Tag Archives: national park

Rocky Mountain Weekend: Parks and Elk

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The morning started with a view of the Flatirons.

October 2, 2011 – Sunday morning we got on the road bright and early and… drove to the gas station.  What, we needed to get gas in the car so we could continue on and see the sunrise hitting the Flatirons in Boulder.

When driving to Estes Park from Boulder, be sure to check out this sign.

Oh, and also drive up to Estes Park.  This weekend was the Estes park Elk Festival, but we got there early enough to avoid most of the crowds.  Until we found a great little coffee shop, Kind Coffee, that is… they were pretty crowded, but the line moved fairly quickly.  Tony tried a great iced mocha, and Louisa got a chai latte.  Both drinks were excellent.  We also got a breakfast sandwich on a bagel (very good), a yogurt/granola/fruit bowl (tasty) and a slice of pumpkin bread.  The pumpkin bread was the only thing we weren’t wild about; it was nice and tender, but you couldn’t really notice any pumpkin (or spice).  If you like really mild, tender, nondescript breads you’d probably like it though.

There are elk in these meadows... somewhere.

We continued through Estes Park to Rocky Mountain National Park in search of elk.  We drove around for a bit and then Tony spotted some little elk lumps (since that’s all they looked like, little lumps) waaaaaaaay out in a field.  We parked and headed out along a little path by the side of a stream.  The elk herd was relatively small, a male and about six females.  He was looking around for a few minutes, and then bugled.  It’s not quite as impressive as it sounds, though it is unique.  Picture a huge bull elk let out a noise that’s something like a squeaky car break, out of tune flute, or rusted pipe scraping along the ground.  To our surprise there was another bugle floating through the air from a distance.  Turns out there were three elk groups sharing this one (very large) field.

For a great view of the valley, hike past the falls for about 5 minutes.

We also checked out a favorite hike, Alberta Falls.  The aspen were turning colors and the weather was perfect (and sunny).  Before heading out for lunch we also took a quick walk around Bear Lake.

Various jays (like this Steller's Jay) are very comfortable around people at Bear Lake.

Downtown Estes Park was insanely crowded, but we found a little family restaurant, Thai Kitchen, off the beaten path.  We tried the pork Gyoza, vegetable noodle soup, and shrimp pad Thai.  The dumplings and pad Thai were both fantastic, and some of the best we’ve had.  The soup was a little spicy (the “medium” soup was much spicier than the “medium” pad Thai) though.  We also got a mango lassi to drink; we’ve never had one before, and were pleased with the thick and refreshing drink.

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More Acadia National Park Hiking

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Clear days like this one offer great viewing opportunities.

May 31, 2011 - This morning is beautiful – cool, sunny, and not a bit of fog to be seen.  Of course, the fog is also pretty and very Maine-like, but it’s so much easier to see from the mountaintop without the fog.  Breakfast was great as usual – banana muffins, juice, German apple pancake with a slice of lemon, and a sweetened and baked grapefruit half.

Our first summit of the day, Penobscot Mountain.

After breakfast we drove over to the Jordan Pond House parking lot and walked up the Penobscot and Sargent Mountain trails.  The black flies seem to have hatched, and we provided some tasty first (and last) meals.  The hike was a lot of fun (especially once we found Tony’s ring that bounced down the side of the mountain), and the views were perfect thanks to some great weather.  This hike probably has the most bang for your buck regarding views and accessibility.

One of the flowers seen along the day's hikes.

After hiking back down the mountain we headed towards the carriage paths.  The car was already parked at Jordan Pond, and the lots were full.  Plus we wanted a new carriage path to explore.  We picked up a map from the Pond House info booth, chose a random route and set off.  The route wound around the mountain on the aptly named Around the Mountain road.  There were several very pretty bridges, including one with an overlook.  After following the trail up a little incline we veered left onto a private carriage path.  This one was nicely shaded, and slightly narrower than the publicly-owned path.  It was also less traveled, as evidenced by the thin blades of grass between the gravel.  Along the way we heard a pileated woodpecker and spotted a downy woodpecker.  Our main animal encounter came when Tony noticed something large standing on the side of the path.  We both froze; it wasn’t a baby bear, though it was about that size.  The creature kept moving slowly along the path until it got close enough for us to see it was a porcupine.  We made some noise and it moved off the path, still unphased by us.  We passed it on the path as it continued to move through the underbrush.

This downy woodpecker was one of the many animal sightings of the day.

Dinner was alright, we went back to Side Street Café; Louisa tried the black bean wrap (she probably would not get it again, it was alright but nothing great) with fries (good, but, again not amazing).  Tony really liked the lobster and mushroom mac ‘n cheese (they use shell pasta, and the cheese sauce is more creamy/cheesy).  The lobster stew was also very good (and they’re generous with the lobster!).  It seems that you need to know what to order, as the food is either very good or uninspired.  We got a chocolate chip oatmeal whoopee pie to split, but instead decided to have the Bailey’s Ice cream, with nuts, whipped cream, a cherry – and real hot fudge (as in, the worker offered to melt some of their own fudge when she realized we wanted home made) from Ben and Bill’s.  All the ice cream is hard, hand scooped (in very generous proportions) and delicious.  The sundae was amazing, a definite must-try if you’re in Bar Harbor.  We also checked out the beautiful sunset over the pier.

Beehive, Gorham Mountain, and Acadia Mountain

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There was no shortage of climbing today.

May 30, 2011 - We were awakened by the sound of a thunderstorm, so we re-set the clocks and got a bit of rest (i.e. slept in till about 7am!).  Hoping the weather clears!

The breakfast was so good that we forgot to take photos before starting.

