Acadia Grand Tour 6/12/2012

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.

I get to Acadia at least half a dozen times a year. I find a long day there with continuous up and down wears me out more than any 4000 footer. It often gets overlooked by a lot of peakbaggers because of low elevation but it is beautiful place.

That's a big loop! Looks like a fun day though! Nice pictures, thanks for sharing.

What a great hike, Tim! We were there Tuesday thru Friday and hiked several, long to us, (10 mile) hikes in Acadia. As several others mentioned, you can't disregard the fact that the trails can be challenging even though they aren't White Mountain hikes.
Certainly would agree this is the best time of the year to venture in Acadia before the endless crowds, once the summer season begins, hit the trails.
Donna

There's a good reason Acadia is one of our national parks! I especially like your shot of the rounded beach stones and insistent but gentle waves.

My favorite time in the park was sailing into Sommes Sound for an evening anchorage on the Schooner Summertime. Next morning we watched a fawn obediently waiting in hiding just above the water line on the rocks for her mother.

My least favorite was a comedy of errors, beginning with me forgetting the inserts to my x/c boots and thinking I could compensate by tighening up on the laces, thereby cutting off circulation. We abandonded our skiing and made our way as quickly as possible to a parking lot, where Brian waited with our gear while I caught a ride back to our car. But my car wouldn't start, despite attempts to jump it, so I took an offer from a family of a ride back to get Brian, and they would bring us both to our hotel. However, the "father" wouldn't listen to my directions on where to go and brought me far out of the way. Everything finally worked out.

Glad you had a good visit. Too bad you just missed VFTT friends.

What a fantastic day Tim! While we've done all these trails before, you've really managed to put them together into an epic trip! I agree with Ellen - the photo of the round stone beach at Otter Cliffs if just spectacular. Really captures the feel of this magical place so well. Thanks for providing a grand tour of one of our very favorite places on earth.

Love love LOVE the first photo!

As always, Tim, you find new ways to inspire, both visually and physically!

I love Acadia! We haven't been in a couple of years but your photos may have inspired me to plan another trip in the near future. Thank you.

Sweet loop!

I've hiked all those peaks but not as 1 big loop.. Could be a primo mid./late-octo. hike to extend maine foliage hiking season.. hmmm.. too bad about the sucky light, I was hiking in the grafton (west) loop trail that day, light due to haze was so bad it hurt to look! thanx for sharing!

Wow !
Thank you for this report and the pictures. I was thinking to visit Acadia this summer but I wasn't quite sure. Now I am

Julie

Tim, your report and photos are superb! And speaking of photos, as others have mentioned, that first one is quite special! I even like the caption beneath it, i.e. "Otter Cliffs at Not-Dawn".

Very cool Mr. Seaver!
I had one adventure in Acadia early one spring where we did a similar shorter loop and had some grand sheeys of ice to deal with. I'd love to get back up there for a weekend sometime.