This past Sunday, the 6th, was the third one in a row that I have been able to go for a hike by myself, somewhere in nature. (It can be by the ocean, or by a river, or just woods with no water. Wherever. As long as it’s relatively free of other people’s impact.) As I mentioned in last week’s post about Uisge Ban Falls, I find time in nature to be very calming, as well as spiritually grounding. (The first week was the Louisbourg Lighthouse trail.) I didn’t set out to do a “Sacred Sundays” series on the blog or anything, but it seems to work, since I take pictures anyway!

So this past Sunday I was in North River for the Writers Festival. That had started on the Friday, gone all day Saturday, and then wrapped around 2 on Sunday. My plan was to return home to North Sydney after that.

But, I knew I wanted to get a solo hike in, before I headed back ‘over the mountain’ and back to ‘real life’.

The Red Islands trailhead is at the church at the Barrachois River Bridge. I don’t have more specific directions than that at the moment, mainly because I am too lazy and busy to go further than the first page of Google search results to see if there is anything I can link to. If someone asks, though, I will write more specific directions and edit this post.

At the top of this hill of rocks (above)… you see this:

And then once you scramble down the other side, you are on the beach.

The trail also takes you by a freshwater lake.

I just love the word ‘bracken’.

Flagging tape will always remind me of my Dad, a forestry worker who always has half-used rolls in his coat pockets.

The trail takes about an hour to walk all around (it’s a loop) at an average pace. There are a few inclines but nothing major.

Above: Waiting in line at the Englishtown Ferry. Time to go home. I both did and didn’t want to leave: I love to go home, get into PJs, and relax after a busy weekend, but I also wanted to stay in the outdoors, breathing that sea air, for a while longer.

At least I am not too far and I can make the trek another Sunday!