Good news - both shacks survived. The windows and doors are intact and the inside was dry. The siding and all the shingles survived; nary a piece was missing.
The State Police have established a check point. No one is permitted to travel on Dock Road unless you can prove that you own property there.
The insurance company representative was compassionate and helpful. He gave us the go-ahead to secure a dumpster so we can begin the clean up quickly. He suggested that we get a photo of everything we throw away. Family and friends have been most supportive. We are grateful.
Not So Good - Three of the four staircases have been washed away. Both utility rooms were destroyed. We will need new water tanks, water heaters, water filtration equipment, washers and dryers, plumbing and electrical work. All the tools and toys stored in the "basements" were destroyed. One of three trailerable boats sustained significant damage and all of the grandkids boats have vanished, even though they were strapped down. The docks, boardwalk, and gardens are gone too. The water was at least 4 feet above the ground level.
Wind speed at the height of the hurricane was recorded at 89 mph.
Clean up and repair might take a while. We started today but didn't get much accomplished. We'll need a dumpster for junk and a place to secure the stuff we can salvage.
It's bad but it could have been much worse!
I'll down load pics when I get a chance.
Sunshine almost always makes me high! (John Denver)
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
HURRICANE SANDY
The media build up began almost a week before the hurricane arrived. In the day's prior to its arrival, we secured everything in preparation for high water and hurricane force wind.
We evacuated on Sunday (10/28), going to Sandi's home in Medford.
On Monday (10/29), We watched hurricane reports on the news. The Governor declared a state of emergency and discouraged people from driving. Many roads were closed. The rain was torrential and neighboring towns reported max wind speeds of 88 & 89 mph. We made no effort to head back to check things out. The road floods routinely in spring tides, so there was no chance that it would not be flooded now.
On Tuesday, 10/30, we tried to get back to the shacks. The road was under 3 to 4 feet of water. We couldn't get within 1 1/2 miles of the houses (just past Tip's Hardware). A neighbor, wearing bib wadders, walked in at 0500 (low tide). We caught up with him at Tip's. He reported that the water was waste deep in front of the shacks at low tide. We expect that the things in the basements have been destroyed by salt water intrusion (water heaters, water tanks and filters, washer and dryer, refrigerator, tools, and lots of other stuff etc). Our boats are apparently still there. He did say the helmut blew off the motorboat motor and is gone. The houses are there but we don't know about their condition. If the roofs and windows are still intact, we should be okay.
We are fine and anxious to get started on the clean up. We'll try to get through tomorrow.
Hope to post pic's soon!
More to come.
Sent from my iPad
We evacuated on Sunday (10/28), going to Sandi's home in Medford.
On Monday (10/29), We watched hurricane reports on the news. The Governor declared a state of emergency and discouraged people from driving. Many roads were closed. The rain was torrential and neighboring towns reported max wind speeds of 88 & 89 mph. We made no effort to head back to check things out. The road floods routinely in spring tides, so there was no chance that it would not be flooded now.
On Tuesday, 10/30, we tried to get back to the shacks. The road was under 3 to 4 feet of water. We couldn't get within 1 1/2 miles of the houses (just past Tip's Hardware). A neighbor, wearing bib wadders, walked in at 0500 (low tide). We caught up with him at Tip's. He reported that the water was waste deep in front of the shacks at low tide. We expect that the things in the basements have been destroyed by salt water intrusion (water heaters, water tanks and filters, washer and dryer, refrigerator, tools, and lots of other stuff etc). Our boats are apparently still there. He did say the helmut blew off the motorboat motor and is gone. The houses are there but we don't know about their condition. If the roofs and windows are still intact, we should be okay.
We are fine and anxious to get started on the clean up. We'll try to get through tomorrow.
Hope to post pic's soon!
More to come.
Sent from my iPad
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Home!
We left the White Mountains yesterday morning. It was cold and raining... a good time to leave for sure. We planned to stop at Stokes State Forest in NJ for the night, hike up Sunrise Mountain in the morning and head home in the afternoon. Unfortunately it was raining pretty heavily when we awoke, so we skipped the hike and drove home. Spent the afternoon cleaning and prepping the 5er for storage until the next time.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Hiking the White Mountains
Friday, September 28, 2012 Happy Birthday, Rose!
Today is our youngest granddaughter's birthday. Since retiring several years ago, we have enjoyed many travels. We always get a little homesick when we miss special events in the lives of our children and grandchildren. The melancholy is palpable. To ease it, we have have a party of our own during which we make a corny video to send to the birthday celebrant. We hope that these will become digital keepsakes for them to watch as they grow older.
So what do hikers do in the rain. Most hike, but not us. It is too wet and too cold to hit the trails. Instead, we did laundry, visited the Weather Discovery Center to find out about Mt. Washington's unique weather. Among other things, we learned that it was 30 degrees at the summit this afternoon with a wind chill in the 20s. We also learned that the average wind speed at the summit is 37 mph.
In the evening, we went to the Conway Cafe, a dining establishment that has an attached small movie theater. "Belle Island" starring Morgan Freeman was the feature. Anna Marie and I both enjoyed it.
Saturday, September 29, 2012 The Russell Culbath House, the Rail and Trail Loop, and the Sabaday Falls Trail
The plan was to do visit the historic Culbath House then do two short, picturesque, easy trails (the Rail n' Trail Loop and the Sabaday Falls Trail), have a picnic lunch and finish the day with the more difficult, longer, Greely Ponds Trail.
We accomplished the first three items in good order and even had time to wander through the old cemetery at the historic site. The Culbath house was very interesting. The interpreter told several stories regarding its history, including a tale about Priscilla Culbath. It seems that one day after supper, her husband, Tom, told her that he was going into town (Conway) for supplies and that he'd be back. When he didn't return by nightfall, she put a kerosene lamp in the window. He still hadn't returned by the next morning and she began to worry. A search party was formed and after several days of searching, with nothing to show for their efforts, the members of the search party went back to their lives and work.
For the next 39 years, Priscilla placed a lit lamp in the window each night, never losing faith that Tom would return. Three years after her death, Tom returned. He had heard of her demise and returned to reclaim his property, only to find Pricilla's next of kin had sold the house. For a couple of weeks he was a celebrity of sorts. Everyone wanted to know where he went and what he had done. He never answered the questions directly, and to this day, no one knows why he left.
The Rail Trail was very easy and scenic too. Lumbering was a common wintertime endeavor and each small stream had a saw mill. Eventually they built tracks to connect the logging camps so a train could gather the logs and take them to the mill. There was an interesting display about the cutting and shipping of "mast" trees used for masts of sailing ships. In pre Revolutionary War times, huge white pines from the White Mountains were harvested for England's Navy.
Sabaday Falls Trail has some decent elevation gain as you walk up to the falls. It is very picturesque and even though it is uphill, the trail is easy. We got some nice pictures of Sabaday Brook, the falls and the Basalt vein that is between two granite ledges. The Basalt is softer lava rock that erodes faster than the granite.
Our attempt to do the Greely Ponds trail was foiled. We arrived at the trailhead to find the parking area filled to capacity! With no room to park, we chose to do the Church Creek Loop near the Pasaconway Campground. After a very short walk from the trailhead, we found that two bridges integral to the trail bridge were destroyed last year by Hurricane Irene. They haven't been rebuilt and apparently won't be.
By now we didn't have enough daylight left to star a longer trail, so we drove the Bear Notch Road, built by the CCC boys from The Blackberry Crossing Camp (our current campground). We drove to Bartlett, home of Attitash Mountain ( think skiing), found the Covered Bridge Gift Store actually built in an old Covered Bridge, and had a great dinner at the Cabin Fever Restaurant.
In the evening, we went to McDonald's for free coffee and an Internet connection.
Sunday, September 30, 2012 On the Move!
Today is moving day! We're leaving Blackberry Crossing CG and the Kancamagus Highway area, headed north on Highway 16 to spend a few days at Dolly Copp CG which is pretty much in the shadow of Mount Washington. We hoped to hike the highest mountain in New England, but the shorter days, cold temperatures, especially at the summit, are making us reconsider. For the next week, only Tuesday promises to have little or no rain. Other than that, the rest of the days have from 40% to 60% chance of showers. We are prepared and have the requisite equipment, but certainly don't want to take a chance with hypothermia. We'll see what happens later in the week.
It was cold ( high of 51) and rainy today. We broke camp in the rain and set up in the rain. Because of the weather, we explored the nearest town (Gorham) by car. It's a small town, but there are a couple of fast food restaurants and a WalMart. We also visited the Androscoggin Ranger Station and the Applachian Mountain Club's (AMC) facility in Pinkham Notch.
There is a good chance of showers tomorrow, but we have selected four shorter hikes (from 1to 4 miles) to do if we are able to dodge the rain.
Monday, October 1, 2012 Yikes - It's Cold Again!
Another cold, dreary day is upon us. We've had our fair share of rain lately. We find things to do, but do not enjoy hiking in the rain and mud, so our outdoor activities have been curtailed a bit.
Today, we took one of the scenic drives through the White Mountains. On our travels, we found a nice restaurant/gift shop call the Wagon Wheel in Jefferson, NH. We sampled their maple baked beans, broccoli soup and corn chowder, and we bought a couple of trinkets too.
We stopped at the Mount Washington Cog RR to check it out. We watched two trains start up the hill. They were quickly lost in the fog. Fifteen or so minutes later, a different train descended out of the fog, followed shortly by another. It wasn't too much later when the two we watched start up the hill returned. Now there were four trains at the base station. It seems there was a problem of some sort or another.
One person reported that there were hurricane force winds at the summit. The two trains we watched go up only went as far as the tree line before returning. The trains were canceled for the rest of the day.
Our next stop was Crawford Notch RR Station. The attendant told us that the Conway train stops there for about 1/2 hour. Passengers can disembark and shop in the gift store or walk to the AMC hut for a quick meal.
We made it back to the CG for dinner and then went off for shopping and a wifi connection at McDonalds. Along the way we were pulled over by the local Police. Apparently I was doing 49 in a 40 mph zone. The officer asked me to pay closer attention to the speed. This is the second time this week an officer has asked me to do that! Funny thing is that I almost never exceed the speed limit. I will have to pay closer attention!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012 The Great Gulf Trail!
The Great Gulf section of the White Mountains has been a protected area since 1964. We went deep into the woods of the Great Gulf today, our longest hike yet, five hours with one short snack break and a quick lunch break. The trail was easy with a mere 950' elevation gain.
The Gulf area has had many bear incidents in the last two years. Hikers and tenters have been harassed by bears when their food is not stowed properly. We learned that there is a $5,000 fine if you don't stow your food properly. Of course if the bear eats you, you won't much care about a fine! We kept a sharp eye out for bear the entire time we were in the Great Gulf.
The only thing we saw, besides a few birds, butterflies, insects and squirrels were three snakes. They blended in so well with their surroundings only their movement gave them away. I'll have to key them out later since I didn't recognize what kind of snakes they were.
When we reached the bluff, we had a great view of Mount Washington. It's the first time since we've been here that the summit was visible. We could clearly see vehicles traveling the Mount Washington Auto Road.
After dinner, we made our usual trek to the Loal McDonalds for a Wifi connection and coffee.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012 More Rain!
Even though the temperature reached the mid to upper 60s, more rain showers put a damper on our activities. That and the fact that I wasn't feeling up to snuff meant it was going to be a light duty day.
