Acadia has long been a bucket list item for me, and last week, my wife and I were able to spend 5 days there, visiting most of the checkbox places, while avoiding most of the deluge of Hurricane Larry.
Day 1: We traversed Cadillac Mountain from the North Ridge Trail to the South Ridge Trail, and walked through Blackwoods Campground to the Loop Road to pick up a bus back to North Ridge. This is the signature traverse (or at least signature peak) of Acadia and while the summit was busy (like Mount Washington), it wasn't a complete zoo thanks to travel restrictions and no cruise ships.
Cadillac Mountain, looking towards Bar Harbor, and Bar, Sheep Porcupine, Burnt Porcupine, Long Porcupine, and Bald Porcupine islands
Cadillac and its southern ridges from Dike Mountain, overlooking The Featherbed
After the bus dropped us off, we were forced to drive around The Loop Road (again) due to one-way traffic, so we stopped and did The Beehive in the late afternoon, having it nearly to ourselves. Snuck in to Mainely Meat for dinner a few minutes before they stopped seating people, ending a long first day in the park with an Atlantic Brewing Company Mountain Hopper IPA and a bbq sampler (ribs, sausage, pulled pork, chicken, beans, slaw, and potato salad).
Yours Truly, ascending The Beehive
Sand Beach from The Beehive (last cliff view below actual summit)
Day 2: Parked at Jordan Pond (early) and began a clockwise loop that took us over Penobscot, Sargent, (north end of) Jordan Pond, The Bubbles, and back south along the east side of the water. Except for the Jordan Pond portions and South Bubble, we saw very few people, making for a magical day of hiking up and out of the vanishing fog bank and into some extradordinary views. Dinner at The Chart Room was halibut with macadamia nuts and lobster sauce (excellent) and an ABC Bar Harbor Real Ale.
Overlooking Somes Sound from Sargent Mountain
Iconic view of The Bubbles from Jordan Pond
Day 3/4 was gray and rainy from Hurricane Larry and we saw Bass Harbor Light and Beech Mountain (day 3), and then wandered around Bar Harbor. It rained hard all night and then lightly the next morning, but we geared up for it and did the Ocean Path out-and-back from Sand Beach (day 4), including Thunder Hole, which, thanks to the heavy surf, put on quite a show.
Thunder Hole post Hurricane Larry
Day 4 eventually cleared to blue skies and since we were conveniently parked at Sand Beach already, we looped over Gorham Pond and then out-and-back to Champlain Mountain (avoided The Precipice). Went back to The Chart Room and got the halibut again (love fresh, local Atlantic halibut!) and an ABC 04609 Double IPA.
The Beehive (L) and Gorham Mountain (R) behind The Bowl from the south ridge of Champlain Mountain
Day 5, being a Saturday, found us on "the quiet side" of Mount Desert Island and we did a loop over Acadia, St. Sauveur, and Valley Peak, with really nice views of Somes Sound, the Cranberry Islands, and Norumbega/Penobscot/Sargent. Had a picnic lunch at Echo Lake Beach prior to driving home.
Somes Sound and Flying Mountain from Acadia Mountain
Tim
Day 1: We traversed Cadillac Mountain from the North Ridge Trail to the South Ridge Trail, and walked through Blackwoods Campground to the Loop Road to pick up a bus back to North Ridge. This is the signature traverse (or at least signature peak) of Acadia and while the summit was busy (like Mount Washington), it wasn't a complete zoo thanks to travel restrictions and no cruise ships.
Cadillac Mountain, looking towards Bar Harbor, and Bar, Sheep Porcupine, Burnt Porcupine, Long Porcupine, and Bald Porcupine islands
Cadillac and its southern ridges from Dike Mountain, overlooking The Featherbed
After the bus dropped us off, we were forced to drive around The Loop Road (again) due to one-way traffic, so we stopped and did The Beehive in the late afternoon, having it nearly to ourselves. Snuck in to Mainely Meat for dinner a few minutes before they stopped seating people, ending a long first day in the park with an Atlantic Brewing Company Mountain Hopper IPA and a bbq sampler (ribs, sausage, pulled pork, chicken, beans, slaw, and potato salad).
Yours Truly, ascending The Beehive
Sand Beach from The Beehive (last cliff view below actual summit)
Day 2: Parked at Jordan Pond (early) and began a clockwise loop that took us over Penobscot, Sargent, (north end of) Jordan Pond, The Bubbles, and back south along the east side of the water. Except for the Jordan Pond portions and South Bubble, we saw very few people, making for a magical day of hiking up and out of the vanishing fog bank and into some extradordinary views. Dinner at The Chart Room was halibut with macadamia nuts and lobster sauce (excellent) and an ABC Bar Harbor Real Ale.
Overlooking Somes Sound from Sargent Mountain
Iconic view of The Bubbles from Jordan Pond
Day 3/4 was gray and rainy from Hurricane Larry and we saw Bass Harbor Light and Beech Mountain (day 3), and then wandered around Bar Harbor. It rained hard all night and then lightly the next morning, but we geared up for it and did the Ocean Path out-and-back from Sand Beach (day 4), including Thunder Hole, which, thanks to the heavy surf, put on quite a show.
Thunder Hole post Hurricane Larry
Day 4 eventually cleared to blue skies and since we were conveniently parked at Sand Beach already, we looped over Gorham Pond and then out-and-back to Champlain Mountain (avoided The Precipice). Went back to The Chart Room and got the halibut again (love fresh, local Atlantic halibut!) and an ABC 04609 Double IPA.
The Beehive (L) and Gorham Mountain (R) behind The Bowl from the south ridge of Champlain Mountain
Day 5, being a Saturday, found us on "the quiet side" of Mount Desert Island and we did a loop over Acadia, St. Sauveur, and Valley Peak, with really nice views of Somes Sound, the Cranberry Islands, and Norumbega/Penobscot/Sargent. Had a picnic lunch at Echo Lake Beach prior to driving home.
Somes Sound and Flying Mountain from Acadia Mountain
Tim
