The Cadillac of Mountains
Lying in bed at 9:30 this morning, it was very difficult to imagine that I would enjoy sticking to my resolution of conquering Cadillac Mountain, the highest point on Mount Desert Island. adfamiliares was similarly dubious; I showed her the elevation profile for the hike, and she (correctly) said, "Isn't that the same elevation we climbed yesterday, in half the horizontal distance?" But she, being a fine example of Uxor uxoris, agreed, and my body eventually stopped making me think I had a detached retina and a herniated spine, and we set off.
The climb up Cadillac's north ridge was pretty arduous - lots of clambering over boulder staircases and climbing steep shelves of pink, lichen-spotted granite. We left the trailhead at the same time as a boisterous family, and worried, after our two days of basic solitude, that we would have company the whole way, but we left them behind quickly. It's only a 2.2 mile hike to the summit (elevation: 1530'), but what with all the climbing and the multiple false summits (damn you, Whitecap!) and the bitterly cold winds, we were pretty tired by the time we reached the top - where all the cars and buses that had driven to the top were disgorging chattery tourists. (The actual summit is a ways past the parking area, on a hump of granite marked only by a USGS badge.) The path mirrors the road for about a quarter mile, and we'd developed a rather bitter attitude toward the cars zipping past us; seeing flocks of relaxed people waiting at the summit sapped our enthusiasm a bit. We got there just in time to watch dark sheets of rain sweeping toward us from across the sea, and took advantage of the shelter provided by the little gift shop near the summit.
Once the rain had passed, we leapt off the side of the mountain, down Notch Trail - all scrambling down tumbled boulders into a deep, forested gorge, with the imposing bluffs of Dorr Mountain facing us across the valley - until we found a natural bench, out of the wind, where we could dangle our feet and eat our sandwiches. At the bottom, we turned onto the magical, shadowy Gorge Path, which followed a leaping stream over mossy boulders and under forty-foot granite cliffs trickling with moisture. (There was one perfectly secluded pool, at the bottom of a rushing cascade, that would have been ideal for a quick dip if the air had been 20° warmer.) That took us back to the Loop Road, which took us back to the car. (Again, our hike is available for viewing via GPS track. Despite the various climbs, our 1.5 mph hiking pace remains approximately constant.)
Before the hike, we'd wandered around town, buying new bug spray from a guy who'd had a brush with Lyme and tasting many artisanal olive oils and balsamic vinegars at Fiore. (They have dozens of vats of single-source olive oils and flavored blends, and a similar selection of balsamic vinegars, plus specialty oils like walnut and butternut squash seed. There are tiny plastic cups and bread cubes for tasting, and they will fill $10-$20 bottles with whatever oils and vinegars you like.) We stopped in to peek at the Tiffany stained glass in Saint Saviour's, too, which did much to soothe our edginess about the upcoming hike. After the hike we staggered back downtown for perfectly adequate lobster rolls and crab salad sandwiches at Side Street Café, followed by fresh blueberry clusters in dark chocolate at Ben and Bill's Chocolate Emporium, plus a pound of fudge. (Mmm, fudge.)
As I said, Cadillac is the tallest peak in the park, and if not the most difficult hike it's still something of a feather in one's cap. I'm very pleased I got to summit it with my wife (who was very game about the expedition); now I can go home feeling I've met Acadia on its own terms, and given it a good firm handshake.
Now, we are mostly packed, and I am mostly exhausted. Tomorrow: back to Boston, and Tim Minchin at the Wilbur!
[Edit: There was a problem with the privacy setting of the GPS tracks, so anyone clicking the link was getting an "insufficient privileges" notice. Should be fixed now.]
The climb up Cadillac's north ridge was pretty arduous - lots of clambering over boulder staircases and climbing steep shelves of pink, lichen-spotted granite. We left the trailhead at the same time as a boisterous family, and worried, after our two days of basic solitude, that we would have company the whole way, but we left them behind quickly. It's only a 2.2 mile hike to the summit (elevation: 1530'), but what with all the climbing and the multiple false summits (damn you, Whitecap!) and the bitterly cold winds, we were pretty tired by the time we reached the top - where all the cars and buses that had driven to the top were disgorging chattery tourists. (The actual summit is a ways past the parking area, on a hump of granite marked only by a USGS badge.) The path mirrors the road for about a quarter mile, and we'd developed a rather bitter attitude toward the cars zipping past us; seeing flocks of relaxed people waiting at the summit sapped our enthusiasm a bit. We got there just in time to watch dark sheets of rain sweeping toward us from across the sea, and took advantage of the shelter provided by the little gift shop near the summit.
Once the rain had passed, we leapt off the side of the mountain, down Notch Trail - all scrambling down tumbled boulders into a deep, forested gorge, with the imposing bluffs of Dorr Mountain facing us across the valley - until we found a natural bench, out of the wind, where we could dangle our feet and eat our sandwiches. At the bottom, we turned onto the magical, shadowy Gorge Path, which followed a leaping stream over mossy boulders and under forty-foot granite cliffs trickling with moisture. (There was one perfectly secluded pool, at the bottom of a rushing cascade, that would have been ideal for a quick dip if the air had been 20° warmer.) That took us back to the Loop Road, which took us back to the car. (Again, our hike is available for viewing via GPS track. Despite the various climbs, our 1.5 mph hiking pace remains approximately constant.)
Before the hike, we'd wandered around town, buying new bug spray from a guy who'd had a brush with Lyme and tasting many artisanal olive oils and balsamic vinegars at Fiore. (They have dozens of vats of single-source olive oils and flavored blends, and a similar selection of balsamic vinegars, plus specialty oils like walnut and butternut squash seed. There are tiny plastic cups and bread cubes for tasting, and they will fill $10-$20 bottles with whatever oils and vinegars you like.) We stopped in to peek at the Tiffany stained glass in Saint Saviour's, too, which did much to soothe our edginess about the upcoming hike. After the hike we staggered back downtown for perfectly adequate lobster rolls and crab salad sandwiches at Side Street Café, followed by fresh blueberry clusters in dark chocolate at Ben and Bill's Chocolate Emporium, plus a pound of fudge. (Mmm, fudge.)
As I said, Cadillac is the tallest peak in the park, and if not the most difficult hike it's still something of a feather in one's cap. I'm very pleased I got to summit it with my wife (who was very game about the expedition); now I can go home feeling I've met Acadia on its own terms, and given it a good firm handshake.
Now, we are mostly packed, and I am mostly exhausted. Tomorrow: back to Boston, and Tim Minchin at the Wilbur!
[Edit: There was a problem with the privacy setting of the GPS tracks, so anyone clicking the link was getting an "insufficient privileges" notice. Should be fixed now.]