Lynn Amber - Travel & Photography
sharing my thoughts through words and images
Winter Harbor Ferry
A couple of weeks ago on one of my day’s off, the forecast was predicting record high temperatures and a heat index over 90 degrees. I decided the best place to be in that kind of heat was on the water! During my 3 seasons here in Acadia, I had never embarked on the Bar Harbor-Winter Harbor Ferry that crosses Frenchman’s Bay and takes travelers to Winter Harbor and the Schoodic Peninsula, where the mainland part of the park is located.
I decided to take the 11:00 am ferry over to Winter Harbor and return on the 2:30 pm ferry boat. This would allow me enough time to take a short hike on the Schoodic Peninsula and return home in time for an early dinner.
The ferry “Miss Lizzie” started boarding about 15 minutes ahead of departure time and it was full! I decided I wanted to have a strategic spot on the upper deck and made my way up the ladder as soon as I stepped onto the deck.
As we left the harbor, we immediately saw some porpoises swimming along in the wake of the boat. It was so much fun to watch them! They were too quick for a photo! Up ahead of us, the Margaret Todd schooner was sailing back into the harbor. My last season here in Acadia I took a ride on the Margaret Todd. It was well worth it – although the cruise I enjoyed was lacking enough wind and we only had the sails up for a short while. Looks like there was plenty of wind on this trip today!
As we were skirting the Porcupine Islands, there was a flock of juvenile Common Eiders floating near the shoreline of the island. My original post listed these as American Coot. I was going by the white bill mostly and a Vermont friend who is a bird expert pointed out that he thought perhaps they were actually Common Eiders – in the juvenile stage. I am very inexperienced with bird identification and will most confidently go with his assessment! 🙂
Scenes in Frenchman’s Bay on the way to Winter Harbor:
Once we docked at Winter Harbor, I hopped on the Island Explorer shuttle bus that would take me to the Visitor Center at the Schoodic Woods Campground. From there, I intended to take a short hike along the Lower Harbor Trail – making a 2.8-mile or so loop back to the starting point in time to take the shuttle back to the ferry. The trail took me through some nice, moss-covered, shady forest and along the coast of a protected harbor. A great choice for such a hot, humid day! 🙂
On the ride back to Bar Harbor on “Miss Lizzie” I got a few more shots of some of the sights along the way. It was a perfect day for a outing on the water!!
Camera Maintenance
My camera is now 5 years old and I’ve been very happy with the purchase of this amazing full-frame digital wonder. While not a true professional-grade camera, it has served me well. I had one issue with the mode dial a couple of years ago and had to send it off to the Nikon center for repairs. It came back to me in great shape and I’ve had no problems since then with the functioning of the camera.
I clean the exterior body and lenses regularly, and use the “mirror lock-up” function to gently blow out any dust particles that make their way onto the sensor in the interior of the camera. However, after 5 years, it was obvious that I needed to do more to clean the sensor of dust. My attempts to remove dust using the blower did not get rid of some stubborn, nasty, clinging particles.
Over the past several months, I have been spending an inordinate amount of time in Lightroom removing “dust spots” with the spot removal tool. During this last month, my patience with this process finally reached its boiling point! All indications in my Nikon manual warned against attempting a self-cleaning of the sensor. In my manual, it states “dirt that cannot be removed with a blower can only be removed by Nikon-authorized service personnel.” The last time I sent my camera off for repair weeks went by before it was returned to me. I just did not want to go this route.
Researching online, I found several really good videos by professional photographers that detailed the process of removing these difficult dust particles. While I was nervous about trying this, it seemed simple enough and I ordered one of the recommended full-frame sensor cleaning kits complete with a number of pre-packaged cleaning swabs and a sensor cleaning solution. The kit came with detailed instructions. I resigned myself to the fact that I might damage the sensor and would accept the consequences. But, all indications pointed towards this being a very easy process.
After the first pass with the moistened swab, I took a test photo and loaded it into Lightroom to see if I had been successful in removing all the dust particles. The image was so much better than before but I still noticed several dust spots remaining along the edges of the photo. According to the instructions, a second cleaning was often necessary and I performed an additional pass over the sensor with a new swab.
It was close to sunset by the time I completed the second cleaning so I walked down along the coastline and took a shot of the sunset – with an emphasis on getting as much sky as possible. I loaded the photograph into Lightroom and scanned for dust. For the first time in many months, I had ZERO dust spots that needed manipulation!! 🙂
I am a happy, happy photographer!!
Sunrise Over Otter Point
Rose early the other morning and watched the sunrise over Otter Point. Turned out to be a good move. Since I was up so early I was able to beat the heat and get a 7-mile hike in before noon! 🙂
I hiked a loop that takes me up and over Pemetic Mountain. Love this trail. I started at the north parking lot for Jordan Pond and traversed over to the Bubble Pond carriage road extension via the Bubble and Jordan Ponds Path. From there, I walk the carriage road to its junction with the North Ridge Pemetic Mt trail. This is a steep, rocky and root-covered 1.1 mile trek to the summit. I head back to the parking lot via the South Ridge Pemetic Mt trail and re-do part of the Bubble and Jordan Ponds Path. The entire loop is close to 7 miles and takes the hiker through conifer forests, along two ponds and across the ridgeline of a granite-covered mountain. Who could ask for anything more!! 🙂
I choose to do this loop so that I’m walking down the south ridge because the views are just phenomenal!