We got going at about 0900 so we could check out the conditions on the summit of the big hill. Visibility at the summit was 150 feet, not worth the trip up. We hope to go up when the visibility is clear.
There is a model RR museum in the neighborhood, so we thought we'd check it out. Along the way, we stopped in Jackson, a typically neat, New Hampshire ski town. We have been getting a kick out of "the Pumpkin People" who have returned to the area this week. Local business seem to take pride in displaying pumpkin headed, stuffed, mostly life sized characters in creative ways. Along the route today, we stopped to take a few pictures of the pumpkin people. Of the ones we photographed, our favorite was the Zombies in "Michael Jackson's Thriller." we didn't get a pic of the "Village Pumpkins" think the Village People)!
The model RR museum was disappointing even though they have a huge collection of rolling stock. There were several small layouts. They weren't anything to write home about. The Hobby Shop was very impressive. They have a huge stock of model RR stuff in all gauges. We can't imagine they would ever have enough customers to buy all that stuff.
After resting up back at the CG, we headed out later in the day to Conway and the Songwriters Open Mike Night at the Conway Cafe. The crowd was much smaller than last week and there weren't nearly as many singer/songwriter/performers. The host, Ed Gallagher, got to play more than last week. We like his material. Much of his stuff is humorous and works very well in this setting. He has a nice relaxed style and plays very well.
Thursday, October 4, 2012 The Hobo Train!
Another day of rain showers and drizzle is keeping us off the trails. Instead of walking, we drove to Lincoln, about 60 miles distant, home of the Hobo Train.
It was a pleasant, scenic ride that lasted for almost an hour ant a half. We opted to have the Hobo lunch aboard. The turkey sandwich, chips and giant cookie were a bit overpriced at $10.00 per, but we enjoyed them all the same.
On the way back home, we got some interesting shots of "smoke in the mountains" in the Franconia Notch State Park.
After dinner, we hopped in the truck to make the 12 mile round trip to McDonalds for coffee and tea, and a Wifi connection. After updating computer software and checking e-mail, we made our way back to the CG where we took a late evening walk around our section of the CG.
Friday, October 5, 2012 The Mount Washington Auto Road and The Tuckerman Ravine Trail
The weather was parfect for a trip up Mount Washington. We arrived at the Auto Road, made reservations for a narrated tour and enjoyed a light breakfast in the Great Glen Lodge. From the window wall in the lodge ,the buildings on the summit of Mount Washington were clearly visible. There wasn't a cloud in the sky.
By the time we boarded our "stage coach," a cloud appeared and the summit disappeared from view. We had a most enjoyable ride to the summit. The vistas are breathtaking. The summit was another story. The cloud reduced visibility to perhaps 50 feet. We could hear the Cog train coming up the mountain but didn't see it until it reached the summit. Even then, it was like a faint shadow. Besides the cloud, the temperature was probably 20 degrees colder than at the base and the wind was howling, perhaps blowing in the mid to high 30s. It's a good thing we brought our winter jackets, wool hats, and gloves.
When we returned to the base, we enjoyed a picnic lunch, basking in the near 70 degree temperature and enjoying the fall colors and the views of the Presidentials.
After lunch, it was time for some exercise. We didn't have enough time to hike to the summit, but with luck, we might make it to Hermit Lake on the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. We walked the trail for about 1 3/4 hours. Just about 1600 hours, we ran out of time. We decided to turn around to make sure we had plently of time to get off the mountain before dark. We had not made it to the Lake, but we did achieve a milestone of sorts... We actually passed two hikers while we were on the way up!
In the evening, we went to the AMC facility to watch the movie, "48." it chronicles the adventures of people who hike the 48 four-thousand plus foot mountains it New Hampshire. We have no intention to try to do the 48, rather, our goal is to do one... The tallest at 6,288 feet, Mount Washington! We probably won't do it in the few days we have left here, but perhaps next summer...?
Saturday, October 6, 2012 The Flying Yankee!
One of the tourist maps we found had a cryptic notation about the "Flying Yankee." That notation was very close to a notation for the Hobo RR. While we were there the other day, I inquired as to the where abouts of the "Flying Yankee." the young lady behind the counter said they have it out in the yard. "They," I inquired? "Yes, they... The State of New Hampshire now owns the "Yankee," I was told. "They're having an open house on Saturday, " she added.
Given the forecast for rain again, we decided to visit the train. I last saw the Flying Yankee in static display at the Edaville RR in Massachusetts many, many years ago. Sometime in the 90s, as the Edaville RR was disbanding, a guy from NH decided it needed to be restored to running condition. He bought it, moved it to NH and put together a board to oversee the restoration. Before the restoration was completed, he sold it to the State.
The board continued to work on the restoration. They put a lot of effort and money into the restoration and there's still a long way to go. One of the Board members estimates the remaining work will cost about $2 million. The Flying Yankee cost the Boston and Maine RR $275,000 in 1935. During its 22 years of service, the Flying Yankee traveled in excess of 2.75 million miles. Its initial route was 750 miles per day between Portland and Bangor, Maine and Boston, Massachusetts. Its top speed was near 100 mph. It completely changed train travel. Prior to the Yankee, passengers would be covered by soot that came in thru the open windows. There was no air conditioning or heat for that matter. The ashes belched out of the smoke stack of the steam engine. The Flying Yankee was diesel-electric and provided heat or A/C for the comfort of the passengers. In fact, the windows didn't open. It's futuristic design and stainless steel skin made it look like something new and different.
The areas of the train that have been restored look great. It will be nice to see it back on the rails!
Sunday, October 7, 2012 The Lost Pond, the Wildcat Ridge, Glen Ellis Falls, the Glen Boulder, and Direttissima Trails!
Trails, fording a stream, scenic waterfalls and even a tunnel made up today's hike. After parking in the AMC Pinkham Notch lot, we crossed Route 16 to the head of the Lost Pond Trail. We hiked through aromatic forests, over rocks, boulders, and plank bridges to the very picturesque Lost Pond. If it really was lost, I can tell you it isn't any more.
There were lots of people on the trail today. In fact, there have been lots of people all weekend. People flock to the White Mountains on Columbus weekend. Most are leaf peepers who stay in their cars and drive around, but there was a significant increase in traffic on the trails too. The AMC Lodges are all full. Even the back country huts are packed with hikers!
At Lost Pond, a hiker told us that the trail led to a dead end about 100 yards from where we met him. Our topo map indicated that the trail continued, eventually intersecting with the Wildcat Ridge Trail (part of the Appalachian Trail). We forged on, found the trail and after scrambling up and over some boulders, we made it to the Wildcat Trail. This section of the Wildcat Ridge Trail connects to the Glen Ellis Falls Trail. Unbeknownst to us, we had to cross the swollen and swift Ellis River. After some consideration, we found a suitable route across. Now on the Glen Ellis Falls Trail, we walked to the falls. Not content with the view from above, we walked down to the base of the 64 foot waterfall, took a few photos, and ran back up! OK, we didn't run, but we walked briskly.
We followed the trail to the Glen Boulder Trail. It led us through a tunnel under Route 16! Almost immediately, the new trail started a long, rocky climb up the side of a mountain. We continued to climb and even scramble up for almost 1/2 mile before finding the intersection with the Direttissima Trail. It too continued up for a short time eventually making our descent back to street level. Some of the descent was steep. Scrambling down the boulders was fun!
We intended to do two short hikes, but that changed when Anna Marie expressed reluctance to go back across the Ellis River. That's when we added the last two trails to the hike, but it also changed our plan, which was to find a sports bar where we could watch some of the Eagles game. We got to the place in time to see Pittsburg kick a field goal in the last second to beat the Eagles by two points.
Back at the CG, we planned tomorrow's activity, took a walk around the CG and generally chilled out before hitting the sack.
Today is our youngest granddaughter's birthday. Since retiring several years ago, we have enjoyed many travels. We always get a little homesick when we miss special events in the lives of our children and grandchildren. The melancholy is palpable. To ease it, we have have a party of our own during which we make a corny video to send to the birthday celebrant. We hope that these will become digital keepsakes for them to watch as they grow older.
So what do hikers do in the rain. Most hike, but not us. It is too wet and too cold to hit the trails. Instead, we did laundry, visited the Weather Discovery Center to find out about Mt. Washington's unique weather. Among other things, we learned that it was 30 degrees at the summit this afternoon with a wind chill in the 20s. We also learned that the average wind speed at the summit is 37 mph.
In the evening, we went to the Conway Cafe, a dining establishment that has an attached small movie theater. "Belle Island" starring Morgan Freeman was the feature. Anna Marie and I both enjoyed it.
Saturday, September 29, 2012 The Russell Culbath House, the Rail and Trail Loop, and the Sabaday Falls Trail
The plan was to do visit the historic Culbath House then do two short, picturesque, easy trails (the Rail n' Trail Loop and the Sabaday Falls Trail), have a picnic lunch and finish the day with the more difficult, longer, Greely Ponds Trail.
We accomplished the first three items in good order and even had time to wander through the old cemetery at the historic site. The Culbath house was very interesting. The interpreter told several stories regarding its history, including a tale about Priscilla Culbath. It seems that one day after supper, her husband, Tom, told her that he was going into town (Conway) for supplies and that he'd be back. When he didn't return by nightfall, she put a kerosene lamp in the window. He still hadn't returned by the next morning and she began to worry. A search party was formed and after several days of searching, with nothing to show for their efforts, the members of the search party went back to their lives and work.
For the next 39 years, Priscilla placed a lit lamp in the window each night, never losing faith that Tom would return. Three years after her death, Tom returned. He had heard of her demise and returned to reclaim his property, only to find Pricilla's next of kin had sold the house. For a couple of weeks he was a celebrity of sorts. Everyone wanted to know where he went and what he had done. He never answered the questions directly, and to this day, no one knows why he left.
The Rail Trail was very easy and scenic too. Lumbering was a common wintertime endeavor and each small stream had a saw mill. Eventually they built tracks to connect the logging camps so a train could gather the logs and take them to the mill. There was an interesting display about the cutting and shipping of "mast" trees used for masts of sailing ships. In pre Revolutionary War times, huge white pines from the White Mountains were harvested for England's Navy.
Sabaday Falls Trail has some decent elevation gain as you walk up to the falls. It is very picturesque and even though it is uphill, the trail is easy. We got some nice pictures of Sabaday Brook, the falls and the Basalt vein that is between two granite ledges. The Basalt is softer lava rock that erodes faster than the granite.
Our attempt to do the Greely Ponds trail was foiled. We arrived at the trailhead to find the parking area filled to capacity! With no room to park, we chose to do the Church Creek Loop near the Pasaconway Campground. After a very short walk from the trailhead, we found that two bridges integral to the trail bridge were destroyed last year by Hurricane Irene. They haven't been rebuilt and apparently won't be.
By now we didn't have enough daylight left to star a longer trail, so we drove the Bear Notch Road, built by the CCC boys from The Blackberry Crossing Camp (our current campground). We drove to Bartlett, home of Attitash Mountain ( think skiing), found the Covered Bridge Gift Store actually built in an old Covered Bridge, and had a great dinner at the Cabin Fever Restaurant.
In the evening, we went to McDonald's for free coffee and an Internet connection.
Sunday, September 30, 2012 On the Move!
