They are known politely as “The Bubbles”

Thursday August 1, 2013
Acadia National Park

 

We wave “see you later” to Nancy and Bill.

 

Bill and Nancy are leaving this morning to head toward the Finger Lakes.  They are outside by their rig finishing their packing up when we drive by at 7:30.  We wave and wish them safe travels.  No good bye just see you later.

 

 

We are headed out to do a hike they did before we were here to join them.  We are going to hike what is known as The Bubbles.  Those are the two mountains in all the famous Jordan Pond pictures.

 

 

 

 

They also have other names. 

 

They are the North and South Bubble or the left and right Boob depending on how polite the company is.

 

 

We are starting from the Bubbles’ Parking Lot where there are only 2 other cars parked when we arrive.  Wish I’d thought to take a picture of this empty lot since it will be filled to over flowing by the time we return.

We start out going up the “Bubbles’ Divide” Trail.  That of course is the path between them known also as the cleavage.

We’re going up the Divide to the South Bubble Trail, on to its summit.  Then back down to the Divide Trail and up the and over the North Bubble before we return to the car.

 

 

The map at the trail head confirms the plan.

 

 

Up we go.  Stairs.  Well that’s really nice.

 

Time to climb up a rock face.  I like these going up these much better than going down.

 

 

 

We reach the first views before we see the first people. 

It’s such a beautiful day.

 

 

There’s Jordan pond way in the distance.

 

All the way up the trail we have been serenaded by the gorgeous flute like sounds of the hermit thrush.  As we get to the top he seems closer and louder.  We look for him and David spots him high up on the very tippy top of a pine tree.  Too far for me to get a good picture but I take one anyway.  His song is just beautiful in the quiet of the morning.

 

 

 

 

We’re not as high up as our singer but we’ve made it to the top of South Bubble.  Here’s our king of the mountain picture.

      

 

 

We did this one to frame the North Bubble which is where we will go next.  That’s it in the background between us.

 

 

But first we want to check out the way down the South Bubble face. 

We were told that only Dan went down this way.  Everyone else went down the way they came.  I guess the group did North Bubble first.

 

I’ve never seen this sign on a mountain in the park before.

 

 

 

But on my way down I see a rock that really seems to need help going over the edge.  Do you think they mean big rocks too or just small ones?

 

 

 

No success so back to the South Trail down.   I’m following the blue markers and they seem to lead right off the edge of this rock.

 

 

 

A closer inspection shows a trail.  Can you see me there in my orange caution sign shirt on the left hand side.

 

 

I keep going on.  I like this trail.  But I can’t go far enough to find the spot where everyone else said….no thanks.   David is waiting and wants to go to North Bubble.  Maybe we’ll come back another day and see how far down we can get.  Maybe all the way.

 

 

 

It’s time to find Balance Rock, also known as Bubble Rock. 

Composed of white granite instead of the pink granite found in the surrounding Bubble Mountains, this glacial erratic traveled 19 miles south from mainland Maine to Mount Desert Island's South Bubble Mountain–carried by the mile-thick Wisconsin Ice Sheet. Some 10,000 years ago, receding glaciers dropped it on the southeast corner of the summit.  Now that’s just amazing.

 

When we first see it, it appears very precariously balanced.  Definitely looks like it is going over the edge

 

 

I walk around to get the picture from both directions

 

Yup it looks ready to go over.  Don’t you think??   David doesn’t want me to go to jail alone for pushing rocks over the edge so he gives it a heave.

 

 

Hmmm.  Maybe from this side.

 

OK maybe the other side

  

Better put some serious muscle into it.

 

Maybe the two of us can do it.

 

1,2,3…push

  

 

David to Sherry: “Go get Nancy & Bill & Gin & Syl & Tricia & Dan to help.”

 
Sherry to David:  “Sorry dear they are all long gone.”

We are forced to give up.  Looks like no one is going to jail.

