Ship Harbor

June at the ocean. Nothing like it, except maybe July and August.  And oh, yeah, September, too.  Come to think of it, the ocean offers something cool every month.  But this past weekend, the weather was perfect.

The Ship Harbor Trail at Acadia National Park is one of our faves. The 1.3 mile trail winds through nice woods, opens, to quintesential Acadia rocky shore with tidepools, curls along the serene harbor, down to a small rocky spit with great rock skipping opportunties. The terrain is very easy to walk, has lots to see, and is short enough for little legs to enjoy!

The Ship Harbor Trailhead is just about five miles south of Southwest Harbor, past Seawall, and Wonderland, and the trailhead is on the left.

On the way home, the options are numerous, Beals in Southwest Harbor or Thurston's in Bernard for in-the-rough lobster!  The Dry Dock Cafe in Southwest Harbor is a nice sit-down place if that is .

Acadia National Park map at:  http://www.nps.gov/pwr/customcf/apps/maps/showmap.cfm?alphacode=acad&parkname=Acadia%20National%20Park

We have done this loop scores of times; it was Leah's first Acadia visit when she was just a few weeks old.

Flying High on Flying Mountain

Mother's Day at Acadia; who could ask for anything better?

We decided to revisit Flying Mountain, on "the quiet side" of Mount Desert Island, overlooking Somes Sound.  This is nice little hike with a rocky beach, some good climbing, a nice traverse, and an easy down.

Finding the trailhead is easy, too.  Once on MDI, bear left onto 102 south towards Southwest Harbor; follow approximately 9.5 miles.  Turn left on Fernald Point Road (Causway Golf Club sign at the intersection).  Follow Fernald Point Road for about a mile, the parking area is on the left just after the cove.

 

This is a nice loop trail we have done both directions.  This time, we started on the fire/carriage road rather than the trail.  The road is wide, grassy, lined with cedars, and about half a mile to the ocean.  This nice rocky inlet on Somes Sound has gentle lapping waves and nice views across the water to Seargeant Drive. 

 From the beach, the trail leads up and over Flying Mountain and arrives back at the parking area in just about three quarters of a mile. Walking up the northern side of Flying Mountain, nicely placed stone staris make the ascent very fun for litte legs.

The up is just about a quarter of a mile and the trail traverses the top of the ridge and over some nice exposed rock.  The summit is an unbelievable 284 feet above sea level, but the views over Somes Sound and the open Atlantic are beautiful.  The descent is very short, and bumps over some rocky spots until the nice piney areas drop right into the parking area. 

After the hike, a trip into Southwest Harbor for lobster is fun.  Southwest Harbor is bustling during the summer season when things are open, but if SWH is shut tight, the Town Hill Market heading back on 102 has sandwiches and ice cream! 



This is last year, but I love how much
she grew in just a year!



 Map at:  http://www.nps.gov/pwr/customcf/apps/maps/showmap.cfm?alphacode=acad&parkname=Acadia%20National%20Park

A Nice Day at Day Mountain

Ah, March in Maine.  Some years we've been skiing on a great base of snow; other years we've been hiking on nearly dry rock.  This year, we've watched the snow melt under torrential rain, and we are anticipating another six or so inches of snow this afternoon.

Fortunately, we have been able to take some advantage of the nice weather and hike at Acadia.

The Day Mountain hike is fantastic for little and big legs alike, it is a great mix of wooded trail, open rock, and carriage roads, all with fantastic Acadia views.

The ascent is about three quarters of a mile on a nice trail that is not very steep or challenging, but very exciting.  The first quarter of a mile is roughly half plank boardwalks; this is a great way to encourage any little hiker!  The rest of the trail moves through nice piney areas and over sunny open rocks with ocean views.  There are options for the walk down - you can either take the same trail back, or the carriage roads wind down the mountain, crossing the hiking trail several times.

Map at http://www.nps.gov/pwr/customcf/apps/maps/showmap.cfm?alphacode=acad&parkname=Acadia%20National%20Park

Getting there is easy:  Follow Route 3 south of Bar Harbor, past Blackwoods Campground and Cooksey Drive.  The parking area is on the left and the trail is on the right.

Clam Chowder for Lunch!

On Saturday morning, at the breakfast table, Andrew asked Leah what we should do that day.  "Lets take a ride to Sand Beach and go to the Thirsty Whale and have clam chowder for lunch."  Sounded like a plan we couldn't refuse!

This time of year, we park near the Schooner Head Overlook area and walk the closed road to the path on the "other side" of the beach.  The road was not plowed, but basically clear, and the trail was slushy, but likely just wet by now.  The weather was perfect...chilly, but not cold, sunny and nice.  We were not able to cross the torrent that is usually crossable once we got to the beach, so we had a small sliver of sand and lots of rocks to play on.  I love seeing Sand Beach at all different times of the year, but this is one of my favorites.