Today is moving day! We're leaving Blackberry Crossing CG and the Kancamagus Highway area, headed north on Highway 16 to spend a few days at Dolly Copp CG which is pretty much in the shadow of Mount Washington. We hoped to hike the highest mountain in New England, but the shorter days, cold temperatures, especially at the summit, are making us reconsider. For the next week, only Tuesday promises to have little or no rain. Other than that, the rest of the days have from 40% to 60% chance of showers. We are prepared and have the requisite equipment, but certainly don't want to take a chance with hypothermia. We'll see what happens later in the week.
It was cold ( high of 51) and rainy today. We broke camp in the rain and set up in the rain. Because of the weather, we explored the nearest town (Gorham) by car. It's a small town, but there are a couple of fast food restaurants and a WalMart. We also visited the Androscoggin Ranger Station and the Applachian Mountain Club's (AMC) facility in Pinkham Notch.
There is a good chance of showers tomorrow, but we have selected four shorter hikes (from 1to 4 miles) to do if we are able to dodge the rain.
Monday, October 1, 2012 Yikes - It's Cold Again!
Another cold, dreary day is upon us. We've had our fair share of rain lately. We find things to do, but do not enjoy hiking in the rain and mud, so our outdoor activities have been curtailed a bit.
Today, we took one of the scenic drives through the White Mountains. On our travels, we found a nice restaurant/gift shop call the Wagon Wheel in Jefferson, NH. We sampled their maple baked beans, broccoli soup and corn chowder, and we bought a couple of trinkets too.
We stopped at the Mount Washington Cog RR to check it out. We watched two trains start up the hill. They were quickly lost in the fog. Fifteen or so minutes later, a different train descended out of the fog, followed shortly by another. It wasn't too much later when the two we watched start up the hill returned. Now there were four trains at the base station. It seems there was a problem of some sort or another.
One person reported that there were hurricane force winds at the summit. The two trains we watched go up only went as far as the tree line before returning. The trains were canceled for the rest of the day.
Our next stop was Crawford Notch RR Station. The attendant told us that the Conway train stops there for about 1/2 hour. Passengers can disembark and shop in the gift store or walk to the AMC hut for a quick meal.
We made it back to the CG for dinner and then went off for shopping and a wifi connection at McDonalds. Along the way we were pulled over by the local Police. Apparently I was doing 49 in a 40 mph zone. The officer asked me to pay closer attention to the speed. This is the second time this week an officer has asked me to do that! Funny thing is that I almost never exceed the speed limit. I will have to pay closer attention!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012 The Great Gulf Trail!
The Great Gulf section of the White Mountains has been a protected area since 1964. We went deep into the woods of the Great Gulf today, our longest hike yet, five hours with one short snack break and a quick lunch break. The trail was easy with a mere 950' elevation gain.
The Gulf area has had many bear incidents in the last two years. Hikers and tenters have been harassed by bears when their food is not stowed properly. We learned that there is a $5,000 fine if you don't stow your food properly. Of course if the bear eats you, you won't much care about a fine! We kept a sharp eye out for bear the entire time we were in the Great Gulf.
The only thing we saw, besides a few birds, butterflies, insects and squirrels were three snakes. They blended in so well with their surroundings only their movement gave them away. I'll have to key them out later since I didn't recognize what kind of snakes they were.
When we reached the bluff, we had a great view of Mount Washington. It's the first time since we've been here that the summit was visible. We could clearly see vehicles traveling the Mount Washington Auto Road.
After dinner, we made our usual trek to the Loal McDonalds for a Wifi connection and coffee.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012 More Rain!
Even though the temperature reached the mid to upper 60s, more rain showers put a damper on our activities. That and the fact that I wasn't feeling up to snuff meant it was going to be a light duty day.
We got going at about 0900 so we could check out the conditions on the summit of the big hill. Visibility at the summit was 150 feet, not worth the trip up. We hope to go up when the visibility is clear.
There is a model RR museum in the neighborhood, so we thought we'd check it out. Along the way, we stopped in Jackson, a typically neat, New Hampshire ski town. We have been getting a kick out of "the Pumpkin People" who have returned to the area this week. Local business seem to take pride in displaying pumpkin headed, stuffed, mostly life sized characters in creative ways. Along the route today, we stopped to take a few pictures of the pumpkin people. Of the ones we photographed, our favorite was the Zombies in "Michael Jackson's Thriller." we didn't get a pic of the "Village Pumpkins" think the Village People)!
The model RR museum was disappointing even though they have a huge collection of rolling stock. There were several small layouts. They weren't anything to write home about. The Hobby Shop was very impressive. They have a huge stock of model RR stuff in all gauges. We can't imagine they would ever have enough customers to buy all that stuff.
After resting up back at the CG, we headed out later in the day to Conway and the Songwriters Open Mike Night at the Conway Cafe. The crowd was much smaller than last week and there weren't nearly as many singer/songwriter/performers. The host, Ed Gallagher, got to play more than last week. We like his material. Much of his stuff is humorous and works very well in this setting. He has a nice relaxed style and plays very well.
Thursday, October 4, 2012 The Hobo Train!
Another day of rain showers and drizzle is keeping us off the trails. Instead of walking, we drove to Lincoln, about 60 miles distant, home of the Hobo Train.
It was a pleasant, scenic ride that lasted for almost an hour ant a half. We opted to have the Hobo lunch aboard. The turkey sandwich, chips and giant cookie were a bit overpriced at $10.00 per, but we enjoyed them all the same.
On the way back home, we got some interesting shots of "smoke in the mountains" in the Franconia Notch State Park.
After dinner, we hopped in the truck to make the 12 mile round trip to McDonalds for coffee and tea, and a Wifi connection. After updating computer software and checking e-mail, we made our way back to the CG where we took a late evening walk around our section of the CG.
Friday, October 5, 2012 The Mount Washington Auto Road and The Tuckerman Ravine Trail
The weather was parfect for a trip up Mount Washington. We arrived at the Auto Road, made reservations for a narrated tour and enjoyed a light breakfast in the Great Glen Lodge. From the window wall in the lodge ,the buildings on the summit of Mount Washington were clearly visible. There wasn't a cloud in the sky.
By the time we boarded our "stage coach," a cloud appeared and the summit disappeared from view. We had a most enjoyable ride to the summit. The vistas are breathtaking. The summit was another story. The cloud reduced visibility to perhaps 50 feet. We could hear the Cog train coming up the mountain but didn't see it until it reached the summit. Even then, it was like a faint shadow. Besides the cloud, the temperature was probably 20 degrees colder than at the base and the wind was howling, perhaps blowing in the mid to high 30s. It's a good thing we brought our winter jackets, wool hats, and gloves.
When we returned to the base, we enjoyed a picnic lunch, basking in the near 70 degree temperature and enjoying the fall colors and the views of the Presidentials.
After lunch, it was time for some exercise. We didn't have enough time to hike to the summit, but with luck, we might make it to Hermit Lake on the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. We walked the trail for about 1 3/4 hours. Just about 1600 hours, we ran out of time. We decided to turn around to make sure we had plently of time to get off the mountain before dark. We had not made it to the Lake, but we did achieve a milestone of sorts... We actually passed two hikers while we were on the way up!
In the evening, we went to the AMC facility to watch the movie, "48." it chronicles the adventures of people who hike the 48 four-thousand plus foot mountains it New Hampshire. We have no intention to try to do the 48, rather, our goal is to do one... The tallest at 6,288 feet, Mount Washington! We probably won't do it in the few days we have left here, but perhaps next summer...?
Saturday, October 6, 2012 The Flying Yankee!
One of the tourist maps we found had a cryptic notation about the "Flying Yankee." That notation was very close to a notation for the Hobo RR. While we were there the other day, I inquired as to the where abouts of the "Flying Yankee." the young lady behind the counter said they have it out in the yard. "They," I inquired? "Yes, they... The State of New Hampshire now owns the "Yankee," I was told. "They're having an open house on Saturday, " she added.
Given the forecast for rain again, we decided to visit the train. I last saw the Flying Yankee in static display at the Edaville RR in Massachusetts many, many years ago. Sometime in the 90s, as the Edaville RR was disbanding, a guy from NH decided it needed to be restored to running condition. He bought it, moved it to NH and put together a board to oversee the restoration. Before the restoration was completed, he sold it to the State.
The board continued to work on the restoration. They put a lot of effort and money into the restoration and there's still a long way to go. One of the Board members estimates the remaining work will cost about $2 million. The Flying Yankee cost the Boston and Maine RR $275,000 in 1935. During its 22 years of service, the Flying Yankee traveled in excess of 2.75 million miles. Its initial route was 750 miles per day between Portland and Bangor, Maine and Boston, Massachusetts. Its top speed was near 100 mph. It completely changed train travel. Prior to the Yankee, passengers would be covered by soot that came in thru the open windows. There was no air conditioning or heat for that matter. The ashes belched out of the smoke stack of the steam engine. The Flying Yankee was diesel-electric and provided heat or A/C for the comfort of the passengers. In fact, the windows didn't open. It's futuristic design and stainless steel skin made it look like something new and different.
The areas of the train that have been restored look great. It will be nice to see it back on the rails!
Sunday, October 7, 2012 The Lost Pond, the Wildcat Ridge, Glen Ellis Falls, the Glen Boulder, and Direttissima Trails!
Trails, fording a stream, scenic waterfalls and even a tunnel made up today's hike. After parking in the AMC Pinkham Notch lot, we crossed Route 16 to the head of the Lost Pond Trail. We hiked through aromatic forests, over rocks, boulders, and plank bridges to the very picturesque Lost Pond. If it really was lost, I can tell you it isn't any more.
There were lots of people on the trail today. In fact, there have been lots of people all weekend. People flock to the White Mountains on Columbus weekend. Most are leaf peepers who stay in their cars and drive around, but there was a significant increase in traffic on the trails too. The AMC Lodges are all full. Even the back country huts are packed with hikers!
At Lost Pond, a hiker told us that the trail led to a dead end about 100 yards from where we met him. Our topo map indicated that the trail continued, eventually intersecting with the Wildcat Ridge Trail (part of the Appalachian Trail). We forged on, found the trail and after scrambling up and over some boulders, we made it to the Wildcat Trail. This section of the Wildcat Ridge Trail connects to the Glen Ellis Falls Trail. Unbeknownst to us, we had to cross the swollen and swift Ellis River. After some consideration, we found a suitable route across. Now on the Glen Ellis Falls Trail, we walked to the falls. Not content with the view from above, we walked down to the base of the 64 foot waterfall, took a few photos, and ran back up! OK, we didn't run, but we walked briskly.
We followed the trail to the Glen Boulder Trail. It led us through a tunnel under Route 16! Almost immediately, the new trail started a long, rocky climb up the side of a mountain. We continued to climb and even scramble up for almost 1/2 mile before finding the intersection with the Direttissima Trail. It too continued up for a short time eventually making our descent back to street level. Some of the descent was steep. Scrambling down the boulders was fun!
We intended to do two short hikes, but that changed when Anna Marie expressed reluctance to go back across the Ellis River. That's when we added the last two trails to the hike, but it also changed our plan, which was to find a sports bar where we could watch some of the Eagles game. We got to the place in time to see Pittsburg kick a field goal in the last second to beat the Eagles by two points.