Cormorant Pair
During my morning walk along the rocky coast the other morning, I stopped and watched this pair of cormorants resting on a rock outcropping. Cormorants spread their wings so they can dry them after diving for food. Their feathers are designed to inhibit buoyancy so they can dive deeper. This causes their wings to get waterlogged and they need to dry them occasionally! Some other bird species use this wing-spread technique for thermoregulation but it has been shown that cormorants strictly do this to dry their wings. Interesting and fun science fact!! 🙂
Along the coast hanging from the trees is a type of fruiticose lichen from the genus Usnea – often referred to as Old Man’s Beard. The park website cites that Acadia is rich in its lichen population and claims to be one of the most lichen-diverse national parks in the country. As indicators of air quality, lichen diversity and abundance can tell us a lot about the environmental health of the region. Apparently, some birds will use these long strands when nest building – including the northern parula warbler. Cool! 🙂
Thuya Garden Flower Fix
I needed a serious flower fix yesterday. So, dodging raindrops, I visited my favorite garden on the island to see what was in bloom since the last time I dropped in. Using a very shallow depth of field, I was able to create some very nice effects!
Spending time strolling around the garden and concentrating on photo composition totally captures my attention and I am liberated from all the negativity in the news and everyday worries that seem to invade and capture my thoughts. Great therapy – gardens and photography! 🙂
Relaxing Day Off Hike
I have found that my third season here at Acadia has changed my perspective with regard to my day off excursions. I no longer feel the need cram as much hiking and biking in as before – always seeking out that one trail I have yet to conquer. It feels more like home now than a tourist destination. I sleep in more often and enjoy the simple pleasures of having a leisurely coffee down on the rocky coastline, and, then, I choose my free time hikes/bikes more discriminately.
One of my favorite short hiking loops is around Beech Mountain. The Valley Trail leaves from the parking lot at Beech Mountain and runs along the base of the Beech Mountain cliffs. It is a stunning hike through a moss-covered, rock-strewn spruce forest.
At the South Ridge Beech Mountain Trail junction, I hang a right and ascend the semi-steep path with multiple stone staircases to the summit of Beech Mountain. Once at the summit, I take in the view on the fire tower platform before starting my descent down the other side of the mountain.
As I head back down the trail to the parking lot, I like to take the route that runs along the ridge above Long Pond. I have a favorite spot where I take a snack break and enjoy the solitude and quiet looking down on the large lake. From my vantage point, I watched a few kayakers making their way along the far coastline of the lake.
This morning for my second day off, I rose earlier (still not early enough for the sunrise!), walked down to the water’s edge and enjoyed watching the fog build off-shore. There was a lone lobster boat crew out checking their traps way off shore – the sun glistening off the boat. Cormorants and gulls were drifting by – gliding along the surface of the water. A peaceful start to the day!
Not sure what the rest of my day will bring – it’s been nice not “planning” my day’s off. As I do my morning chores, I’ll let my musings guide me towards the next adventure!
Sand Beach Sunset
I shot a number of photographs from the the shoreline at Sand Beach last night over a period of about a half an hour – close to sunset. Most of the shots did not include any people although there were a few lingering tourists enjoying a late day on the beach . I don’t know who these young boys are but this ended up being my favorite shot. I only took a couple of photos with them on the edge of the scene but I think the photograph speaks volumes about the mood of the evening. I was watching them splashing around in the waves totally immersed in their play and it took me back to memories of my own boys at that age – in a world all their own.
The fog was rolling in across the ocean and Otter Point, in the distance on the right, was engulfed with a blanket of mist. A zoomed-in look at the Otter Point mist below:
I moved a little further down the beach for a different angle just as the sky was turning pink towards the southwest.
Misty Afternoon Walk
I never tire of taking photographs of the Cobblestone Bridge in Acadia National Park. Of all the Rockefeller bridges in the park, it is my favorite. Yesterday, I embarked on a late afternoon walk choosing a loop that kept me in the Land and Garden Preserve area and would give me at least a 4-mile hike. Dense fog blanketed the coast all day with a heavy mist that at times felt like a light drizzle. I love hiking in the fog – the forest just seems to come alive with color and there’s a mystical quality to the landscape with the moss covered ground and rocky cliffs emerging from the earth.
As I approached Little Long Pond, the fog grew thicker and it was impossible to even make out much of the opposite shoreline!
Gorham Mt. View
Yesterday after work I had time to do one of my favorite short hikes – a 4 mile round-trip trek – up Gorham Mountain from my campsite. As I was descending the summit, I caught sight of this lone sailboat (minus the sails!) slowly cruising along the coast. I tried to imagine myself transported from the summit to the sailboat deck! It looked so inviting! 🙂
Deer Isle Day Trip
The Old Farmer’s Almanac for 2021 predicted summer weather for New England, which includes Maine, would bring above-average rainfall and cooler than average temperatures. I would say this prophecy definitely came to fruition! The photo above gives a good indication of the type of weather we have been experiencing on any given day of the week!
Before my husband left to go back to Vermont (after an all too brief visit with me here in Maine), I wanted to take a road trip to Deer Isle. It’s a beautiful, laid-back little island to the southwest of Mount Desert Island. At the tip of the island sits the village of Stonington – a picturesque fishing village nestled between the harbor and the hilly terrain that is characteristic of this island community. It was raining hard much of the trip but we enjoyed a leisurely road trip around the whole island – stopping occasionally for a photo op or to peruse some artsy shops along the way.
The above photograph was taken just outside of the small artist community of Deer Isle. Standing on the small causeway that separates Mill Pond from an inlet of East Penobscot Bay, I captured this foggy, tranquil scene. Adjacent to Mill Pond along the road is a small veterans memorial complete with a beautifully cared-for garden overlooking the pond. The tiger lilies were in full bloom – offering up a very bright spot of color in an otherwise dreary landscape!
Lynn Amber - Travel & Photography 