Leah had a good plan in mind, and after a nice walk, some beach playing, and a hungry walk back to the car, we needed Chowder. 

If you are more interested in just a quick beach visit and more time for chowder, the park loop road winter entrance is across from the Schooner Head Overlook and the Sand Beach lot is generally open all winter, along with a small stretch of loop road that brings you past Thunder Hole and Otter Cliffs, and pops out on Route 3 half way between Blackwoods Campground and Bar Harbor.  The Thirsty Whale is on Cottage Street in Bar Harbor.

Map:

http://www.nps.gov/pwr/customcf/apps/maps/showmap.cfm?alphacode=acad&parkname=Acadia%20National%20Park

Orono Ski Trails

Have I recently mentioned how lucky I am?  No, then let me say it...I am so very lucky - and for so many reasons!

Reason number 74:  Several groomed ski trail systems in Orono!

UMaine Recreation Trails are easily accessible from the student recreation center and are groomed for both skate and classical skiing.  I am just learning to skate and am glad there are no real hills on campus.  Even the slightest inclines feel like mountains to my novice legs, arms, and lungs.  There are many good loops to ski and there are maps at most intersections.  An online map can be found at:  http://umaine.edu/campusrecreation/filestorage/trailmap2010.pdf

Campus trails are great for little legs new to skis as there are short woods-loops and flat field loops, along with many deer friends watching quietly. 

Newman Hill, Orono Land Trust 

Really?  A Hill?  In Orono? Yes!  Beautifully groomed trail network that brings us past ponds, up hills, down hills, on a rail trail, and into the Caribou bog.  I like classical skiing there, but those good at skating also enjoy the trails...I'm just not there yet! 

From the center of town, take Forest Ave to Taylor Road, drive approximately three-tenths of a mile, and turn left at the split onto Putnam Road and parking lot is on the left.

http://www.oronolandtrust.org/pdf/newman.pdf

Morse Mountain

Morse Mountain is a very neat family outing.

From Bath, Maine, take route 209 to route 216 in Phippsburg (just past where 209 turns toward Popham Beach) and a left onto Morse Mountain Road (pvt.).  There is a parking lot up the hill on the left.  Just be aware that when the lot if full, they do not let anyone else in.  We arrived around 10am on a beautiful October Sunday morning, and the lot was roughly a third full, but when we left around 2pm, the lot was full.

The conservation area is managed by Bates College for conservation, research and recreational activity.  The one and three quarter mile "hike" is really an old road (paved many many years ago) that through a salt marsh, past beautiful ledge, through the woods, and goes up and over Morse Mountain (elevation 180ft). At the summit, are a few private homes, but the view over the marsh to the ocean is stunning, and on a clear day, you can see Mount Washington (it was pretty clear, but we didn't see Mt. W.).  Going down the hill, the road goes through marshy areas, some very old trees, and out to a nearly deserted beach with large rock outcroppings, healthy grassy dunes, and long stretches of pristine sandy beach.

We were there at low tide and the beach was wide and inviting.  The walk in is the only way to access the beach, and access to the walk is restricted, so the beach was basically ours to enjoy.  The water was chilly, but Leah and I did splash in the surf and we all enjoyed playing in the sand, looking for beach treasures, and running in the wonderful autumn warmth.

On our walk back, we saw a porcupine asleep in the sun, resting in the crook of a big old pine tree.

Borestone Mountain

We hadn't hiked Borestone in quite a few years, and are glad we remembered it!

About 8 miles east of Monson (up near Moosehead) on Elliotsville Road, is the Borestone Mountain Audubon sanctuary. This is part of Maine's one hundred mile wilderness. After the bridge over Big Wilson Stream, follow the signs left. The parking area is up the hill, over the railroad tracks, and on the left.

From the gate, the Base Trail leaves the access road and heads left, through piles of shale, climbs steeply through some really nice big old trees- hemlock, spruce, aspen, maple, birch, and other magical beings. The trail is filled with interesting staircases and can be steep. 

After about three quarters of a mile, the trail meets the access road and continues about a quarter of a mile to the Audubon visitors center and two small ponds.  It is very spectacular to see the autumn foliage reflected in the pond.

There is a donation box at the visitor's center.  There is an area that invites us to make fairy houses in the jumble of rocks and soft ground.   Leah loved this area; she loved finding the little houses that many others had tucked into thick moss, nestled in the duff, and perched against trees..  She and Andrew spent a long time perfecting their beautiful little spot. We decided not to bag the peak, but to turn back at this point,; we followed the access road about a mile and a quarter down to the car. Along the access road, there is a spur trail to a lookout. This makes a nice two-ish mile loop.

For a more adventurous day, the trail continues from the pond up the side with scrambles and some nice climbs (I remember iron handholds...) and up to the beautiful open peaks in about a mile.  The many mountains of the Moosehead area are visible, as are bunches of lakes and ponds.  This is a particularly sweet time of year for sweeping views.