Tim Seaver
Well-known member
A quest for a mid-June mountainous experience in the Northeast that was free of black flies was found in the granite domes of Acadia National Park, where the season for the ravenous beasts is just winding down. Zippy ocean breezes the better part of the day were no doubt a big help. This "Grand Tour" route started from the Blackwoods Campground, where we left the van and walked down a service road to the Park Loop road, then north around Otter Cove to where a path leads down to Otter Cliffs and the Ocean Path.
Otter Cliffs at Not-Dawn
Cruising down the Ocean Path, we passed Thunder Hole, which was making noises more like a toilet than anything a Norse God might cook up. This has to be an amazing place when the sea is feeling saltier than usual, so amazing that there is a gate that is closed when the ocean gets a little too rowdy for the tourists, who of course have to wander beyond the guard rails all too often.
Next up was The Beehive, one of the classic "Ladder Routes" in the park, which sports sections with iron rungs and various other ferrous goodies. From here, we could look down at the parking lot for Sand Beach, which at this hour of the day had only one car. Not a sight you would see in the afternoon on a summer weekend.
Sneaking Past The Bees
Leaving the Lair of The Drones, the route then dips down to The Bowl, then up and over open areas of lovely pink granite and shrubbery en route to the summit of Champlain Mountain.
Mr. Chase showing proper English Hiking Form. Spats optional
A drop into a small col precedes a clockwise jog around Hugenot Head, and then another drop down to The Tarn, a small pond, where we had stashed some water at the road crossing. The Dorr Mountain trail was next, featuring some nifty stonework and a pretty good 1000' grunt up the face. From here, we could see the crux of the route, the Tourist Gauntlet on Cadillac Mountain, feared by seekers of peace and quiet worldwide. I'd show you pictures, but I don't want to scare anyone off.
At this point in the day, the lighting began to exhibit various degrees of suckiness, discouraging much photography from this point - but the route was still very interesting and beautiful. We traveled around Eagle Lake, sauntered over Conners Nubble and the North Bubble, then cruised Bubble Notch down to Jordan Pond.
Eagle Lake from a Nubble. Or was it a Bubble?
Next was the Sargent Mountain, which featured long stretches of open ridge and very gradual grades on the upper slopes. Coming back down to Jordan Pond, we then headed back north to so that we could travel North to South over Pemetic Mountain, which had a short but interesting little canyon of sorts that the trail winds through (if one takes the "Ravine" option when presented by a lovely little sign)
Exiting The Ravine. Pemetic NW Trail
The adventure wound down passing over The Triad, and then down to one of the carriage roads. The trick to getting back to the start of the loop is descending the side trail from the bridge on the carriage road over the Park Loop Road here, then walking against the flow of traffic ( or lack thereof, in our fortunate case) to where the Loop Road passes underneath Route 3, where another side trail at the bridge is used to get up on the road. The Blackwoods Campground is then only a short walk back Northeast on Route 3.
A Ferny Turn Earns a Final Gasp
Trip total is roughly 23 miles and about 7000' gain. Good stuff! Definitely recommend a mid week visit combined with an early start, it makes all the difference in the world.
GPS track in GPX format.
