Beech Mountain; West Ridge and South Ridge

Hiking buddies: Alex and Pheebs

Weather: low 70s, sunny

Mountain: Beech (Acadia National Park)
Elevation: 839ft
Ascent: West Ridge and Beech Mountain Loop
Descent: South Ridge and Valley Trail
Miles of trail: 2.5

Total miles this year: 85.9

I love morning hikes. Nothing gets you more pumped and energized for the day than a nice hike on a sunny, summer morning. Of course, good company helps, too. 

I had mentioned in a previous blog entry on Beech Mountain that I had never hiked the South or West Ridge Trails before. You can read that entry by clicking here. I was encouraged by a friend of mine to give them a shot sometime. Well, that sometime was this morning! 

Phoebe can always tell when I'm getting ready to go out on a hike. It's quite hard to get out the door without her noticing and wanting to tag along. This time around, I just couldn't look into those sweet, puppy dog eyes and tell her "no." Therefore, she had to come. Alex didn't mind; they're new bffs. 

The West Ridge Trail heads straight up to the summit as it overlooks Long Pond. I'm sorry to say that I really don't remember too much about the trail- just that it was steep, I huffed and puffed, and the views overlooking the pond were breathtaking. Alex does a pretty good job distracting me. 

This trail is another fine example of the dedication it took from volunteers to build the trails in Acadia, and the dedication it continues to take to keep the trails well maintained. I can't even begin to fathom the man power, sweat and time that went into cutting, lugging and placing those stone steps. Kudos to all involved! 

We took a nice long break at the top. Pheebs was going nuts with all the hikers around today. Beech Mountain was a popular place to be. 

I love the fire tower on top of Beech. The observation deck offers a spectacular view of the surrounding area. 

It took a little convincing to get Phoebe to climb the metal stairs, but she did it! Although, she wasn't quite sure what to do while up there...

Don't jump!

All tuckered out...

We took a quick snapshot selfie before heading back down the tower, I suppose we had to let others enjoy the opportunity the fire tower provides.

I probably could have stayed at the summit all day long. The weather was gorgeous, sun was shining, people were coming and going. It was so peaceful sitting on top of the world. But, alas, I had to get on down the mountain to go to work. Whyyyyyyyy. 

Fancy cairn

We took the South Ridge Trail down the mountain. Now, this was a nice trail winding through the thick forest, full of open granite faces, stone steps, and (again) wonderful views of Long Pond. 

Fini. 

A beautiful start to my day, in so many ways.