Acadia National Park, September 2021

vftt.org

Help Support vftt.org:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

bikehikeskifish

Well-known member
VFTT Supporter
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Messages
6,096
Reaction score
541
Location
New Hampshire
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.

y4miiWMLbiL3Hz1jOLAh3dPEUNtYmCr1mosVEqiQfunooODFzHDCIC7CYE9UmeymjX7P2vt1qbmGiwxZMxklc7VQkcdlnxckbMauDzxypciiaVXWopruC-CSfiYpMIDRpZLK_s6tdy8heBwBGpbwBTyYPr6KKdlgJjz7z3YXqtY7Fs7DmSJ3y32DBinfvuhB8mZ

Cadillac Mountain, looking towards Bar Harbor, and Bar, Sheep Porcupine, Burnt Porcupine, Long Porcupine, and Bald Porcupine islands

y4mGp-SxEDtnt0BIsmY04cFlT0n5DGw8VcWLSyxAU---A8IAG66PvK0F2aut__qIwAAqi7PvfLOjk6GG5IRfQRj6X9cQB8Tzkh_RcI56BCgPILWvdp8685mPwih14fMQsu4mOh34P4inKIu_0gMzFv5qJfbG6fwQCXYbiE7SBAYBa5mJOn8MgOIoIhiNVXprCsv

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).

y4moi2VyQXxbVl3cnbGrEbbSd0RiBk5sMrDAYTu3EiJWzrGOAuxp70vrtbp-wXVdx9wLjgKfkMwu17dnwz8KE_FEIw9cA3G93G79y08PqJTgy9vstjvlAVKUXD_moLdg-q-6CSkM9A2oeY0fHY8RN36C-HFHvLtS3NA_jMvygm0A9N2EKsB6sjEBB2xy5zdaKtz

Yours Truly, ascending The Beehive

y4mdmkfyUu_F_LeDOju1PRQ29U5w4RbiksDmt7Td6EmYyE-j9WI1fdgQR_0FWSSsFu1bHTZ2IhyKS7s8q7vmDLAAbjlezArTpRwyxTl-hepPC37uwV7JeP534dEcB6lEg5NEmq_ASy6A__cHj9LUeME5GsB9htO3ud0xlCftnvJEP8L25h5tX4yoA_bZ3c3jOjj

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.

y4mfDqPjAU9KShMJ3TxO5lzRqyqVfPNOU24I36cqIWcAJ2cuAw2Ch6gIt6nzxX4cTGZiuDZRKkxXdDRgRB-txmxf3j9AX7S8DgTgmPsRJeuI0_SQ4fTChe0B8j9xFRgftBKQ9EKIB7d76g75Al_rC1cbg1ZtP272N4ws_joYcSxFcuimmDM7WUepKxuKMzpd0pY

Overlooking Somes Sound from Sargent Mountain

y4mFnsYEUHdgPG9id8LQuaKAe6dXvjW9uHxAG2pFpfxPifJ5JTmR3NzTxNULciSxMxSjcBl5ZGZ-co328HRqWvaFUa5Cj4pEkQ3kPiYYuVo8A1c2UEacEKLHCeQs90RhvtxaTMr4mfgdCsrJvktnYaUCvyvMRKGNcY5UPAmG4MUIoV8IvUUsjmMQQb7vJUTDuWB

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.

y4mFgEC2iS443ETvGKMxUpzOUC4SpNia1lm_9zVOrNFacP796Bh9EYWxRsJrXi9Gkcyhl4U8XnfauQQpr37MjCh2oAydvDyTzDDImm-NwtQSH30oFMyT7l3694NVT3ts8ZmZ7pADRKbwomT29P404k9gJZprj-r_8IZZTDIWjRf2GtsmRp8WmMgKxONAb5xYkif

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.

y4mPvTixeby-k47YCiX3ve73DJiPei1IvA1oc7CRmlS6vnClpAwXoRE40V9-3vtnlrdq8EguIGCejU47O_tQrdIk64-TzhTrQJkGnk6FjHtwSsrQ0OzffMXIIFx5AsInyg8j9n6u6wy795pBb7pQN8iYtpUKRQyDueq5tsivhIGeh_Tvtifl9vbbog4CqpnM3-d

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.

y4mc72WlAgJFBHRhSQ82c3VBfFnhwiJce_7dQMW0yIStnXM4I5fu4eNzt1ooTGxq_WmRFTY4exffGIfyYmnFdLsoYK494Eh5riqjLlcCdEcrS-B0j9ERrt2cPX1dX-hykwpEqK0tS7QaHLRrsDhkIcl8mBicHN5Ww_IreiBc8Jmw922ChV9tXl4HUyyNJbA-LM1

Somes Sound and Flying Mountain from Acadia Mountain

Tim
 
Great pics and looks like some pretty great weather. Glad to see that you got some sweet Thunderhole action. Thunderhole thundersucked when we were there in April.
 
Ah yes, Acadia National Park, the scene of one of my life's greatest humiliations. Back around 1985, I was one of the leaders of a group of campers there. As the first one on the scene, everything was registered in my name. During the course of the evening, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. People got drunk, people disappeared, searchers got lost, others got rowdy and disturbed nearby campers while people I was counting on failed to live up to their responsibilities leaving me in the lurch to try and hold things together and deal with the authorities. In the end, no one died and everyone made it home safely (miraculously) but we were summarily kicked out of the park. While I was personally innocent, we as a group certainly deserved it. I've never been back there. I think they probably have my name on a list and it's not their Christmas list either.
 
Perhaps the statute of limitations applies and I am safe to return after all these years. I did have another uneventful and positive trip to Arcadia circa 1980-82 on which we climbed Cadillac and went to the Blowhole and managed not to get in any trouble. Real nice photos btw Tim. Thanks for posting those.
 
Ah yes, Acadia National Park, the scene of one of my life's greatest humiliations. Back around 1985, I was one of the leaders of a group of campers there. As the first one on the scene, everything was registered in my name. During the course of the evening, everything that could go wrong did go wrong. People got drunk, people disappeared, searchers got lost, others got rowdy and disturbed nearby campers while people I was counting on failed to live up to their responsibilities leaving me in the lurch to try and hold things together and deal with the authorities. In the end, no one died and everyone made it home safely (miraculously) but we were summarily kicked out of the park. While I was personally innocent, we as a group certainly deserved it. I've never been back there. I think they probably have my name on a list and it's not their Christmas list either.
Sounds like Barnes Field back at the beginning of the century.
 
Sounds like you had an awesome trip! We spent a few days in Bar Harbor as well with hikes up the Precipice and Beehive. The swells from Hurricane Larry pounding the Acacia National Park coastline was incredible! We too ate at the Chart Room each night with delicious seafood, outstanding service and and quick after making our order.
 
Been there many times. Done the N to S as well. Usually stay at Blackwoods Campground. Hike out of there over to Beehive etc. as well. We now only go to Acadia off season due to the crowds. Last time early spring had snow and ice and was good hiking. We can take our Golden then and only see 6 people or so. We will go in Nov or so this coming fall.
 
Top