Cycling the Carriage Roads of Acadia National Park

Acadia National Park is a great destination for outdoor recreation.  Each year I visit the park a handful of times to hike, cycle, and cross country ski.  The scenery is quite unique for New England.  The park is full of mountains but surrounded by the ocean, providing wonderful vistas.

It has been a wet and dreary spring in Maine this year so I didn't get to the mountains nearly as much as I would have liked.  Most of my recreation has been limited to running, just to keep in shape.  With a decent Sunday forecast, I headed to Acadia with the J Man to cycle the Carriage Roads.  With most trails that allow cycling still quite muddy, this was my first ride of any length this year.

There are nearly 50 miles of Carriage Roads in the park.  While not technical, the Carriage Roads provide the opportunity for a nice mountain bike excursion.  The roads are dirt and gravel but very well maintained, similar to a rail trail.  Because of the coastal location and regular maintenance, Acadia is the first place in Maine that is suitable for mountain biking in the spring.  Despite the smooth surface, there are some routes that provide long windy climbs and descents that require some caution.  With numerous trailheads, sections can be quite busy on summer weekends with bikes and foot traffic.  Even horses are allowed on portions of the Carriage Roads.

When J Man and I ride Acadia, we normally start at the Park Visitor Center.  This is at the northern end of the Carriage Road system and allows us to ride a long loop with minimal retracing of our route.  There are many options for rides of all lengths.  We ride the outer perimeter of roads until we reach the Parkman Mountain trailhead, passing many small ponds and bogs along the way including Witch Hole and Aunt Betty Ponds. 

Sargent Mountain overlooking what I believe is Gilmore Meadow

From the Parkman Mountain trailhead we head to the Upper Around The Mountain Loop.  This loop is probably the most challenging section of Carriage Road in the Park.  The road climbs and winds high on the shoulder of the park's second highest summit, Sargent Mountain.  Along the way, views are far reaching.  Somes Sound, the Atlantic Ocean, sections of coast, and portions of the mainland all come into view.  From the high point of the road, there is a long windy decent all the way to Jordan Pond.  Fine views continue along the decent.  Frenchman Bay, the Bubbles, rock slides, and Jordan Pond are among the highlights of scenery.

Somes Sound

Shoulder of Sargent Mountain on Around the Mountain Loop

Eagle Lake with Frenchman Bay in the distance

Waterfall on Deer Brook

Deer Brook below Carriage Road Bridge

From the Jordan Pond House, the roads cross the park loop road and continue to Bubbles Pond.  We decided to take a short diversion and ride to the top of Day Mountain  The mile and a half trail to the top of Day Mountain is the only Carriage Road that climbs a summit.  At only 583 feet, Day Mountain isn't that high but several nice views of the Atlantic and surrounding mountains can be seen as you approach its summit.  The descent back down from the summit provides a nice change of pace from the climb.

Penobscot and Sargent Mountains from Day Mountain

Atlantic Ocean from Day Mountain

After our climb of Day Mountain, we returned to the main Carriage Road that left Jordan Pond.  We traveled along the base of Pemetic Mountain before reaching Bubble Pond.  Nestled between Cadillac and Pemetic Mountains, the view across the pond is reminiscent of Jordan Pond.  The last stretch of Carriage Road took us along Eagle Lake before retracing our last few miles to the Park Visitor Center. 

Bubble Pond

Eagle Lake with North Bubble and Sargent Mountain 

We rode just over 30 miles on our trip.  Of that 30 miles, only about 3 of it did we retrace our path.  With the scenery of Acadia National Park however, there tends to be crowds.  We were riding on the Sunday of Memorial Day Weekend and the park was quite busy.  We got a relatively early start however and most of the crowds were encountered during the last five miles of our ride.  The only other downside to this ride was a mechanical problem on my bike.  A spring broke on my rear brake causing my brake pad to lock onto my rim.  I rode most of the last ten miles or so without my rear brakes.  I reconnected the dragging brake pad for the last half mile down a relatively steep section near the trailhead which tends to be crowded.

If you are looking for a technical mountain bike adventure, Acadia is not the place for you.  If you are looking for a scenic ride with nearly 50 miles of trails, Acadia National Park's Carriage Roads are a good deal.  This is often the first and last place I ride each season since they are drier than most areas in Maine.  Outside of the summer season, you see very few people. 

