Bogumił Pacak-Gamalski

The southern end of Halifax offers very different bike trails – city trail that meanders as an elegant path for city dwellers. It is not necessarily my type of cake but yesterday was the day of my sweet tooth call. I have answered and voila: The Chain of Lakes Trail.

It passes so many industrial and commerce sites, crosses so many highway so many highways, that you would think that is a typical big city bike trail that has nothing to do with actual nature. That it is a manicured trail that gives a city folk the theatrical gimmicks of feeling that he is in wild nature. Which – of course – is not true, it is just orchestrated effort to mee that desire.

To my happy surprise, it truly is not the case with this particular trail. Yes, it is without any doubt a city trail. You will find there many walkers, bikers and families that you would not normally find in a forest, on the shores of wild lakes or a totally wild ocean. But it is also a trail that very quickly you forget about it. That you just immerse yourself in the astonishing beauty of passing little streams, meadows and an array of wildlife. Did I mention the lakes that give it its name?  Yes – the amazing Chain Lakes (there is two of them, hence the name ‘chain’).

I started it from a little small park off the St. Margaret Bay Road via Crown Drive. It takes you pass the First and Second Chain Lakes, after double crossing of two streets with special lights and stop signs for bikers and walkers, it follows you through more industrial neighborhood, yet again – if you don’t rise your head too high, you might not even notice as you are biking alongside the lakes Bayers and Lovett.

I meant to bike it many years ago, when we came with John to Nova Scotia. Never did. The time has come to fulfill that promise. I did and I’m glad.

Somehow, it felt that he is biking right beside me. That he kept glancing at me and smiling. But that is entirely different story to write.

This particular image (part of the industrial site close to the Lovett Lake) for some reason took me right away back to the 1980′ in Southern Alberta: there was a time when I was travelling often to the University of Lethbridge. Just before you see the city of Lethbridge – you see the old train trestle bridges that used to connect Alberta and the States on one end, and the Okanagan Valley on the other end. This structure is just a metal box that will eventually become some sort of warehouse. But that was the very first impression I had, when I noticed it. Funny how visual memory works independently in you brain. Of course that is not a valid argument that one has a brain. But a hope, nonetheless.