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!

Cramming It In

We're cramming in as much as we can these last few days of summer. But first, we had to catch up on our sleep after a fun weekend at Wolfe's Neck! We were all exhausted 😂😴

So no running with me on Tuesday but out onto the cart paths for a misty sunrise run on Wednesday morning. Saw four deer bounding down the fairway and enjoyed some sweet blackberries along the powerlines. Took the long way home along Canam and past the new high school, which is coming along nicely! (7.0 miles)

While I was at work during the day, Sam and Ryan headed down to Salt Pump Climbing for a morning of rock and boulder walls, and then out to lunch. What fun!

Yesterday, I was off with Sam. Gotta say, a two day work week is pretty sweet! 😂😉 I got up and out around 6:30 am for a random road and trail meander. Started off on Highland Green, ran a bit on the powerlines which were quite wet from all the rain overnight and then finished up with a trip up and over Mt. A. and back along the trails and road by the middle school. (7.0 miles)

I just love the rich colors of these berries

Sam and I didn't manage to do anything quite as exotic as rock climbing, but we did get out for a girl's morning complete with a haircut and lunch at Ricetta's, where we ordered cannolis for dessert of course! Yum! 😋

Then it was off to do a few errands, get packed up for Acadia and head to school for the ice cream social/classroom meet and greet. Hard to believe school starts on Tuesday. Time really does just fly! We finished up the day with dinner at SeaDog with Anne, Thistle, Phil and Kristen. Always fun!

This morning, I got out for a run before the rest of the house woke up. I haven't been running out in the Cathance as the deer flies have been horrid, but with the cooler air, they have finally abated, and it was lovely to run on the trails again! Nice mist rising and cotton sedge blanketing the Heath, cardinal flower still blooming along the river and a tiny little red eft to move off the pavement💗 (6.0 miles)

So tiny 

And now it is off to get the car packed up for the final camping trip of the summer!