Weekend Running Fun

Set out into the lovely crisp air on Friday for a run out into the Cathance. Hit the cart paths first to add on a bit of mileage and then meandered down along the river and through the woods out to Head of Tides. Lovely morning light, some bright mushrooms and fungi, colorful late summer flowers and berries plus seven turkeys scared up along the river banks and one deer seen prancing ahead on the trail. Legs felt good. (15.0 miles)

The Heath is covered with cotton sedge. Beautiful but hard to see in the photos 💗

Such a cool web!

Sending silly photos to Sam enroute 😂

Waxy cap

Indian pipe

Purple aster

Golden spindles

Love this viburnum 😍

Sam had a friend sleep over on Friday night and I didn't get a lot of sleep. Not to mention, it was dark and dreary and rainy from the hurricane remnants early in the morning and that didn't make me want to jump up and get out the door 😉 So instead, I sat around and drank coffee and made the girls pancakes and bacon, and then headed out the door midmorning. It was rather overcast, damp and windy and the roots and bog bridges out in the Cathance were rather greasy, but it wasn't raining and the woods were lovely and peaceful. Stopped for what are likely the final few trailside blackberries of the season, enjoyed the bright red cardinal flowers still blooming along the river and stopped to admire the sea of cotton sedge out in the Heath and at a patch of milkweed along the powerlines to see if I could find any monarch caterpillars. Took it nice and easy. (7.0 miles)

Cardinal flower

Cotton sedge out in the Heath

Chomp! 💗🐛

This morning, it was up and out early before Ryan headed over to Brad to help set up for the Bruiser. Waited until the sky was just lightening so I didn't need a headlamp 😉 Headed out through the neighborhoods and down to the swinging bridge, enjoying the moody sky as the sun rose and began to shine through the heavy cloud cover. Came back up through the Highlands and along the connector path. Legs don't want anything to do with "fast" - guess I need to start up with some pick-ups to get a bit of turnover back! - but I felt decent. Happy to finish out the week feeling good and finally hit 40 miles (pretty much exactly but it still counts! 😂) for the week for the first time since Western States! (6.0 miles)

Then it was off to Brad with Sam to volunteer during the race. To keep ourselves occupied while we waited for the racers to come back to the finish area, we took a nice little walk out the Link with Kate and the dogs. Lots of mushrooms and some good sniffs for Hagrid and Moxie! 😂🐶 (0.9 miles walked)

5th Grade!

Back to school and work and reality after a really fun stretch at the end of summer. Can't believe my girl is in 5th grade! I know it's cliche, but truly, where does the time go?!? 💗

On the running front, it's back to the early morning darkness with a headlamp definitely needed. Ran Highland Green Road and Canam on Tuesday in the fog. One red eft rescued and one eagle seen swooping through the mist above. (6.0 miles)

😍😍

Yesterday I hit the cart paths. Another foggy, overcast morning and dark, very dark. Six deer seen. (6.0 miles)

Feeling slightly lost and unfocused now that I've cancelled my plans for Ghost Train but I still have my mileage goal for the year to work towards and am having fun looking at ultrasignup as I figure out my 2020 race plans 😃

Last Hurray of Summer: Acadia Weekend Fun

We headed up to MDI Friday for our annual Acadia end-of-summer trip. Always a good time, and this year was no exception!

Kicked off the weekend with a flight at Atlantic Brewery

After lunch, we headed to hike the Precipice up Champlain Mountain. We haven't hiked this trails in years, as it has often been closed due to peregrine falcon nesting, but knew that Sam would love it, so figured we'd give it a go since it was open to hiking this year. 

It was a bit fear-inducing on my part 😱 but Sam was a champ, and I managed to make it up with only a few whimpers on some of the longer ladders 😂😂 Took a bit longer than anticipated but man, what a glorious afternoon and the views from the edge of the cliffs really were amazing! (2.5 miles walked)

Up we go!

Made it to the top!

Headed down the Orange & Black Trail

 Then it was off to set up camp, cook up dinner, start a fire and light some sparklers!

Saturday morning, I woke up early and enjoyed some quiet time outside the tent before we set off for breakfast at Two Cats - yum! 😋

Then it was up the coast to Schoodic for some exploration. Another beautiful day and fun to wander around a part of the park that, once again, Ryan and I haven't been to in years. Truly beautiful coastline!

We spent some time wandering around the rocks at Schoodic Point. Crashing waves, deep turquoise waters, gorgeous views back to MDI, and a cool patch of boggy area with huge bog cranberries. Truly beautiful.

💗💗💗

Bog cranberries

From there, we headed out along the park loop and stopped to hike The Anvil and Schoodic Head Mountain. A very cool loop with some neat rock formations, beautiful green moss, rich red mountain cranberries, beautiful views, and along The Alder Trail tons of blackberry brambles yielding warm, yummy berries plus a few butterfly and caterpillar sightings. (2.8 miles walked)

Neat bird trail markings! 🐦

Yum!

Signs of fall

Google tells me this is a Yellow-Spotted Tussock Moth caterpillar

Viceroy Butterfly, very close looking to the Monarch

We picked up pizza on the way home and ate it in front of a roaring campfire. What a lovely day!

Sunday, I woke up early and headed out for a run. Saw seven deer as I ran down Hall Quarry Road, including these four bounding across the road...

Headed up St. Sauveur and then out along the rocky ledges of Valley Peak and up and over Acadia on the return. Always a lovely loop, especially on a nice morning. The trails were quiet, the sun was shining and the views were, as always, gorgeous. (7.5 miles)

Headed up St. Sauveur

Valley Peak views

Acadia summit

After a few morning rounds of cornhole and a trip in the paddle boat around the quarry, we packed up and headed over to Mansell for a hike. I had been wanting to show Sam and Ryan the Precipice Trail and it did not disappoint. Nor did the Razorback Trail, which was new to me, and which we took on the descent. Gorgeous views! Ran into a few groups along the way but enjoyed the relative quiet of this "lesser" mountain. Lots of amazing stonework on the way up and nice rocky ledges on the way down. A great little loop! (2.8 miles walked)

Long Pond

Headed up the Precipice

More steps!

Vista a few 1/10ths below the Mansell summit

Descending the Razorback Trail

Such pretty views!

We finished up the day with some time in the pool, dinner at Beal's Lobster Pound and one final roaring campfire complete with s'mores to round out a great weekend!

My little fish 🐠

Spent!