Purgatory Chasm is a great little hike, quite challenging in spots and it involves a lot of scrambling on rocks. But it’s a short hike, not too strenuous, and has a lot of “kid appeal”. Therefore, it is a very popular spot for the kids, and it was quite crowded this Labor Day. Our guest (age 10) turned out to be very adventurous, and could not turn down an opportunity to scramble up a side trail or crawl into a cave. She brought out the courage in Son (age 7), who followed her everywhere, and did a remarkable job keeping up. Daughter and I took a more conservative approach, and mostly watched from afar and gave them advice on how to proceed. A fun hike was had by all, despite a few mishaps — a blistered foot and a bit of ripped clothing suffered by our guest, unfortunately. It’s a good idea, when visiting Purgatory Chasm, to wear socks and good sneakers or hiking shoes, as well as thick long pants such as jeans. There’s a giant sloped rock that kids love to slide down.

After Purgatory Chasm it’s always fun to head to West End Creamery, where they have not only ice cream but also mini golf and a small barn where you can view farm animals. Purgatory Chasm plus West End Creamery is guaranteed to be a fun day out.

See a photo gallery of our adventure.

10/4/07 to 10/8/07 (Columbus Day Weekend)

I had suggested this trip to my old friend JB as kind of a reliving of our younger days. We hadn’t travelled together in a few years, and I hadn’t been to Acadia since 2003. A young person I knew spent a weekend in Acadia in late August, and telling him about the place made me realize how much I missed it. So this was to be an active trip, hiking, bicycling, and paddling, not to mention lots of photography. It was to be just me and JB, no families, no kids, no significant others.

Lots more after the jump …

Pre-trip: Wed 10/3

JB drove from his home in NY to my home on Wed 10/3. We got some perishable foods at the supermarket and then packed up the car together.

Thurs 10/4

On Thursday morning we loaded on the last of the gear on the car: Canoe on top and bicycles on the back. JB is very precise and thorough with the gear, and makes sure everything is tight as a drum. At the last minute I manage to break the glass of my propane lantern. No matter, I figure I can pick up another at the LL Bean store in Freeport, which is where I got the last one.

Surprise, the Bean store does not carry Coleman products anymore, but we do find a replacement glass at Wal-Mart in Ellsworth. Strangely, right around our entry to Ellsworth the Subaru starts shifting strangely. A worrisome sign but not necessarily a trip-destroying one.

We arrive at Mount Desert Campground at around 5pm. It’s the same campground we had stayed at in 2000, and after a quick scout around we chose the same spot we had shared seven years ago: Campsite A21. It’s a nice spot perched on the edge of Sommes Sound, with a beautiful view. I set up the tent while JB started dinner. He made a nice chicken and pasta dish, and it complemented well the Riesling I brought.

Fri 10/5

I awoke to the sound of the road across the Sound at 4am. Funny, we hadn’t remembered the road being so noisy. I didn’t get much sleep after that, so when I realized it was 6am I figured I might as well head to the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse. Sunrise was not far off.

Spotted four deer on the road on the way to the lighthouse. I was the first one to arrive at the, but I was not alone for long. Several people were around between 6:45 to 7:30, including young couples in love and old ladies toting point-and-shoots. And one enigmatic guy toting a Hassleblad mounted upon a tripod. This guy leaves a big tackle box on top of a rock, spoiling the view for the rest of us. Thanks, guy.

The sky dawned clear and cloudless. Not a complete loss, but not very interesting, either.

Upon returning to the campsite, JB and I discussed what to do with the car. The smoke from the leaking oil was a known problem and, I figured, rather minor. But the shifting was now acting up. I had discovered a workaround to the problem that would allow me to shift gears, but I was worried that it might worsen to the point of not being driveable. I called the Subaru dealership in Trenton, and that settled the point: they had no time to look at the car anyhow. We would have to cross our fingers and hope for the best.

JB made an epic breakfast of bacon, eggs, toasted bagels, plus instant oatmeal. We got out of camp around 11am and headed for Eagle Lake.

EAGLE LAKE

Eagle Lake is described in my “Discover Acadia” book as being remote and pristine. Since it is enclosed entirely within the park there is no development along the shore.

