Birthday Hike

Yesterday we took a little walk in the woods to burn off the caloric load from too much cheesecake and coffee for breakfast: Hunters Beach Path winds down to a cozy little cove just down the coast from Seal Harbor.  Even on a holiday weekend there wasn't a soul in sight, and the opportunities for exploring the Park in solitude and during an under-appreciated season beckoned us outdoors. The winding trail (.3m) was dusted by fresh snow which contrasted against bright green moss and dark, twisted roots that were poking up, and we followed the happy-dog paw-prints that paralleled a beautiful stream which had a lot of downed trees from recent beaver activity. The path came out onto the oceanside cove under overcast skies where a bitter breeze put some color in our cheeks as we wandered around the high-tide mark looking at the ice cascading off the cliffs. Slowly picking a way among the glazed cobblestones and boulders was challenging, but upon encountering sheets of ice farther up along the adjoining Hunters Cliff/Lowerday Mtn. trail, we prudently retraced our route back to the safer and saner path. Unfortunately much of the options for hiking in Acadia from here on out will be limited to the horizontally challenged, especially given the recent accumulation of snow.

More snapshots here.