Acadia National Park

We have prepped and packed the motorhome for another adventure. Bright and early in the morning, well, still under the cover of darkness, we pulled out of the driveway and head towards Maine. It is over 1,100 miles to Acadia National Park, our destination for the next 2 weeks, and we wanted to get an early start. We travelled without reservations on Labor Day Weekend, and planned to play it by ear. We hoped to grab an empty spot at a campground or stay at a Pilot Gas station for the night. We have identified possible locations to spend the night in New York as we hoped to get half way to Maine before dark.

The color pink lightened the sky as the sun peaked above the horizon. It was a beautiful sunrise. Fog hung close to the ground, seeming to hover above the river. Thankfully the roadways were clear and the traffic sparse. Our route took us across the entire state of Ohio as we headed north on I 71 towards Cleveland. We reminisced about traveling this road with Nathan when he attended college at Case Western and point out minor changes in the view. We noticed a narrow gravel road curving through the farmland and glimpsed 9 horse-drawn buggies headed to Sunday services. The lack of power lines reminded us that we were in Amish country.

I 71 intersected with I 90 and we maneuvered onto the interstate that sometime tomorrow will lead us to Boston. Our journey to Maine will take us through 7 states; two of which I have never visited before this trip. At our first gas stop I noticed the weather radar station inside the station and a man staring at the screen. I walked toward the screen. A closer look revealed a lot of green, yellow, and red colors right over the route we were headed. Thankfully the man said he had just come from the east and we should miss the storm if we took our time at this stop. A leisurely lunch seemed like a great plan.

Georgia, the name of our GPS, indicated that at this rate we will arrive at our half way point around 5 pm. The clouds were darkening, the roads were wet, but the rain had already stopped. We were so thankful for the advice from a stranger. We travelled along the coast of Lake Erie and I realized this is the third Great Lake we have visited so far this year. I know when we get to Buffalo that Lake Ontario will be about 25 miles north of us, but we won’t see it this time. New York is a beautiful state with gorgeous horse farms, vineyards with rows of grapevines, and small towns dotting the landscape. I saw hints of yellow and red colors in the trees. Fall will be here soon.

A rainbow was slowly disappearing as we continued driving to Vernon, New York. We were thankful for good travel. I had been recording the exits with campgrounds for a few miles just in case, but we entered the Turning Stone Casino RV Park to see if they could add one more to their register. The woman reminded us that it was Labor Day weekend and promptly said they were completely booked. We asked if she could point us to another possibility when a man casually mentioned that the Casino had an overflow parking lot just down the street with electric hookups. If we had any questions when we got there we could just ask at the gas station on the corner. We thanked him, asked for directions again and then inquired “who do we pay?” He just looked at us, shrugged his shoulders, and indicated there was no charge. Sounded amazing to us. We found the large empty parking lot, hooked up to power and enjoyed our quiet night stay.

It was a bit foggy when we began driving again; we could only see about 80-100 yards in front of the motorhome. I am struck by the reminder that we cannot always see the path in front of us clearly, but we can keep on going, trusting God has the plan fully in control. We travelled along the Erie Canal, a 336 mile canal from the Niagara River near Buffalo to the Hudson River in Albany. This canal was proposed in the 1780s; it met with resistance until it was funded and built in the early 1800’s. Shipping items to the middle of America decreased the cost by 95% with the use of the canal, and created the expansion of the port of New York City. These early Americans were visionaries. We arrived in Bar Harbor, Maine two days ahead of our reservation at Blackwoods Campground. Thankfully, since it was after Labor Day we secured a campsite at Bar Harbor Campground, just outside of Acadia National Park. The campground was lovely, with large campsites, clean shower rooms, and was on the shuttle bus route.

In the morning after a quick stop at the Acadia National Park Visitor Center to gather information from the ranger, we were ready to go. The weather was beautiful- sunny, 76 degrees, with a light breeze. I had studied the Island Explorer shuttle schedule and the 10 different shuttle bus routes and was looking forward to discovering the island using this method of transportation. One of the hikes I definitely wanted to do is called The Precipice. I believed there was no time like the present so we began with this hike. We used the Island Explorer to get around the National Park. It is easy to use, free, and convenient. We asked our bus driver to stop at the Precipice trail head and began hiking at 9:16 am. A few people had already finished the hike when we arrived and shared “the hike is more than we think, but it is worth it.”

