Mount
Desert Island
Northeast
Harbor Marina
Today
we decided to hike a real trail. The carriage roads are great, definitely easy
and the views are nice, but the wonderful views come from smaller trails that wind you up the side of the mountains. We chose to hike the Acadia Mountain
trail since it would give us views of Somes Sound from the top. Somes Sound is a
body of water running deep into Mount Desert Island. The sound almost splits
the island in two. While
often described as the "only fjord on the East Coast", it lacks the
extreme vertical relief and anoxic sediments associated with Norwegian fjords,
and is now called a fjard by officials, a smaller drowned glacial embayment. By
either name it's a spectacular place and it was a clear beautiful day to enjoy
the views.
We
took the bus from our marina in Northeast Harbor to the west side of the
island. We actually had to take one bus and connect with another to get there.
While we waited for the second bus we picked blueberries on the side of the
road...so many berries. This time we put them in a container to take home for
breakfast. What a treat.
There are over 125 miles of designated trails in Acadia National Park, with skill levels from a very easy walk to strenuous. Acadia Mountain Trail is listed as a strenuous trail because of its steep descents on the back of the trail. It was a little more work, but well worth the effort for the incredible views. We ate our lunch near the top, sitting on a ledge overlooking Somes Sound and Long Lake. No restaurant in the world could have been as nice as this place today. We chose a great place to explore on a great day...we couldn't have asked for a better experience.
After the hike we caught the bus into Southwest Harbor and spent a little time wandering around. This side of the island is definitely less touristy and more relaxed. We decided we'd take the bus back to Bar Harbor for dinner before we returned to the boat. We've had a great time on Mount Desert and could find things to keep us busy for much longer, but there are other great places to explore...so we need to move on.
A park at the end of Somes Sound. To the right is the mountain we hiked.
The beginning of the Acadia Mountain trail
Our first view of Somes Sound
Our view looking west over Long Lake
What a perfect lunch spot
Stan enjoying our lunch break and the view
The upper part of the sound. Behind the sailboat in the center of the photo is the park where I took the first picture.
A view of the center part of the sound
The trail down
Looking back up the trail
A video of our view at lunch
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