Acadia Delight, Part 1

Acadia Delight, Part 1

To be honest, we entered Acadia National Park in a bit of a slump.  It’s a hard concept to sufficiently describe in a blog, but we have been suffering from a case of “it’s not grand enough.”  It’s a condition that’s been festering since Colorado, and came to a spike on the drive to Acadia.

I say this not to discredit the amazing people, beautiful scenery, and wondrous adventures that have accompanied our trip in the last couple months.   Rather, is to meant to say that recent sections of our trip had us wondering if the West was just a bit more concentrated with the spectacular sites that sparked our adventure through the US to begin with.  We have also realized we’ve been camping for almost 6 months, so I’m sure that’s also another factor for the growing slump.

Anyway, we were therefore delightfully surprised when we set camp in what is now one of our favorite National Parks.  It is a very unique park, and one that is an absolute mandatory stop if you are in the Portland, Maine vicinity.

There are many attributes we love about Acadia, but our favorite is the high density of quality, convenient, and beautiful dog friendly hikes.  Our favorite hikes, which are, ironically, the ones not dog friendly, are called “Rung and Ladder” hikes.  They are the most direct route to the top of many of the small peaks within Mt. Desert Island, which is the island that houses Acadia National Park.  Each of the 4 rung and ladder climbs scale 500-1500’ in less than a mile.  They achieve this through the use of metal ladders, foot holds, and grab rails.  It has slightly less exposure than our favorite Via Ferrata in Telluride, but still has enough cliff edges to momentarily take your breath away!

Each of the four and a half days we were in Acadia involved a Rung and Ladder Hike, and one we even did twice, sneaking inint a gorgeous morning climb before departing the park at 8am on our last day.  We also put in lots of miles on many of the other numerous hikes, which are all dog friendly.  On average, we hiked about 12 miles each day, each of which involved a mix of strenuous adventure and leisurely strolling.  Hike views include gorgeous ocean vistas, lake overlooks, and cliffside bluffs;  sometimes you even get all three at the same time!  The trails ranged from boulder strewn scrambles to intricate boardwalks to forested walkways; also often on the same trail.

The plethora of amazing hikes is definitely what sparked our love for this adventure once again, but other unique aspects of the park reminded us that part of the journey is about uncovering the unexpected, and gaining new insights.   Many of these insights revolve around the unique attributes of Acadia National Park itself.

All in all, it was a fantastic experience that reminds us of the many awe inspiring sites and experiences the US has to offer.  Additionally,  we ended up with a plethora of pictures we love, which is what dictates this as part one of three for our adventures in Acadia :). We were able to whittle down our favorite images to 73 from over 300, and here you may find the first 20 or so :).   Read on to Acadia Part 2 here, and Acadia Part 3 here. 

We’ve decided warnings like this are an indicator the hike or climb will be fun and memorable!
Another cool thing about Acadia trails is how each trail is connected to another. This sign highlights the possibilities from the peak of the Precipice trail… We climbed from the East, and you could exit by the South, North, or West, depending on the length and difficulty of trail you prefer.
Leah soaking in every ounce of the view!
Andy standing atop boulders at the top of the trail. One more random side note: notice our shoes. They are called “approach shoes”, which we purchased in Utah for Canyoneering. They are awesome for any form of scrambling or climbing!
Andy trying some gymnastic hijinx in between a couple of boulders at the top of a trail.
Andy standing on another spectucular ridge with a beautiful view characteristic of Acadia. We should note that our trip was especially awesome in that we lucked out with a perfect weather window… 1 week before and the area was socked in by fog for many days in a row.
Another shot of Leah climbing up a scramble / ladder climb on the trail.
Andy along one of the more exposed sections… notice there is a very convenient hand rail all along this section :).
It’s really hard not to stop along the trail to soak in the views, and appreciate the marvel of the trail design!
This is an example of why we love these trails: lots of fun with a beautiful view that simulates exposure without really placing us in danger (there is a ledge just a few feet below Leah in this picture).
Leah climbing up another fun section of the trail.
One of the many balancing-act opportunities on a Ladder and Rung trail!
Andy trying for a climbing challenge by subverting the well placed ladder bars to his left.
Leah standing on one of the MANY Acadia lookouts.
Leah reaching for a helping hand on her way to the top of the trail.
Leah appreciating the view from near the top of the Precipice Trail.
Leah looking down from one of the steep steps along the very well designed Ladder and Rung Precipice Trail.
This was a look at at the start of our first Ladder and Rung trail, called the Precipice Trail.
This is an example of an Acadia scramble before the Ladder and Rung section begins. This kind of scramble is fairly common on trails rated “strenuous” at Acadia, and is not reserved just for Ladder and Rung trails :).

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We are Andy and Leah, two Engineers and travel lovers who decided it was time to leave “normal” life behind and explore!