The best campsite of the trip, Corneybrook
14.08.2017 - 14.08.2017
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Gaspe and Cape Breton
on baixing's travel map.
Lonely Planet recommends a stay at a self-registering site called Corneybrook. These are unreservable, so you just have to take your chances when you get there. We packed everything up before 9 a.m. and found that Corneybrook was quite empty. We found one of the best sites right on the edge of the cliff, where we could see the beach and set up there. It was real windy, so we had our storm lashing on and even put our luggage inside, weighted down by large rocks.
We wanted to walk on the famous Skyline trail, so we went there right away.
I will never understand why people leave the trail, even when it's so obvious and they build a special boardwalk just for people. There are signs everywhere that say don't step on the delicate wildflowers and lichen etc etc. Still, people have to make their own trail on the already overcrowded mountain.
Back at our campsite, we had some lunch and were shocked to find that the campsite had filled up to overcapacity. People were not registering themselves and they weren't paying. An old Frenchman came to mooch some lunch off of us and to establish some sort of rapport, so that we didn't report him. It made me quite upset, because it reminded me of all those shitty people on couch surfing who think they deserve free stuff just because they are fun. Well guess what, I am fun and I still pay my share. I don't care how funny you are, you still have to pay for your campsite.
Then we took a nap, and it was time for dinner again. We spent $75 on three sandwiches and two chowders. Outrageous! The sandwiches were definitely packed full of lobster, but the chowder was really not exciting, full of flour and potatoes, and not much fish. Bleh.
At this point, a security guard came to check up on who was actually registered for their sites. We had learned how to do it simply by reading a sign. Ignorance of the rules, was not an option. The French guy came over to ask us to defend him to the poor security guard. I told the guard he wasn't bothering me, but I also added that he should kick out all the extra people. Later I asked old Mr. Frenchie point blank if he was going to pay for his site. He just looked at me and turned away in silence.
Most people in the other illegal tents weren't even present when the security guard arrived, but he said he would come back later that night.
We broke out the fancy Cabot Trail liqueur we bought and of course, Mr. Frenchie came back, begging for a taste. Mom can't bear any social awkwardness like I can. I let him linger while sipping it in his face, she had to offer him some so that he'd leave us alone. I just took off to watch the sunset on the beach, unable to listen to his annoying, attention-starved blabbering any longer.
Eventually mom and dad chased him away, probably with the excuse that they had to find me, and we watched the seals swim around in the bay. Dad couldn't sit so long on the hard stones, so me and mom stayed down there and at one point, a giant seal came real close to us and we both screamed and ran away up the stairs. Those things are dangerous and they were getting way too close!
We watched another sunset sitting beside our tent and gazed at the stars beside our campfire until we couldn't keep our eyes open anymore. That security guard never came back, my faith in campsite justice, destroyed.
