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!

Champlain; North Ridge Trail

Hiking buddy: Just me!

Weather: mid 70s 

Mountain: Champlain (Acadia National Park)
Elevation: 1,058ft
Ascent: North Ridge Trail
Descent: North Ridge Trail
Miles of trail: 2.0

Total miles this year: 112.2

There was a hike last Sunday that involved Norumbega Mountain (via The Goat Trail), sadly, I did not take any photos... 

Thursday morning, I woke up bound and determined to get a really good hike in, another solo. Last week when I headed out on my drive toward a trail to hike on my own, I was between Penobscot and Champlain and went with Penobscot. So, for this solo hike I went with the other; Champlain! 

I love the North Ridge Trail. 

It has a little mix of everything for a hiker enthusiast such as me. Open granite faces, bushy trails through the trees...

And an amazing view of the ocean... 

 ... when it's not so foggy out on the water! Ha. 

The summit was crowded, a little too crowded for my liking. I ventured down toward the water a ways and found a nice perch to read on. Eventually the people left, and it was just me, my thoughts, and nature. Those are the best moments. 

 I snapped a quick shot from the summit before heading back down the mountain. What a beautiful afternoon it was!

Penobscot Mountain Trail

Hiking buddy: Just me!

Weather: low 70s 

Mountain: Penobscot (Acadia National Park)
Elevation: 1,194ft
Ascent: Penobscot Mountain Trail
Descent: Penobscot Mountain Trail
Miles of trail: 3.2

Total miles this year: 107.0

What a morning! 

Thank you, to my boss, for changing up the work schedule... it may have taken me out of my "ordinary" lineup for the week, and I may have been a little hesitant about having all this free time to myself today... but, instead of freaking out, or laying around at home being lazy, I stepped outside the box. I went hiking... alone. 

Completely alone. No Phoebe. No music. No familiarity except the trail and the mountain. Just me, my thoughts, and nature. And, you know what? It was absolutely wonderful. 

The park loop road was craaazy busy today. Most of the side pull-offs and parking areas were full. Lots of people walking, hiking, running, biking, enjoying the beautiful morning. I guess I can't really complain about that. I was luckily able to snag a spot in the newly renovated Jordan Pond parking lot. Looks good, guys! 

I walked along the nature trail to the Pond House, and then connected with the carriage road and hiking trails. I passed an older couple, tackling the trail with their hiking poles. They were looking rather determined, but not in any rush to get anywhere too quickly. I hope I am that awesome and fit when I'm their age.

Now, the trail looked entirely different than the last time I was out on it... back during the lovely extended winter months, only in Maine. Check out the entry here. We're talking snow, ice; the works. And now, the trail is green and buzzing with life. Literally. You will be so proud, there was one moment on my hike down where I stopped to do some reading at an overlook... and a bee started buzzing around my feet. Normally, I would leap up and scram! But, I'm learning to be still. So, I did... I was still. And the bee went on its way. Funny how that works. 

Anyway...

The first overlook is always worth a stop, there's even a little granite bench to perch on and take in the sights. 

Just around the corner, I hit the blueberry motherload...

They're ready to be picked! I saw many hikers squatting in the bushes today... to pick the blueberries, of course. 

The wonderful thing about this trail? The last mile is completely above treeline. The sun was beating down on my face and back as I climbed up the open granite face of the ridge. Thankfully, there was a wonderful, cool breeze to offer moments of refreshment from the heat. The sky was a clear blue, without a cloud in sight. I could see for miles in all directions. 

Looking towards The Bubbles and Cadillac

Looking back towards the south end of the island

Now do you see why it is mornings like this that I love? To be alone, yet not entirely alone. To see for miles, yet only focus on the two feet in front of you. To feel the hot rays from the sun, yet feel the tickle of a swift breeze across the back of my neck. Ahh, I want to go back already. Who needs to work?

After a quick selfie at the top, and one banana later, I started my trek down the mountain. I love hiking this ridge down, it's almost as if you could just keep on walking straight toward the ocean. Instead of just seeing piles of granite boulders in my way (when hiking up), I am able to look out over the ridge, see the surrounding islands, the enormous body of water and the horizon (on a clear days such as this). That puts a little zip in my step. 

Just a little glimpse through a cairn. 

