30 August 2023 to 6 September 2023 - Lubec, ME to Bar Harbor ME
Part Three - Witch Hole Pond Carriage Road and Jordan Pond
We finished our tour of Acadia National Park with a walk along the Witch Hole Pond Carriage Road and a visit to Jordan Pond. Again, we had beautiful weather for both days. The carriage road was fairly level, and we encountered several groups of walkers and bicyclists (not a single one on a "regular" bike, all were electric.) Jordan Pond is a popular walking area because of its amazing views. We also had a very nice dinner at the Jordan Pond Restaurant. It has been a wonderful experience visiting Acadia and the Bar Harbor area. I am so grateful that our nation has created these National Parks, saving amazing sections of our country for future generations. All we have visited are wonderful. Now, we head south to Kennebunkport and start making our way home.
In the afternoon, you can have tea and popovers at the Jordan Pond House Cafe. In good weather, you can sit on the lawn and admire this view. Tea and popovers have been served since 1893.
Russ walked only part of the way around the pond, the complete trip would take a couple of hours and we had reservations at the Jordan Pond House.
The large crowds from Labor Day weekend have gone, so walking the trails was very pleasant.
There is a carriage road that passes through the Jordan Pond area, so we took it back to the restaurant.
The original restaurant burned down in 1979. This new restaurant is very modern looking with floor to ceiling windows showcasing the beautiful views.
Russ had "lazy lobster", so he didn't have to figure out how to get the meat out of the shell.
The carriage road that circled Witch Hole Pond was pretty level. Getting to it required going up and over a hill. There were warnings telling bicyclist to walk their bikes down as the descent was fairly steep and slippery because of the dirt surface. None we saw followed the advice. I guess those really fat tires work well!
The carriage roads were made for horse and buggy, so they are nice and wide.
Russ taking a break after climbing the steepest part of the path.
Saw several marshy areas with evidence of beaver dams. After being eliminated in the area in the 1800s, they were reintroduced in the early 1900s. Overpopulation occurred, causing damage to the forest and flooding to roads, so there is now an active relocation project to minimize the damage. Beavers are relocated as far away as New Hampshire and Vermont.
Fall colors are starting to show up in the forests.
A view of Witch Hole Pond behind the reeds and grasses.
Cadillac Mountain seems to be the backdrop for every scenic view in the park.
A beaver dam is hidden in the grasses.
Evidence of the damage beavers can cause. This area has been dammed up and the resulting flooding has killed many trees.
It was a beautiful, mild day for our five-mile walk.
Duck Brook near Witch Hole Pond.
This bridge near Witch Hole Pond was completed in 1929. It crosses over Duck Book. The tallest and considered one of the most ornate of the park's bridges, it was also the most expensive. All the bridges were hand crafted with the stones carefully fitted together.
A well disguised beaver dam. This doesn't look like the ones we saw in Alaska. Not as tall and with living plants covering it.
A recent product of a busy beaver!
Looks like this meadow will become a marshy part of the pond in the years ahead.
No comments:
Post a Comment