And so it was. The water was crystal clear, the area quiet and remote. We saw a few other paddlers, but not many at all. We started at the North end of the pond, it was a little tricky finding the put-in from the main road (there is a big sign “Carriage Road” and a tiny sign signifying boat put-in). JB was intrigued by a photographer who was a the South end, using a tripod to shoot scenics. It was nice that the canoe holds so much, we were easily able to haul a whole cooler of food on it. After lunch we saw a rock sticking out of the water that intrigued JB. He had me get out of the canoe and pose in all sorts of weird positions on the rock. I happily obliged, knowing I would ask him to pose for me soon.

On the paddle back to the car, we headed straight in and paddled ferociously. We spotted a bald eagle soaring overhead.

I convined JB it was worthwhile to head next to Jordan Pond, where I had him pose in the canoe in front of the famous “Bubbles”, a pair of breastlike hills. Then we did a little exploring in Northeast Harbor, seeing if we could get a view of the Bear Island Light, but we did not. If we had been more adventurous, maybe we would have put the canoe in the water.

That night JB made a superb rice and beans dish. Afterward we sat with our neighbors in campsite A20. If anything, A20 is an even sweeter spot than A21. It has an enormous fire pit nearby. That couple burned more wood in an hour than JB and I burned our entire trip. Anyhow, they were a nice couple from New Hampshire who told us of the neat things they saw when they kayaked Sommes Sound. It sounded like something we couldn’t pass up.

SATURDAY 10/6

JB woke before me, a quite curious situation. I decided to go to the bathroom and check out the weather. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the sky was filled with swirly clouds, a much more interesting situation than the previous morning. As JB prepared for his morning shower (5 minutes of hot water for $1, cold water free) I told him I wanted to shoot Bass Harbor Head Light again, and asked him to come along. To his credit, he decided to hurry his morning routine and accompany me. Since this was my 2nd trip to the lighthouse, I had some ideas of what I wanted, and the shoot went relatively quick.

We did some quick exploration of Southeast Harbor and returned to the campsite for breakfast. JB made another epic meal of bacon, eggs, etc. Since this was our last day at the campground, and I suggested we consider staying another night or two. But the weather forecast wasn’t pleasant: evening showers and falling temperatures wouldn’t be the most comfortable way to spend camping. So we packed up the car.

SOMMES SOUND

Based on the recommendation of the neighboring campers, we decided on a canoe trip of Sommes Sound. It was a different experience than Eagle Lake, and no less rewarding for it. While Eagle Lake was freshwater, Sommes Sound was salt. Eagle Lake was surrounded by pristine parkland, Sommes Sound by development, rich people’s homes. Eagle Lake was mostly devoid of boat traffic, Sommes Sound had a marina.

It was a lovely and interesting paddle, as JB thrilled to see the exquisite boats in the marina and I thrilled to see quite a few loons. They weren’t exactly the first loons I’d ever seen, but it was certainly the most loons I’d ever seen in one place and the closest I’d ever gotten. At one point a loon was clearly close enough to identify, and then to cement the deal she cooed out a loon call. Very neat.

JB had some fun photographing me around a rocky shore and then we had lunch. After lunch we headed back; I didn’t want to go too far out into the sound since it was our second dayof paddling. During our trip the tide had gone way out, and we wound up dragging our canoe about 500 feet in the muck.

BIKE AROUND EAGLE LAKE

We had a few minutes to kill before the hostel opened for check-in, so we did that perrennial favorite, a bike ride around Eagle Lake. I’ve done this ride at least three times before, and it’s a quick, flat, scenic ride that really says “Acadia”. JB played daredevil as he photographed me from the bicycle, while going at absurd velocities.

BAR HARBOR HOSTEL

We arrived at the hostel shortly after check-in time. The Bar Harbor hostel is very small but cozy and clean. It’s in an excellent location, about a five minute walk to the heart of downtown Bar Harbor. Linens, blanket, towel and pillow are supplied. Interestingly, shoes are not allowed in the hostel but slippers are encouraged. Too bad I brought pillows and towels but not slippers!

The decision to spend two nights camping and two nights hostelling was made months ago. However, it turned out to be particularly gratifying because a front came in a few hours after we checked in, bringing light rain and cooler temperatures. I think we could have managed OK, but it would not have been a very pleasant camping experience.

JB made some of that boil-in-a-bag Indian meal with too much rice. He decided to make rice puding with the leftovers. While he made the rice pudding I took a walk downtown to pick up postcards, gifts for the kids, and a bit of (forbidden) wine to help me sleep.

