to the end of Morrison and Broughton intersection.




 Annual General Meeting




Joe MacKinnon President of Cape Breton Island Hoppers Volkssport Club Invites all members to Attend the Annual General Meeting






The AGM for the Cape Breton Island Hoppers will now take place on

 Saturday 20 November, 2010, 3pm - 5pm

Members are encouraged to attend these most important meetings to ensure that you have a say in club matters. Location for the 2010 meeting: The Cape Breton Regional Library Headquarters, MacConnell Library, 50 Falmouth Street, Sydney 

NEW DATE: 



Saturday 20 November, 2010, 3pm - 5pm











LAST  WALK OF THE SEASON!

















BAILLE ARD NATURE TRAIL








The CBIH will be on the Baille Ard Trail as a Guided Walk Event
Sunday, 21 November
Registration takes place at 40 Cabot Street, St Joseph's RC Church parking lot at 1:30pm
We step off as a group at 2:00pm
The total distance  will be 10k with an optional 5k event
Some of the distances covered will be along city streets as well as the nature park.
Walk Leader is Elsie Buck 562-3117
joeandelsie@ns.sympatico.ca


Sunday, October 17, 2010

CAP - AUGUET ECO- TRAIL, ISLE MADAME




CBIH AT CAP - AUGUET ECO TRAIL 2007

The Cape Breton Island Hoppers will be on the Cap-Auguet Eco - Trail, Isle Madame, in Boudreauville,
B0E 3C0.

The Cape Breton Island Hoppers Guided Walk Events take place in all or most weather conditions, rain, fog, wind or sunshine will normally not stop the walk event! 

Sunday, 24 October, 2010
Walk Starts at 2:00pm
Registration begins at 1:30pm

Participants have a choice of 5k or 10k walk event.

The Trail is Rated at 2C, there are significant groomed portions of the trail such as boardwalks and there are footpaths that may not be groomed with some minor hills.

The trail features beaches, nature trails through old forest, coastline and views of mainland Nova Scotia, fishing boats in the harbours, several rest area and shelters along the trail.

Walk Leader is Karen MacNeil

Driving directions to Boudreauville:

Cape Auget Eco Trail, Hwy 104 to E46 to Isle Madame and Arichat. Follow Rte 320 and continue over bridge and turn right on 206, thru Arichat and continue to Petit de Grat/Sampson’s Cove B0E 3C0 Stay to the right in Boudreaville and continue to trail head. Watch for CBIH signs. 

There are only three more walk events remaining in the CBIH calendar of events for 2010, so don't miss this opportunity to walk for Fun, Fitness and Friendship in this very unique part of our fabulous island.

Besides walking For Fun, Fitness and Friendship this is the original intentions of our organizations, our mandate is also all about, exploring the island we call Cape Breton!

Call and invite a friend(s) to this walk event and save  by car pooling to the walk start point.

CBIH Walk Events are also featured in the online news site:

Cape Breton News Site
What's Going On WGO
http://www.whatsgoinon.ca/

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Winter Walking Program



The Canadian Volkssport Federation's Winter Walking Program is available as of 15 October
Members can sign up for this program through the CVF Office
Go to www.walks.ca and print off the "Special Walk Programs application form and send to:

Canadian Volkssport Federation
PO Box 2668, Station "D"
Ottawa, ON
K1P 5W7

The club president Joe MacKinnon or the Atlantic Director can provide you with this application as well.


THE WINTER WALK PROGRAM

Location: Local, regional, national.

Cost: $5.00 for special registration card and pin; IVV credit
Awards & recognition: Pin upon registration; certificate & mention in Volkssport Canada upon completion. Multiple levels of achievement possible. IVV credit & Awards.
Special characteristics: any walk type [except RLDW] sanctioned by the CVF
Dates: Annual program from Oct 15 each year and closes March 31 the following year.

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Our Friend "Jim" McLean




James Harold "Jim" McLean

1945-2010

James Harold "Jim" McLean
The family are deeply saddened to announce the death of James Harold “Jim” McLean, who passed away, Sunday, October 3, 2010 at the Victoria General Hospital, Halifax, after a 16 month battle with lymphoma.  Born in Niagara Falls, Ont., on April 30, 1945 he was the son of Mamie (Jones) and the late J. Douglas McLean.  After spending his school years in Sault Ste. Marie, he attended UNB in Fredericton, graduating as an electrical engineer.  He worked for Union Carbide in Welland, Ont. Sysco in Sydney and StoraEnso in Point Tupper where he retired after 26 years of service.

Jim was an active member of St. Mark’s United Church, the Rotary Club of Port Hawkesbury who honored him in 1997 as a Paul Harris Fellow, the Strait Area Community Curling Club, the Port Hastings Historical Society and the Cape Breton Island Volkssport Club.

He is survived by his loving wife of 36 years, Rilla (Tapley), his mother, Mamie McLean of The Grass Home in Riverview, N.B., ten cousins and their families, sisters-in-law, Shirley Tapley, Fredericton, NB, Joan (David) Cass and their children, Vancouver, BC.

The family would like to thank the doctors and nursing staff of the VG, floor 8A, for their compassionate care of Jim.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, 2-4 and 7-9 pm at the Dennis Haverstock Funeral Home, 724 Granville St., Port Hawkesbury.  Funeral service will be held at St. Mark’s United Church, 504 Bernard St., Port Hawkesbury on Friday at 11 am with Rev. Sheldon LeGrow officiating.   Cremation has taken place.  Interment in Burntland Brook Cemetery in New Brunswick at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Lodge That Gives, 5826 South Street, Halifax, N.S. B3H 1S6, or a charity of choice.
Words of comfort may be forwarded to the family at: www.haverstocks.com

Monday, October 04, 2010

Celtic Colours Walk Event - Canoe Lake




The Cape Breton Island Hoppers VC will be walking, rain or shine, on Sunday 10 October @ 2pm


This is our one and only Celtic Colours Walk Event for 2010.