This was probably my last time riding the Carriage Roads of Acadia National Park as I am moving to Colorado in about two weeks.  I look forward to more adventurous mountain biking opportunities in Colorado.  However I am glad I got to experience Acadia National Park though over the past several years.  I have ridden nearly all of the Carriage Roads by bike and have cross country skied on them as well a few times.  Acadia is also a great hiking destination that I have had the opportunity to explore many times over the years and have never been disappointed. 


 

Another Beautiful Hike in Acadia

Acadia National Park is without a doubt a great hiking destination.  I make the trip to Mount Desert Island several times a year to explore the parks more than 120 miles of trails.  The park's coastal location provides unique scenery for New England.  The summit views take in the surrounding peaks and ocean views at the same time.  While I hike in the park year round, spring is my favorite season in the park.  With low elevations and proximity to the ocean, the trails are free of snow much earlier than the higher interior mountains.  Even though I visit the mountains in all seasons, every spring I make an effort to hit the trails of Acadia as an unofficial kick off to the snowfree hiking season.

Spring can be a drab time in Maine for outdoor activities.  Warm days typically make the snow too wet to cross country ski in decent conditions.  The downhill ski season tapers off quickly at most ski areas.  Travel by snowshoe can be decent but many trailheads require travel over very muddy roads.  Several weeks passed since my last outing, a cross country ski trip in late March. I was starting to get a little cabin fever so I was happy to take up the J Man's suggestion on a trip to Acadia this weekend.  With over a foot of snow on the ground in the woods at my house, I was pleased to see only a few isolated pockets of snow as we approached the park.

Our route was to climb and traverse Pemetic Mountain followed by a traverse of Penobscot and Sargent Mountains.  These are among the best routes in the park in my opinion.  From the Bubble Rock trailhead, we ascended Pemetic Mountain.  This stretch was the only section of trail that had consistent cover.  The snow was generally soft enough to get traction.  Quite a few rocks poked out of the snow to provide good footing the rest of the section.  Quickly the trail reached the open ridgeline and left the snow for good on Pemetic.  Views are almost constant while traversing Pemetic.  In our direction of travel, the Atlantic is constantly in view with the Cranberry Isles just off shore.  Cadillac Mountain stays in view to the east while Sargent and Penobscot Mountain's long ridgelines loom over Jordan Pond immediately to the west.

The trail is rocky from the start climbing Pemetic

Snow lingering in the Ravine below Pemetic

The only extended stretch of snowy trail below Pemetic's summit

North Bubble and Eagle Lake from Pemetic's summit

Looking over Jordan Pond to Sargent and Penobscot Mountains

The Cranberry Isles and Atlantic from Pemetic's south ridge

The views don't end after the descent into the valley.  The trail passes Jordan Pond.  The view across the pond is one of the most photographed places in Acadia National Park.  Across the pond, the Bubbles rise above the water.  The view of the Bubbles is very popular with park visitors and perhaps the most iconic view in the park.

The Bubbles across Jordan Pond

Our route climbed away from the pond on its way to Penobscot Mountain.  The trail passes a few sections of cliff before reaching the long ridge of the mountain.  Other than a short dip near Sargent Pond, the route to Sargent Mountain follows an open ridge with 360 degree views all the way to Sargent's summit.  Sargent Mountain is the second highest peak in Acadia and it provides some of the best views in the park.

Cliffs along the lower reaches of Penobscot Mountain

Rock step along the cliffs

Looking toward the Atlantic Ocean from Penobscot Mtn.

Looking over the Bubbles from Penobscot Mtn. with Eagle Lake

and Frenchman Bay in the distance

Eagle Lake and Frenchman Bay in the distance

Looking toward the Frenchman Bay

Cranberry Isles and Atlantic from Sargent Mtn.

Frenchman Bay from Sargent Mtn.

Leaving the summit of Sargent, the scenery continues.  On the descent, the trail remains fairly open with views toward the Bubbles and Jordan Pond with Pemetic Mountain in the background.  After a short walk along Jordan Pond's north shore, a short but steep rock-strewn climb soon reaches Bubble Gap.  From Bubble Gap, short side trails access North and South Bubble for even more ocean views.  A quick descent from Bubble Gap brought us back to the car and finished the loop.

The open upper slopes of Sargent Mtn.

Jordan Pond, the Bubbles, and Pemetic from the shoulder of Sargent Mtn.

