Kayaking and Camping on Moosehead Lake

One of my favorite places in Maine and all of New England is Moosehead Lake.  With an area of more than 75,000 acres and 280 miles of shoreline, Moosehead Lake is the largest in Maine and the largest mountain lake in the eastern United States.  The lake is 40 miles long and more than 10 miles wide at it widest point.  The  Moosehead Lake region is largely wilderness with fine scenery in all directions.  A large chunk of the lake is undeveloped giving much of it a wild feel.

Moosehead Lake.  Sugar Island which I will talk about

shortly is easy to see.  Lily Bay State Park is across a narrow channel

from the lower point of Sugar Island.

The region is also a great place for outdoor recreation.  I probably spent more days playing in the outdoors in the Moosehead Lake region than anywhere else since I lived in Maine. The region mountains offer miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and cross country skiing. Others enjoy the regions lakes and streams for fishing.   And with a huge lake, the options for kayaking are nearly endless. 

Moosehead Lake was one of the first place Puma and I visited together in Maine nearly ten years ago and perhaps our inspiration to move to Maine in the first place.  Each year we try to visit the region to camp and relax by the lakeside.  For those that have read my blog before know I spend most of time camping in the backcountry.  Moosehead Lake is one of the places I like to unwind with Puma camping at an established campground.  We typically stay at Lily Bay State Park.  The park is located right on the lake and offers campsites along the shore.  We still keep it relatively simple.  We sleep in a tent and cook on a campfire. We enjoy the sound of the loons calling and the waves lapping on the shore.

Our campsite was just a few feet from the water

With only a couple of week remaining before we leave Maine to move to Colorado, we wanted to visit this beautiful place one last time and relax before the stress of a cross country move.  Last week the forecast was looking promising for a few days at the lake.  To sweeten the deal, it was my birthday.  A few days of relaxation camping on the lake sounded like a nice way to spend my birthday.  

Even though it was still raining when we left our house, it had cleared by the time we got to Lily Bay State Park.  In fact it remained clear the full three days we were camping.  The first day, after setting up our campsite, we took it easy sitting by the lake enjoying the views of the Squaw (Moose) Range and hearing the loons laugh.

Big Squaw (Moose) from our campsite

The next morning was my birthday and I wanted to enjoy some time on the water kayaking.  Like I mentioned before, Moosehead Lake is big.  Because of its size, the lake can be very choppy.  The water is not calm too often.  More than once I have paddled on Moosehead Lake with large waves or stiff winds.  On this morning, the lake and the wind were very calm.  To make the day even better, there was hardly a cloud in the sky and the visibility was nearly endless.

My goal was to paddle around Sugar Island.  That may not sound too impressive but Sugar Island is a fairly big island.  At more than 4200 acres, it is the largest island in Moosehead Lake.  It is nearly 5 miles long and 2.5 miles wide.  The total trip is about 14 miles from our campsite.  Because of the lakes size, the currents and wind can be completely different depending on the side of the island you're on.  With cold water (ice out was just a couple weeks earlier), and little traffic on the lake, it's very possible to get into trouble if conditions change suddenly.  I was fortunate to have almost perfect conditions my entire outing. 

Unusually calm water for Moosehead Lake

Looking at Sugar Island

Rocky shoreline on Sugar Island

This trip turned out to be quite a scenic paddle.  During every section there is beautiful scenery and mountains to see.  The trip started out heading toward the Squaw (Moose) Mountain Range.  Just as the Squaw Mountains ridge line gets out of sight, the stunning 700 foot cliffs of Kineo come into view.  At the north end of Sugar Island, Lobster Mountain comes into view just before the 3000 foot masses of Little and Big Spencer Mountains rise above the lake.  Finally the Lily Bay Range serves as the lakes backdrop on the final stretch of the trip standing 2500 feet above the lake.  Looking over your shoulder, Katahdin can be seen with snow still visible some 40 or miles away.  At most times several of these mountains were visible at once.  To add to nature's show, the loons were quite active diving nearby before popping up again in a totally different area.

Heading toward Squaw Mountain near our campsite

Getting closer to Squaw Mountain.  Small Island is 5 Acre Birch Island and the land

on the right is part of Deer Island

Boundary Bald Mountain in the distance just a few miles to the south

of the Canadian border above Jackman, Maine

Kineo 

Kineo, Shaw Mountain, and Little Kineo 

from left to right over the calm waters

Left to Right: Lobster Mountain, Little Spencer, and Big Spencer

The Spencers

Lily Bay Range on east side of the lake

Not entirely sure what to expect on the outing, I paddled with a strong and consistent pace.  I didn't stop too long at any time.  I took several breaks to take photos of the scenery or watch the pairs of loons frolic and dive.  My 14 miles of paddling took just 3 hours.  I would recommend experience paddling large lakes before attempting the same route solo.  Another variation of this trip would be to camp on Sugar Island.  There are at least five free, primitive campsites on the island each with a fire ring and picnic table all accessible only by boat.  Most of the campsites had  views of the surrounding mountains.

A Sugar Island campsite on the west side of the island

One of the Sugar Island campsites on the

opposite side of the island

The view of the Lily Bay Range from one of the campsites

on Sugar Island

Loon

Pair of loons

After returning to my campsite at Lily Bay State Park, I continued to get some rest and relaxation.  Puma and I spent our day relaxing by the lake during the day and sitting around the campfire by night.  Occasionally we would break our routine by taking a walk along the lake or the nearby woods.  Throughout our time at the campsite we were visited by wild ducks scavenging for food.  One duck was so bold that she tried to jump up and grab our food from our hands.

Relaxing and enjoying the scenery from our campsite

Our fire on the second night

A trio loons entertaining us

while we relax

A pair of mallards scavenging for anything edible

we may have dropped

 A particularly pesky duck waiting for a handout

She grew impatient and leaped toward Puma's food

We headed out the following morning after two nights at the lake.  On the ride home we even saw a couple of moose.  For me it was a great way to spend my birthday, surrounded by nature and spending time with Puma.  It was a peaceful and relaxing few days.  Since it was early in the season for the North Woods, the campground was pretty empty and we had our section of the park to ourselves.  I think only 9 of the 45 sites were occupied.  Our personal recommendation from years of visiting Lily Bay State Park is campsite 222 on the Dunn Point side of the park for a nice lakeside campsite.  I know peace and relaxation will be hard to come by the next few weeks as Puma and I head into the next chapter of our lives.  With several beautiful days, I could not have asked for a better farewell to one of my favorite places in New England.  Although I am looking forward to many new adventures in Colorado, Moosehead Lake will be one of the places I will miss in the east.

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.