Cadillac; North Ridge Trail

Hiking buddy: Marina

Weather: mid 60s and humid! 

Mountain: Cadillac (Acadia National Park)
Elevation: 1,530ft
Ascent: North Ridge Trail
Descent: Gorge Path and Park Loop Road
Miles of trail: 5.1

Total miles this year: 94.9

Almost to one hundred miles! Woot, woot!

The boss has me working later in the day today, so I took this perfect opportunity to hike Cadillac early this morning to watch the sunrise... and I was able to ring Marina into the plan. 

Hiking the North Ridge Trail of Cadillac is one of my favorites, and it absolutely has to be done to watch the sunrise. No other time of day works for this trail, in my honest opinion.

I picked up my hiking buddy around 3:30 this morning... yikes. We were on the trail by 3:45am, with our headlamp and flashlight out front and ready. The trails are so peaceful this time of day. The owls are hooting their goodbyes to the night, the birds are chirping in anticipation of morning, and there is not another soul on the trail. 

It took a few moments for my legs to wake up, funny how they don't like being used so early in the morning. And, very quickly, I shed my layers. It's going to be a hot and humid day today, folks. The breeze was warm, refreshing, instead of the cold chill the wind usually offers during sunrise hikes. 

The North Ridge Trail covers about 2.2 miles. A trail that has a good mix of tree cover and bare, open rock faces. You'll dive into the woods and pop out soon enough to a spectacular view. Something kind of like this:

 

That shot alone makes the early wake up call completely worth it. The trail can be quite steep at times, but there are sections that level off and offer your poor legs and lungs a little break. Each step brings a new perspective on the scene pictured above. There are few things I love more than seeing those islands and downtown Bar Harbor highlighted by the morning rise. 

I made the comment yesterday to my uncle that I usually point and chuckle at the cars driving up for the sunrise and call them "lazies". He quickly reminded me that not too long ago, I was one of those people driving to the top, instead of hiking. I was probably pointing and chuckling at the hikers calling them "crazies". Ha. Oh, where life takes you. It can be so surprising at times. 

Allllmost to the top at this point. The sun was just starting to poke its way above the horizon. 

Marina and I did a good job of booking it up this trail. I don't think I have ever hiked it in less than an hour, especially so early in the morning. Once we made it to the summit trail, we started walking down towards the sunrise. There were a ton of people huddled under blankets and jackets, sitting, watching God's masterpiece of a sunrise. I felt a little out of place with my tank top and sweaty limbs! 

We decided to head down the mountain via the Gorge Path. The Gorge path starts off of the summit path, heading down the east side of the mountain. It's a very steep trail, but offers wonderful panoramic views of the sunrise. 

We got a little creative...

I wish every morning could start like this. 

My favorite morning jam ("Good Morning" by Mandisa) always pops into mind during a sunrise hike up Cadillac:

"It's a good morning!
Wake up to a brand new day
This morning,
I'm stepping, stepping on my way
Good morning,
You give me strength,
You give me just what I need
And I can feel the hope that's rising in me.
It's a good morning"

One more shot before we headed down into the trees of the Gorge Path...

The gorge was quiet this morning... and buggy! Phew. My arms and hands got an exercise in. As usual, I enjoyed listening to the running water of the brook as my boots stomped the granite stepping stones on my way down. We came out on the Park Loop Road and had to backtrack about a mile to the car. Completely worth it.

What a beautiful morning. It's going to be a good day. Get out and hike!