Three, no four points of contact while climbing!

The Precipice was a 0.9 mile strenuous hike to the top of Champlain Mountain that used iron rungs and ladders to help us stay on the mountain. There were 100 foot drop-offs, straight up rock scrambling, adrenaline releasing vertical climbing (with the help of iron rungs), and the most amazing views of the harbor and ocean. I touched every iron bar that was available and definitely used the “3 points of contact” rule throughout the hike. And every step was worth it! We are old enough to know we might never have this opportunity again so we savored every moment, took our time to enjoy the climb and appreciated the view. I think this is a good way to live every day. It took us about 2 hours to get to the top where we see for miles. A few leaves on the trees were beginning to show their fall colors of red and yellow. They stood out sharply against the deep green of the pine and fir trees. We paused and relished the moment. After a bit of rest we needed to find the way down. It was not recommended to go back down the mountain the same way we climbed up; instead we were to hike down the North Ridge Trail and then the Orange and Black path. There was a sign post at the top of the mountain indicating 3 different routes that were marked with cairns. I may or may not have sent 3 people on the wrong trail by accident. I do hope they found their way off the mountain. Yikes! After taking many photos and wandering at the top for a bit we found cairns with a blue trail marker and followed this route back down the mountain. It was a pretty steep descent, but we were able to scramble over the rocks without too much difficulty. After we were half way off the mountain we found the wooden signpost indicating we were on the right trail. We continued down the mountain, hiked through the deciduous oak and birch trees, caught glimpses of the ocean and lobster buoys until we suddenly came to the end of the trail on Park Loop Road. It was a short hike back to the parking lot where we got back on the Island Explorer. We loved every minute of our 3 hours on this mountain.

The Loop Road route is a great way to get oriented to the island. We headed to Jordan Pond next, but got a little preview peak at Sand Beach along the way. There are a lot of hikes that originate at this spot so we’ll be back on another day.

There is a famous restaurant at Jordan Pond that serves lunch and dinner on the lawn. We had packed our lunch and ate it on the deck overlooking the pond and restaurant. We enjoyed the view, watching the people and their pets. There were quite a diverse group of people at Acadia who were all enjoying the gorgeous scenery.

Jordan Pond is the deepest freshwater body on the island and is used as its water supply so there is no swimming allowed here. The water was so clear you could see to a depth of 45 feet. We hiked for a few miles around Jordan Pond while enjoying the sights and sounds surrounding us. A loon swam along the shore searching for fish, birds sang sweet songs and chipmunks chattered and scurried among the trees. The boardwalk hike around the lake travelled through the woods and along the shoreline. It was a lovely 3.5 mile hike. We were ready to call it a day, so we headed back to the campground and took a quick dip in their pool that had views of the ocean.

Gorgeous Rides

One of the unique features of Acadia National Park is the 57 miles of carriage roads that pass through forests and mountains, and around lakes and ponds. They were built by J.D. Rockefeller Jr. on his private estate in the early 1900’s and donated to the Acadia National Park in 1940’s. These gravel carriage wind through the forest and around lakes and are used by horse drawn carriages, bicyclists, and hikers since no vehicles are allowed on them. We grabbed our bikes, entered the carriage road system from the Visitor Center parking lot, and leisurely rode for over 11 miles. The trails were well marked and the map was easy to read. This was a lovely way to enjoy the park.

We changed campsites to the Blackwoods Campground located within the National Park. A trail that led to the craggy cliffs overlooking the ocean beckoned us. From this vantage point we saw thousands of buoys floating in the bay. Each uniquely marked buoy identified the owner of the lobster trap which was sitting on the floor of the ocean. Our exploring led us on a 5+ miles hike through the woods and along the coast.