I soon came upon the older couple I had seen earlier. They were slowly, but surely, making their way to the top. I stopped to chat for a few moments. The gentleman asked if I had already hiked my way to Sargent and back... now, there's an idea! I've gone from Penobscot to Sargent via the East Cliff Trail of Sargent, holy butt-buster... never again. However, there is another route that connects to the South Ridge Trail of Sargent. A hike for another day!  

When I reached the first overlook, just before the trail dips below the trees again, I decided to sit awhile and read. I've just started reading a book called Doing Life Differently; The Art of Living with Imagination, by Luci Swindoll. She's a southern lady with gumption! Completely living her life differently than what was expected of her from her family and even from herself. A little tidbit from what I read today;

"Whether adventure takes us to our own backyard or to a distant continent, 

the spirit of adventure is all about staying on the lookout-

keeping our eyes and our hearts open 

and participating fully in the moment we've been given as a pure gift. 

We have a part to play, a song to sing. 

Each experience life serves up is an opportunity to savor a moment we will never taste again."

So many of us have forgotten what is means and what it takes to be still. To stop rushing. Why are we always in a hurry? It's as if we are afraid of missing something, or we're always in a hurry to move on to the next item on the agenda for our lives. Or, how about those electronic devices and social media outlets? Can we "unplug" ourselves from those? Get out from behind the screen and step out into the world. An adventure is waiting for anyone who truly wants it. All it takes to get the momentum going is a simple step out the door. And then, it's as easy as being still and savoring the moment. Look with your eyes at the textures and colors of nature. Listen to the music of the birds, the grasshopper's symphony, buzzing of the bees, rustling of the leaves and grass, running water and hustling waves. Smell the sweet scents of flowers, or the poignant aroma of pine. Taste the blueberries! Touch the granite, tree trunks, leaves... Savor the moment. And that's all pretty easy to do when you're out enjoying the park, so give it a go. 

Happy Hiking!

Great Head

Hiking buddies: Jamie, Arnie, Dan and Xin

Weather: low 70s 

Mountain: Great Head (Acadia National Park)
Elevation: 149ft
Ascent: Starting at the Great Head parking lot, taking the Great Head Trail clockwise.
Descent: Completed the Great Head Trail loop, hiking clockwise
Miles of trail: 1.8

Total miles this year: 103.8

Half way there! Woot, woot! Reaching my goal of 200 miles this year doesn't look too far off...

Side note: I did my first semi-solo hike in a long time the other day, I had to take Phoebe with me, of course. Friday morning she and I set out for the South Ridge Trail of Pemetic Mountain. We covered 3.2 miles under our boots and paws. About a quarter of the way up the mountain, a lovely bee decided to buzz in my ear and wouldn't leave me alone. Bees are not my friend, usually. And this guy just wouldn't leave me alone. So, of course I panicked and bolted up the trail until the little bugger of a buzzer left us at the treeline, thank goodness. A beautiful day overall on the mountain top. I didn't take too many pictures, it was more of a hike to be outdoors in my thoughts and listening to God for guidance. A soul searching hike. Everyone needs something like that now and again. And it was wonderful. 

On to Great Head!

There's a hike every Sunday, you can count on it. Except, this time around, we had a bit of a time crunch. Although, don't we always? This Sunday was the World Cup match between Germany and Argentina. Arnie, an avid soccer spectator, was not about to miss the match, not only that, he had to be home in time for the pre-game show. 

With an hour to hike, we had to pick something short and lite. I shouted out ideas like, Gorham, Beehive, Beech... and Great Head (which, coincidentally, I hadn't done yet this year). 

Great Head has very little elevation gain, and the trail that loops around the tiny peninsula offers a balance of, well, everything. From Sea cliff views to birch tree and pine forests. Multiple ascents, descents and areas of level path. Planks, open granite faces, gravel and dirt pathways, and boulder scrambles. It's the perfect hike to enjoy the scenery, enjoy the company, and enjoy the simple delights of nature... without working up sweat, yet still working those legs and lungs!

Btw... This hike received two thumbs up from all parties involved. I believe I was actually called a "genius" for recommending this hike to the group. Haha. I don't usually toot my own horn, but I do know how to plan my hikes well!

Here are some shots from the day...