Back at the CG, we planned tomorrow's activity, took a walk around the CG and generally chilled out before hitting the sack.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
From Acadia to the White Mountains!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012 Wonderland and Bass Harbor Trails
Today should be an easy day. Why, you may ask? I really don't know, although I suppose it has something to do with the fact that we aren't quite familiar with our surroundings yet. Or perhaps it's because we had rain overnight and the sky is currently threatening. Note: after noon, the day cleared to be mostly sunny and reasonably warm, with a high temp in the high 60s.
The day started with a hearty breakfast in the RV after which we went to a "restaurant" for a WiFi connection. The Common Good Soup Kitchen is a bit unusual. It is apparently a soup kitchen in the winter, helping to feed hungry families and folks who can't seem to make ends meet when the tourists leave. Their situations are exacerbated in the winter because of generally lousy weather and a tourist industry that is in hibernation and lack of other viable work.
Right now, they serve food to the likes of us without charging a fee. Rather, they ask for a donation. We had Pop Overs and tea and surfed the net, and left a generous donation as we exited the establishment.
We walked the Wonderland Trail; an easy walk with ocean views and pounding surf crashing on the granite rocks that line the shore. After a short drive, we walked a short trail to the Bass Harbor Lighthouse. There were quite a few other folks doing the same.
We then took a self guided auto tour of the area from Bass Harbor, Tremont, West Tremont and Seal Cove. Each community had a cove and each cove was dotted with colorful boats; very typical of what you'd expect to see in Maine.
In Southwest Harbor, we found the Hamilton Marine Store and got a great deal on a few small items. That wasn't the case at the local West Marine, where one item was $10.00. Amazingly, we purchased three such items at Hamilton Marine for less than that!
Before returning to the CG, we stopped at the local grocery store for a few items we needed for dinner.
Thursday, September 20, 2012 The Acadia Mountain Trail
We don't measure our hikes by distance travelled anymore. Elevation gain is more important to us. But wait, there's more. It's not just elevation gain, but how rapidly that elevation is gained. Today's hike up Acadia Mountain, with an altitude of a mere 681 feet, was as challenging a hike as we have had to date. We gained that altitude in about one-quarter mile, scrambling over boulders, in crevices and on the edge of granite ledges. It was strenuous, at least for us. No less than eight hikers passed us along the way. Most were younger folk and a few were kids! As it turned out, most didn't do the whole trail. They made it to the summit and backtracked. We did reach the summit and soaked in the fabulous views, then continued along the trail. Heading down the South side of the hill was even steeper than the north side. At one point we lost about eighty feet of elevation in a horizontal distance of about ten feet. All told, we walked a distance of almost four miles, but it took three and one-half hours to do it.
On the way back to the CG, we picked up some corn-on-the-cob at the grocery store and two lobsters at Sawyer's. We made it in time to take advantage of their $4.95/lobster (already steamed). Once back at the CG, we feasted on Lobster Cacciatore. Dinner is usually followed by an evening stroll through the CG. Tonight was no exception. There are at least five Airstream TT's here tonight. The number has been fairly constant since we arrived a couple of days ago. Some have left, but new ones come in a short while later.
Friday, September 21, 2012 The Ship Harbor Trail
By any measure, today's trail was EASY! It was very scenic too, and we passed several folks who were doing the same.
Saturday, September 22, 2012 Riding the Free Bus, Snow and a 3 1/2 Pound Lobster!
Had a nice, relaxing day. Rode the bus to the Village Green in Bar Harbor where we saw SNOW(?) on the side of the street! Holy cow, it didn't feel that cold!
We rode the next bus to the Jordan Pond House for one a final taste of Popovers and Tea! After returning to Bar Harbor, we walked around for a few minutes before boarding the bus to go back to Sea Wall CG.
At dinner time, we went to Sawyer's Lobster Pound for what will probably be our last lobster dinner of the trip. This time we splurged and bought a 3.2 pounder. The beast was HUGE! It was also very tasty, accompanied by an ear of Maine corn.
Tomorrow we leave for another stop in Freeport where we'll visit LL Bean again. We want to express our gratitude for their support of Acadia NP in person! LL Bean sponsors the bus system and we made great use of it during our stay!
Sunday, September 23, 2012 Goodbye Acadia!
It's time to move on! We had a great visit to Acadia N P, biking and hiking eleven trails. Freeport, home of LL Bean is today's destination. We want to check some options for picnic shelters for next year's Grand Canyon/Yellowstone Adventure. While we're there, we'll say thanks for their contribution in making Acadia even more special than it already is!
Monday, September 24, 2012 Blackberry Crossing CG, White Mountains National Forest, on the scenic Kancamagus Hwy near Conway, NH - Hiking the Rocky Gorge and the Lovequist Loop around Falls Pond
Freeport was in our rearview mirror by 0900 hours. Our departure was delayed by a visit to Starbucks for a quick breakfast. Camp at Blackberry Crossing CG was set up by 1200 Noon. Hiking, our chosen activity for the day was postponed by intermittent rain showers that took a few hours to pass.
In the meantime, we took a scenic drive through Conway and North Conway. In each of those towns, we stopped to check out a few of the shops. The score of the day was made at Eastern Mountain Sports where we purchased a half gallon of New Hampshire medium dark grade Maple Syrup.
To break in the new hiking boots we procured at LL Bean yesterday, we hiked the Rocky Gorge and Lovequist Loop trails around Falls Pond. Rocky George has quite a famous story (from 1942) about a swimmer who was swept into the Gorge. She was held under by rocks and the force of the water for hours. When her friends and the rescue party finally found her (it took awhile since they had to fill sandbags to divert the flow of the water) and brought her to the surface, they thought she was dead. The rescue guy reached into the icy water to grab the hand of what he thought was a corpse, when he started pulling, her hand actually tightened around his. Of course he was shocked! The area has been heavily posted with "No Swimming" signs since.
I got some shots from the trail that show the fall colors are not far off!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012 The Portland Pudgy
The Portland Pudgy is a yacht tender, dinghy, sailboat and life boat all wrapped in one. I've been a fan for years. Today, we scheduled a visit to the factory to talk with David Hulbert, designer/manufacturer, about its suitability for our needs.
We had a great visit. Unfortunately, there was no way to try the dinghy out on the water. We need to do that so we can see if it meets Anna Marie's strict stability test. None-the-less, it was a nice visit to Portland, and only an hour and forty-five minute drive from the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012 Hiking the Flume Trail at Franconia Notch and Another Cool Movie Theater/Cafe!
Rain showers put a damper on our hiking plans today. Instead of hiking, we drove the 34 mile length of the scenic Kancamagus Highway. The leaves are really starting to "pop!" their colors were muted by the dreariness of the day. Clouds hung in the mountain tops giving an ethereal appearance to our surroundings.
When we got to the west side of the highway, we checked out the Hobo train. It was too dismal to ride it today. Clark's Trading Post was another spot we wanted to check out. The original building looked the same, but additional building and activities have been added.
After our visit to Clark's we headed north on Route 3 bound for Franconia State Park and the Flume. The two mile hike ( with 500 foot elevation change was invigorating. The scenery was even more fantastic than I remember it.
About nine years ago, the iconic Old Man of the Mountain collapsed. It made the national news. Well, the Old Man is back! He is visible from profile park. You really have to see it to believe it! We thought it incredulous that the Old Man was back, but we saw him with our own eyes! Incredible!
It was late afternoon when we headed back to the eastern side of the forest. We had time to check out the movie theater in Conway. The Marquee indicated that Ruby Sparks was playing and that there was a buffet on Wednesdays starting at 1800 hours.
As we discovered, the Conway Cafe runs the Majestic Theater. It has one screen and the first showing is at 0800. That's right, 0 8 0 0! The last show begins at 2100. It also happens that Wednesday night is not only buffet night but open mike night as well. The assembled crowd ( there was standing room only) was enjoying the buffet and the local singer/songwriters. We watched 1/2 dozen performers and they were very talented indeed. This was nothing like the open mike night experiences we have had in Marathon! This was more like a coffee house that happened to be a restaurant. The musicians were great as was the crowd. It was an entertaining night.
Before heading back to the CG, we stopped at the local WalMart to make a few purchases.
Thursday, September 27, 2012 Hiking the Boulder Loop
This trail is aptly named. There are boulders, large and small everywhere. Some weigh 300 tons and more. The smaller ones can be problematic on the trail. They present significant tripping hazards. You must make sure of your footing with every step. With an 1150 foot gain in elevation it was slow going. The climb was steep and steady. It took two hours to reach the summit. Once there, the views to the east, south and west are spectacular and make for a very rewarding hike.
The down hill bubble had a lot of tripping hazards too. We made it to the bottom in an hour and a quarter, feeling great with nary an ache or a pain.
Today should be an easy day. Why, you may ask? I really don't know, although I suppose it has something to do with the fact that we aren't quite familiar with our surroundings yet. Or perhaps it's because we had rain overnight and the sky is currently threatening. Note: after noon, the day cleared to be mostly sunny and reasonably warm, with a high temp in the high 60s.
The day started with a hearty breakfast in the RV after which we went to a "restaurant" for a WiFi connection. The Common Good Soup Kitchen is a bit unusual. It is apparently a soup kitchen in the winter, helping to feed hungry families and folks who can't seem to make ends meet when the tourists leave. Their situations are exacerbated in the winter because of generally lousy weather and a tourist industry that is in hibernation and lack of other viable work.
Right now, they serve food to the likes of us without charging a fee. Rather, they ask for a donation. We had Pop Overs and tea and surfed the net, and left a generous donation as we exited the establishment.
We walked the Wonderland Trail; an easy walk with ocean views and pounding surf crashing on the granite rocks that line the shore. After a short drive, we walked a short trail to the Bass Harbor Lighthouse. There were quite a few other folks doing the same.
We then took a self guided auto tour of the area from Bass Harbor, Tremont, West Tremont and Seal Cove. Each community had a cove and each cove was dotted with colorful boats; very typical of what you'd expect to see in Maine.
In Southwest Harbor, we found the Hamilton Marine Store and got a great deal on a few small items. That wasn't the case at the local West Marine, where one item was $10.00. Amazingly, we purchased three such items at Hamilton Marine for less than that!
Before returning to the CG, we stopped at the local grocery store for a few items we needed for dinner.
Thursday, September 20, 2012 The Acadia Mountain Trail
We don't measure our hikes by distance travelled anymore. Elevation gain is more important to us. But wait, there's more. It's not just elevation gain, but how rapidly that elevation is gained. Today's hike up Acadia Mountain, with an altitude of a mere 681 feet, was as challenging a hike as we have had to date. We gained that altitude in about one-quarter mile, scrambling over boulders, in crevices and on the edge of granite ledges. It was strenuous, at least for us. No less than eight hikers passed us along the way. Most were younger folk and a few were kids! As it turned out, most didn't do the whole trail. They made it to the summit and backtracked. We did reach the summit and soaked in the fabulous views, then continued along the trail. Heading down the South side of the hill was even steeper than the north side. At one point we lost about eighty feet of elevation in a horizontal distance of about ten feet. All told, we walked a distance of almost four miles, but it took three and one-half hours to do it.
On the way back to the CG, we picked up some corn-on-the-cob at the grocery store and two lobsters at Sawyer's. We made it in time to take advantage of their $4.95/lobster (already steamed). Once back at the CG, we feasted on Lobster Cacciatore. Dinner is usually followed by an evening stroll through the CG. Tonight was no exception. There are at least five Airstream TT's here tonight. The number has been fairly constant since we arrived a couple of days ago. Some have left, but new ones come in a short while later.