Breakfast was tasty again, and it was nice enough to eat outside.  However, the rain rolled back through, so we took shelter with another couple under an umbrella.  Just as quickly, the rain cleared, and the weather turned warm, humid and sunny.  We enjoyed grapefruit juice and coffee, maple syrup muffins, a fruit plate, scrambled eggs with cheesy thick-sliced toast, and baked tomatoes with cheese and herbs before heading out to the trails.

A high-powered scope (or creative use of the ellipse shape tool) was needed to see the falcon.

First we stopped to watch a female peregrine falcon flying and sitting on cliffs by the Precipice Trail, which is closed because of the nesting birds.  :)

The view from the top of the Beehive is awesome.

Our final destination was the Sand Beach parking lot.  We were headed to the Beehive Trail, with an extender hike to the Bowl and Gorham Mountain.  The weather was clear (unlike the early morning!), and there were very few puddles on the rapidly warming rocks.  We got on the trail around 9:45am, along with a few other hikers.  There were great views all the way up the Beehive – plus climbing the ladders / rungs is lots of fun, too!  (Although there’s always, always someone who insists on climbing down the Beehive.  People, stop. Listen to me.  It’s a one-way hike – up.  Once you’re up, go down another way.  Like Gorham Mountain.)  Once at the top we admired the view for a bit then went down to the Bowl, and eventually up and then down Gorham Mountain..

This coastline view is a great break after the Gorham Mountain hike.

Well, the previous hike was apparently not our final destination.  The day was just too nice to not hit up another mountain.  Plus we (er, Louisa) figured we’d be too tired tomorrow to do a double-header hike. ;-)   Acadia Mountain was the destination of choice.  Flying Mountain was closed since more falcons were nesting, but the other trails in the Western mountain area were open.  The beginning part of the hike has a few roots, but nothing like the areas by Norumbega.  There was also a bit of scrambling/climbing through rock crevices.  Wide open views of the Sound greeted us at the top of the large rock we were climbing; and then there were three snakes on the trail down the mountain.  Not too many people must hike down that way, although it’s a pleasant (albeit steep and rocky) hike.  And there’s a fire road at the bottom which provides an easy walk back to the car.

Acadia Mountain offers great views of Somes Sound below.

Dinner was again at Café This Way – we enjoyed the lobster and crab spring rolls with plum dipping sauce as an appetizer.  Louisa did a reprise of her dinner while Tony tried another special.  This one was grass-fed veal, along with a wild mushroom and fingerling potato hash; the combination was fantastic.  We had blueberry muffins from the Acadia Store for dessert while overlooking the water, then enjoyed some tea back at the inn.

Ladder Trail and the Tarn

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The stepping stones at the Tarn were a fun start to the trail.

May 29, 2011 - Well, the cruise ship got into town early… it’s been blowing the fog horn since 6:50am.  Fortunately we were already awake!  Even with the cruise ship, it should be less crowded now than when we visited last August, when there were more people in town plus a cruise ship.

Here's your sign.

This morning it’s looking rather foggy and breezy, so we’re going to take our time getting ready and enjoy a nice breakfast at the B&B.  Our plan is to hike the ladder trail up Dorr Mountain; fingers crossed the weather cooperates!  Breakfast was fantastic, as usual – juice, coffee, warm lemon poppyseed muffins, baked apple with cranberries, yogurt and warm honey (Louisa also topped hers with granola), and chocolate crepes with a ricotta cream filling and raspberry coulis.

The hiking is a little foggy at the start...

We parked north of the Tarn, hiked over and around rocks, and headed up the trail.  We were excited to begin climbing up the ladders. At the top of Dorr we decided to take a 0.6 out and back side trip up Cadillac Mountain.  Cadillac and Dorr were both covered in fog, and the granite rocks were still slightly damp.  Progress was slow, but we eventually made it down the saddle and to the top of Cadillac.  Our glasses soon misted up regardless of how often we wiped them off.  A huge pile of rocks made up the cairn on top of Dorr; we contributed our own tiny piece.  The walk back down was even windier, we could see why the trees had become perpetually bent under the force of the wind.

...and even foggier at the top!

We had a pretty walk back towards the car past a beaver dam and lodge.  By the time we were by the Tarn the weather was beginning to clear a bit, so we headed towards Sieur de Monts Springs.  We saw the springs and wild gardens, but decided there were other areas to explore.  Namely the waiting area by Jordan Pond House.  The popovers with whipped butter and strawberry jam, as well as the lemonade were worth the 30 minute wait.  The lemonade is served as lemon juice with a lemon wedge, along with a tiny pitcher of simple syrup so each diner can adjust the sweetness.

The sky did start to clear up near the end of the hike.

Dinner tonight was at Side Street Café.  Tony enjoyed the nightly special of lobster Alfredo, while Louisa liked the Caesar salad and the Emmy sandwich – pesto, fresh mozzarella, avocado (which got lost a bit within the rest of the ingredients), lettuce, tomato and sprouts on a grilled pita.  Unfortunately the pesto soaked through the pita a bit too much, but was still tasty.  The food – particularly the fresh lobster – was good enough to (hopefully) warrant a return trip.

Late May is a good time to see flowers like this on the island.

After dinner we took a stroll down the ocean walk.  We made it to the end of the path this time and cut inland.  Looking up at the sky around 9pm we saw a bright (rather large) bluish-green meteor with a tiny trail slowly moving further into Earth’s atmosphere from across Frenchman’s Bay.  Other excitement involved finding a great slice of blueberry pie/crisp (it was labeled as pie, but both crusts were cinnamon-sugar-granola) at the Acadia Store.

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