That's what we were saying at points on our 3.5mi one way trek up Cadillac Mountain today. What an adventure!! Due to a few delays from, well, pretty much everyone at some point, we didn't leave the camp site until 11:00, which put us at the trailhead at 11:15. Kendra and Mica were guessing around 8 hours, since that's how long it took them last time. So, off we went, hoofing it up the mountain.
Bug was persistent at first to the the leader and would even run to stay in front. That was VERY short lived. But she walked on her own two legs with a bit of encouragement, and found some more energy with each rest break. Luckily for us, it wasn't cloudy and only a bit hazy, and we were pleasantly rewarded with beautiful sites once we got above the tree line. You could see most of Mount Desert Island and the surrounding islands. Tons and tons of pictures. :-)
But it was a long, arduous hike. Especially for Bear, the Bodenheimer's black lab/stafford shore terrier mix. He had been worn out the day before, and while he started okay, near the end he got to the point where he wanted to lay down under ever scrub brush. So we gave him water, some breaks, and some encouragement to get him to the top and he made it. We stopped just short of the touristy part (were all the drivers were flocking for the vistas, which actually turned out to be the peak. It's just covered with some taller brush so you can't see as much. We ate lunch there so we could avoid the madness at the other location. Then we wandered down to the gift shop to refill our water and browse around. Larkin got a pair of socks, as his were too short and he was starting to get a hot spot. He also got a bottle opener in the shape of a moose. Too bad we didn't get to see one.
The vista point, although packed with people, was absolutely beautiful and afforded us some really beautiful pictures. :-)
One thing I forgot to mention days ago is that I need a new rear. Larkin was convinced that the current rear tire would hold up, but alas is has not. He sent an email to a friend, and got a phone call while on the top of the mountain. He had a take-off he could slap on for me! So we'll be running through North Philly on our way home. Yippee!! Also, since he's a BMW mechanic, maybe he'll be able to provide some insight into the wonky low beam issue.
The hike down the mountain was much easier, even though it took about the same amount of time. We kept stopping to pick blueberries!! They're so small and had been picked over pretty good already, so it takes a lot of time to get a significant amount. But we got enough for pancakes that the Bodenheimers will enjoy in a few days.
We arrived back to the trailhead in 6.5 hours, so it was a good improvement from their last hike. We headed back to the campsite so we could shower and change and go into Bar Harbor for some laundry and dinner. Larkin and I needed fresh clothes for riding! We ended up at an AMAZING pizza place. I wanted salami, Larkin wanted a white sauce and also hawaiian, so we opted for a white pizza with salami and pineapple which was actually quite amazing. Very tasty and quite the treat after such a hike.
We got back to the campsite around 11:00 and opted for NOT doing Cadillac Mountain at sunrise, because we needed some sleep to get back on the road. Next time. :-) We'll see what tomorrow holds. We have three days to get back home. Who knows where we'll go. It's sure to be an adventure though!!
Love the lakeviews!
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