We arrived in Acadia at the beginning of the Night Sky Festival. That evening we sat on large, flat boulders at the edge of the ocean. The absence of the moon allowed us to see the Milky Way explode across the dark sky. We searched for satellites, shooting stars, and constellations and sat in awe of the majesty of our Creator. It was a sight to behold.

Bar Harbor is the largest town on the island and it caters to visitors offering lots of shopping, beautiful parks, and amazing restaurants. We saw 4 cruise ships in the harbor over the last 2 days and they all disembarked in Bar Harbor. The tide was out so Doug and I walked across the sand bar from Mount Desert Island to Bar Island. At high tide the water is about 6-10 feet deep, but for 90 minutes on each side of low tide you can walk across to Bar Island. In the 1930’s some residents of Bar Harbor wanted to build a bridge to Bar Island, but Rockefeller didn’t want a bridge to scar the landscape so he bought half of Bar Island to prevent the building of the bridge. Now visitors walk over at low tide. If you don’t pay attention to the tides, you can get stranded on Bar Island. Your options are to either wait 9 hours to walk back or call for a water taxi rescue at your expense. We were careful to watch the tides. One of our highlights was taking a cruise on the Margaret Todd, a 4 mast schooner. For two hours we sailed around the islands in Frenchman Bay. The crew enlisted our help, so Doug and I both volunteered to help pull up the sails. Captain Steve was masterful at taking us out of the harbor under sail while dodging all the lobster buoys. The ocean was relatively calm and we observed harbor seals and gray seals staring at us.

 

We enjoyed three hikes at Sand Beach and each was fantastic in its own way. Beehive Trail was a strenuous hike up the side of the mountain on a very narrow path that used iron rungs in a number of places. The view of the bay and surrounding islands was amazing. The Great Head Trail was a moderate 1.4 mile hike through the forest and around craggy rock cliffs surrounded by blue water. We explored tide pools as we walked on large granite rocks. The Ocean Path led us to Thunder Hole, where the waves crashed into a narrow sea cave causing the air to rush out. If you are there at the perfect conditions you can hear the sea roar. But for us the waves were gentle and the tide was too low to hear the thunder crash.

The most popular place to see in Acadia is Cadillac Mountain. One can drive to the top or hike up. We hiked it. It’s a 2.5 mile strenuous climb through hemlock, spruce, oak, and birch trees trekking on a pink granite mountain. We caught glimpses of the harbor with white sailboats, a huge cruise ship, and a few lobster boats hauling in the catch for the day. The view kept getting better the higher we climbed. As we neared the top, the incline increased along with my heartbeat. But it was easy to stop to look out at the beautiful island. About ¼ of a mile from the summit we noticed a group of people with binoculars staring over the edge of the mountain. We remembered our ranger told us there would be a group of people counting hawks. We paused to watch a few hawks soaring in the distance before finishing the climb to the summit. At the summit we found a spot out of the wind to eat lunch. We saw lots of islands scattered along the coast; Bar Island, the four porcupine islands, cranberry islands, and more. When it was time to leave I thought we’d go back the same way we came. A ranger said that the South Ridge trail was a more gradual descent with better views and it ended right at our campground. It was over 2 miles farther though. We chose this route. I am so glad that we did. The trail led us along the ridgeline until it gradually dropped us into the forest. The vistas were outstanding; hawks soared on thermals, chipmunks chattered along the path, the blue bay stretched to the sky and evergreen forests covered the mountains. Over and over we exclaimed, “Wow!”

For most of the 4.7 miles we hiked alone. Occasionally we encountered another hiker, but the solitude of the trail refreshed us. The trail ended at Highway 3 and picked up across the street in the Blackwoods Campground. The last .7 mile twisted through the forest, over tree roots and rocks. After our 10 plus mile hike, 22,000 steps, and 150+ flights of stairs our puffy camp chairs were a welcomed site. It was campfire time!

