The GONZO Travelling Road Show has finally made it into Cape Breton, and the consensus is, "We will be back!"

Dipper, 1K2go, Sun god, and Lewis the Licker left Halifax 3:30 pm Friday, rendevousing with Team Stein (Mark, Zac, and Normie) at Elmsdale Tim's, rendevousing again at the causeway Tim's. The Stein mobile continued up the TC, Baddeck to Margaree, while the more adventurous Dipper careened through Judique, where we looked for Natalie, Port Hood where we looked for Al, and Inverness where we just looked at the scenery.

While the Jewish Connection continued onto the security of a motel room at Laurie's, the others found a beautiful spot up a secret dirt road just short of Cheticamp, set up just before the rain started, cooked some dogs on Dipper's simmering stove and ate a bunch of raw vegetables for roughage, ensuring a "smooth" start for their digestive systems in the morning. Rendevousing at Cheticamp Tim's(getting familar?) the next morning it was off to the trailhead.

While this was all taking place, Mountain Dancer was "flying" in a borrowed car to Sydney to pick up Ronnie the Roomie, who the next day got a new trail name---JERRY. (Ben and Jerry,---ice cream of the AT, ha ha ha!). At another part of the province Viking, Maidenform, Chelsea the wonder dog, and Printer the scrounger were spending the Friday night, and celebrating Maidenform's 50th, at the Cameron summer Retreat in Pictou with Richard, Collette and Timber, their pet deer.

Saturday, 9:45 am

The "TEAM" was finally all together and it was onward and downward 1200 feet, the 8 km trail following the Fishing Cove River.This was a lovely, wooded, well maintained trail which we covered at a pedestrian pace in 2 hours, 10 minutes. After what was basically an uneventful trek, we arrived at the wilderness camp to find it already occupied by a big, dark, gorgeous Moose, dressed in early summer antlers. After watching him, and he us, for 10 minutes, he proceeded to jog up the river and into the woods.

The camp site is absolutely stupendous. The river (large stream at this time of year) ran into the ocean through a pebbly, rocky beach with the land on each side falling quickly away (up) via grassy fields, into the woods. On one side were the 8 sites, large wooden pads, well spaced for privacy. On the other side was just a typical Cape Breton Post Card picture, where later that day we watched our camp guest again.

After lunch Gonzos were going everywhere, up a little stand alone small mountain (large hill- 250 ft.??), out around the distant point on the other side. Dipper, living up to his name, went up the river for a couple hours to swim, not to mention his 6:00am swim in the ocean Sunday.

Many laws were broken, while many more contemplated. The rule about dogs on leases were totally ignored with Timber continually racing all over the fields. Unlimitedless energy, while my mindless Lewis, who thinks he has the same energy, tried to follow...Chelsea, the lady she is, sat and enjoyed all the festivities, while Printer roamed around trying to make it a positive calorie trip. His pre bed snack was Sun god's fire weiners, 8 in quantity, and his 1/2 pound of bacon for breakfast.

Other misdemeaners were

-Sun god fishing, with out a licence, or any gear for that matter. Using an old mackerel lure and Maidenform's dental floss, he caught a 6 inch brook trout for NW"s birthday gift.

-Mountain Dancer, without success, was seen chasing trout around the river with a homemade (campmade?) spear. He says it was o-kay because he has a licence.

-Our plans to have a bonfire on the beach were changed as we had a discussion with the "wandering game wardens" who, among other things, talked about watching from the distant highway, with binoculars, for wisps of smoke from the beach the other night.

Just before supper time, while sitting around the Warnica pad, Viking says "it doesn't get much closer than that", we turned around to see our camp Moose just wandering into the woods about 30 feet away.

TEAM MEAL

In the tradition of most trips we had a team supper, which amounted to everyone bringing their stoves and ingrediants to Viking's pad, tent being on the grass, and cooking their meal with some tasting all around.

Menus items were very different from Mountain Dancers can of Beef Stew, which was spilled over the pad to Printer and Lewis's delight, to steak, some pasta, Sun god's Sausages and Saurkraut and Warnica/Cameron's stir fry.

We all then wandered down to the beach to take in as beautiful a sunset as ever seen by mankind (womenkind) After this some of our senior members wandered off to bed, while Dipper, 1K2go, Mountain Dancer, and Sun god finished the day with a pepperoni and mustard fry.

Sunday morning was your typical packup day. Up at 6:00/6:30, eat breakfast, packup, and on the trail at 8:00.

While the others trekked out the way we came in, Sun god and Jerry went up a new (actually old) trail not on most maps, directly to the highway. Straight up, a good trail, 800 feet in the first Km and then flatter the next 2 Km to the highway. About 45 minutes. The others got out in from 1'50" ??? to 2'5"???.

After pickups, trip to Park Entrance,missed pickups, trip to trail head, pick up, trip to other trail head, pick up, trip to Park Entrance, pick ups, moving of gear, and on the road home. You had to be there. Memories of Billy Mills.

Home, showered, shaved, teeth washed and brushed and reading the papers in the big chair 6:00pm Sunday. Had a hair cut by 8:00.

Dallas won the Stanley Cup. Does anyone care??????

Let's go Knicks!!!!

Cheers

The Sun god