 

The hermit thrush serenades us back down the way we came on the South Bubble trail to the Bubble Divide where we can pick up the trail to climb North Bubble.

Again my camera is not up to the task but I do catch him with the notes coming out.

 

 

We arrive back at the Bubble Divide and start up the North Bubble Trail.

 

More UP of course.  We find this pile of lumber on our way up the stony path.  Looks like there are some plans for stairs like on the South Bubble Trail.  These trail builders in Acadia are amazing.

 

 

How about these stairs??

 

I love the pines up here and notice the really pretty green cones.

 

 

 

And then I notice this in a pine tree behind me. 

I’m not sure who he is but he is gorgeous.  I’m sure Judy can tell me.  Hope she’s out there.   He’s close, the camera can handle it.

 

 

On up we go.  More nice steps.

 

 

The views open up and as usual they are fabulous.  From here we can see South Bubble where we just were.  See the little bare patch on that knob?

 

Here’s what it looks like zoomed in.  We were just where those folks are now.

 

 

This reminds me of another ritual I want to experience before we leave.

Again we can see Jordan Pond to the south only from further away.  What a lovely day.

 

This is better than my binoculars' view of the Pond House lawn far away on the end of the pond.  In the picture above you can make out the mowed lawn on the right end of the Pond.  Wonder who is there having popovers today?  That’s  another Acadia ritual we want to experience.

 

We are at the summit and get our picture with Jordan Pond in the background.

 

 

OH YUM!! 

We aren’t very far down the north side trail when we run into the blueberries.  They are everywhere.

 

We pick to eat and pick to save.

 

 

 

The cairns show us the way.

 

 

Going down the North side of North Bubble brings Eagle Lake into view.

There is water everywhere you look on this island.  No wonder I love it!!

 

 

 

The path heads into the forest and then comes out for another closer view of Eagle Lake.

 

 

 

Another sign that fall is near.

Blueberries are all the way along this trail and it is really hard not to stop everywhere to pick.  These are beginning to show their characteristic red leaves, their fall color, so they won’t be around long.  That seems early this year.  Usually the best picking is in August and it’s just begun but the blueberries have been ripe for over 2 weeks already.

 

 

The lake gets bigger the further down and around the mountain we go.

 

 

 

At this  point we have left the views and are near the end of the trail down which ends at a carriage road near the Eagle Lake Parking area.
Only problem is we parked at the Bubble’s parking area.  This is a hike you could do using the bus but it doesn’t stop at our campground until after 9am each morning and that’s much too late for us to beat the crowds to the trail head.

 

 

 

We could take the bus from the Eagle Lake parking back to the Bubble Parking where Ruby is waiting. 

But we aren’t hiked out yet.  We’d rather walk the Carriage Trail and then pick up the Jordan Pond Carry Trail to take us back to the parking lot.

Here’s a good shot of Rockefeller’s teeth on both sides of the road.  I wonder if they called the stones that during his life time?

 

 

 

Our third trail for the day is a flat one through the lush forest area.

We cross this little bridge over a lovely stream to move from the carriage road onto the Jordan Carry Trail

This is a very wet area and the trail builders have supplied boardwalks to help keep our feet dry and to protect the habitat.

 

 

 

This is a very wet, very green area.  Lots of mushrooms and toadstools along the way.

 

 

 

After the board walks the trail becomes a bit trickier.

 

But by the end it has turned into a very nice easy to walk path.

 

 

This has been an excellent hike just like every other one we have taken in Acadia.  Is there such a thing as a so/so hike here?  So far we don’t think so.

 

And then…….when we get back I find that my friends Terri & Mike, who have been camping in Ohio,  have decided that I made such a big deal about my favorite candy in all the world that they had to try it themselves.  AND they sent me a box!  WOW!  What a really sweet thing to do you two.  THANK YOU!!    Now this is what everyone needs as a treat to put the finishing touches on a great trail day.  Mighty fine trail food!!  :-)