Back to that Super 10+ day

Saturday August 2, 2013
Acadia National Park

 

 

If you haven’t read the first post on this fabulous hike and gorgeous bridge you can find it here. 

 

 

After really enjoying the craftsmanship of the Cobblestone Bridge and taking too many pictures, we climb back down to the Jordan Stream Trail.   We follow the stream as it splashes happily along over stones large and small.

 

 

 

We crisscross back and forth across the stream through this stunning landscape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At this point, the trail moves out of Acadia National park and on to private lands where it is not quite as easy to follow or as beautifully maintained.  But still it is a gorgeous trail and the property owners are very generous to allow us to continue hiking along it.

I will have to say that Acadia National Park hikers are some of the most considerate hikers I have found.  There is little or no trash on any of the trails and infrequent signs of off trail shenanigans.  This is no doubt a large part of why they are permitted on private property.

 

 

 

There are also many very nice bridges, some close together as you can see below on these two pictures of David crossing and recrossing Jordan Pond Stream.

 

 

 

We come across a great swimming hole.  It’s nice and deep.  I remember it being hot enough to swim two or three days in July!!  But this is mighty chilly water.

 

 

There certainly are all kinds of bridges going going over the stream and the low lands here.

 

 

 

 

 

But this one takes the cake.  They must have run out of time, materials or manpower  before we got here.  It goes over a very large area of wet black muck in which you might sink down to your knees were you to step in it.  Only about 1/3 of it is finished on “the far side”.  I think David should get a gold star.

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Mission accomplished!
Back on dry land.

  
These little round metal markers of either an arrow or a hiker seem to appear on the private property trails but not on the park trails as do the wooden signs attached to the trees.  All of the park’s signs that we have seen have been posts of one type or another.

 

 

On we go through the marshy areas beside the stream.

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes the trail just becomes a path of roots.

 

   

 

The trail ends at a meadow along one of the Private Carriage roads.

 

 

 

 

 

These carriage roads are still on private property owned by the Rockefeller family.  They are open to the public but only for the original intentions, carriages, horses and walking.  No bikes.  So not having either of the first two, we will walk to see the bridges.

Some folks do peak bagging here in Acadia which has 24 to choose from.  I’m doing carriage road bridge bagging and there are 2 more here on these private roads.

 

 

True to the intention of these roads in a short time we see a carriage, horseback riders  and lots of walkers both 2 and four legged.  I have the feeling these are local folks.

 

 

 

 

  

 

The shroooms are out here as well.  If anyone can identify these or the ones in the previous post PLEASE do.

 

 

 

 

 

The promised rain does do a little drizzling just after noon.  These riders tell me the rain gear is mostly to keep their saddles dry.

Those are some mighty fine looking horses.  Love the markings on the black and white.

 

 

 

This beautiful triple arch bridge is known as the Stanley Brook Bridge because Stanley Brook road goes beneath it.  At the moment, Stanley Brook Road is closed for repairs which makes it really easy to take pictures of the bridge.

 

 

 

There are these cut out details over each of the arches.  Singles over the single arches and doubles over the larger one.  Such attention to detail.

 

 

The arches are, of course, also lined with granite.

 

Each bridge has its date in a different place and sometimes it is a challenge to find them.  This one was easier since it was on top in one of the circular turret type vertical half circles.   It was one of the last bridges built.  It’s date is 1933.

 

 

 

      

 

By now it is after noon and time for lunch.  Since Stanley Brook road is temporarily closed, we take advantage and go down by the stream running beneath one of the arches for our picnic.

 

 

 

The second of the two bridges is not far away and is called the Jordan Pond-Seal Harbor Bridge.    It is very different from the elaborate triple arch.  This one is extremely simple.  

It is interesting that this bridge has the carriage road going underneath it and the paved Jordan Pond Road for cars going over it.   The Triple Arch Bridge had the carriage road on top and the paved road beneath it.

 

 

You have to actually go under the bridge to get this date.  See the very light horizontal square approximately in the middle of this wall?

It was built in 1932, the year before the Stanley Brook Bridge we have just seen.

 

 

 

 

This bridge is very unadorned.   There are houses on both ends of the bridge.  These folks live in Seal Harbor barely outside the park boundaries.  You hardly notice the bridge it is so low and simple.

 

 

    

 

 

We follow the Carriage Road sign numbers and exit the carriage roads at the Jordan Pond Gate House  where nearly a month ago,  we began our very first bicycle ride here in Acadia on these beautiful roads.

 

 

 

 

The windows are open today and there are 4 cars in the driveway.  Looks like someone is staying there.

 

In the windshields of two of the cars we see these signs.
Now how much fun would this be? 
We wonder how they made it happen?

 

 

This has been just a fantastic day.
We head back to Winnona excited and tired.

 

A few folks have asked how David manages to do all these things.

The answer is -
Long naps in the afternoon when he comes back.

 

 

THE END