As spring arrives in Nova Scotia - rarely quickly - hiking can become somewhat of a challenge. Most of the terrain near Halifax is made up of granite and other protruding rocks with a thin layer of soil, usually found in bogs, barely covering them. With the snow mostly melted, those convenient snowshoes have to be stored away, but the ground is not dry enough yet for easy walking.
Nevertheless, I do not think you should not avoid all trails at this time of year. After all, with the warmer weather will also come black flies and mosquitoes, and although walking will be drier and easier, there will be those other, off-setting problems. Instead, for avid hikers consider selecting one of the more challenging trails, away from the coast with its cold winds and frequent April rains squalls, for your weekend walk.
I recommend the Admiral Lake loop, which features a jaunt to the edge of the Whites Lake Wilderness Protected area. This rugged 10-km loop, which climbs several granite hills, begins and ends in the village of Musquodoboit Harbour on the abandoned rail line. Hikers have the choice of warming up along this gentle path for 1.8 or 2.5 km before turning into the vegetation to their right and beginning their trek.
If the section along the rail-line was too easy, what you face once you leave it is anything but. From either of the two access points to the loop, you enter into a work of jumbled rocks and steeply climbing hillsides. There are so many rocks here, that I often think that one come hop from one to the next for the entire length of the trail, and never need to touch dirt.
But for those who enjoy a grunt over rough terrain, this is just fine!
And you will be rewarded for your effort. The Admiral Lake Loop features numerous, striking look-offs. There are picturesque views of the Musquodoboit River Valley, of Admiral Lake, and of the surrounding granite uplands. Not only that, but other interesting attractions, such as "The Cave" await discovery. (And admit it, doesn't the chance to see "Skull Rock" excite your sense of adventure just a little?)
The Admiral Lake Loop in not suitable for everyone. Even those who consider themselves fairly fit should allow extra time to complete this trail. However, I think that once you complete it, it will become one of your favourite hikes available within the HRM, and a suitable choice for a spring-like April scramble.
Good weather has been scarce this spring, but that only makes us appreciate even more the few days that have been sunny and warm. Sometimes, in coastal Canada, the window of opportunity - the time between when the fog lifts and the when next storm rolls in - is measured in only hours. When the weather is like this, if we want to venture outdoors we need something a hike where we can drive in minutes, not hours.
Let me introduce you to Pennant Point: A slender finger of granite extending into the Atlantic Ocean, located near the mouth of Halifax Harbour close to the picturesque village of Sambro, Pennant Point features sandy beaches, a short managed trail, an extended coastal back country track - and it is barely a 30 minute drive from the Armdale Rotary on Highway 349.
A popular recreation spot for decades, the beach area is more well known as Crystal Crescent Beach, and is a provincial park. Most of the remainder of Pennant Point has been incorporated into the Terence Bay Wilderness Protected Area, and is protected from further development. A few pockets of private property remain, but most are close to the small community of East Pennant.
Long before I hiked anywhere else in the province, I walked the coastline at Pennant Point. This area enjoys so much: a gleaming white sand beach, rugged and rocky coastline, magnificent coastal scenery, and a sense of isolation and wilderness remarkable in an area so close to the city.
In Trails of Halifax Regional Municipality I profile only the developed trail from the parking area, behind the beaches, until it ends at the rocks bordering the small nude beach at Mackeral Cove. However, for those who do not mind wet feet and a little scrambling over granite rocks, an informal footpath continues along the rugged coastline to the very tip of Pennant Point. I could gush about the scenery, which has always captivated and inspired me, but I will leave you to discover that for yourself.
So this summer, whenever - if ever - the clouds part for a few hours and you feel the urge to venture outdoors, head for Pennant Point. Maybe, like me, you will discover a place that will draw you back for the rest of your life. And maybe even go when it is cloudy. The scenery is still affecting.
