Acadia Vacation

Vacation is over. We got back yesterday. I go back to work tomorrow. DW is at work today. DD starts school Thursday. Labor Day isn't until this weekend but, Summer is over. Acadia was wonderful.

The vacation started off a little rocky. Last Monday, I took my truck in to have new shocks put on & to have my brake light fixed. I'd mention to my mechanic the steering seemed a little sluggish & asked him to take a look at it. It turns out my tie-rods were about to let go. He didn't recommend driving my truck around town very much let alone take a six hour trip to Maine. So I brought the truck back in early Tuesday morning to have the tie-rods done. My mechanic said he'd have it done by noon. So much for an early morning departure. However it beats driving off the road on the Maine Turnpike or losing control of the truck on a hairpin turn coming off Cadillac Mountain. The truck was done by 10; we were on the road by 11.

The drive up was okay, long but, scenic. I had booked us a week at a place called Bass Harbor Campground in Bass Harbor. The first night wasn't promising. The hot tub mentioned on the website was nonexistent in reality. No hot water soaking for DW. Plus, the first night we were there we got stuck next to a couple of asshole bikers playing loud music, drinking beer, & talking too loud until 1:30 in the morning. Luckily, they left the next morning otherwise we would've moved out.

After that we got to know a nice Canadian family camping to our right. They were down from Quebec. When the wife found out I had been to Acadia several times before she would use me as a travel guide every morning to help plan out their day's hikes. They had a 9 year old daughter who played soccer with DD in the evenings. After the noise of the first night (beer farts & drunkards) it was nice to listen to the sounds of children playing.

Our hiking was excellent. Acadia National Park is beautiful but, the thing I like most about it is its accessibility to all levels of hikers. No matter the skill level you can find a nice hike. I had planned out more ambitious hikes than we had done on our previous trips.

The first day hiked the North Ridge Trail to the top of Cadillac Mountain. The guidebook listed the hike as strenuous. It was. I was the family mule & had about 25 lbs on my back (water & food). Which still made me lighter than the last time we'd been on these trails. I let the ladies set the pace. It was much slower than I would've done on my own but, at least we were all hiking as a family. There's an auto road that runs up Cadillac Mtn. When we got to the summit, we arrived at an area with large parking lot & sidewalks. A poured wheelchair ramp circled around the actual mountain top. After a two plus hour hike through a natural environment it was both anticlimatic & a little surreal. DW was pooped so, DD & I went back down the North Ridge to retrieve the car whle DW rested.

The next day DD & I hiked this mad trail on Champlain Mtn called the Precipice. It's considered a climbing trail vs a hiking trail. A lot of the trail goes along narrow ledges with steep drop-offs & several vertical ascents. You traverse them by using these iron rungs pounded into the rock face. It's not a trail for the faint of heart & not a place to be if you're afraid of heights. It's like a jungle gym for big people. Well, we went up the Precipice to the top & descended down the Bear Brook trail, back to the car to retrieve my patient wife.

Later that day I went for a 5 mile run, my only run of the trip. I thought we were getting sufficient exercise from the hikes.

The third day the three of us went up a trail called the Beechcroft Trail. Out goal was to take it to a section called Hugeonot Head. Up to that point the trail is moderate, however I missed the section in the guiebook that said Hugeonot was accessible only as a bushwhack. I was looking for a trail that didn't exist. As a result we continued on Beechcroft that became difficult (DW wasn't thrilled & DD's legs hurt a little bit from the Precipice)but, I pushed them to the top. Again, the top of Champlain. Once again we took Bear Brook down to the car.

The fourth day DD & I did the Beehive. Another sick little climb with iron rungs & ladders. DW got partway up & chose a different route. DD & I had fun. I loved the fact she was so adventurous & willing to try new things.

The final day of hiking we went to the top of Pemetic Mtn. DD & DW legs were a little sore but, I really wanted to get one more good hike in. The trail was steep & strenuous but, I kept pushing them. At one point we entered a gorge that could only be exited by using some wooden ladders at a couple points. Cool. Even DW liked them. Pemetic was very nice at the top. We hiked down a trail that led down to Jordan Pond. In deference to the ladies sore legs,I left them at the Jordan Pond house (where they had soup & popovers) & took the Jordan Pond trail & sidetrip up the South Bubble Trail back to the car.

The final day of the vacation was the only day of rain. DD had a 3 PM doctor's appointment Monday as well. So, we packed up her tent& everything but, our big tent & sleeping bags & hit the road early yesterday. We stopped at LL Bean in Freeport on the way down & made the Dr's appt with room to spare. It was nice to be home.

Although I only ran once I think I did pretty good. I hiked a total of 16 miles on some pretty rugged terrain. I did run 5 miles. A total of 21 miles on a 7 day vacation ain't bad. I think I'll do pretty good at WI this week too. I had only one day where I drank more than two beers & my eating was pretty controlled. We'll see.

I don't have to work today. I'm going to spend the day putting away camping gear & setting up the new Bose sound system.

The Summer is over.