Registration begins @ 1:30pm


Location: Canoe Lake Rd 

Walk Leaders Barb and Cal Thistle
Contact Info: 567-6702 or cbthistle@yahoo.com 
This is a linear style walk "in and out" on the same trail

Distances available 5k & 10k

Rating 2B

Directions: Follow Hwy 327 to Marion Bridge and continue past the bridge for 10ks to the Community of French Road.

The CBIH Walk Event will start at the "T" junction of French Road(Hwy 327) and Canoe Lake Road.

CBIH "WALK EVENT" sign will be posted at the intersection.
Park off Hwy 327 along Canoe Lake Road

The Canoe Lake Road/Trail has proven to be one of our most popular events with all club members, a stroll along an old road provides access to all of our members and continues past two or more small lakes with loons and ducks and lots of wildlife including Bald Eagles soaring above, and what remains of the village of Canoe Lake and a few minor hills in between plus the ever changing fall colours will make this a great walk event.

There are only four more official walk events left on our calendar of events for the 2010 season, so lets get out and make these last walks count before the official end of our walk season.

Come on out, and enjoy a walk with Friends, have some Fun and  keep Fit at the same time!

Monday, September 20, 2010

NORTH RIVER FALLS CHALLENGE EVENT FOR 2010

NORTH RIVER FALLS A DEFINITE CHALLENGE EVENT

One of the many (6) brooks we crossed going to North River Falls.(this was the easy one) Please continue reading if you intend to do this HIKE EVENT!



















The next walk/Hike event for the CBIH will take place at North River Bridge on Sunday September 26th, 2010.


PRE - WALK ASSESSMENT:
 
The walk HIKE EVENT must start promptly at 10:00 am
Registration will take place at 09:30 and end at 09:55
HIKE LEADER: Rollie Coombes

There is construction work taking place on the Cabot Trail after St Anne's Gaelic College even on Sunday so please give yourself additional 15 minutes of travel time.

We must be walking asap so that we can be off the trail before dark!

There is no shorter route to North River Falls except by helicopter.
Trails signs along the route, "TRAIL, Keep it Wild" , is definitely true of this dramatic rugged trail.


Our Annual Schedule of Events has rated this trail in error at 2B, in fact this trail should be RATED 4D

As an organization our club has been to North River Falls on three occasions with various results depending on weather conditions and the time of year and as of today this is my 5th trip to North River Falls and this has been the most challenging yet, and again due to weather and wet trail conditions.

This is our Annual Challenge Event and due to heavy rains and fallen trees the event can no longer be considered a simple leisurely Volkssport event or what we would normally consider a walk event for all of our club members. The hike to the falls is not for everyone!!!

The hills we encountered are not extremely high but can be very slippery during and immediately after a rainfall.

If you have any doubts about your ability to cross rivers or scamper across wet rocks or move along a narrow ledge, then you should reconsider going all the way to the falls. 

THERE IS AN OPTION CONTINUE READING:

You must be prepared for an 8 Hour Hike to the falls!!

Two of our members Phyllis MacLeod and Diane Clarke had been to the North River Falls immediately after the storm that hit Meat Cove and encountered difficulties and averaged about 8 hours on the trail.
Three of our members Carmel Coffin, Lucy Nardini and Rollie have just returned on Sunday 19 September and we had taken about 7 hours to do the round trip.

 Both parties of explorers have indicated we should drop this trail (to the Falls) off of our schedule of events for the foreseeable future.

There are only two bridges remaining across  the brooks and streams that are now small rivers, we were forced to make 6 water crossings in order to get to the falls.

We counted over 8 dead falls that we had to maneuverer around  causing some delays as well as the water crossing.

Due to the heavy rains the trail is 60% wet with streams flowing along the trail.
If we have more rain this coming week the trail will deteriorate even more and looking at the long term forecast this is a definite possibility. 

YOUR OPTIONS:

The schedule of events has given all walkers an option to do 5K, 10K and 18K.

For those members wanting to do 5 & 10 Ks we can offer you a reasonable safe but possibly wet trail with some cautions.

Any members wanting to do the entire 18K to the North River Waterfall must be prepared for an 8 hour demanding HIKE!

WHAT YOU SHOULD TAKE ON THIS TRAIL:

DO NOT WALK ALONE ON THIS TRAIL, EVERYONE MUST KEEP THE PERSON BEHIND OR IN FRONT IN VIEW; WALK IN PAIRS.

All Participants should wear Hiking Boots or good sturdy hiking sneakers.
You must carry water and for those continuing to the falls extra water and definitely a snack
All participants should carry a walking stick to help get across the brooks and along a 400m stretch of a rock face or cliff.
Carry or wear a rain suit/jacket
Carry a whistle in case of injury (the sounds from the river drowns out voices)
Small First Aid kits if you have one, the walk leader will carry a larger FA kit.
A small flashlight would be a smart idea as well just in case we are on the trail after dark.
Dry clothes and shoes upon return, its along drive back home.

The walk HIKE EVENT must start promptly at 10:00 am
Registration will take place at 09:30 and end at 09:55
We must be walking asap so that we can be off the trail before dark!

Our Annual Schedule of Events has rated this trail in error at 2B, in fact this trail should be RATED 4D

Some photos of the pre-walk event: 

http://cbislandtrailphotos.blogspot.com/