Old Lighthouse Road
I haven’t been getting out rockhounding much at all this year… only one trip to Blomidon so far. So I decided to head off to Parrsboro with my backpack over the Easter weekend, and camp near the Cape Sharp lighthouse. The plan was to get up early on Easter morning and explore the cliffs around Cape Sharp.
It was 22 C when I left Halifax, but soon dropped to 15 C as I hit Truro area. Fog was blowing up the Minas Basin and cooling things off. As I neared Parrsboro, I noticed a thick fogbank hovering just over the Cape Sharp area. Of course. What the heck though… I parked my car near the old lighthouse access road and loaded up my pack for the climb over the hill to the lighthouse. The old road was pretty washed out, but made for good walking. The fog was fairly thick as I neared the lighthouse… and then the foghorn blast hit me. Woah… so much for camping in the field next to the lighthouse. Best laid plans and all that.
Home Sweet Home
I backtracked up the hill and found a nice grassy spot just off the old road, near what looked to be a game trail. Too near as it turns out. Around 11pm I awoke to the sound of thundering hooves heading towards my tent. A few deer were running up the trail and got a surprise when they saw my tent. Scared the crap out of me, but I finally managed to nod off again.
The next morning was bright and sunny. Apparently the fog had blown off sometime during the night. Still a bit cool but sunny. I left the tent and headed down towards the lighthouse, then climbed down to the beach. I spent the next couple of hours following the coastline around the Cape, to the beach on the other side. There’s a nice seam of calcite that runs through the Cape, and I managed to grab a few big, honey-colored crystals. I also found a few nice stilbite samples, and some dark amethyst. I spotted a huge chunk of gypsum (satin spar variety) on the beach walk out… and couldn’t resist dragging it back to my car.
Cape Sharp Light
I circled back around the Cape to my car, dropped off the rocks, and stopped for some lunch. After a short rest, I headed back up the hill and packed my tent out. By then the fog had started to drift back in again, so it was a timely exit.
I hadn’t explored Cape Sharp for many years, and it was good to get back there for a visit. Parrsboro has always been on top of my list of favorite places to visit in Nova Scotia.
Happy Trails… Dino