Friday, September 21, 2012 The Ship Harbor Trail
By any measure, today's trail was EASY! It was very scenic too, and we passed several folks who were doing the same.
Saturday, September 22, 2012 Riding the Free Bus, Snow and a 3 1/2 Pound Lobster!
Had a nice, relaxing day. Rode the bus to the Village Green in Bar Harbor where we saw SNOW(?) on the side of the street! Holy cow, it didn't feel that cold!
We rode the next bus to the Jordan Pond House for one a final taste of Popovers and Tea! After returning to Bar Harbor, we walked around for a few minutes before boarding the bus to go back to Sea Wall CG.
At dinner time, we went to Sawyer's Lobster Pound for what will probably be our last lobster dinner of the trip. This time we splurged and bought a 3.2 pounder. The beast was HUGE! It was also very tasty, accompanied by an ear of Maine corn.
Tomorrow we leave for another stop in Freeport where we'll visit LL Bean again. We want to express our gratitude for their support of Acadia NP in person! LL Bean sponsors the bus system and we made great use of it during our stay!
Sunday, September 23, 2012 Goodbye Acadia!
It's time to move on! We had a great visit to Acadia N P, biking and hiking eleven trails. Freeport, home of LL Bean is today's destination. We want to check some options for picnic shelters for next year's Grand Canyon/Yellowstone Adventure. While we're there, we'll say thanks for their contribution in making Acadia even more special than it already is!
Monday, September 24, 2012 Blackberry Crossing CG, White Mountains National Forest, on the scenic Kancamagus Hwy near Conway, NH - Hiking the Rocky Gorge and the Lovequist Loop around Falls Pond
Freeport was in our rearview mirror by 0900 hours. Our departure was delayed by a visit to Starbucks for a quick breakfast. Camp at Blackberry Crossing CG was set up by 1200 Noon. Hiking, our chosen activity for the day was postponed by intermittent rain showers that took a few hours to pass.
In the meantime, we took a scenic drive through Conway and North Conway. In each of those towns, we stopped to check out a few of the shops. The score of the day was made at Eastern Mountain Sports where we purchased a half gallon of New Hampshire medium dark grade Maple Syrup.
To break in the new hiking boots we procured at LL Bean yesterday, we hiked the Rocky Gorge and Lovequist Loop trails around Falls Pond. Rocky George has quite a famous story (from 1942) about a swimmer who was swept into the Gorge. She was held under by rocks and the force of the water for hours. When her friends and the rescue party finally found her (it took awhile since they had to fill sandbags to divert the flow of the water) and brought her to the surface, they thought she was dead. The rescue guy reached into the icy water to grab the hand of what he thought was a corpse, when he started pulling, her hand actually tightened around his. Of course he was shocked! The area has been heavily posted with "No Swimming" signs since.
I got some shots from the trail that show the fall colors are not far off!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012 The Portland Pudgy
The Portland Pudgy is a yacht tender, dinghy, sailboat and life boat all wrapped in one. I've been a fan for years. Today, we scheduled a visit to the factory to talk with David Hulbert, designer/manufacturer, about its suitability for our needs.
We had a great visit. Unfortunately, there was no way to try the dinghy out on the water. We need to do that so we can see if it meets Anna Marie's strict stability test. None-the-less, it was a nice visit to Portland, and only an hour and forty-five minute drive from the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012 Hiking the Flume Trail at Franconia Notch and Another Cool Movie Theater/Cafe!
Rain showers put a damper on our hiking plans today. Instead of hiking, we drove the 34 mile length of the scenic Kancamagus Highway. The leaves are really starting to "pop!" their colors were muted by the dreariness of the day. Clouds hung in the mountain tops giving an ethereal appearance to our surroundings.
When we got to the west side of the highway, we checked out the Hobo train. It was too dismal to ride it today. Clark's Trading Post was another spot we wanted to check out. The original building looked the same, but additional building and activities have been added.
After our visit to Clark's we headed north on Route 3 bound for Franconia State Park and the Flume. The two mile hike ( with 500 foot elevation change was invigorating. The scenery was even more fantastic than I remember it.
About nine years ago, the iconic Old Man of the Mountain collapsed. It made the national news. Well, the Old Man is back! He is visible from profile park. You really have to see it to believe it! We thought it incredulous that the Old Man was back, but we saw him with our own eyes! Incredible!
It was late afternoon when we headed back to the eastern side of the forest. We had time to check out the movie theater in Conway. The Marquee indicated that Ruby Sparks was playing and that there was a buffet on Wednesdays starting at 1800 hours.
As we discovered, the Conway Cafe runs the Majestic Theater. It has one screen and the first showing is at 0800. That's right, 0 8 0 0! The last show begins at 2100. It also happens that Wednesday night is not only buffet night but open mike night as well. The assembled crowd ( there was standing room only) was enjoying the buffet and the local singer/songwriters. We watched 1/2 dozen performers and they were very talented indeed. This was nothing like the open mike night experiences we have had in Marathon! This was more like a coffee house that happened to be a restaurant. The musicians were great as was the crowd. It was an entertaining night.
Before heading back to the CG, we stopped at the local WalMart to make a few purchases.
Thursday, September 27, 2012 Hiking the Boulder Loop
This trail is aptly named. There are boulders, large and small everywhere. Some weigh 300 tons and more. The smaller ones can be problematic on the trail. They present significant tripping hazards. You must make sure of your footing with every step. With an 1150 foot gain in elevation it was slow going. The climb was steep and steady. It took two hours to reach the summit. Once there, the views to the east, south and west are spectacular and make for a very rewarding hike.
The down hill bubble had a lot of tripping hazards too. We made it to the bottom in an hour and a quarter, feeling great with nary an ache or a pain.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Acadia NP Week 2: The Daily Journals - September 11 - 18
Tuesday, September 11, 2012 Hiking Across the Bar!
Last night, right about bedtime, the refrigerator shut down. A quick inspection seemed to indicate that we had run out of propane. It was too late and too dark to do anything about it, so we hit the sack. It was cool enough that we didn't worry about the contents spoiling.
In the morning, presuming that we'd have to make a propane run, I went outside to get the empty propane tanks. The bottles did not feel empty so I fiddled with the valve. Anna Marie checked the appliances. She reported that the stove's burners lit! And the fridge re-lit automatically. OK, so we still have propane. Could the wind have blown out the fridge's burner last night? Don't know! At least we don't have to make a propane run this morning. Note: Everything worked fine for the rest of the trip!
Not having to do a propane run freed up a lot of time. We caught the free bus into the Village Green. We walked to the waterfront and found the sandbar across the water to the Bar Island Trail. Within an hour and a half on either side of low tide, one can cross the sandbar to Bar Island. Part of Acadia NP, the island has a nice trail to the summit where one can find a fabulous view of Bar Harbor and it's surroundings. Quite a few people had the same idea. I wouldn't say it was crowded, but, were you looking for solitude, you wouldn't have found it!
We spent the rest of the day in town. We purchased a few dinner items for a Lobster fest we planned to have when we returned to the Campground.
Speaking of dinner, tonight's feast was to be a typical taste of Maine. I roasted two ears of corn and two Maine Lobsters. Anna Marie made Crab Soup and Blueberry Crisp which I cooked in a cast iron Dutch Over. The dinner was awesome!
We capped the evening off with the "Sounds of Acadia" program by Ranger Todd. A light-hearted, funny guy with a great sense of humor and the talent to make one really appreciate nature. It was a fine program indeed!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012 Ilesford (Little Cranberry Is.) Boat Trip
This morning, we boarded the "Sea Princess" for a ranger-led trip to Ilesford, an inhabited island in the Cranberry group of islands between Somes Sound and Frenchman's Bay. Our tour began in Northeast Harbor, a delightful community of some wealth. The harbor is loaded with pedigreed boats such as Morris and Hinckley, all in bristol shape.
From the boat we saw Gillimots, Loon, Cormorants, Harbor Seals, Bald Eagles, and Harbor Porpoise along with the usual mix of Herring and Great Backed Gulls.
Ilesford is a small community and eking out a living appears to be hard work. While there, we purchased a couple slices of famous Ilesford gingerbread cake and a beverage.
Ranger Ann provided almost non-stop commentary about the natural history, geology and culture of the area. It was another in a growing line of great programs by the National Park Service.
In the evening, we attended a program entitled Picture Acadia. It was marvelous! The ranger offered a few photographic tips and showed some of his handiwork. At the end of his presentation was a show-within-a-show. Highlighted by his poetic narration, it made for an awe-inspiring program!
We've been thinking about going to the movie theater to see the "Bourne Legacy" but don't want to miss any of the ranger programs. They are that good!
Note: After we disembarked from the boat we took a short drive (Yes, we had to drive to the boat. Because the NE Harbor bus was scheduled to arrive well after the boat left the dock.) through the town. Along the way, we found a fisherman selling lobster out of his house for $4.50/pound. Needless to say, we bought two.
Since we were out and about in the truck, we thought it appropriate to visit the summit of Cadillac Mountain. We walked the trail at the summit soaking in the magnificent views. After taking a few pics we headed home to cook those lobsters.
Thursday, September 13, 2012 The Witch Hole and Paradise Loop
Today's bike ride of twelve miles began when the Bicycle Express dropped us off on the north shore of Eagle Lake. We pedaled north and west on the carriage road to the intersection with the Witch Hole Road to the north.
As usual, there were hills to climb and the scenery was spectacular. None more so than the high point of the Paradise Loop summit where we had a spectacular view of Bar Harbor and Frenchman's Bay. Two cruise ships were anchored in the harbor bringing the total we have seen this week to five.
From Paradise Loop we headed back to the east side of the Witch Hole Loop. Along the way, we stopped to photograph the iconic triple-arched Deer Brook Bridge, one of many built by J. D. Rockefeller for Acadia's 45 miles of carriage roads.
We returned to Eagle Lake for a back-pack picnic lunch in a great spot on the shore. Rather than return to Bar Harbor, we took the suggestion of the Bicycle Express Driver who suggested a route back to Bar Harbor that was "all down hill."
He was right. We literally rolled down hill for almost five miles to West Street. The most difficult part of the trip was negotiating the heavy traffic in town. The town isn't particularly bicycle friendly in that the streets are narrow and there is a lot of car traffic. The sidewalks are filled with tourists so there really isn't any place to ride.
After dinner, we went to Jackson Lab (an amazing medical research facility) for the keynote address kicking off the Night Sky Festival. The speaker, Baybayan Kelepe, a master Hawaiian Navigator who sails large canoes retracing ancient roots from Hawaii to Tahiti and back without benefit of instruments. His presentation was fascinating, stimulating and entertaining! They even had a troupe of Hula dancers to honor his appearance. We had a great time!
Following the keynote, we drove to downtown Bar Harbor and the local historic Movie Theater where we saw the Bourne Legacy. As with the previous trilogy, w enjoyed this movie very much. But the numerous flashbacks and staccato of the cuts had us a bit confused at times. This is one movie we'll be glad to watch again!
Friday, September 14, 2015 The Great Head Trail and the Night Star Boat Cruise (Day 2 of the Night Sky Festival)
The trailhead of the Great Head Trail is found on the north side of Sand Beach. It was to be the first of two trails we hoped to do today. This trail rises on a peninsula to an elevation of 145 feet. Parts of the trail are steep and rocky but it is a relatively easy walk with spectacular views of the coast and ocean below.