Rocky climb approaching Bubble Gap

This trip to Acadia did not disappoint.  The temperatures were in the low 50s and the summits had only a light breeze.  Not a cloud passed through the sky to hamper the beautiful scenery.  Since it is still early in the season, very few people were seen away from the trailheads.

Even though this hike is less than seven miles, it is deceivingly challenging.  The low elevations of the park may not seem like much, but the trails start nearly at sea level.  Even though the high point of the hike is less than 1400 feet, the total elevation gain is about 2500 vertical feet.  The climbs in Acadia are usually quite rocky to add to the challenge.  I often find the hikes in Acadia which often climb and descend from sea level multiple times just as challenging as much higher mountains in New England.

I hiked these three peaks last summer on a similar loop.  To see the post on that hike click on the link Hiking Acadia's Open Ridges.

Winter Ascent of Katahdin

I have climbed Katahdin, Maine's highest peak 15 times.  It is my favorite area to hike in the eastern US.  I have climbed or descended the mountain on every trail at one point or another.  I have climbed it on clear days, rainy days, and days where the visibility was near zero.  I even climbed it a couple days in the fall where there was some snow on the summit.  I have never climbed the mountain in winter though.  The picture at the top of my blog is Katahdin.

I wanted to climb Katahdin in winter but never got around to it.  The J Man, my occasional adventure companion and fellow Katahdin veteran, and I have been talking about climbing in winter but never made plans.  Besides the added challenges of winter trips, there is a permit process involved.  At one time the permit process was more challenging but now the red tape has eased and it's not as difficult to get winter access.  J Man took the initiative to fill out the application and we got our opportunity to do a winter climb.

Katahdin is possibly the most challenging mountain to climb in the east.  All of the routes to the summit are extremely rocky and quite steep.  While the mountain is not quite a mile high, all routes gain 4000 vertical feet.  Treeline is under 4000 feet in elevation so there are long periods of exposure.  The shortest route to the summit is nearly 8 miles roundtrip while other routes are more than 10 miles.

A winter ascent of Katahdin is an even more challenging endeavor.  Winter weather in Maine is intense.  In the alpine environment of Katahdin the weather is much more extreme.  Cold, usually windy, and often snowy weather makes for frigid conditions at best in winter with long periods of exposure. To make an already challenging hike harder, road access to the trailheads of Katahdin are not plowed in winter.  This adds at a minimum of four miles to the beginning and end of the shortest summit approach.  Because of the cold weather there is more gear needed to stay safe in the harsh environment; more warm clothing, crampons, and an ice ax to name a few.  Skis or snowshoes are also needed to cover ground over the snow.

First view of Katahdin on the drive to the trailhead

Most people will climb Katahdin in winter as a multiday trip.  The shortest trip involves climbing the Abol Trail via a rock slide.  This trip is about 16 miles roundtrip.  This is the route the J Man chose on the permit application.  Our plan was to do the trip in one day.

On Sunday morning we arrived at the winter parking lot at Abol Bridge.  It was a beautiful morning with clear skies and above zero temperatures.  Along the way we caught several views of snowy Katahdin.  The first leg of our trip was 4+ mile cross country ski jaunt to the beginning of the Abol Trail.  Normally this wouldn't be to bad but the trails were very icy.  Despite the ice we made it to the trailhead with no issues.

The climbing begins on the Abol Trail.  We ditched our skis and switched to crampons.  The first mile or so we didn't need crampons but the trail was firm enough that they weren't a hindrance.  The trail gains little elevation for the first mile so we used our poles until we reached the Abol Slide.  The Abol Slide is a long rock slide on Katahdin that is free of trees.  It is the shortest but steepest route to the summit.  The climbing begins fairly quickly on the slide and we switched to our ice axes.  In the summer the slide is full of rocks.  Now in March with a winter's worth of snow on the ground most of the rocks are covered and travel is easier.  Because of the steep pitch on hard snow and ice, you have to take caution because a fall could lead to a long slide. 

One of the first views of the mountain from the Abol Trail

Near the beginning of the Abol Slide

J Man climbing the fairly steep slide

Me ascending the snow

Climbing the Abol Slide

The actual slide is just over a mile.  While many rocks were exposed, it was easy to pick a pack along the smooth snow most of the way.  As we approached higher on the slide the rocks are generally larger and there are a few brief sections where we had to step on the rock.  For the most part though it was easy to pick a line on the snow to avoid the rocks.  The weather was comfortable on the slide as the mass of the mountain blocks the wind.  I climbed the slide wearing just a base layer for a shirt.  Just before the slide reaches the Tableland, we stopped for a snack and to add layers. 

