Mt. Desert Camping

 We just did our annual (except for COVID 20202) Mt. Desert Island camping trip. It is a great way to end the summer. The campground we go to, Mt. Desert Island Campground, is great and I, personally, think we have one of the best sites in the place. We have a huge site that is right across from the docks. We can get to the water in one minute and don't have to put up with all of the foot traffic on the path running from the road to the dock.

For me one of the best parts of the trip is that I get to kayak just about everyday. I get up before everyone else and spend about an hour kayaking around the top of Sommes Sound. It is not very exciting kayaking since it is very sheltered, but it is relaxing. I get to practice some boat control, generally chill out, and occasionally see some cool wild life. This year I saw seals, a loon, a bald eagle, and several harbor porpoises. The porpoises were the coolest because they are hard to spot and sleeker than the other swimmers. This time they were so close I could touch them with my paddle. (I did not even try.)

We also did some nice hikes: Acadia Mt. Flying Mt. Mt. Gorham.

I think we nearly broke the friends we brought with us. We did the hardest hikes early on....

The Stars over Sand Beach was disappointing this year because it was too cloudy to see anything. The rangers did an outstanding job keeping the crowd interested even without the stars of the show....

We accidentally got a nice long ride on the carriage trails. We originally planned a nice flat and short ride over to Jordan Pond that was maybe six miles round trip. The first mis-step was that I misread the map and though there was parking where there was not, so we had to change our starting point. Still the ride looked pretty flat and still about 6 miles. The second mis-step was not clearly reading the topo lines on the map.... Our friend's kid had a one speed BMX trick bike that was not made for climbing and there was climbing...

After popovers at Jordan Pond house, we decided that some of us would ride back and get the car so that we would not kill the child with the climb back. The third mis-step happened shortly after we headed back for the cars.... We came to a trail junction and realized that we had missed a key turn at the very beginning. We either had to ride three miles back to Jordan Pond house and then another three miles back to the cars or we could keep going another six miles that were mostly downhill and flat to get to the cars... We decided to keep going. It was the right call. The ride back to the cars was very nice and were along parts of the trail system I hadn't seen before. There was some 'splaining to do about how long it took us to get back and some bribing of a less than thrilled child who got dragged along for the extra riding, but it was worth it.

The Ascent also saw plenty of use and earned some of its Monster Truck keep. Because it can seat seven, our friends and us could get everywhere in just one car.

The weather was also as close to perfect as one could hope. The next day was always forecasted to be the worst day of the week. We did get one night of rain... but our eating tent was dry and we slept through most of it anyway.