While on the trail, we received a call from the Chamber of Commerce informing me that I had won the pair of tickets from yesterday's drawing. The tickets could be picked up at town hall before 1600 hours. Suddenly, we didn't have time to do the second trail. We skedaddled to the bus stop where we caught the #3 bus to the Village Green, walked several blocks to town hall where we picked up the tickets.
After a quick beverage, we were back aboard a bus headed back to the campground for a quick dinner and warmer clothes. We expect it to be rather cold on the water tonight.
We arrived back in town as the boarding line was forming. While waiting, we had a pleasant conversation with a couple of Mainers.
The boat trip was great. When we left the dock, clouds had completely blocked out the night sky. Not to worry... there were a couple of guest speakers to entertain and inform the 125 passengers on the power cat Freedom V. The first to speak was a native American Wakanabi Chief who told ancient stories of his people. Kalepa Baybayan, the Master Navigator from last evenings program taught a bit about the art of navigating without instruments. Lynn Havsall, was the astronomer for the evening. When it was her turn to speak, the cloud cover was still blanketing the sky. She started telling a story about the hunters and the bear (Ursa Major), when the clouds began to break a bit. The stars began a game of peek-a-boo, becoming visible for a few moments, then suddenly gone from view. Still, we learned a lot. As time went on, the stars were visible for longer periods of time. In fact, as we were headed back to the dock, the Captain stopped the boat because the night sky became clear. It lasted for about ten minutes before the cloud cover returned. When the clouds returned, we were back underway. The Captain selected some "Star" music which played over the sound system until we reached the harbor.
We had a great time and were glad to have won the tickets!
Saturday, September 15, 2012 The Shore Path and Reel Pizza!
Before doing anything, it's time to run the generator to charge up the battery. We charged it for three hours and then walked through B Loop of the campground. This CG is huge! In 40 minutes, we didn't cover all of the roads in the loop.
After lunch, we took the bus to town. The day was overcast so we didn't have much hope that the Star Gazing on Cadillac Mountain would be any good. (We later found out that it was spectacular! Lots of people showed and twenty volunteers brought their telescopes so folks could get greats views of the stars.) Instead, we chose to walk the Shore Path and hang out in town for a bit. The trail afforded great views of the harbor and some of the nice homes (mansions) that line the shore.
For entertainment we went to Reel Pizza, an interesting concept that is both movie theater and pizzeria. One can watch a movie while dining on pizza or other Italian entrees. We chose to see a quirky, offbeat film entitled, "Moonlight Kingdom."
We caught the last bus out of Dodge and made it back home right around 2100 hours.
Sunday, September 16, 2012 Night Sky Activities All Day!
Following a lazy Sunday morning, we took a drive to Winter Harbor on Schoodic Peninsula. Our destination was the Schoodic Educational and Research Center in the Schoodic District if Acadia NP.
We attended a presentation entitled, "Meet the Telescopes." the speaker, Bert Probst, is the resident volunteer Astronomer. Besides filling our heads with information on scopes, he provided information on volunteering in the National Parks. He volunteers at Acadia because he gets to use worker housing in the park!
After his presentation, we joined some of the festival participants for dinner. By the time it got dark, about one dozen volunteers had set up their scopes, all trained on different stars. We got to look through the scopes and marveled at the things you can see. We are grateful to those who let us use their equipment so generously.
Monday, September 17, 2012 The South Ridge Trail
You need a lot of water for hydration when hiking and biking. Until yesterday, we carried two water bottles on each bike and one while hiking. On several occasions we consumed all of the water we had before the activity was completed. We'd rather have water left over for use in an emergency. On the way to Schoodic yesterday, we stopped at WalMart to pick up a few items, including a couple of Hydration Systems. We chose the hydration/backpack model. It can carry lots of gear and holds 2 liters of water.
They came in handy today. We changed our plan to hike Gorham Mountain, a mere 4.2 mile hike that would have included the Bowl and the Beehive Trails. Instead, we chose to hike the 7.2 mile Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Trail. The trailhead is in this campground, no bus needed!
The trail rises continually to an elevation of 1180 feet before dipping to about 900 feet where it starts up the hulking Cadillac Mtn. ultimately reaching 1528 feet.
Along the way we ran into a NPS trail crew of three men. They were erecting steps on a steep part of the trail in an effort to hinder water run off from destroying the trail. With just some had tools, pulleys and ropes, they quarried granite slabs weighing as much as four tons, shaping them and moving them quite a distance from where they were quarried to where they would be placed on the trail. This was no small feet of engineering!
After passing Eagle Crag, we reached a granite ledge which afforded great views of the islands to the south. To the west was Pemetic Mountain and to the east was Gorham Mountain. We were already well above its summit.
The South Ridge Trail is very popular and well used. We passed or were passed by about 6 to 8 hikers during the course of our walk. When we reached the granite ledge just before Cadillac Mountain, we could see a dozen or more others hiking to or from the summit.
All told, we hiked in excess of 8 miles and gained over 1100 feet in altitude. That's a high mark for us flatlanders.
Back at the campsite, I grilled pork chops over the wood fire. We enjoyed a fine meal on our last day in Blackwoods CG. Tomorrow we move out to Seawall CG by Southwest Harbor on the "quiet side" of Acadia NP.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012 Moving Day!
After twelve very busy but absolutely great days at the Blackwoods Campground, we have moved to the "quiet side" of Mt. Desert Island and will reside in the Sea Wall Campground for the next twelve days or so.
We're not sure if there's enough to do for twelve days, but we'll find out soon enough. The Islander Explorer Bus has service from this campground to the Village Green in Bar Harbor where we can connect with any of the other busses. If we run out of things to do here, we'll just hope the bus to go back to the "not so quiet side" of MDI.
After setting up camp we checked the place out by riding along Routes 102 & 102A. We did the laundry in Southwest Harbor and on the way home, found Sawyers Lobster Pound. Between the hours of 2:00 and 4:30, one can get a steamed lobster for $4.95. That's right, two lobbies for under $10.00! Unheard of!!
Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow. If we can, we'll start exploring this part of Acadia by foot, there are several trails we hope to traverse. If it rains, we may ride the bus.
Last night, right about bedtime, the refrigerator shut down. A quick inspection seemed to indicate that we had run out of propane. It was too late and too dark to do anything about it, so we hit the sack. It was cool enough that we didn't worry about the contents spoiling.
In the morning, presuming that we'd have to make a propane run, I went outside to get the empty propane tanks. The bottles did not feel empty so I fiddled with the valve. Anna Marie checked the appliances. She reported that the stove's burners lit! And the fridge re-lit automatically. OK, so we still have propane. Could the wind have blown out the fridge's burner last night? Don't know! At least we don't have to make a propane run this morning. Note: Everything worked fine for the rest of the trip!
Not having to do a propane run freed up a lot of time. We caught the free bus into the Village Green. We walked to the waterfront and found the sandbar across the water to the Bar Island Trail. Within an hour and a half on either side of low tide, one can cross the sandbar to Bar Island. Part of Acadia NP, the island has a nice trail to the summit where one can find a fabulous view of Bar Harbor and it's surroundings. Quite a few people had the same idea. I wouldn't say it was crowded, but, were you looking for solitude, you wouldn't have found it!
We spent the rest of the day in town. We purchased a few dinner items for a Lobster fest we planned to have when we returned to the Campground.
Speaking of dinner, tonight's feast was to be a typical taste of Maine. I roasted two ears of corn and two Maine Lobsters. Anna Marie made Crab Soup and Blueberry Crisp which I cooked in a cast iron Dutch Over. The dinner was awesome!
We capped the evening off with the "Sounds of Acadia" program by Ranger Todd. A light-hearted, funny guy with a great sense of humor and the talent to make one really appreciate nature. It was a fine program indeed!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012 Ilesford (Little Cranberry Is.) Boat Trip
This morning, we boarded the "Sea Princess" for a ranger-led trip to Ilesford, an inhabited island in the Cranberry group of islands between Somes Sound and Frenchman's Bay. Our tour began in Northeast Harbor, a delightful community of some wealth. The harbor is loaded with pedigreed boats such as Morris and Hinckley, all in bristol shape.
From the boat we saw Gillimots, Loon, Cormorants, Harbor Seals, Bald Eagles, and Harbor Porpoise along with the usual mix of Herring and Great Backed Gulls.
Ilesford is a small community and eking out a living appears to be hard work. While there, we purchased a couple slices of famous Ilesford gingerbread cake and a beverage.
Ranger Ann provided almost non-stop commentary about the natural history, geology and culture of the area. It was another in a growing line of great programs by the National Park Service.
In the evening, we attended a program entitled Picture Acadia. It was marvelous! The ranger offered a few photographic tips and showed some of his handiwork. At the end of his presentation was a show-within-a-show. Highlighted by his poetic narration, it made for an awe-inspiring program!
We've been thinking about going to the movie theater to see the "Bourne Legacy" but don't want to miss any of the ranger programs. They are that good!
Note: After we disembarked from the boat we took a short drive (Yes, we had to drive to the boat. Because the NE Harbor bus was scheduled to arrive well after the boat left the dock.) through the town. Along the way, we found a fisherman selling lobster out of his house for $4.50/pound. Needless to say, we bought two.
Since we were out and about in the truck, we thought it appropriate to visit the summit of Cadillac Mountain. We walked the trail at the summit soaking in the magnificent views. After taking a few pics we headed home to cook those lobsters.
Thursday, September 13, 2012 The Witch Hole and Paradise Loop
Today's bike ride of twelve miles began when the Bicycle Express dropped us off on the north shore of Eagle Lake. We pedaled north and west on the carriage road to the intersection with the Witch Hole Road to the north.
As usual, there were hills to climb and the scenery was spectacular. None more so than the high point of the Paradise Loop summit where we had a spectacular view of Bar Harbor and Frenchman's Bay. Two cruise ships were anchored in the harbor bringing the total we have seen this week to five.
From Paradise Loop we headed back to the east side of the Witch Hole Loop. Along the way, we stopped to photograph the iconic triple-arched Deer Brook Bridge, one of many built by J. D. Rockefeller for Acadia's 45 miles of carriage roads.
We returned to Eagle Lake for a back-pack picnic lunch in a great spot on the shore. Rather than return to Bar Harbor, we took the suggestion of the Bicycle Express Driver who suggested a route back to Bar Harbor that was "all down hill."
He was right. We literally rolled down hill for almost five miles to West Street. The most difficult part of the trip was negotiating the heavy traffic in town. The town isn't particularly bicycle friendly in that the streets are narrow and there is a lot of car traffic. The sidewalks are filled with tourists so there really isn't any place to ride.
After dinner, we went to Jackson Lab (an amazing medical research facility) for the keynote address kicking off the Night Sky Festival. The speaker, Baybayan Kelepe, a master Hawaiian Navigator who sails large canoes retracing ancient roots from Hawaii to Tahiti and back without benefit of instruments. His presentation was fascinating, stimulating and entertaining! They even had a troupe of Hula dancers to honor his appearance. We had a great time!
Following the keynote, we drove to downtown Bar Harbor and the local historic Movie Theater where we saw the Bourne Legacy. As with the previous trilogy, w enjoyed this movie very much. But the numerous flashbacks and staccato of the cuts had us a bit confused at times. This is one movie we'll be glad to watch again!
