A Triple Bag with Nancy and Bill

Wednesday July 12, 2017                                                                 Most Recent Posts:
Acadia National Park                                                            Oriental Surprise Overlooking Clark Cove
Mount Desert Island, Maine                                                       Lesser Known Outings on MDI

 

 

For reasons known only to itself, Blogger decided to date the publishing of my most recent blog 2 days before I even wrote it.  It was published on August 10 and on the Blog Lists it shows up as being 2 days old.   I don’t post-date my blogs and didn’t know you could possibly Pre-date them. 

Judging from the four comments on that blog after four days, even my most loyal readers missed it.  In any case, if you have a List of Blogs you read,  that one was way down on it the moment it appeared.  If you’d like to read about the Oriental Surprise, you can find the link in blue above. 

Anybody have a clue how this happens?   Hope it doesn’t happen with this post too.

 

On to this hike.  Wednesday is David’s Cancer Center day so I hitch along with Bill and Nancy’s

hike to Flying Mountain, Valley Peak and St. Sauveur.

From the parking lot we head up the “stairs” to start on our way to Flying Mountain.  From there we’ll go down to a short section of Valley Cove but we can’t continue on around because the trail there is (blue arrow) closed for the protection of the nesting peregrin Falcons.  I just love this care for the falcons!!

 

 

 

Up the stairs we go.

 

 

The stairs turn into a rocky road.

 

 

And then into a rocky and rooty road.

 

Back to stairs and the next thing you know,

 

 

we’re at the top of Flying Mountain.   Nancy is sitting beneath the interesting summit sign.  
Its  cross arms are a bit irregular but it’s all we have!

 

 

It may not have a regulation summit sign but Flying Mountain has wonderful views.

 

 

 

There are some big homes along Somes Sound with the longest private docks I’ve ever seen.

 

 

 

 

Looking back toward the mouth of the sound I see . . .

 

. . . these two boats.  Not much of a race.  The waters of the sound host pleasure fishing boats, for hire fishing boats, speed boats and sail boats as well as dozens and dozens of working boats hauling in the lobster, mussels and clams I love to eat.

 

 

We’re heading back down to Valley Cove.   What is Bill looking at?

 

 

For you David!

 

There is a lot of up and then down and then up again on this hike.

 

 

 

We have lovely Valley Cove all to ourselves. 

 

I could probably stay here all day but we have more peaks to bag so we’ll have to be on our way.  BUT, I really would love to come and stay and see when and if this lovely spot gets busy with other folks.

 

As we leave, I can’t help but marvel at the trail maintenance done here in the park.  So much work went into saving this one path from erosion.  

 

 

 

 

We’ve arrived at the blue arrow on the map.   You cannot go on this trail.  Or at least not until mid-August.

 

 

 

Our next leg is the Valley Cove Truck Road.   Doesn’t look much like a truck road at this point.

 

 

One nice thing about forest roads is that they give you a break from the roots and the rocks.  It’s easier to look around and see the small things if you don’t have to watch your feet so closely.

 

For instance, this web was built by a bowl and doily spider. The rigging snares the flying insects while the lower deck protects the spider against attack from the rear. Just like a good army general.  Nature really is just amazing.

 

 

 

Well that’s enough of a break.  Back on the “trail” this time to Valley Peak.

 

There is quite a variety on this trail.

 

I’m letting Nancy figure out the easiest path.   Thanks Nancy!

 

 

 

Not sure at what point I get ahead of her but in time to show the rock climbing on the trail.

 

We’ve been serenaded by the beautiful song of this veery all the way up the trail and I finally get a look at him though not a very good picture as he’s high up in a tree.   You can listen to his song here thanks to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. 

 

 

We’re getting high enough up now for some views again.

 

 

We have arrived.  Valley Peak Summit.   Peak #2.

 

Nancy is in awe of the choices.   Which one to take up?  Which one to take back down?

 

 

 

I guess that’s where we’re going?   I’m in the back and can’t see.  I just see them both pointing.

 

 

More beautiful views on our way up to our highest peak for the day, St. Sauveur Mountain.

 

Somes Sound used to be described as the only fjord on the east coast.  Recently, “experts” have changed their minds and are now calling it a fjard becasue  “it lacks the extreme vertical relief and anoxic sediments associated with Norwegian fjords.”  Maybe the Norwegians complained.  <grin>  A fjard is a smaller drowned glacial embayment.   Whatever it’s called, it nearly splits Mount Desert Island in half.

 

 

It may be our tallest peak for the day but it has a mighty small summit sign.   Even I dwarf it.

 

 

 

On our way down, Bill gets some debris out of our way.  Thanks Bill!  Always nice to have a strongman around.

 

 

At our lunch stop, Bill gave me a some crap about “what’s with the boots”.  But many of you know it’s “lunch with a view” and a nod to John and Pam of Oh the Places We Go.

 

 

Down we go.

 

And down some more.

 

What big Giant stacked these up like this?

 

 

Back on the flat and almost to the parking lot, I’ll end with a big tree for David.  Wish you could have been here.  You handle your situation with grace and fortitude.  Just like your big trees.