Ride Report

On July 9, 2023, six members of Central Appalachian Mountain Overland Departed Bangor Maine and began an 7 day excursion across Nova Scotia. This trip provided almost all terrain types, weather events, and obstacles. It felt like a true expedition into the unknown, with little to no knowledge of what waited for us around the next bend.

Day 1: Departing Bangor, Crossing the Border, and War with Insects

At 0830, we departed our hotel in Bangor and continued North East to the Calais border crossing. The ride was peaceful and flew by with the building excitement of crossing the border. The crossing was simple. We were all asked similar questions, “Where are you from?” Where are you going? How long are you staying? Did you bring any weapons? What kind of camping gear did you bring?” We all breezed through with the exception of the Gladiator piloted by Mark, who was subjected to a random in depth interview. After about 30 minutes, we were all through and officially the first International C.A.M.O. expedition group.

After recalibrating our equipment from Bald Eagles/Mile to Hockey Sticks/Degrees Centigrade, we continued East towards Amherst where we intended to camp in the Crown Land just South of town. We made a quick stop on the Western side of the Bay of Fundy at low tide, where tidal swings can exceed 50 feet. The beach was exceptionally clean, a DJ was playing music across the whole beachscape, and the entire area was free of profanity, drugs, and litter. It was really cool to see so many people in one place with such a family friendly environment.

We stopped at the Nova Scotia welcome center to get a picture with the welcome sign before fueling and heading into the woods. The original sites that I had scouted were near sources of water. At these locations we encountered bugs reminiscent of the antagonists from Starship Troopers. We quickly changed course and hopped on a very long network of forestry roads hunting for some wind and elevation. As night began to fall, the best we could come up with was a large clearing near an intersection of forestry roads. It wasn’t ideal, but it was camp.

Day 2: Amherst to Eigg Mountain

We quickly packed up camp and continued East, suffering a few bites from the alien bugs along the way. We continued on a mix of dirt and highway until we reached the Minas Basin to view the 5 islands. We followed a well traveled path onto a rock and sand knoll which overlooked the “Five Islands.” This was the most exciting and downright fun lunch stop of the whole trip. Mike took some incredible drone footage of the rigs and views as we ate. At this stop, we saw the first 3 of many Bald Eagles on our trip.

From five islands, we once pointed towards a mountain range in North Central Nova Scotia with a large plot of crown land. Prior to heading into the woods, we made a quick stop on Big Island for a swim and a very in-depth tutorial on MaxTrax sand recovery.

We wound up the mountain as a cold front from the Atlantic loomed on Nova Scotia. A cool breeze kicked up a mist came and went throughout the evening. Camp was happily bug free and we had some quality campfire time led by our favorite campfire story teller, James. Much hydration took place on this evening by the drivers. Around midnight we snuffed out our fire and turned in for the night.

Day 3: Eigg Mountain to Cape Clear, Cape Breton

Rainfall on a soft topper sounds a lot like rainfall while standing inside a metal building. It walks a thin line between relaxing and uncomfortable.

I woke before my alarm at around 0600 to the smell of cold rain. I peeked from my soft topper cave to see that *everything* outside was saturated in a very cool mist. I felt some complicated feelings, on one hand, I was completely dry, slept great, and all of my gear was completely dry; however, anyone tenting from this moment forward would almost inevitably be damp. While I have no bearing on the weather, I always feel some level of responsibility to make on-the-fly decisions that are considerate of the comfort of the whole crew. I buttoned up the soft topper cave and ate breakfast in the cab today.

We departed camp with everyone in high sprits. I got a chuckle at the radio silence when I turned *right* out of camp into what was seemingly just a runoff ditch. Along this trail we removed a few trees and had the opportunity to build bridges and tire supports from a combination of rocks and maxtrax. Obstacles like these were a little problem solving is required are my absolute favorite. There’s ALWAYS an answer, some are simply easier to find than others. As with all “action photography and videography” the picture simply doesn’t provide justice of the size of the trench. For reference, when standing in the bottom of it, the top was slightly above hip height on the high side.