Mt. Desert 2018

This was our second year at Mt. Desert Campground. It really is a great spot and our site across from the docks is perfect.
Our site does not have a direct water view, but it more than makes up for it in other amenities. It is large, has power, is relatively private, has parking with space for the trailer, and is just across the road from the docks. Oh, it also has two trees that are perfect for hanging a hammock.
This year was more laid back than last year. We stayed an extra two days and after last year, we felt less pressure to knock things off of the list. We still wanted to be active everyday and had a rough list, but things just didn't feel as rushed.
After the first morning, we gave up on coffee making. The campgrounds gathering spot has excellent coffee and pastries every morning. Bug and I loved the pastries and the coffee was way better than anything we were going to make at the camp site. So, every morning a pilgrimage was made for sugary carbs and coffee.
Unlike last year, I managed to get out kayaking every morning. It was the perfect way to start the day. The top of Somes Sound is protected and easy paddling. It also happens to be packed full of wild life. Everyday brought new surprises. One day it was seals; another day it was porpoises; another day it was eagles. Just an hour or two in the morning made the whole day brighter.
We also discovered the joy of the free island shuttles. It made getting into and out of the park much easier. We didn't have to struggle to find parking at the most crowded spots in the park. It also had the added bonus of forcing us to stop in Bar Harbor center for ice cream.
Our only "required" activity was the traditional hike up Gorham Mt. to collect blue berries. The hike also involves a visit to Thunder Hole. At the beginning of the hike there was not so much thunder, but when we returned the hole was in good form. The hike also includes me trying, unsuccessfully, to convince H to let Bug and I do the Beehive trail. Hopefully, I will wear her down before I get too old to manage the Beehive....
We also did another nice hike from Echo Lake to the summit of Beech Mountain. H had planned out a nice short hike from the Beech Mt. trailhead and then figured we could drive down to Echo Lake beach for a nice dip. Then I looked at the map.... I found a route from the Echo Lake parking lot to the summit that looked easy peasy and only added a mile or so to the hike. It was another reminder that I should not be allowed to plan hikes. My addition to the hike did save us the hassle of parking twice, but it made for a much more challenging hike. It doubled the elevation and length of the hike. I like to think it added some nice extra views and made the swimming that much sweeter...
For biking we rode the Eagle Lake loop. We choose it because it offered some nice views and was recommended by the guide books as being good for kids. The guide book was spot on. The trail has a gradual climb along the east side of the lake followed by a nice descent back to the parking lot. At six miles, it is just long enough to be a challenge, but not too long. Everyone enjoyed the ride. Bug got a little speed happy on the descent and she and I ended up leaving H in the dust for part of the ride. We need to work on the whole making sure the group stays together thing...
H and Bug took the Island Explorer back to Bar Harbor. I decided to return to the center via Witch Hole Pond. The beginning of the ride was nice and flat until I hit the road. The last part of the ride into down was on the roads. The first stretch of road was an epic down hill on a closed road. Then I road into town along the water front. It was a nice little addition to the ride.
The family kayaking trip was short. The day we were supposed to paddle, Bug and I had a hard time getting our acts together. To H's chagrin, we didn't get onto the water until well after lunch. We managed to get out of the campground's cove and maybe a mile down the coast before it was time to turn back. Bug is not a huge kayaker and a sit-on-top is not an ideal platform for cold water kayaking.  Despite the short distance, we had a nice time.
Even the only hiccup on the trip turned out to be a blessing in surprise. Unbeknownst to us, our cell plan, which has unlimited on-network data, caps roaming data. While T-Mobile has great coverage in a lot of places, Maine is not one of those places. I burned through my roaming data on the drive up between maps and streaming music. H burned through hers shortly after I did. So, we spent most of the week off the grid. We could squeeze in bits of internet at the Gathering Place's wi-fi when we were desperate. Being off the grid was a nice break from the constant barrage of bad news.
The whole vacation was refreshing and rejuvenating. So much so, that we booked the same site for next year.