The rice pudding was delicious, and completely impressed the other hostel residents. JB likes to impress with his cooking!

SUNDAY 10/7

Today was a classic Acadia day, which to me means a hearty hike. We were a little slow to get started — JB is a classic slow riser, taking long showers and complicated breakfasts — but we were out well before the hostel lockout time of 10am. We packed our lunch and cameras and headed for the Bubble Pond parking area. The plan: a hike up scenic Pemetic Mountain.

Unfortunately, the Bubble Pond parking area was full. But as we continued futher up the road we discovered plenty of space at the Bubble Rock parking area. JB had the brilliant idea to get on our bicycles and ride to the trail head at Bubble Pond. This turned out to be a magnificent idea, because it allowed us to easily change our route to a more interesting return along Jordan Pond, which took us back to the cars (from where we could drive to the bicycles at the trailhead). This was preferable to the original route which brought us back along a dull ravine and the much smaller Bubble Pond.

We weren’t on the trail long — in fact, we hadn’t really started at all — when we saw a neat photo scene of kayakers in Bubble Pond. Unfortunately, the light was not ideal, and the lens I had brought was not quite lon enough (having left the big lens in the car up the road!).

Pemetic Mountain is classic Acadia. We had a moderate hike to great heights, with generous helpings of ledges along the way with beautiful views. At the summit we could see all around: Cadillac Mountain, Eagle Lake, Jordan Pond, the Tarn, Bubble Pond, Frenchman’s Bay, Southeast Harbor, Northeast Harbor, and down the Maine coast. I even saw a mountain in the distant North that I figured was Katahdin, though JB doubts it.

MONDAY

Monday we woke at a leisurely pace, bid adeiu to the hostel and the travellers we met there, and drove home.

Day One (Friday): Arrival

Friday we left somewhat late, after spending most of the morning packing. We drove to Twin Mountain and had a dip in the pool. For dinner we had a really nice experience at Rosa Flamingos in Bethlehem. It’s a nice little privately owned restaurant with a nice outdoor dining area and live guitarist accompaniment.

Below: Daughter enjoys the pool at the motel.

Day Two (Saturday): Hike

Saturday was hot, with threats of thunderstorms later in the day. We weighed a couple of different hikes, and chose the hike to Zealand Falls, mostly because I wanted to check out the AMC Zealand Falls Hut. The 2.7-mile hike turned out to be a litle more strenuous than I expected or was prepared for. However, it was a very satisfying hike over different kinds of terrain. Some areas were very easy, level, solid paths. Other areas were more rocky. And the last quarter-mile is up a rocky cliff. There is a variety of different kinds of habitat; the path mostly follows a stream (Zealand river?), through woods and a bog. We had a very pleasant lunch on a rocky part of the stream, then headed up to the hut.

Below: Headed for the hut.

Zealand Falls hut is smaller than the other huts I was familiar with, or at least it seemed that way. There are two buildings, a main building and an adjacent bathroom. The main building is divided into two main dormitory bedrooms, each one has a 4-bed room and a larger room. In the center is the kitchen/dining room. There’s barely enough room for everyone’s packs. Unfortunately, there isn’t much of a view from the hut itself; perhaps there was one in the past which became obscured by tree growth. I was disappointed that the snacks available (snickers and Cliff Bars) all contained peanuts or walnuts, both of which Son is allergic to. So much for talking up getting a snack at the hut.

It’s just a short few steps from the hut to the falls themselves. Zealand Falls is one of those really enjoyable spots where running water cascades across several hundred feet of rocky ground. The water collects into small pools and streams which are fun for adults and children to wade and splash. My kids enjoyed following the path of the water upstream to what I presume are the actual falls, a vertical cascade of some thirty feet or so. At the foot of the falls is a little swimming hole that’s a bit deep for the little ones.

Below: the falls

When I explained that the water going over the falls eventually finds its way to the Atlantic Ocean, Daughter got the idea of floating a stick down the falls and following it for as long as she could. We learned that it’s a long way to the Atlantic Ocean.

Daughter made the hike back (in sneakers) without much complaint, thus demonstrating that she’s a pretty strong hiker. Son, however, required carrying for a good part of the return. Still, he did a commendable job. He was certainly one of the smallest hikers we saw during the whole journey.