We said goodbye to Blackwoods Campground and headed about 48 miles to Schoodic Woods on the Schoodic Peninsula. Thankfully Doug drove because these roads were narrow. The view was gorgeous as we hugged the coast of Frenchman Bay. Lobster boats, sailboats, and cabin cruisers anchored in the harbor of quaint fishing towns. We drove through hemlock lined roads as seagulls circled searching for their next meal. Only about one in ten people travel to this part of Acadia National Park. Heavy fog and rain were forecasted for the next day so we took advantage of today’s beautiful weather. Ranger Bill recommended a bike ride on the gentle undulating hills of Loop Road towards Schoodic Point. I hoped this meant I could make it up the hills, but I knew I could always walk my bike (without too much shame).  With our hydration packs filled with water and armed with snacks we grabbed our helmets and jumped on our bikes. Ranger Bill knew what he was talking about. The Loop Road is not to be missed and seeing it on a bike is the best! I could not help myself. I kept stopping to stare at the sea. Several times we stopped to climb on the rocks to marvel at the view. Cadillac Mountain, the Porcupine Islands, and lots and lots of lobster buoys stretched across the bay. A Double Crested Cormorant fished for dinner. Each time he dove under the water a school of fish would jump into the air trying to escape him. We watched as time, after time, the cormorant would pop up with a fish in his mouth!

We reached Schoodic Point without difficulty, although I was a little nervous because it seemed like we had mostly ridden downhill so far. The road led to the end of the peninsula with a beautiful view of the sea scattered with islands. Doug and I sat on the large boulders scanning the sea for wildlife. The gulls were also scanning the water (and land) for dinner. We had already learned to guard our snacks from possible attacks!

We continued on the Loop Road stopping to gaze whenever we wanted. The bike ride was amazing. We easily found the gravel lined bike trail leading back to the campground. The paths were well marked with signposts pointing the way. As we biked to our campsite we remarked, “We definitely want to do this again before we leave.” So glad Ranger Bill shared this way to explore the area. 
The melancholy of our final day was real and bitter sweet. Our time spent in Acadia National Park is a treasured experience. Our plan for our last day was to bike the entire 11 mile loop adding a 3.0 mile hike on Blueberry Hill. We packed our sandwich and chips, filled our hydration packs with water, jumped on our bikes, and set off for the loop. It was a lovely morning; quiet, except for the chattering of squirrels and the singing of the songbirds. The rain of yesterday made the sun of today even more appreciated; the air was cleaner, and the smells of the evergreen forest were intoxicating. Knowing this was our last day heightened my desire to take it all in and to not miss a thing. I stared at the moss on the granite rocks, felt the wind on my face as I pedaled towards the sea, searched the forest for the elusive moose, and scanned the sky for the yet to be seen bald eagle.

I led the way and stopped frequently to walk on the rocks along the shore. Doug and I watched as an older couple aboard the lobster boat named Phancy, headed out to check their traps. We were amazed as they circled one of their light green buoys. They pulled up the trap, saved a few lobsters, threw back the ones that were not big enough, and then rebaited the trap to send it to the bottom of the sea again. They were close enough to the shore for us to see everything they were doing. Typically a lobster fisherman has 700-800 traps in the ocean that they have to check every 2-3 days. We saw many different colored buoys all along the shore indicating many different fishermen were trapping in the same area.

We headed to Schoodic Point; the farthest we could go on the peninsula. The tide was out and we walked down to stand close to the waves. We quietly sat to watch the seagulls, the ships, and the surf. It was snack time - for us and the black flies. The flies chased us back to our bikes. We rode to the Schoodic Institute and headed to the J.D. Rockefeller Jr. Visitor Center. Until 2002 it was used by the Navy as a listening station. During WWII and the Cold War it searched for foreign warships along the coast. We loved learning more about the history of this great region.

Doug and I left our bikes on Blueberry Hill and began hiking the Anvil trail to Schoodic Head. The trail led through the fir trees for about 1.5 miles as we climbed to the top of the mountain. The climb was easy and we appreciated the panoramic view of Winter Harbor.

We finished the hike and rode our bikes the rest of the loop. I did have to walk a little bit, but it was worth it. It was a great way to see the Schoodic area of Acadia National Park. We took one last walk around the campground as the sky turned orange and the sun set on our time in Maine.