Almost as soon as we had returned to Canada from the States we hopped on a plane and flew west coast to east coast for a family reunion in Nova Scotia.
Every five years my extended family holds a big reunion in Enfield, with upwards of 300 people attending. It is a great time to connect with relatives we haven’t seen in a while, or (in Graham’s case entirely) meet loads of new people.
We flew out with my parents and Grama for our ten day trip. They wanted to check out PEI for a few days and Graham and I wanted to experience Nova Scotia climbing so it was perfect.
Mom, Dad and Grama patiently awaiting our connection to Halifax out of Toronto
We headed into Halifax on the day we arrived to stay with our friend Hana. She graciously opened her home to us, AND gathered folks from the climbing community together for our bouldering adventures.
They even added our names to their Welcome Board!!! ❤
Graham fell in love with Millie…
The granite bouldering in Nova Scotia is reminiscent of Squamish but often with larger crystals. Many of the boulders are oceanside which gives them a rugged feel and makes for pretty spectacular views when out climbing. The “inland” boulders are glacial erratics, simply perched upon an otherwise almost smooth-looking landscape. We had three climbing days in Nova Scotia and made the most of our time by visiting three different areas: (1) Dover Island, (2) Chebucto Head, and (3) the Land of Confusion. Information on boulder problems in these areas and more can be found on MoBeta.
Day 1: Dover Island (where the annual boulder fest is held)
Graham topping out White Trash (V7/8)
Alex making long moves on Orangutan (V6)
Kim on John Doe (V4) as the sun sets
Graham squeezing Exciter (V7) as night falls
Ben crushing the opening moves of Exciter Low (V10) in the darkness
Day 2: Chebucto Head (where we saw a whale!!)
Graham on his send of Tough Sailors (V7)
Kim about to top out the fun lip/arete problem, Swinging Deals (V4)
Graham sport climbing his way along Tsunami (V9)
All smiles! All sneakers….
THAT IS A WHALE.
Day 3: Land of Confusion (please note the amazing pitcher plants…we also found sundews)
Leanne bearing down on BK McMuffin (V4)
Emilie crushing La Vie En Rose (V3)
“Oh hi!” says Hana
Graham pointing out the tourist spot, Peggy’s Cove, from atop Dynamitus (V8)
For our family reunion, most of the action took place for us at Kathy and Dale’s house in Enfield. They opened their home to a non-stop rotation of relatives from across the country. We shared daily hugs, laughs, and stories, consumed much wine, ate incredible food, enjoyed ourselves on the pool deck, and got our butts handed to us in washer toss.
Enjoying some quality time around the kitchen table
Kathy!!!
“My lego” say Beckett and Chase
Life was hard in Nova Scotia… photo credit: Sarah MacDonnell
Washer toss is so friggen fun.
The official reunion took place at the Legion in Enfield, complete with food, drinks, talent show skits, music and dancing. This event is followed by a “recovery” day at the beach the following afternoon.
The “Pat O’Neil” (Kim’s great grandfather) crew
Shane and Al rocking the talent show
Team Green shirts
Beachin’
It’s always a blast to head back to Nova Scotia. Five years is long, and a lot can change over that time. It’s easy to forget how quickly people grow up and change when you don’t see them very often. Since we were last on the east coast, new babies were born, loved ones had passed, many people (us included!) were married, and others had retired. We’re excited to see what life has in store over the next five years.
Walking in to the boulders on Dover Island. Ya.
Kim and Graham 