Lynn Amber - Travel & Photography
sharing my thoughts through words and images
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!
Photo a Day 7.28.21
With company over the past week, it’s been hard to find time to post. So, you get two-in-one today! Jim and I hiked part way up Beech Mountain last night to try and catch the sunset. The trail that winds up the mountain high above Long Pond offers great views across the body of water and faces towards the west. I’ve been meaning to try and capture a sunset photograph from here since my first summer on the island in 2018. Clouds moved in towards evening but there was still some open sky on the western horizon causing this narrow ribbon of color. The wind was kicking up creating some blurred foliage in the foreground.
The evening before last, we hiked over to the Ocean Path and down along Otter Point. Over the past few days, some campers have reported seeing otters during low tide at Otter Point. And, one family was lucky enough to see a humpback whale off Otter Point beyond the buoy. I thought it would be fun to try and spot the otters. No luck, but the view towards Great Head from the trail was beautiful with the fog rolling in across the water.
Photo a Day 7.22.21
Today, Jim and I biked two different loops on the carriage road system here in Acadia National Park. Our first ride was around the Amphitheater Loop starting at the Brown Mountain Gate parking area. It’s about a 5 mile loop starting and ending at Brown Mountain. We stopped to admire the small Little Harbor Brook Bridge that spans the creek with the same name.
There are 17 bridges along the 45-mile plus carriage road system and it’s fun to try and bike or hike to all of them during the span of the summer months.
Photo a Day 7.22.21
My husband surprised me on Tuesday by leaving a message on my phone saying that he was on his way for a visit! He’ll be staying for a bit and his first full day here we took a walk on part of the carriage road system, had dinner in Northeast Harbor and explored the boats moored in both Northeast Harbor and Seal Harbor. The fog partially cleared along the coast enough for an actual colorful sunset last night!
And finally the sun appeared – breaking through the clouds just as it was about to dip behind the hill overlooking Seal Harbor.
Photo a Day 7.19.21
After a solid day of rain yesterday, I went hunting mushrooms again along one of the trails near me. This wee little orange mushroom was growing out of a decaying birch tree stump and it just caught my eye. The abundance and diversity of mushrooms growing in and around the forest floor right now is astounding. The following images were taken along a very short section of the trail. 🙂
Photo a Day 7.17.21
I tired unsuccessfully several times yesterday to upload this photo to my blog. Interrupted cell service has definitely been the bane of my existence this summer here on Mount Desert Island. So, anyway, here is yesterday’s photo!
The lilies are coming into bloom at Thuya Garden now and this white lily really lent itself to rendering in black and white.
Lynn Amber - Travel & Photography 