Beehive and Gorham ("The Combo" Take 2)

Hiking buddy: Alex

Weather: Low 50s, evening hike

Mountains: Gorham Mountain and Beehive (Acadia National Park)
Elevations: 525ft (Gorham) and 520ft (Beehive)
Ascent: Beehive Trail, Gorham connector, Gorham Trail (start in the north)
Descent: Gorham Trail (south) and Cadillac Cliffs Trail, and Ocean Drive back to Sand Beach
Miles of trail: 5.1

Total miles this year: 58.8

For my original post on The Hive, click here.

And, for Gorham Mountain, click here.

I love new hiking buddies! A nice long hike and dinner at The Whale afterwards, doesn't get any better than that...

So, the intent of doing Beehive was to show Alex a few "short cuts" that I had picked up from another buddy of mine last year. Do you think I could possibly remember all of them? No. You know me. But, I did remember a couple, and they certainly made the hike more interesting! Normally, I would say, "leave no trace!" However, it's hard to resist on The Hive. It's completely safe, I swear. 

Beehive

There's one of my favorite views! You all are probably getting tired of seeing this shot over and over again. I just can't help it! There's the Veendam heading back out to sea. I would like to say a whole bundle of Willis' jewelry was aboard that ship, but sadly there wasn't. Those 'dams certainly don't like spending money. Or, at least, they don't like spending their money on anything that isn't cheap, tourist crap. Seriously. 

We took our time, enjoyed the views and the warmth (while it lasted). Didn't want to call it a night on the hike, so we keep going and summited Gorham. Enjoyed a nice walk along Ocean Drive back to Sand Beach. Took a pit stop at Thunder Hole...

... I think it's time for a new camera! What do you think?

A Foggy Jaunt up Gorham and The Hive

Hiking buddy: Myself!

Weather: Low 50s, fog and rain

Mountains: Gorham Mountain and Beehive (Acadia National Park)
Elevations: 525ft (Gorham) and 520ft (Beehive)
Ascent: South end of Gorham Mountain Trail and Cadillac Cliffs
Descent: North end of Gorham Mountain Trail, ladder trail of Beehive (what else?!)
Miles of trail: 4.5

Total miles this year: 50.5

FIFTY miles. 

I'm a little giddy on the inside knowing that I am already a quarter of the way towards my goal of hiking 200 miles of trail within this hiking season! It may already be May, almost halfway through the calendar year, but the hiking has only just begun... and it will increase as work hours become more flexible and the weather becomes heavenly warm this summer. I'm super pumped!

I hadn't planned on hiking today, considering the weekend has been wet and dreary. But, there was a break from the rain this afternoon and I took full advantage of it!

For my original post on Gorham Mountain, click here.

For my original post on Beehive, click here.

The fog was rolling its way across the trail, it was so completely serene. I ran into a few other groups of hikers, but other than that, I was on my own. The waves at Sand Beach were crashing in the distance, as usual. It was just me, the pounding of my boots on the trail, and the sounds of nature surrounding me. It was quite perfect, actually. 

Usually, I'm not a fan of hiking alone. When it is just me, I try to bring the pup along for some company. But, today that wasn't an option. This was literally an impromptu hike after a long annual meeting (yes, another one!) and before another gig this evening. I had an hour and a half to get a good hike in. I still can't believe I fit Beehive and a walk along Ocean Drive into that time span. I was only a few minutes late to my dinner meeting...

Gorham Mountain

Gorham Summit

With absolutely NO view available, this was strictly a hike to get the lungs burning. It was quite nice, actually, to look around me and see nothing but the mountain for a short distance in front of me. It helped me focus on the moment, not on what's ahead. Good advice to be applied to life, don't you think? I know I can become too enthralled in thinking about the future, those thoughts can cloud my head all too easily. It's always a nice reminder to remember to focus on the here and now, live in the moment.

I decided to head down towards the north end of the mountain and try The Hive...

There's that view I love! The fog had receded just enough to catch a glimpse of the sandy cove. 

Now, I don't highly recommend hiking this trail after or during wet weather conditions... looking back on today, it probably wasn't a wise decision, especially since I hadn't told anyone that I would be doing Beehive. Don't worry, I already gave the back of my hand a little slap. The granite was definitely slippery, as well as the rungs. I took it one step at a time, and with the fog rolling back in, there wasn't a view to become distracted by.

Once safely off the ladder trail, I booked it down the mountain and back to my car. I already knew I would be late for dinner! That, and it had really started raining at that point. I contemplated hitching a ride back along Ocean Drive to my car parked on the other end... But, you know what? Everyone needs a little adventure in the rain every now and again!

Beehive and Champlain; South Ridge

Hiking buddy: Ian

Weather: 60, sunny!

Mountains: Beehive and Champlain (Acadia National Park)
Elevation: 520ft (Beehive) and 1,058ft (Champlain)
Ascent: The Beehive Trail, South Ridge Trail of Champlain
Descent: North Ridge Trail, Orange & Black Path, and the Park Loop Rd.
Miles of trail: 4.8

Total miles this year: 27.9

After a long evening and day of strategic planning, aka; sitting for hours on end,  I was ready for a nice, looooong hike. Probably should have shared that information with my hiking buddy, but I had a feeling he wouldn't want to go if he knew it was going to be a long one. And, I really wanted the company.

