Dan and Hannah take to the Carriage Roads of Acadia National Park, Maine

          Looking for an active September getaway in New England with temps in the 60s and 70s?  Do we have the place for you!  A mere 3-4 hours north of York on the coast of Maine lies Acadia National Park.  (Truly, stop by and see Dan and Hannah on your way up.  I’m serious.)

Traveling to Acadia National Park (ANP) during the off-season is a kick for Hannah and me, avid over 60 good time hikers/bicyclists.  The weekend after Labor Day we find two double beds for $55 at the Edenbrook Motel (http://www.edenbrookmotelbh.com/) across the street from the College of Atlantic (http://www.coa.edu/index.htm) in Bar Harbor.  The 1950s retro-look metal rocking chairs outside each motel room adds to its charm.  We’ve packed our hybrid Trek bikes for a day of biking along some of the 45 miles of carriage roads (http://www.acadia.national-park.com/info.htm#carr) in the ANP.  Driving into Bar Harbor from Ellsworth, we take Route 3, which is no friend to bicyclists.  Once within three miles or so of Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, the fingernail thin white lines mark the edge of the highway and leave no margin for error for bikers and motorists.  Thankfully J. D. Rockefeller, Jr., the force behind the Carriage Roads, came to the rescue in the early part of the last century.

          Above the Edenbrook, we easily bike up Highbrook Road up from the motel to the Park Loop Road, which takes us downhill about three miles to the Visitor Center.  Flashing our senior citizens lifetime National Park pass (for $10!) we hit the steep climb of the access bike path (crushed, packed gravel like the real Carriage Road).  A low gear and a strong set of thighs are required for this climb.  Genetically advantaged, Hannah and I relentlessly pedal to the Carriage Road by Witch Pond.  On this cool, overcast mid-September late morning, we whip off our sweatshirts and riding tights and head for Jordan Pond at a leisurely pace, gabbing most of the way. 

          The gentle grades make this an exercise experience for all kinds of bicyclists.  The beauty of the surrounding trees and lakes is only matched by the beauty of nary a vehicle in sight.  The moderate grades allow for steady pedaling and easy conversation.  We pedal the ascending grade to the East of Jordan Pond but that workout just prepares us for lunch.  On this blustery and chilly day, we are the only ones on the Jordan Pond House lawn, which on a warm day is filled with tourists having their famous baked popovers.

          After roughly seven miles of biking, we take to the Day Mountain summit.  We pass two horse-drawn carriages similar to what must have been popular in the 1930s.  It turns out this is our most difficult biking as the weight of the wheels of the carriages and the hoofs of the horses have compromised the integrity of the gravel road and made the road mushier.  Even so, it is comfortable pedaling.  Do remember to always pass on the left of the carriage horses.  The summit provides views of Seal Harbor.  The descent is rapid and a little squishy given the squishy trail.  Just slow down and you’ll be fine.  It’s a good work out and one our hearts and lungs appreciate.

          Though I have affection for the Appalachian Trail (AT), I much prefer day rides or hikes that end with a shower, clean sheets, and a well-deserved afternoon nap, which we do this late summer day.  Having down some 20+ miles on the Carriage Roads, our goal is to do all 45 some day.  Nothing like “bagging” the entire Carriage Road to feel the AT spirit. 

Biking on the Carriage Road – Excellent   

Dan and Hannah Hike Becket Mountain on the Appalachian Trail (Mass.)

 October Mountain State Park, Massachusetts

(Just off the Massachusetts Turnpike at exit 3):

What is my “AT” challenge?

After hiking Old Speck Mountain and meeting thru-hikers “Tetherball” and “Moose” going from Georgia to Maine, I caught the AT bug.  I’m hooked.  I am now a card carrying member of the Appalachian Trail Conference based in Harpers Ferry, VA.  I’m looking to “bag” each of the 14 states of the AT.   This late August morning we pack six extra granola bars to give to any thru hikers we meet.  For we day hikers, this section of the trail has a convenient parking area not 100 yards from where the AT crosses Route 20 near Lee, Massachusetts. 

New to trekking sticks, Hannah scoffs at their usefulness.  As gifts from Mitch and Paula, she’s willing to give them a go.  Michelle Ray in How to Hike the AT claims that a lot of weight and impact are removed from the knees when using trekking sticks.  After thirty years of road running, we and our knees need all the help they can get.  Immediately the trail ascends to Becket Mountain, some 45 minutes away, which works up a decent sweat.  Different from the stone-infested trails of Maine, the mostly dirt trail is easy on the feet.  The canopy of hardwoods makes the trail almost entirely tree-covered and protects us from any sun.  Mosquitoes and black flies are never an issue.  It feels like hiking, not climbing, as the AT does in many places in Maine. 