Travel was easier lower on the slide with lots of hard snow 

covering the rocks

Higher up the slide has large rocks that aren't all snow covered

and you have to pick your path

The top of the slide just before the Tableland

Hunt Spur from the top of Abol Slide

The Tableland is a large and relatively flat plateau on Katahdin at over 4000 feet in elevation.  In the summer the Tableland is a jumble of rocks with some tundra grasses here and there.  In the winter is a large field of snow with just the tops of rocks poking through.  It was easy to make good time without rocks to slow us down.  Because of the cold weather and lack of recent snow, the snow was very hard and often icy.  As we entered the Tableland the wind was much stronger and a jacket, goggles, and face protection was needed.  The temperature was in the low teens Fahrenheit with steady 20-25MPH wind, a windchill in the -20s.  Since it was a clear day,  the views are far flung once you are on the Tableland.

Looking toward the summit from the beginning of the Tableland

The windchills in the -20s required extra clothing on Tableland

You can see the flatness of the Tableland looking toward 

Doubletop, Coe, and the Brothers

Another view across the Tableland

Endless lakes in the Great North Woods

J Man approaching the summit

The last climb toward the summit

The summit is just ahead

After a mile on the Tableland, we reached the summit of Katahdin.  With the proper clothing, I was never cold on the summit but I probably didn't want to linger too long either.  The views in all directions were stunning in the winter wonderland.  The visibility was amazing.  You could clearly see the ski trails on Sugarloaf Mountain.  We were on the summit a good fifteen to twenty minutes enjoying the views and taking pictures.  Nobody else was on the summit.  We had hiked nearly four miles and skied a little over four at this point and it was time to head back to the start.

The obligatory summit photo

Hero shot with the ice ax

Looking toward the Northwest Plateau and Hamlin Peak

Looking across the Great Basin toward Hamlin Peak

The Knife Edge

Another view of the Knife Edge

One last shot of myself in front of the Knife Edge

The descent followed the same route as the climb.  The bright sun softened the snow on the slide and made it a little less icy.  We were able to plunge steps at some of the softer spots.  Where the ice remained we moved with a little more caution to avoid a long fall with many rocks.  We made it back to the start of the Abol Trail and switched to skis. 

The view looking back along our route

Northwest Plateau with the Brothers beyond it

Mt Coe (with slides), Doubletop Mtn., and Chesuncook Lake in the distance

Looking down the Abol Slide from the top and our 

route down the mountain

Me descending lower on the slide

The four miles of skiing back to the car were treacherous.  The conditions were much icier than the morning.  The section of skiing on the Baxter State Park Perimeter Road involved sections of downhill.  Although not too steep, they were long and difficult to traverse with the ice.  The road is a jumble of snowmobile tracks with no good line to ski.  The J Man opted to take his skis off and walk with his weary legs.  I continued on skis and took a nice hard spill after my speed built up and I was unable to turn or stop with any great precision.  The last leg on skis follows a narrower trail through the woods.  This trail, now completely in the shade, was all ice.  Luckily it was fairly flat.  At this point I had much more energy than the J Man and was staying ahead of him.  After nearly 8 miles of hiking and more than 8 miles of skiing we made it back in one piece.

The very icy section of trail that we skied

I was very impressed with Katahdin in winter.  I have done other alpine winter hikes of nearly the same distance but Katahdin was by far the most impressive.  The weather remained clear and sunny so we could fully appreciate the beauty of the mountain.  Despite chilly temperatures, this area can be much more brutal so we lucked out and had an all round great day.  Because of the added challenges of a winter trip and permits we only saw two other people near the beginning of the Abol Trail that appeared to be leaving.  It was great to have this mountain practically to ourselves. 

Despite my three days downhill skiing a few days ago and this trip I still feel pretty strong.  I got away with just a couple of blisters from my boots that I don't wear too often.  The J Man on the other hand may have to call out sick a day or two after this one as he was dragging pretty badly near the end.

The Tableland without snow from a previous trip

Snow free Katahdin at base of Abol Trail from a previous trip