Two Bubbles and a Nubble

Thursday June 29, 2017                                                                                   Most Recent Posts:
Acadia National Park                                                                                       Sieur de Monts
Bar Harbor, Maine                                                                                           The Highs and Lows

 

 

Remember the picture of the Bubbles from our hike arouned Jordan Pond?   Well today Nancy and Bill and I are hiking up there.  On the map below, we are starting at the blue star and going to South Bubble following the yellow arrows then we came back down and up the green arrows to the left and continue on to Connors Nubble to check out the blueberry status and then along Eagle Lake and finishing up on the Jordon Pond Carry Trail.

 

Of course we start out climbing but I’d rather go up first and down at the end.

 

Beautiful Sheep Laurel is along our path.

 

Here are Nancy and Bill at the summit marker for South Bubble.  This knob on the bubble is apparently the highest point.

 

Another picture of the summit so the sign can be read.

 

The thing about the summits in Acadia is the fantastic views.  Every summit in nearly every direction has a view of the sound, a Bay, the Atlantic or the ponds and lakes on the island.

 

 

One of the big attractions of South Bubble is the glacial erratic known as Bubble Rock.  I’m not the only one who has tried and failed to shove it off its perch.

 

More beautiful views.  I think this is Jordan Pond from which the famous twin bubble pictures are always taken..  Maybe Nancy will correct me if I’m wrong.

 

The trails in Acadia all seem to have the most wonderful bird song especially early in the morning.  I can seldom see the singers even when I look but today we are lucky.  This little Common Yellowthroat was just singing his heart out.  What joy!

 

 

Whoever attached the adjective common to this gorgeous bird must live in a different world from mine.

 

Before we leave, Bill points out our next destination, North Bubble.   But we have to walk back down to get the path back up.  Remember the map.

 

 

 

When we get back down they are both grinning as they point the way back UP.

 

And up it is.

 

Up and rocky.

 

North Bubble is a tad taller than South Bubble so our views different.  I’m thinking this is Eagle Lake.  If so, we’ll be down there later walking around the western shore on our way back.

 

It’s the blue team on top of North Bubble.  Today’s second summit sign for Bill to add to his collection.

 

 

 

We wander around the top enjoying the fantastic day.  It’s in the 70’s, blue skies and clear.  Perfect hiking day.

 

Another singer in a spruce tree.  I’m really not sure of this one at all.  In some of the pictures I took he looks like a Junco but this one shows a lot of white.  Perhaps it’s the wind ruffling his feathers.

 

 

Time to head back down to go on to Connor’s Nubble. 

 

 

 

 

For most of the hike, we’ve been following the Bates Cairns which were first developed here in Acadia. The park has a new initiative to implore hikers not to add to the cairns or create their own cairns either of which might mislead other hikers and cause them serious problems.

 

Another cairn in the foreground.

 

We’re back in the woods when we spot this woodpecker working near the bottom of the tree. 

 

 

Now it’s a rock scramble up to Connor’s

 

 

 

But we do make it to the “summit” of this 383 foot nubble. I’m not sure how many of the 30 “peaks” on Mount Desert Island Bill has already bagged but he’s added 3 of them today in his quest to do them all in the two months we are all here this summer.  Pretty positive they’ll do it.

 

 

We wander around the nubble checking out the blueberry status and Nancy predicts 2 more weeks until picking time.

 

Today they have just a tinge of blueish purple.   We’re dreaming of fresh blueberry pie.  There really are no blueberries like Maine low bush.   Absolutely DElicious!!

 

Off we go down to the Eagle Lake shore line for our trip back to their truck.

 

 

 

I think Nancy gets a kick out of my “I stop for mushrooms policy”.

 

 

 

 

The path along Eagle Lake is heavenly.  A soft carpet of needles to walk on and that delicious smell of balsum fir in the air.

 

We stop along the lake for lunch and Nancy takes this picture of me after I’ve finished.  Thanks Nancy!

 

 

In addition to cairns up on the bubbles and nubble, there have also been the blue blazes which signify the National park Trails.  You can see one here on the rock as the Eagle Lake trail begins to change from friendly forest to rocky road.

 

Not sure any of us was expecting this.  I know I wasn’t.  Watch your step now.

 

The views of Eagle Lake from the trail are wonderful and make me think about kayaking on it but it’s the second largest lake on Mount Desert Island at 436 acres and that means lots of boaters even though they are limited to 10mph.  Still, early enough in the morning we could at least have a go at a few of its acres.

 

I spot this guy peeking out and of course have to stop.

 

 

Nearlng the end of the Eagle Lake trail where it joins the Jordan Pond Carry trail, Nancy stops to get a close listen at a sweet babbling brook.

 

 

Last leg of the hike.  A little more than half a mile to go.

 

 

 

Many thanks to Nancy and Bill for planning the hike, leading the hike, driving to the hike.  They did everything but pack my lunch.  How lucky can I get??   Wish you could have been here David.