Something important to consider at this point, we are covering a large area in a relatively short period of time, so “airing down” isn’t as conventional as normal trailing. Most of us dropped between to between 20 and 25 psi. Not ideal for trails, and acceptable for highway sections.

We popped out of the woods and headed in to Cape Breton where we once again found an awesome little beach to eat lunch on. After lunch, we continued into the heart of Cape Breton to Cape Clear. The roadways were oddly wide and very recently graded. We were some of the first, if not the first vehicles to drive on them. My inner Robby Gordon had to be suppressed many times at the sight of these road sections.

Winds were picking up and the coastal regions of Cape Breton were under wind and thunderstorm warnings. I was listening to NOAA weather reports on my GMRS unit, however; I do not speak French. I felt confident from my research that cape clear would provide enough wind protection, being nestled behind rocks and tall trees. Fortunately, this was correct and we were able to have a mostly dry night, free of blowing winds.

This was ultimately my favorite camp spot of the entire trip. Once again we had a great night around the fire, no bugs, and reasonably good weather until morning. Anna told us a hilarious campfire story that we all enjoyed. The view from Cape Clear overlooks the NorthEast Margaree River. When you walk to the view point, the explosion of space was dizzying. The transition from a limited field of view within seemingly endless greenery quickly snapping to a 270* field of wide open space was truly something incredible.

Day 4: SCUBA Gear a hidden gem, broken parts, and Meat Cove

“We cannot control the winds, but we can adjust our sails”

-Some guy who never woke up on an island with camp set up in a cold downpour 3000 miles from home.

A guy writing quotes in Microsoft word from a Starbucks booth who has never actually left his zip code

Alright, I’m always the beacon of positivity, and weather RARELY ever if at all affects my mood, but I’m going to be totally honest, I woke up BUMMED on day 4. It was raining, HARD. Day 4 was the day to hit the Cabot trail and drive one of the most scenic coastal roadways on the planet, aaaaaaaand visibility was approximately 100 feet. On top of that, anyone who slept with external equipment was completely drenched. Mike and the family ended up balling their annex up and bagging it in Troy’s Ram’s bed. The road out was wet with a little mud here and there. Visibility was pretty low. Eventually the rain let up some, and we were able to make it to one of the coolest trails I’ve ever done.

Nova Scotia is a premier location for snowmobile riding and Cape Breton is no exception. When the snow flies, some of these shared OHV roadways are superhighways for sleds. We came across a sign on a planned trail that said “—> 50km” and then sported ads of amenities in the town that this trail emptied out on. At first, I actually missed the turn because the harrowing hillclimb SURELY wasn’t a roadway…Right? Well, it was, and for the next few hours, we cruised through the wet woods through scattered rain squalls in 4lo, traversing bridges made from guardrail, water crossings, boulders, and steep downhills. This trail had everything and it was LONG.

We did have one boo-boo on this trip, but perhaps not? I followed a GPX file in this area of the woods provided by TrailTrash ADV, in their file, it showed them following the roadsigns (and there were roadway signs) to a gypsum mine. From the top of the mountain, we were driving an unobstructed roadway with no signs of private property, do not enter signs, etc, etc (you know where this is going.) We continued down a hill that immediately turned into fresh, screened topsoil and clay. Graded perfectly flat and 100% saturated. Worse than ice! In 4lo with my foot off the brake, the truck began to slide towards the ditch. I was able to give it a foot-full and power through to the bottom. Each truck behind me did the same, avoiding the trenches, until the big Ram. Gravity took its first victim and sucked the Ram into a ditch, no damage but definitely stuck. We rigged one winch to the rear bumper and the Rams winch to the Hummer as an anchor, and easily made the recovery. On our way out, we passed a sign that was less than inviting of entry. (Mind you, official street signs point you in this direction from above. Some of it was in French, it could have said “One way” or it could have said you go to prison for driving here) If you are traveling this route, I strongly suggest you stay straight at the fork and follow signs to Cheticamp instead of the signs to the mine.