Kayaking a Fjord

Since H and I were on Mt. Desert Island, the home of the only fjord in the eastern US, I had to kayak in the fjord. Somes Sounds forms a rift that nearly splits the island in half. It is a 4.5 mile long, glacial carved channel that leads from Northeast Harbor to Somesville. It is surrounded by Acadia Mountain on one side and Norumbega Mountain on the other.
The forecast for the day was for a dry and pleasant day with light winds. When we woke up, the tent was flapping, I couldn't keep a match lit long enough to start the stove, and our camp chairs were dancing dervishes. Aside from the breeze, the weather was as predicted. Not one to be daunted by a little inconvenient truth, I convinced H that it wasn't that windy, it was probably less windy on the water, and that the fjord is protected from the wind by all the Mountains around it. Ahh sweet alternate worlds in my head.
Fueled by delusion and an unhealthy need to kayak in a fjord, H and I drove to the Mansett town boat ramp. Once there, we checked with the Harbor Master to see how things in the Sound were shaping up. He told us that other than a little breeze blowing up the sounds, it would be a great day to be on the water. He also left his office shortly after we started unloading the boats...
If the wind wasn't enough of a sign that we shouldn't be kayaking today, I realized, after unloading all of our gear, that I had left my paddle at the campsite. At this point, I'm sure, a reasonable person would have just put the kayaks back on the car and picked one of the other outdoor activities that the Island offers. H, the reasonable one, actually told me to drive back to the campsite and get my paddle. (OK, I didn't really give her much choice... I was just going to use my back-up paddle.)
So while I careened along the windy roads to the camp site, H packed our clothes into the kayaks and vainly battled the double seal on the Q-Boat's Valley hatches. I don't know why Valley had to make there hatches impossible to seal up. I get more water in the darn things because I cannot seal them properly that I ever got in the neoprene covered hatches in my Seaward.
While fetching my paddle, I took advantage of H's absence to prepare a little surprise to spring on her during the paddle.
Once I had my paddle and the hatches on the Q-Boat were beaten into submission, we headed out. H, because she had the chart, took the lead. Her course took us NE to Greening's Island, around Greening's southern tip, down Greening's eastern side, and then across to the entrance to Northeast Harbor. From Northeast Harbor we planned on paddling north along the eastern shore of Somes Sound to the end, and then returning along the western shore.
During the first part of the paddle the wind made its presence felt, but was not making much trouble. It was a steady breeze out of the north with occasional heavy gusts. Because of the relative shelter and the short fetch, the seas were dimpled with small chop. The conditions kept things interesting without ganger, but hinted at impending drudgery.
When we reached Northeast Harbor and turned north to enter the fjord, the winds seemed to have calmed a bit. Of course there was a big point of land sheltering us. One look out into the sound, however, and you could see a number of sail boats deftly tacking into the Sound or dashing out to the open ocean on white cap speckled waters. H was not lulled into blissful enjoyment. In fact I suspect she was torn between enjoying the sun and the kayaking and dreading the imminent slog up the fjord. I was thrilled to be out, energized by the sun and the gentle rocking of the kayak, and inspired by the challenge posed by the wind!! My state of addiction fueled elation didn't help H.
Once we hit the Narrows, the true entrance to the fjord and a reputably nasty place for paddlers, the full force of the wind made itself known. Blowing the entire 4.5 miles, the wind was a steady 15knts. With startling frequency, the wind would serve up a long cold 25knt gust.
Aside from the wind, the conditions were ideal. The sun was shining, the humidity was low, and the temperature was mild. The scenery was breathtaking. The houses on the eastern shore of the fjord are quaint million dollar cottages that are a touch nicer than the ones that line the Bonnett Cliffs. Behind the cottages, Norumbega Mountain rises 852ft out of the sea. On the western shore, Acadia Mountain rises 681ft out the ocean in steep cliffs. The western shore is also home to Flying Mountain which was given its name by the native population who believed it had attempted to fly away from nearby St Sauveur Mountain.
We made it almost as far as Sand Point before needing a break. We found a nice couple, enjoying their summer cottage, who let us land on their beach. They also offered up access to a real live bathroom. It was quite the lunch break.
The nice couple had been out kayaking earlier in the day and mentioned a spring that was just a short way up the fjord. It sounded like an interesting, and reachable, next stop. I was pretty sure that we weren't going to make it to the head of the fjord, but was still not willing to give up the ghost.
Once back on the water, we were initially shocked to find that wind had died down. Then we rounded Sand Point. The wind seemed less vicious than earlier, but it was still making us fight for every inch. I was still thrilled to be out on the water. The Q-Boat was happily skipping along the chop and my stick sliced through the wind like butter. Still, paddling into a head wind is hard work.
After about another 45 minutes and a 1/2 mile, we still could not find the spring. We had passed the northern end of Acadia Mt. and the next possible stop was sill a distance down. So, I asked H if we should turn back. It was not fair putting the burden on her, but I would have kept paddling just to spite the wind and say I did it. Fortunately, H embraced her role as the reasonable member of the team and suggested that we needed to head back.
We crossed the fjord and paddled along the cliffs of Acadia Mountain into Valley Cove. Valley Cove is interesting and has a good bit of history. It is very hard to see into the cove as you are paddling into the fjord, so it makes an ideal place to hide ships. Apparently, the American's took advantage of this during one of the wars with the British. The cove is also lined by steep cliffs for 1/2 of its length. The other 1/2 is a rocky beach that is the head of a number of trails heading up Acadia Mountain and Flying Mountain.
H and I stopped on the beach and decided to hike the 1 mile trial to the top of Flying mountain. The thought of climbing up Acadia Mt. in our paddling shoes was not appealing.
After an easy hike we found ourselves with a clear view of the Cranberry Islands to the east and a large portion of the fjord. It was a spectacular place to spring my surprise on H. I'd like to say I was smooth in my delivery, but I fumbled it a lot before just giving her an engagement ring. In between the crying, she agreed to be my better half and then stowed the ring away for the paddle back to the car.
Returning to the car was a breeze, literally. The wind that had fought us all day pushed us out of the fjord and back to our car. We decided to paddle straight through the Narrows and along the western coast. This trajectory is the straightest line from Valley Cove to the town boat ramp in Mansett.
This was the first time I'd had the Q-Boat in a following sea and it was a learning experience. The waves were tiny little things, but they picked the back of the boat right up and surfed it. The Q-Boat breached immediately. So while H was speeding happily down the waves, I was fighting to keep myself straight. I considered dropping the skeg, but was adamant in my belief that I had to learn how to handle the kayak sans skeg. It took a little experimenting, but I finally figured it out. If I picked an edge to surf the Q-Boat on, it would stay pretty straight. I'm quickly learning that with a hard chine boat, the edges are very important.