Friday, September 14, 2015 The Great Head Trail and the Night Star Boat Cruise (Day 2 of the Night Sky Festival)
The trailhead of the Great Head Trail is found on the north side of Sand Beach. It was to be the first of two trails we hoped to do today. This trail rises on a peninsula to an elevation of 145 feet. Parts of the trail are steep and rocky but it is a relatively easy walk with spectacular views of the coast and ocean below.
While on the trail, we received a call from the Chamber of Commerce informing me that I had won the pair of tickets from yesterday's drawing. The tickets could be picked up at town hall before 1600 hours. Suddenly, we didn't have time to do the second trail. We skedaddled to the bus stop where we caught the #3 bus to the Village Green, walked several blocks to town hall where we picked up the tickets.
After a quick beverage, we were back aboard a bus headed back to the campground for a quick dinner and warmer clothes. We expect it to be rather cold on the water tonight.
We arrived back in town as the boarding line was forming. While waiting, we had a pleasant conversation with a couple of Mainers.
The boat trip was great. When we left the dock, clouds had completely blocked out the night sky. Not to worry... there were a couple of guest speakers to entertain and inform the 125 passengers on the power cat Freedom V. The first to speak was a native American Wakanabi Chief who told ancient stories of his people. Kalepa Baybayan, the Master Navigator from last evenings program taught a bit about the art of navigating without instruments. Lynn Havsall, was the astronomer for the evening. When it was her turn to speak, the cloud cover was still blanketing the sky. She started telling a story about the hunters and the bear (Ursa Major), when the clouds began to break a bit. The stars began a game of peek-a-boo, becoming visible for a few moments, then suddenly gone from view. Still, we learned a lot. As time went on, the stars were visible for longer periods of time. In fact, as we were headed back to the dock, the Captain stopped the boat because the night sky became clear. It lasted for about ten minutes before the cloud cover returned. When the clouds returned, we were back underway. The Captain selected some "Star" music which played over the sound system until we reached the harbor.
We had a great time and were glad to have won the tickets!
Saturday, September 15, 2012 The Shore Path and Reel Pizza!
Before doing anything, it's time to run the generator to charge up the battery. We charged it for three hours and then walked through B Loop of the campground. This CG is huge! In 40 minutes, we didn't cover all of the roads in the loop.
After lunch, we took the bus to town. The day was overcast so we didn't have much hope that the Star Gazing on Cadillac Mountain would be any good. (We later found out that it was spectacular! Lots of people showed and twenty volunteers brought their telescopes so folks could get greats views of the stars.) Instead, we chose to walk the Shore Path and hang out in town for a bit. The trail afforded great views of the harbor and some of the nice homes (mansions) that line the shore.
For entertainment we went to Reel Pizza, an interesting concept that is both movie theater and pizzeria. One can watch a movie while dining on pizza or other Italian entrees. We chose to see a quirky, offbeat film entitled, "Moonlight Kingdom."
We caught the last bus out of Dodge and made it back home right around 2100 hours.
Sunday, September 16, 2012 Night Sky Activities All Day!
Following a lazy Sunday morning, we took a drive to Winter Harbor on Schoodic Peninsula. Our destination was the Schoodic Educational and Research Center in the Schoodic District if Acadia NP.
We attended a presentation entitled, "Meet the Telescopes." the speaker, Bert Probst, is the resident volunteer Astronomer. Besides filling our heads with information on scopes, he provided information on volunteering in the National Parks. He volunteers at Acadia because he gets to use worker housing in the park!
After his presentation, we joined some of the festival participants for dinner. By the time it got dark, about one dozen volunteers had set up their scopes, all trained on different stars. We got to look through the scopes and marveled at the things you can see. We are grateful to those who let us use their equipment so generously.
Monday, September 17, 2012 The South Ridge Trail
You need a lot of water for hydration when hiking and biking. Until yesterday, we carried two water bottles on each bike and one while hiking. On several occasions we consumed all of the water we had before the activity was completed. We'd rather have water left over for use in an emergency. On the way to Schoodic yesterday, we stopped at WalMart to pick up a few items, including a couple of Hydration Systems. We chose the hydration/backpack model. It can carry lots of gear and holds 2 liters of water.
They came in handy today. We changed our plan to hike Gorham Mountain, a mere 4.2 mile hike that would have included the Bowl and the Beehive Trails. Instead, we chose to hike the 7.2 mile Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Trail. The trailhead is in this campground, no bus needed!
The trail rises continually to an elevation of 1180 feet before dipping to about 900 feet where it starts up the hulking Cadillac Mtn. ultimately reaching 1528 feet.
Along the way we ran into a NPS trail crew of three men. They were erecting steps on a steep part of the trail in an effort to hinder water run off from destroying the trail. With just some had tools, pulleys and ropes, they quarried granite slabs weighing as much as four tons, shaping them and moving them quite a distance from where they were quarried to where they would be placed on the trail. This was no small feet of engineering!
After passing Eagle Crag, we reached a granite ledge which afforded great views of the islands to the south. To the west was Pemetic Mountain and to the east was Gorham Mountain. We were already well above its summit.
The South Ridge Trail is very popular and well used. We passed or were passed by about 6 to 8 hikers during the course of our walk. When we reached the granite ledge just before Cadillac Mountain, we could see a dozen or more others hiking to or from the summit.
All told, we hiked in excess of 8 miles and gained over 1100 feet in altitude. That's a high mark for us flatlanders.
Back at the campsite, I grilled pork chops over the wood fire. We enjoyed a fine meal on our last day in Blackwoods CG. Tomorrow we move out to Seawall CG by Southwest Harbor on the "quiet side" of Acadia NP.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012 Moving Day!
After twelve very busy but absolutely great days at the Blackwoods Campground, we have moved to the "quiet side" of Mt. Desert Island and will reside in the Sea Wall Campground for the next twelve days or so.
We're not sure if there's enough to do for twelve days, but we'll find out soon enough. The Islander Explorer Bus has service from this campground to the Village Green in Bar Harbor where we can connect with any of the other busses. If we run out of things to do here, we'll just hope the bus to go back to the "not so quiet side" of MDI.
After setting up camp we checked the place out by riding along Routes 102 & 102A. We did the laundry in Southwest Harbor and on the way home, found Sawyers Lobster Pound. Between the hours of 2:00 and 4:30, one can get a steamed lobster for $4.95. That's right, two lobbies for under $10.00! Unheard of!!
Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow. If we can, we'll start exploring this part of Acadia by foot, there are several trails we hope to traverse. If it rains, we may ride the bus.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Acadia National Park - Week 1
Internet connections are rare in Acadia. We have no signal at the campground. We can catch up in Bar Harbor at an Internet cafe. Postings will be few and far between as we don't get to town very often!
NEW ENGLAND RV TRIP
September 5 through October 11, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012 Summer Is Over!
Summer is unofficially over. The kids left us at about 1830 hours. That's how we know summer is over! It's time for school, time for the kids to reconnect with friends, play sports and join in other activities. Speaking of school, Geoffrey, Claire and Madi start tomorrow. Rose and Josh start the next day.
About five hours after they left, we tried to get some shut eye. We wanted to get some sleep before our planned 0300 departure for our trip to New England.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012 No Sleep!
After two hours of trying, neither one of us slept. I decided that since we are awake, we might as well get under way. We can always stop in a rest area if we get sleepy, I reasoned. That's how our New England trip got started.
The driving was easy even in pockets of rain, light rain and drizzle. At about 0700, we stopped at a rest stop in Massachusetts for a few winks of shut eye. We were awakened from our slumber at 0900 when a work crew began running tree branches through a chipper in the parking spot next to us.
Our destination is Freeport, Maine, home of the LL Bean campus of stores. We arrived at about 1500 hours. Once in the RV parking area, we took another two hour nap. Refreshed, we strolled through the village, window shopping along the way.
One of the local dining establishments featured a Maine Lobster Roll. That's what we had for dinner. It must have had a half pound of lobster in it. Delicious!
We returned an old LL Bean hat for a store credit. The hat was really old and tattered and had certainly seen better days. We didn't have a receipt, but they gave us a credit for twelve dollars. We made a couple of small purchases before heading back to the 5er. We are spending the night in the LL Bean parking lot.
Thursday, September 6, 2012 Acadia NP
Reveille sounded at 0630! By 0730, we made one last pass through LL Bean and then to their coffee shop for a light breakfast and morning drink. By 0900, we were on the road to Acadia National Park. The drive, about four hours or 130 miles, was uneventful, except for the fact that the fuel gauge needle for the front tank, which hasn't budged off "E" in the five or six years that I've owned the truck, showed a full tank. Observation showed that the needle was moving erratically. Can't imagine what happened to get it off "E."
After a visit to Hulls Cove Visitors Center where we picked up a plethora of informational pamphlets, we made Blackwoods Campground. It took about 1/2 hour to set up camp and get the bikes off the racks.
After a shot test ride on the bikes, we drove to Bar Harbor, found a nice place for dinner, and attended the Ranger Program on Astronomy at Sand Beach.
The talk was excellent! We learned some new stars and some Greek mythology. While stargazing, we saw two satellites and a comet!
By 2100 hours we returned home.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Bicycling is the order of the day! All the busses are equipped to carry six bikes. The first bus leaves the CG at 0950. That's the one we boarded. The driver gave us a quick lesson on the operation of the bike rack, and we were off to the Village Green in Bar Harbor.
When we arrived, we loaded the bikes onto the Eagle Lake Bike Express. It was a 15 passenger van with a bike trailer that holds about the same number of bikes. Without delay, we were whisked away with about eight other folks to the carriage road at Eagle Lake. Our intent was to circumnavigate the lake.
The carriage roads are well maintained, wide and generally easy to pedal. Easy, that is, except for the uphill parts which were significant! A lot of people walked their bikes up the steepest hills.
It took about 1.5 hours to complete the loop. Along the way, we made a couple of stops to take some photos and and eat a snack.
After the ride, we made our way back to the CG via the busses where we did a couple of chores before heading back to the bus stop. We wanted to return to Bar Harbor for a late lunch/early dinner.
The Lobster Roll was not up to standard set in Freeport, but the Blueberry Twist ice cream cone more that made up for it!
Rather than go shopping, we returned to the CG for a nap. The bike ride had us exhausted. The planned one hour nap turned out to be two hours. We woke up in time to attend a ranger talk on hiking in Acadia. That's tomorrows activity!
Saturday, September 8, 2012 Sieur De Monts Spring, Etc.
Today's jaunt found us riding the bus to Sieur De Monts Spring where we strolled the "Wild Gardens of Acadia." the Gardens provide a microcosm of the plat life that can be found in Acadia National Park. The environments included a bog, pond, stream, fresh and salt water marshes, forest, and rock, to name a few. The gardens were fascinating to say the least.
We then hiked Jessup Path which provided a nice walk through a mixed forest complete with a rapidly flowing stream.
After the hike, we rode the Park Loop Bus. It travels the 20 mile loop road and stops at the service road for Blackwoods CG. From the bus stop, it is perhaps a quarter mile walk back to our campsite.
Sunday, September 9, 2012 Bicycling The Jordan Pond/Bubble Pond Carriage Roads
Today we had quite a challenge! We hoped to circumnavigate Jordan Pond by way of Bubble Pond. The total distance is 9.7 miles with a couple of 200' (almost) elevation changes.