It was at this lunch stop on the beach that we discovered the Hummer was suffering a catastrophic wheel bearing failure. I was able to contact a Napa auto parts store in Sydney (4 hours away) who could overnight us a part for just under 500 CAD. We decided to press on up the Cabot Trail headed for Meat Cove as it was closer to Sydney. Miraculously, the wheel bearing didn’t seize or completely come apart. I volunteered to pre-runner the frontier across the island in the morning and retrieve the part. At camp, we tore the H3 apart so the installation would be a breeze in the morning. I’d like to offer a poor mans mechanic tip for an emergency situation. The H3 wheel bearing was a 35mm socket, I only carried a 32, 34, and a 36. By stuffing aluminum foil around the nut and hammering the oversized socket onto the nut, you can effectively remove the nut without damaging the shoulders of the fastener. The 20V dewalt made quick work of the axle nut and the rest of the removal was cake. Interestingly enough, right before bed, I noticed that somehow, my muffler being ripped off had gone unnoticed. With a few zip ties, strips of duct tape, and a new exhaust clamp I had in the toolbox, I was able to make “new” hanger bushings and button her up before morning.

Day 5: Meat Cove Tropical weather, a parts dash, and fresh “Lobstah”

My alarm rang at 0430 on the morning of Day 5 and I pointed the Frontier South East to New Sydney, a cool 103 mile-one way dash across the coast on a mix of dirt and asphalt. Admittedly, I had a good time pretending I had diplomatic immunity flying across the back country roads to fetch the part as they opened and returning as quickly as possible. We were able to install the new part with all 4 tires on the ground around noon.

When I pulled into camp, it felt similar to the climate in Hawaii; cool breeze, HOT sun, and a perfect cloudless sky. We soaked up some sun with a final wash in the river and decided to check out the Meat Cove general store (a shed) and the lobster food truck. I was slightly queasy from hammering Wendys with one hand while racing the truck across the island, so I submitted the rest of my lobster roll to Mel. The food was fantastic and the weather was even better. We could look over the mountain to the South and see a thick mist forming. Everyone knew in the back of their mind that sour weather was over the hill, but nobody said anything. Right now, it was all perfect.

I find the climax of any trip to be difficult, but this trip in particular stung a little harder. At around 2pm, we lined up and took our final pictures of Meat Cove. The radio was a little quieter and a little less frequent as we drove around the coast leaving the beautiful beach and rocky cliffs. I’m sure everyone’s mixed emotions were similar. Exhalation for successfully reaching the furthest point on our journey, for some, the furthest they’ve personally driven, a sprinkle of sadness, knowing that from this point onward, we are closer to the end of our journey than the beginning, and a dash of homesick, knowing we’re still a long way from those we left at home and a garnish of joy with the revelation that we really *did* this.

Day 5 continued with the Little Narrows Ferry as our goal with some coastal camping sprinkled in. The ferry was a really neat experience. Canada had made many of these ferries free and 24/7 operations which really benefits locals and tourists alike. We pounded pavement for an hour or so before returning back to the dirt. At this time, the weather had unfortunately moved back in and we were battling heavy rain.

It wouldn’t be a CAMO trip without some 4th quarter excitement, so we continued down an infrequently traveled “road” with one home on it. This homeowner, presumably, had decorated the road with downright creepy decor such as a skeleton pinned to a tree and a hand nailed to a board next to a swamp crossing labeled, “need a hand?” Shortly after viewing these decorations, we came to a very narrow spot in the trail where runoff had undermined the roadway at the location of a 12″ drain pipe. The result was a 5-6 foot deep hole on the left side of the road leading to a sharp drop over the hillside, and a deep trench on the right. I was first in the frontier and opted to go wide right. My thinking was as follows:

1: I have a winch

2: If something stupid happens, I want to be in front so I can winch or be an anchor to anyone behind me. I know the ditch isn’t going to go over the hillside.