We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day for a long leisurely hike. The air was warm, the breeze was warm, the sun was shining. A beautiful spring day!

I wanted a challenge; something fun, interesting, and exerting of strength. The answer was very easy; Beehive! It is, after all, Acadia's very own jungle-gym. But, Beehive just wasn't going to be enough for me, I wanted more trail under my feet. Gorham would have been a nice addition, but not quite long enough. Champlain was the only logical answer. Luckily, I didn't have to twist Ian's arm too hard. Off we went!

I'll spare you the details of both peaks, since I have already described the trails in previous blogs, but I will share pictures with you from today's hike.

First off:

For my original post on Beehive, click here. 

For Champlain, click here.

The only change to the Champlain hike, is that we took the Orange & Black Path down to the Park Loop Rd. This trail branches off the North Ridge, and brought us closer to our end point than if we had continued down with the North Ridge. The Orange & Black Path winds along the east side of the mountain, eventually splitting into two options; one path meets up with the Precipice Trail, the other continues on down to the Park Loop Rd.

Pictures from today... enjoy!

The *classic* Sand Beach shot from Beehive

Weird lighting, but interesting perspective! Beehive

Champlain summit

Good company, sun shining on my face, a beautiful creation all around to explore. A wonderful day!

That's all, folks.

Beehive

Hiking buddies: Krista, Rachel and Becca

Mountain: Beehive (Acadia National Park)
Elevation: 520 ft
Trail up: Beehive Trail
Trail down: The Bowl Trail
Miles of trail: 1.5

Total miles this year: 12.7

I have been waiting very patiently this Winter for the perfect opportunity to scale the cliff face of Beehive. With a weekend full of warmer weather, this was the day! The air was warm, the sun was peeking through the clouds, and there was just a light sprinkle of rain... nothing too threatening. Of course, I was also happy to bring out the clamp-ons again, not going to lie.

There is nothing more exciting in the hiking world than taking a newbie on one of the cliff trails on the island. Beehive is the easiest of the cliff trails, in my opinion; an excellent place to start. Becca is only here for a semester while attending COA, and this was only her second mountain hike in Acadia National Park! Hmmm, perhaps we should have given her fair warning about the trail, I'm not quite sure she realized we would be venturing out on ledges along the face of the cliff... Warning: This trail follows a nearly vertical route with exposed cliffs that requires climbing on iron rungs. Yeah, we might have forgotten to mention that.

And, here we go!

It may be short in length... but, it's straight up!

You are very quickly rewarded with the first wonderful view of Sand Beach. The view keeps getting better and better the higher you go. From here, and especially during the off season, the little cove looks so serene. We could hear the waves rolling in, what a peaceful sound to listen to while enjoying the day and hike.

Rachel

 From this point on, get ready to see some iron. Bridges, and railings, and rungs! Oh, my!

Krista looks a little worried...

Becca, what a champ!

Trail companionship!

We kept the conversations going, took in the views, and had a great experience climbing. I always feel like I'm back in elementary school -out on the playground, hanging out on the monkey bars- while hiking this trail. Seriously, Beehive is Acadia's very own jungle gym!

Living on the edge

Almost to the top! We took some time to enjoy the view of the bay, facing south, before continuing through the trees to the summit. Feel like a kid again and climb the boulders, snap your scenic shots and shameless selfies; take it all in before moving on.

Time for a group shot!

For one of the smallest elevations on the island, the Beehive cliff trail is certainly strenuous. You're hiking 520ft in only 0.3 miles. What a thrill to reach the top!

I have hiked Beehive numerous times at this point, I was absolutely terrified the first time around. Although I am quite comfortable with the climb now, and often venture off the trail for a little rock climbing (shhh...), the only thing about the trail that scares me now is the thought of climbing back down the rungs and ledges. No, thank you! I highly suggest taking the less exposed trail down the north side.

The Bowl

Besides, you never want to miss an adventure at The Bowl! If you saw my post from yesterday, you can tell how warm it has been. You would not catch me out on that ice today! It's hard to believe that skaters were gliding away out there just yesterday. Venture out today, you just may go crashing through! 

On our way back to the car, I had to snap a shot of Becca at the cliff's trailhead. She is quite proud of her accomplishments for the day. Let us see how she fared against the park's rules for the trail:

Hikers should comply with the following:

• Dogs are prohibited
• Stay on the marked trail
• Avoid hiking in dark or wet conditions
• Avoid climbing down - use alternative return route
• Wear sturdy hiking shoes
• Do not throw or dislodge rocks

You've got your hiking boots and clamp-ons, no dog in tow, and you didn't succumb to the urge to throw rocks at your friends. Check, check, and check... Excellent job, following the directions, Becca! You pass. Two thumbs up!

Since we were already on Ocean Drive, and we had a newbie to the area, we just had to make a pit stop at Thunder Hole. It was slightly disappointing for those of us who have really heard her thunder, the time and conditions weren't ideal. However, the views of the coastline and open water are simply breathtaking, and worth the stop any day. Excellent finish to a wonderful hike with great friends. Can't wait to step out into the park again, soon. Stay tuned!