Hiking the entire 2179 miles of the AT is out of the question for me.  Let me count the reasons why.  One, I don’t like to sleep on the ground or deal with any sort of overnight camping.  Two, the thought of carrying a 40-pound pack makes me weary.  And three, a glass of red wine after a warm shower is my idea of how to end 3-4 hours of hiking.  Yet as we hike today I wonder what sort of “AT” challenge might I choose?  Our daughter Robyn’s “AT” challenge was completing US Army boot camp.  Hannah’s caring for Robyn when she had childhood leukemia was one of hers.  But what in my 60s will be my “AT” challenge?  The jury is out.  I hope to discover it in the year ahead as retirement beckons.

We hike the ridgeline easily and descend after three miles to Finerty Pond, an idyllic 300-yard long body of water.  As we head back to the trailhead, I am conjuring up a subtitle for this hiking review – “Nary an AT hiker.”  And yet, not ten minutes later, a twenty something red-bearded, bright shorts-wearing hiker comes into view.  “Patch” is his trail name.  It comes from a beard that before taking to the trail was patchy, but is not after nearly five months on the AT, and all the patches on his pack from states where he’s hiked.  He’s upbeat, loving life, and energizes us both after our two hours of hiking.  Delighted, we give him our modest “trail magic” granola bars and he tells us of his blog: http://walkingforart.wordpress.com/   He’s raising money for arts experiences for at-risk youth in North Carolina.  Twelfth Commandment of the Trail – If you meet an AT thru hiker who is raising money for a worthy cause, donate what you can.

Pumped over this encounter, we return to Becket Mountain and leave the rest of the granola bars in the trail register box for other thru hikers.  Reading the register, we see that “Peaches” got up on the wrong side of the sleeping bag.  She wrote, Day hikers can kiss my ass.  Ouch.  We close the book and are glad it was not she whom we met.  The trekking sticks help the descent and Hannah admits they help with the down hills. 

Becket Mountain/Finerty Pond hike rating – Excellent

As always when hiking, know thyself, thy limits, and the conditions.  Be prepared.

Old Speck Mountain, Grafton State Park, Maine

It’s a macho hike/climb to be sure for we over 60 folks, but it’s worth the challenge.  Stay on route 26 from Portland and stop in Bethel at the Crossroads Diner where you will feel the welcoming rural Maine ambience and casualness.  Continue on for five miles, make the left at the Bear River Trading Post and head twelve miles to the parking area at Grafton State Park.  Voila. Welcome to the AT.

Three point eight miles to the summit of Old Speck sounds like a piece of cake, but not so fast my friend.  This part of the Appalachian Trail (AT) has a 2700-foot vertical gain.  My mountain math hopes we’ll make it in two hours.  On this late July Monday, my friend Paul Rosenblum and I begin the vertical almost immediately, climbing 950 feet in the first 35 minutes.  The trail is rock strewn, almost entirely tree covered with the occasional overlook. The balsams give a fragrant smell to the forest and the mushrooms give a fairy-like feel to the hike.  Fact is, we do only see fit people hiking this trail and introduce ourselves every chance we get with “Where are you from?” which gets the ball rolling.

So much for mountain math, two and a half hours later, we arrive at a public fire tower for panoramic views at the 4200-foot summit.  On this windy Monday we don sweatshirts for comfort with nary a bug in sight up or down the trail.  As with any climb of such elevation gain, it’s the descent that challenges the knees of we 60+ year-old hikers.  Again, the trekking sticks brace each descending footstep and make it so that the next morning in York, Maine I would be able to lightly spin on my bicycle with Hannah.  That said, my quads would have me gingerly walking down stairs for a couple of days.

On the descent, we hear two hikers joyously talking behind us.  In short order two 22 year olds, “Tetherball” and “Moose” (Appalachian Trail names, male and female respectively) reach us.  As northbound thru-hikers, they left Springer Mountain in Georgia on April first and now hope to reach Mt. Katahdin, the terminus of the AT, in two, maybe three weeks.  Their utter joy and happiness lifts my spirit and reminds me that the world is a beautiful place.  They are living the dream.  Eleventh Commandment of the Trail – Bring extra energy bars and trail mix on the trail to give to AT hikers.  We learn of the term trail magic where hikers leave food for AT hikers.  Having learned only one in ten completes the AT, I recommend the DVD Southbounders (http://www. southbounders.com/) for those intrigued by the AT as I am.   

The last 35 minutes of the descent is tough on my knees and worrisome to my left ankle.  After five hours of hiking, we play the “How much would you have to be paid to immediately rehike what we just did?” Game.  Paul says “$150,” I say “$10,000,” since my knees are begging me to stop.  As we reach the parking lot, we spot Moose and Tetherball.  She says, “I’d do it for a dollar.”  A dollar!  Tetherball thinks $20, since that would pay for a week of groceries.  Youth!  I just love these two. 

I have broken my cardinal rule of limiting hikes to three hours with this five-hour marathon, but thanks to the trekking sticks and good company I know I’ve hit the jackpot at Old Speck Mountain Trail.

Rating – Excellent, but Tough.  

As always when hiking, know thyself, thy limits, and the conditions.  Be prepared.