I’m sure at the time some good spirited laughs were had at my buried Frontier, “there goes Nick goin off half cocked again!” With the Frontier free as an anchor however, I felt much more comfortable guiding the rest of the group through. We positioned 3 maxtrax at the portion of the roadway which was undermined. Two boards were laid end to end, and a third was stacked in the center. The thought process was that the semi-rigid top board would spread the load of one tire across the ground through the 2 end-to-end boards. TL;DR, it worked and we all made it though safely.

We pulled into camp along the bay and were met with some rough wind and mist. At this time, Mike and family opted to take the kids to a warm inn down the road instead of setting up their annex which was now finally dry. I’d like to staunchly state that throughout this entire trip I was floored with how well the kids faired. At no time (at least from the cab of my truck lol) did either of them show a single sign of discomfort or displeasure. Hats off to both Mike and Maggie for pulling off a problem free trip with 2 young kids. I am really itching to get my oldest (2) out there with me soon. At camp, we’re “kinda sorta pretty sure” we saw whales feeding. That’s the story I’m sticking with anyway.

Day 6: Lunch on the beach and the first goodbyes

Day 6 started off with pleasant weather which became increasingly warm as we continued North West inland on Nova Scotia. We found ourselves on Rileys beach for an awesome swim and lunch. I could have stayed in that water for hours. Warm, extra salty, and at chest deep, you could see your feet. It was perfect. On the way out, mike caught another awesome drone shot and we hopped back on pavement hoping to make it back to the Amherst area to camp for the night. Mike picked up a nail and was able to throw a few plugs in to save the hassle of throwing the spare on. Around dinner time, Mike, Maggie, and the kids broke off to head across the boarder. The kids were about to be surprised with a trip to Hershey park, and traveling at night provided mom and dad with a softer noise level I’m sure. The rest of us made our way to a peaceful little park where we crashed in the parking lot.

Day 7: The long way home

Early morning Mark, James, Mel, Troy, and I packed up, waved goodbye to Nova Scotia, and headed for the border. The crossing into the states was pretty simple. “Where ya coming from? Bring anything back? Any guns in there? How were the trails? Carry on.” For me, the 18 hour drive passed by pretty quickly while I replayed the past week in my head and thought about all the fun things I wanted to do with the kids when I got home. I explained to my daughter that I had been to Arendale, the fictitious kingdom in Disney’s frozen. I backed up this claim by showing her a picture of the North Mountain and a “River that Meets the Sea.” which is loosely from the Frozen Song “All is Found” for all you fans out there. Mel (my dad) and I, and presumably Mark as he was headed in the same direction, met some terrible storms around State college Pennsylvania but ultimately the drive was uneventful.

FIELD NOTES:

• I am more than pleased with my sleeping setup. The soft topper was completely water tight and the setup of the cot inside was lightning fast
• Bring more bug abatement items to NS than you think you need
• Don’t ask to see the family tree in Meat Cove
• When planning your setup, always have the consideration that you may want to sleep inside your vehicle. Make a “what if” plan for this.
• Embrace the mindset that “calling an audible” isn’t a broken plan, its just a new adventure
• Keep the total weight of your gear in your mind when packing, do you REALLY want to hear 4 metal pots in the back?
• Keep in mind that your driving style and characteristics will change when you aren’t always aired down to trail pressure
• (For me) driving a smaller tire setup was way more fun than just monster trucking over everything with 34s. I’m really happy to have dropped back down to a skinny 33. (So are my MPGs)
• Always bring a good book, and I suggest THE good book.

Left to Right, Nick, Mel, James, Mike, Troy, Mark

Thank you all so much for joining me in Nova Scotia, there exists no bond quite like the one made from a real adventure. Till next time!

YUR GUUD!

Special thanks to Alldogs Offroad CO-OP and CJD Racing for the lighting fast parts turnaround before this trip