TR -- Acadia National Park

[el-bagr]

This past weekend, my wife and I headed to Acadia National Park for the coastal island experience.

Awakening in our tent Saturday morning, we decided to do a multisport trip involving a ski across Jordan Pond, then a climb up a gully on the backside of the Bubbles. The ice is 3' thick on the lake (sadly very scratchy on the climb), and winds were gusting at up to 50 mph. The lone ice fisherman looked at us with disbelief, unable to figure out what we were thinking.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/552/209PICT0026-med.JPG
As we got into the broadest part of the lake, the winds had scoured the ice about 50% clean of snow. Downwind sailing was very fast on the clear ice; for my next trip, I will bring a tarp-sail.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/552/209PICT0027-med.JPG

Reaching the base of the Bubbles as snow fell lightly, we cached our skis and made our way up the talus and ledges to a gully. As this wasn't skiing, I'll leave off here with a picture of our lunch ledge.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/552/209PICT0036-med.JPG
The return trip across the lake was mostly into the wind, and took almost twice as long as the trip out.

-=-=-=-

Sunday morning we awoke to 8" of fresh, fairly heavy snow. Time for a trip along the shore!
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/552/209PICT0014-med.JPG
Relatively mindful of the hazards of such a trip,
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/552/209PICT0050-med.JPG
we made our way along the snowy cliffs above the rafts of eiders feeding in the pounding surf.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/209PICT0034-med.JPG
Places like this can make the lift-served skiing scene feel like a subway.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/209PICT0033-med.JPG
There is no shortage of committing lines, as my brave wife demonstrates by launching off the corniced edge into the frigid waters below:
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/209PICT00271-med.JPG
We are fortunate to live in such a state, with forests, mountains, and an ocean of surf to boot.
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/500/209PICT0043-med.JPG
We shall return. Until next time!
http://timefortuckerman.com/photopost/data/552/209PICT0053-med.JPG

[M@]

Kewl report. I can hear the ocean.

M@

[el-bagr]

Actually, I recorded a .WAV of the waves at a cobble beach, but can't upload it right now because I can't attach non-image-files, and zipping it makes 103k, just over the limit. So, just imagine the sound of a six-footer crashing on the beach, then the sound of the cobbles rolling back down the beach with the swash, like a giant rain stick.

[M@]

So, just imagine the sound of a six-footer crashing on the beach, then the sound of the cobbles rolling back down the beach with the swash, like a giant rain stick.

I love that sound. We spend a weekend camping on an island in maine every year - and that sound is usually a big part of the trip.... the rain stick sound, not the six footer crashing!

M@

[RR]

Sweet TR! Was the Jordan Pond House open and did you score some popovers for rocket fuel?

[el-bagr]

No, the Jordan Pond House closes in mid-Oct, I think. In summer and early fall, though, those popovers are a staple. There's something about their flaky shell and moist interior that keeps you coming back...

The Park Loop road is closed, except for the section from Sand Beach to Otter Creek, plus a short section from Seal Harbor to the Jordan Pond House. They've plowed out the Jordan parking lot, but I suspect it's for fire safety given that the place is boarded up.

[NH_tele]

Sounds like a great trip! I've never spent too much time in Acadia, but I've driven through the area, and it seems really nice... I'd love to spend more time there sometime.

What's it like, terrain-wise? Mainly touring? Any sustained pitches for downhill skiing?

[el-bagr]

It's a great place, especially in the off-season. For about 10 weeks in summer, all the folks from further-away-than-us make the more popular destinations a bit of a hassle, but even then there are plenty of places to get away.

In winter, you have the place to yourself. We were the only people to sign in at the campground (closed/free, but plowed) in the past few weeks. The touring is excellent -- closed roads plus the "carriage roads", gravel paths with moderate grades that are used by walkers and cyclists in dry season. There are a number of worthy sustained downhill pitches, including great chutes, but they tend to need relatively deep coverage: due in large part to a history of fire, treeline is very low, and there is not much soil on the mountains' ledges. The mountains were shaped largely by glaciation, so they have a very convex profile -- the closer you are to the base, the steeper the terrain -- generally ending in vertical/overhanging cliffs. If they ever had 30' of snow, it would be an "extreme" skiing destination worthy of the movies. On the plus side, the snow is definitely maritime, and sticks well to near-vertical pitches.

[kmrnskier]

Nice report El-bagr. It looks so much more "peaceful" then in the summer months, due mostly b/c of the no people thing.

[DMC]

WOW!!!!!
I hate all y'all!!! ;)

I'm ready to trade in the lights of the city....
I've been skiing the same danm mountain every weekend since november...

Need some adventure!!!! Hopefully I'll get me some in Utah this week!!!

[NH_tele]

I like peaceful places...

Cities are just soooooo, um...., crowded.

Mt. Washington is prime example of what happens when there's too much acess & hype in the summer (I'm sure Acadia suffers from the same...)

[TenSeven]

Great TR and nice pics.

[BladeGirl]

Great pix and story, thanks for sharing!

-BG