Walking On Water – Echo Lake
Echo Lake is located on the “quiet side” of Mount Desert Island in Acadia National Park. All winter it has been, and still is, covered with a thick layer of ice. Today the ice was covered with water. With temps this afternoon approaching 50° F, snow from earlier in the week is now water which is several inches deep in places. Janice and Emma and I drove down to the boat launch at Ikes …
Sargent Mountain, Acadia National Park
Today we hiked to the summit of Sargent Mountain in search of Snowy Owls. With its peak at 1,373 feet, Sargent is the second highest mountain on Mount Desert Island after Cadillac Mountain which is slightly taller at 1,530 feet. Snowy Owls have been sighted this winter on both mountains in Acadia National Park, though we did not see any during our hike on Cadillac last month. But today, …
Ice Fishing on Eagle Lake, Mount Desert Island
This morning the MDI Photo Club met on Eagle Lake to shoot and socialize (translation: take pictures and talk about photography). Located in Acadia National Park on Mount Desert island, this pristine body of water is nearly two miles long and about a half mile wide. This time of year its frozen surface hosts ice fisherman, cross-country skiers, and on this day, a dozen photographers eager …
Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Trail in Winter
Hiking to the top of Cadillac Mountain in winter has been on my wish list for some time. Last year while still living in Vermont, I read in the Mount Desert Islander newspaper about a guy near my age (58) who was hiking up Cadillac and had to be rescued after slipping on the ice and seriously injuring himself. …
Bass Harbor Marsh, Acadia National Park
Bass Harbor Marsh originates in Southwest Harbor in the area where Marshall Brook and Lurvey Brook come together. This combination of south flowing freshwater quickly forms into a large meandering stream with the classic S curves that naturally develop when a river or stream travels across nearly flat terrain. The flow continues to widen, is joined and fed by Buttermilk Brook, and …
Witch Hole Pond Carriage Road
Braving the cold to have fun is simply part of living in Maine in the winter. For Janice and Emma and I, today’s recreation was a walk on the carriage roads around Witch Hold Pond. This 4.6 mile loop begins and ends at the Duck Brook Bridge which is accessed from route 233. The large image below is the view of the pond from its northern most end looking south. Believe me, it felt as cold …
Gorham Mountain Trail and Sand Beach
Today Emma and I conquered the Gorham Mountain Trail in winter conditions. A few weeks early the two of us and Janice had attempted this hike, but turned back after about a half mile because parts of the trail were too steep, narrow, and icy for snowshoes. This time we wore crampons and had no trouble at all, even with several inches of snow on top of the ice.
We parked in the …
Saint Sauveur Mission on Christmas Day
In June 1613, French Jesuit missionaries attempted to establish a colony on Mount Desert Island. Convinced by Abnaki Chief Asticou that the current day Fernald Point would be an excellent location, they came ashore, celebrated mass, and named the place Saint Sauveur. Presumably the reference is to our holy savior Jesus Christ and not to an actual saint since, to the best of my knowledge, …
Winter Storm in Acadia National Park
This morning brought the first winter storm of the season to Mount Desert Island. Around noon we drove to the Seawall entrance of Acadia National Park (about 10 minutes by car from our house in Southwest Harbor). I wish we had gone out a few hours earlier when the tide was high to see the waves depositing rocks and a lobster trap up onto Route 102A. The temperature was just around freezing …
Acadia from Dusk to Dawn
Since moving to Mount Desert Island in September, I have seen some spectacular sunrises and sunsets. Last Saturday November 2, Janice and I went out on one last kayak trip for the season. We chose Seal Cove Pond and what a lucky choice it was. We got on the water about 4:30 PM and an hour later the sky started changing colors and patterns every few minutes. And then it was dark. The …