Anna Marie was especially challenged by some of the elevation inclines and on one or two occasions had to walk up the steepest parts of two mountains. I reached 25 mph on one 168' decent before I had to brake for a sharp turn. Twenty-five is plenty fast on a bike.
We took advantage of the scenic picnic area at Bubble Pond. Anna Maria packed apples, chicken salad and crackers, peanuts and a couple of chocolate chip cookies for lunch. It was a delightful setting and, after all that exercise, particularly welcomed.
After lunch, we only had three miles left to complete the loop. We had consumed enough calories to give us the energy needed to climb a few more hills before we reached the Jordan House.
Having completed almost ten miles, we thought we deserved a treat. Enjoying Tea and Pop Overs is a long standing tradition at the Jordan Pond House. We thought we'd give it a try. The Pop Overs are served piping hot. There are several tea selections available. Anna Marie chose the Jordan Pond Blend and I had the Maine Blueberry tea.
So here we are, having just completed a moderately strenuous bike ride, sitting outside on a 60+ degree overcast afternoon, enjoying the spectacular view of the Bubbles (North and South Bubble Mountains) in the background with Jordan Pond in the foreground, sipping tea and munching on absolutely perfect and delicious Pop Overs. Could life get any better than this?
Outside the Jordan Pond House, we boarded the Park Loop Bus for the trip back to the CG. At times, we were the only passengers on the bus. The driver was very friendly and offered us tips on things to see and do that were off the mainstream list of activities in which people usually engage. We may try a couple of his suggestions!
Monday, September 10, 2012 Hiking the Jordan Pond, the South Bubble and Bubble Divide Trails
Oh what a day! It all began with a ride on the Loop bus to the Jordan Pond House where we walked the nature trail to its intersection with the Jordan Pond Trail.
The Jordan Pond Trail (3.2 m), on the east side of the pond, is relatively flat and easy to walk. We were able to keep a pretty quick pace, only watching out for water run-off cuts in the trail.
In about 30 minutes, we made it to the South Bubble Trail. One look at this trail and we knew we were in for a challenge. While only .4 mile long, it quickly rises to 768 feet (and I do mean quickly). We started our way up climbing over boulders as we went. Eventually the trail surface was completely boulders and rock. At one point we were on the edge of a cliff several hundred feet up admiring the spectacular view! On two sections of the trail, we had to remove our packs so we could fit in the crevices and pull ourselves to the next level. This was certainly not our typical hike! We made it to the top in one hour! Pretty good going we think. The trip down the mountain, on the north side was a piece of cake in comparison. That is, until we got to the Bubble Divide Trail. That's the trail between the North and South Bubble. For 7/8 of its length, it was a steep decent walking on the surface of boulders the entire way.
We made it back to the Jordan Pond Trail and continued along the western shore. It was completely different than the eastern shore. Here, there are bridges to traverse and a boardwalk along the shoreline, designed to protect the fragile ecosystem, that was at least one mile long.
By the time we made it back to the Jordan Pond House, three hours had elapsed. It was too cold and blustery, and we were too wet, to sit outside and enjoy pop overs and tea. There was at least a half hour wait for an inside seat but the bus schedule had us a bit pressed for time.
Back at the CG, we enjoyed dinner and a ranger program on Thoreau's interest in astronomy.
NEW ENGLAND RV TRIP
September 5 through October 11, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012 Summer Is Over!
Summer is unofficially over. The kids left us at about 1830 hours. That's how we know summer is over! It's time for school, time for the kids to reconnect with friends, play sports and join in other activities. Speaking of school, Geoffrey, Claire and Madi start tomorrow. Rose and Josh start the next day.
About five hours after they left, we tried to get some shut eye. We wanted to get some sleep before our planned 0300 departure for our trip to New England.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012 No Sleep!
After two hours of trying, neither one of us slept. I decided that since we are awake, we might as well get under way. We can always stop in a rest area if we get sleepy, I reasoned. That's how our New England trip got started.
The driving was easy even in pockets of rain, light rain and drizzle. At about 0700, we stopped at a rest stop in Massachusetts for a few winks of shut eye. We were awakened from our slumber at 0900 when a work crew began running tree branches through a chipper in the parking spot next to us.
Our destination is Freeport, Maine, home of the LL Bean campus of stores. We arrived at about 1500 hours. Once in the RV parking area, we took another two hour nap. Refreshed, we strolled through the village, window shopping along the way.
One of the local dining establishments featured a Maine Lobster Roll. That's what we had for dinner. It must have had a half pound of lobster in it. Delicious!
We returned an old LL Bean hat for a store credit. The hat was really old and tattered and had certainly seen better days. We didn't have a receipt, but they gave us a credit for twelve dollars. We made a couple of small purchases before heading back to the 5er. We are spending the night in the LL Bean parking lot.
Thursday, September 6, 2012 Acadia NP
Reveille sounded at 0630! By 0730, we made one last pass through LL Bean and then to their coffee shop for a light breakfast and morning drink. By 0900, we were on the road to Acadia National Park. The drive, about four hours or 130 miles, was uneventful, except for the fact that the fuel gauge needle for the front tank, which hasn't budged off "E" in the five or six years that I've owned the truck, showed a full tank. Observation showed that the needle was moving erratically. Can't imagine what happened to get it off "E."
After a visit to Hulls Cove Visitors Center where we picked up a plethora of informational pamphlets, we made Blackwoods Campground. It took about 1/2 hour to set up camp and get the bikes off the racks.
After a shot test ride on the bikes, we drove to Bar Harbor, found a nice place for dinner, and attended the Ranger Program on Astronomy at Sand Beach.
The talk was excellent! We learned some new stars and some Greek mythology. While stargazing, we saw two satellites and a comet!
By 2100 hours we returned home.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Bicycling is the order of the day! All the busses are equipped to carry six bikes. The first bus leaves the CG at 0950. That's the one we boarded. The driver gave us a quick lesson on the operation of the bike rack, and we were off to the Village Green in Bar Harbor.
When we arrived, we loaded the bikes onto the Eagle Lake Bike Express. It was a 15 passenger van with a bike trailer that holds about the same number of bikes. Without delay, we were whisked away with about eight other folks to the carriage road at Eagle Lake. Our intent was to circumnavigate the lake.
The carriage roads are well maintained, wide and generally easy to pedal. Easy, that is, except for the uphill parts which were significant! A lot of people walked their bikes up the steepest hills.
It took about 1.5 hours to complete the loop. Along the way, we made a couple of stops to take some photos and and eat a snack.
After the ride, we made our way back to the CG via the busses where we did a couple of chores before heading back to the bus stop. We wanted to return to Bar Harbor for a late lunch/early dinner.
The Lobster Roll was not up to standard set in Freeport, but the Blueberry Twist ice cream cone more that made up for it!
Rather than go shopping, we returned to the CG for a nap. The bike ride had us exhausted. The planned one hour nap turned out to be two hours. We woke up in time to attend a ranger talk on hiking in Acadia. That's tomorrows activity!
Saturday, September 8, 2012 Sieur De Monts Spring, Etc.
Today's jaunt found us riding the bus to Sieur De Monts Spring where we strolled the "Wild Gardens of Acadia." the Gardens provide a microcosm of the plat life that can be found in Acadia National Park. The environments included a bog, pond, stream, fresh and salt water marshes, forest, and rock, to name a few. The gardens were fascinating to say the least.
We then hiked Jessup Path which provided a nice walk through a mixed forest complete with a rapidly flowing stream.
After the hike, we rode the Park Loop Bus. It travels the 20 mile loop road and stops at the service road for Blackwoods CG. From the bus stop, it is perhaps a quarter mile walk back to our campsite.
Sunday, September 9, 2012 Bicycling The Jordan Pond/Bubble Pond Carriage Roads
Today we had quite a challenge! We hoped to circumnavigate Jordan Pond by way of Bubble Pond. The total distance is 9.7 miles with a couple of 200' (almost) elevation changes.
Anna Marie was especially challenged by some of the elevation inclines and on one or two occasions had to walk up the steepest parts of two mountains. I reached 25 mph on one 168' decent before I had to brake for a sharp turn. Twenty-five is plenty fast on a bike.
We took advantage of the scenic picnic area at Bubble Pond. Anna Maria packed apples, chicken salad and crackers, peanuts and a couple of chocolate chip cookies for lunch. It was a delightful setting and, after all that exercise, particularly welcomed.
After lunch, we only had three miles left to complete the loop. We had consumed enough calories to give us the energy needed to climb a few more hills before we reached the Jordan House.
Having completed almost ten miles, we thought we deserved a treat. Enjoying Tea and Pop Overs is a long standing tradition at the Jordan Pond House. We thought we'd give it a try. The Pop Overs are served piping hot. There are several tea selections available. Anna Marie chose the Jordan Pond Blend and I had the Maine Blueberry tea.
So here we are, having just completed a moderately strenuous bike ride, sitting outside on a 60+ degree overcast afternoon, enjoying the spectacular view of the Bubbles (North and South Bubble Mountains) in the background with Jordan Pond in the foreground, sipping tea and munching on absolutely perfect and delicious Pop Overs. Could life get any better than this?
Outside the Jordan Pond House, we boarded the Park Loop Bus for the trip back to the CG. At times, we were the only passengers on the bus. The driver was very friendly and offered us tips on things to see and do that were off the mainstream list of activities in which people usually engage. We may try a couple of his suggestions!
Monday, September 10, 2012 Hiking the Jordan Pond, the South Bubble and Bubble Divide Trails
Oh what a day! It all began with a ride on the Loop bus to the Jordan Pond House where we walked the nature trail to its intersection with the Jordan Pond Trail.
The Jordan Pond Trail (3.2 m), on the east side of the pond, is relatively flat and easy to walk. We were able to keep a pretty quick pace, only watching out for water run-off cuts in the trail.
In about 30 minutes, we made it to the South Bubble Trail. One look at this trail and we knew we were in for a challenge. While only .4 mile long, it quickly rises to 768 feet (and I do mean quickly). We started our way up climbing over boulders as we went. Eventually the trail surface was completely boulders and rock. At one point we were on the edge of a cliff several hundred feet up admiring the spectacular view! On two sections of the trail, we had to remove our packs so we could fit in the crevices and pull ourselves to the next level. This was certainly not our typical hike! We made it to the top in one hour! Pretty good going we think. The trip down the mountain, on the north side was a piece of cake in comparison. That is, until we got to the Bubble Divide Trail. That's the trail between the North and South Bubble. For 7/8 of its length, it was a steep decent walking on the surface of boulders the entire way.
We made it back to the Jordan Pond Trail and continued along the western shore. It was completely different than the eastern shore. Here, there are bridges to traverse and a boardwalk along the shoreline, designed to protect the fragile ecosystem, that was at least one mile long.
By the time we made it back to the Jordan Pond House, three hours had elapsed. It was too cold and blustery, and we were too wet, to sit outside and enjoy pop overs and tea. There was at least a half hour wait for an inside seat but the bus schedule had us a bit pressed for time.
Back at the CG, we enjoyed dinner and a ranger program on Thoreau's interest in astronomy.
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| Bubble Rock |
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| South Bubble Summit |
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| View from South Bubble Trail |
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| The Jordan Pond Trail |
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