After a welcome cooling-off in the pool, we enjoyed some homemade pizza at the Pizza Pub. The predicted showers finally made an appearance around 6pm, and the accompanying winds got us a little misted because we sat in an enclosed porch area.

Day Three (Sunday): Storyland

If Day Two was for the adults, then Day Three was for the kids. We arrived early and spent most of the day at Storyland, in Glen, NH. Storyland is one of those attractions that has been in the White Mountains forever. There’s a good mix of different activities for the kids, including splash rides, rollercoasters, exhibits with live illustrations of public domain childrens’ stories, and some live shows we didn’t take in. Certainly today was the highlight for the kids.

After Storyland, we went shopping in Conway for a few things, and had dinner at the kids’ favorite spot, Friendly’s.

Below: Storyland

On the drive back from Conway to the motel in Twin Mountain, as the sun was sinking low and the darkness grew, Wife put on the car radio and out came the sounds of genuine New Hampshire culture. We had stumbled upon the NHPR Folk Show, which provided exactly the right ambiance for a drive through mountain country.

Day Four (Monday): Cog Railway

Monday morning was clear, and we had reservations on the Mount Washington Cog Railway. Mount Washington and the Presidential Range is one of my favorite spots in the world; I’ve hiked that area twice. The only way I was going to get the kids up there was by some means of transport, in this case the promise of a train ride. We made reservations on the first train of the day, which proved a good idea for a number of reasons. The first train is a little cheaper, it was less crowded (less than half full), it was early enough that the sun was a bit lower in the sky. While it’s nothing like hiking up the mountain under one’s own power, riding the Cog Railway is a nice historic attraction. We took the option of staying on the summit for a couple of hours, where there is a nice lunch counter, post office, weather museum, and other amenities.

Below: Cog Railway

I showed the kids the view of the Lakes of the Clouds Hut, where I have twice overnighted in previous trips. And I took them for a short half-hour hike over the exposed boulders of the alpine zone. I guess I enjoyed the trip more than the kids. Mt. Washington is one of my favorite places in the world, and it was a rare opportunity to enjoy the summit without sticking to a timetable. But I know they enjoyed hiking on the rocks.

Below: All of us at the summit.

Below: the weather on that day. Compare with today.

That afternoon we briefly checked out the new AMC Highland Center in Crawford Notch. It’s an interesting concept that I want to like, but I can’t justify paying the exhorbitant fees to overnight there. And there wasn’t much to say for stopping by there for a snack, as there is little in the way of munchies that a kid would like. Maybe someday I’ll give the Highland Center another chance, but for now it’s not a place I plan to stay.

After a short nap while the Wife took the kids to the pool, we went out for dinner in Littleton. Littleton is one of those gorgeous places that has retained its small-town downtown atmosphere and non-chain-store flavor. Unfortunately, the mexican place we planned to dine was closed Mondays. As a substitute we chose the Littleton Diner, which is one of those original prefabricated diners that was transported by rail and dropped into place on Main Street in the 1930′s or so. The food is pretty standard. Despite the fact that we were all pretty well stuffed, we followed up dinner with ice cream at Bishop’s, famous for its home-made ice cream. I hate to report that the ice cream at Bishop’s, while no doubt quite fine for New Hampshire, is not nearly as good as any number of ice cream places that we enjoyed in Cape Cod.

Day Five (Tuesday): Polar Caves

Our last day in New Hampshire began with breakfast at Polly’s Pancake Parlor in Sugar Hill. Polly’s is a real treat, one of those places that manages to do wonders with the simple pancake. They have several different batters (buttermilk, buckwheat, cornmeal, etc) and several different mix-ins (blueberries, choc chips, etc) that allow you to have a different pancake experience each time. And everything is made in an open grill, where you can watch (if you want). Polly’s certainly seems to be quite the institution.

After Polly’s we made our way down to the Polar Caves, another White Mountains institution which seems to have been around forever. It’s a neat attempt to “tame” natural cave formations with an extensive boardwalk and signage. The caves themselves are true natural wonders, the kind of place kids love to explore. The caves are surprisingly claustrophobic. I wanted to stay behind a while and imagine living or sleeping in one.

After the hike, we went to a nearby pond for our first all-family canoe trip. All told, things went very well:

Of course, afterward we went for ice cream: