alspal
New member
This was my first visit to Mount Desert Island, but my appetite has been whetted and I hope to go back again. The family vacation to Nova Scotia left me hobbling after straining a hamstring racing in Halifax. I tried to make the best of it by jogging (not running) for a couple of days. Running uphill would be easier as I’d go slower and shorten my stride.
I studied the maps carefully and planned out a run that would get me up Cadillac via Dorr Mountain. Cadillac is billed as “the highest point on the Eastern seaboard north of Brazil”. I’m still not sure what that means but it is also the high point in Hancock County, which makes it more attractive as a destination (for me).
I headed out from Bar Harbor (sea level) and ran to the Great Meadow loop which is a very nice trail that loops around Keebo Valley golf course (the eight oldest golf courses in the country). The trail is primarily crushed stone, flat and smooth and the two mile loop is very scenic. I jumped off at Hemlock road, an old carriage road, and then reached Hemlock trail. Hemlock trail is where the climbing started, with 200’ of climb in .2 miles. I then turned onto the North Ridge trail which climbed another 900’ in .8 miles. The trail was excellent! There were a lot of open ledges where you could look out over Bar Harbor and see how much altitude had been gained.
The wind really picked up in the last quarter mile and I had to steady myself on the summit marker (1,270’) to take some pictures. A little over ½ mile away I could see people on the top of Cadillac. I only spent a couple of minutes checking out the view as I only had another 30 minutes to meet the gang on Cadillac and check out the sunset.
The Notch trail from Dorr to Cadillac was very steep in spots as it dropped nearly 300’ in .2 and then climbed over 500’ in .4. I could run some of it, especially the upper parts on bare rock, but a large portion was spent power walking.
I met up with the family, who had driven up, at the parking lot and was really surprised by the sheer number of people on top. The lots were full. Unfortunately the clouds had rolled in and there would be no sunset to watch. I noticed that no one seemed to go to the true summit. Most were milling around the paved path and the slight rise which had some pretty nice views. The true summit was behind the information stand/snack bar up a dirt road. I think most avoid that summit as it is almost surrounded by trees.
The group decided to drive up again on Friday in hopes of a sunset, so I looked into another route. I ended up running out the shore path which is a nice walking/jogging path along the ocean, then doing a mile of the Great Meadow loop. At this point I went down the Jessup path which has a nice section through a big meadow. The views of Champlain Mtn, Dorr, and Cadillac are impressive from the meadow. This time I ran up Hemlock trail and continued to Gorge path. I found some of the trail markings to be a bit tricky as they didn’t always name the trail but named the destination. I ran down Gorge path to the loop road and did and easy ¾ miles on the road up to the North Ridge trail.
I high recommend the North Ridge trail; it was the best trail I’d been on that week. There were many views along the way with a great deal of open rock to run across. There were only a few sections of rocky path and steep ups where you had to be a bit more careful. The last 7/10ths were almost all on open rock with great views of the summit and the Harbor.
I topped out and again was amazed at the number of people on the top. Once again I was the only one who went to the actual summit. Both days I met up with my wife and my two sisters and their husbands and we piled into the car for the ride down (bad hamstrings are not helped by downhill running). I tried to convince them that my sweat had restorative properties, but with my injury history no one was buying it.
I’m already looking forward to going back next summer with bike and running shoes to see how much I can see!
Stats:
Day 1 – 44 minutes to Dorr Mountain and 15 minutes to Cadillac. Total=59:36 for 5 miles.
Day 2 – 40 minutes to N Ridge trail and 34 minutes to Cadillac. Total = 1:15:13 for 6+ miles.
I studied the maps carefully and planned out a run that would get me up Cadillac via Dorr Mountain. Cadillac is billed as “the highest point on the Eastern seaboard north of Brazil”. I’m still not sure what that means but it is also the high point in Hancock County, which makes it more attractive as a destination (for me).
I headed out from Bar Harbor (sea level) and ran to the Great Meadow loop which is a very nice trail that loops around Keebo Valley golf course (the eight oldest golf courses in the country). The trail is primarily crushed stone, flat and smooth and the two mile loop is very scenic. I jumped off at Hemlock road, an old carriage road, and then reached Hemlock trail. Hemlock trail is where the climbing started, with 200’ of climb in .2 miles. I then turned onto the North Ridge trail which climbed another 900’ in .8 miles. The trail was excellent! There were a lot of open ledges where you could look out over Bar Harbor and see how much altitude had been gained.
The wind really picked up in the last quarter mile and I had to steady myself on the summit marker (1,270’) to take some pictures. A little over ½ mile away I could see people on the top of Cadillac. I only spent a couple of minutes checking out the view as I only had another 30 minutes to meet the gang on Cadillac and check out the sunset.
The Notch trail from Dorr to Cadillac was very steep in spots as it dropped nearly 300’ in .2 and then climbed over 500’ in .4. I could run some of it, especially the upper parts on bare rock, but a large portion was spent power walking.
I met up with the family, who had driven up, at the parking lot and was really surprised by the sheer number of people on top. The lots were full. Unfortunately the clouds had rolled in and there would be no sunset to watch. I noticed that no one seemed to go to the true summit. Most were milling around the paved path and the slight rise which had some pretty nice views. The true summit was behind the information stand/snack bar up a dirt road. I think most avoid that summit as it is almost surrounded by trees.
The group decided to drive up again on Friday in hopes of a sunset, so I looked into another route. I ended up running out the shore path which is a nice walking/jogging path along the ocean, then doing a mile of the Great Meadow loop. At this point I went down the Jessup path which has a nice section through a big meadow. The views of Champlain Mtn, Dorr, and Cadillac are impressive from the meadow. This time I ran up Hemlock trail and continued to Gorge path. I found some of the trail markings to be a bit tricky as they didn’t always name the trail but named the destination. I ran down Gorge path to the loop road and did and easy ¾ miles on the road up to the North Ridge trail.
I high recommend the North Ridge trail; it was the best trail I’d been on that week. There were many views along the way with a great deal of open rock to run across. There were only a few sections of rocky path and steep ups where you had to be a bit more careful. The last 7/10ths were almost all on open rock with great views of the summit and the Harbor.
I topped out and again was amazed at the number of people on the top. Once again I was the only one who went to the actual summit. Both days I met up with my wife and my two sisters and their husbands and we piled into the car for the ride down (bad hamstrings are not helped by downhill running). I tried to convince them that my sweat had restorative properties, but with my injury history no one was buying it.
I’m already looking forward to going back next summer with bike and running shoes to see how much I can see!
Stats:
Day 1 – 44 minutes to Dorr Mountain and 15 minutes to Cadillac. Total=59:36 for 5 miles.
Day 2 – 40 minutes to N Ridge trail and 34 minutes to Cadillac. Total = 1:15:13 for 6+ miles.
