Champlain; The Precipice!

Hiking buddy: Arnie

Weather: mid 70s 

Mountain: Champlain (Acadia National Park)
Elevation: 1,058ft
Ascent: Precipice Trail
Descent: North Ridge Trail and Orange and Black Trail
Miles of trail: 2.4

Total miles this year: 114.6

I wasn't in the best of moods this past Friday morning. But, let me tell you what brightened my morning rather quickly; The Acadia National Park Facebook page had posted a status saying that ALL trails are now OPEN. That means... The Precipice Trail is free to climb! Now that put a smile on this girl's face. 

The Precipice was a goal of mine a couple years ago; coming from a girl who is quite terrified of heights, this was a big goal that I didn't actually accomplish until last Fall. After that first experience on the trail, I was hooked and in love. The thrill, the views, the diversity and intensity... make this trail an absolute must for any avid hiker finding themselves in Acadia and wondering what trail to possibly do. Look no further than the Precipice. Seriously.

Too bad I had to deal with a flat tire before heading out on my adventure with Arnie (who at the time still thought we were hiking Cadillac; the original plan). Dealing with that little hiccup made this hike even more of a necessity.

I was soon filled with the determination to take the Precipice by storm... and drag Arnie along with me. He might have been a little hesitant at first when the idea was first "suggested", but he agreed nonetheless. 

The Precipice Trail is nestled along the east face of Champlain Mountain. With an elevation gain of 1,000 feet, the trail is almost nearly vertical and very well exposed. Now, there are definitely some areas on the trail that are not for the faint of heart. There will be plenty of iron rungs and ladders, cliff hanging views, tight squeezes, narrow ledges, and overall exhilarating climbing obstacles.

For the first day of the trail being open to hikers, there were quite a few people already "in the loop" about the good news. The parking lot was packed! I was worried that the trail would be rather congested, thankfully, it was not. We didn't even cross paths with hikers trying to hike down the trail. FYI, it's not a good idea, and can actually become quite dangerous in places; that's when accidents happen. 

I know, that I know, that there are many words I could use to describe my favorite trail to you, the reader (yes, I have officially dubbed The Precipice as my #1 favorite hike in Acadia), but I've decided to let my photos take you on the hike, enjoy...

The first glimpse of iron!

And the first glimpse of the cliffs... intimidating!

Short boulder field

View from the top of the boulder field

The first exposed cliff!

Don't look down...

The last challenge of the trail...

We made it!

The blueberries were HUGE.

Proud of his accomplishment...

The view was much more clear today!

 So, there you have it; The Precipice Trail from a lens.

What amazed me on this attempt, was that there was a very tiny little dude hiking the trail with his father. We're talking no older than 6 or 7 years. And he had no fear in his eyes. I watched him hike a stretch with determination and then casually take a seat and say to his father, "it's time for a little break." They would rest a moment and then the boy would get up bound and determined once again and attack another stretch of trail. I wish I had that amount of bravery and guts when I was younger. Truly, the little man took me by surprise. And he was really rather short! I wonder how much the father had to lift and boost the little guy... 

After a quick look around at the summit, and a snack of plantain chips from Ecuador (thanks, Arnie!) we headed down the North Ridge Trail. We turned onto the Orange and Black Trail and took that all the way down to the Park Loop Rd. After a short walk along the road, we made it back to the car, and the hike was done. Absolutely perfect. 

There might have been a discussion about possibly biking the entire Park Loop Road this coming Friday. Stay tuned!