Mansell Mountain hike, Acadia NP, Maine ♥

Howdee all,

♥

Mansell Mountain

Difficulty-Moderate to Strenuous

Distance 3.3 mile loop

Starting Elevation 70feet

High point 949 feet

The trail starts on the southwest corner of Long Pond.following the lake about .02 miles ♥ Then the trail hooks up to the Perpendicular TrailYou soon find out why it is called the Perpendicular trail 

A granite staircase built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corp.

   Pretty much straight up

♥

One ladder and a few rungs..

  Allot of huffing and puffing..It was hot..we were all dripping with sweat.

Thank goodness the hike was in and out of the woods..plenty of shade.

  The forest is lush with moss and lichen and the recent rains have brought on many mushrooms.

Boleutus I dontknowus

Wonderful views…

From the top we saw a distant fire…it looked like it was in Southwest harbor…

we would check it out later..

  We hike away from the views toward the summit

Here we are…it was pretty much a straight up climb to get there.

We leave the high point and take the next trail on the left..

More views..

And lots of wonderful Maine Blueberries  See all the low shrubs lining the path?

Blueberries!

We did allot of snacking

A few steep areas on the hike down..

Mushroomius unknownius  Indian Pipe      tiny orangeyus mushroomus somethingus donteateus A wonderful hike…

We stopped along the trail for lunch with a Hermit thrush and Black throated green warbler serenade..

After the hike we took a short drive into town and found out that the newly renovated Moorings restaurant had a fire..We drove by and saw the charred and smoking remains..

We then walked around town…

Went back to camp for showers…and then out again..for a drive…

Evening fog coming in

We dine overlooking the ocean..

Avocado and Egg over herbs and lettuce…kalamata olives and goat cheese..

Watermelon for dessert.

On the way back..almost dark..we saw two fledgling Barred owls..calling for their parents and food..

A delightful day..

I ♥ Acadia National Park

South Beach, Chatham ..Birding

Howdee all,

When in Chatham we took a boat shuttle from Stage Harbor to South beach.

The shuttle cost is 15 dollars round trip per person.

We left at 8am

Our main goal was to see the Red-necked Stint…

a rare bird that was seen a few days ago …A foggy morning

The larger boat is the shuttle that took us to South beach.  South Beach..

We have walked to this area in the past via Lighthouse beach.

12 mile RT

   Willet walking the shallows Looking north…. 

Does this lobster claw look big or small? HUge! i think he is clamming….. This Black-backed gull is munching on a large Horseshoe crab.  Looking for the StintIs it here amongst the Dowitchers?Not here not here….Nope….not here Two men clamming.. Piping Plover..we saw many plover families…

they nest in this area… Fog burning off over this shallow pond.Bright Green algae…    We walked the long shallow inlet..mucky and smelly…  A few Oyster catchers and families… Dunes   thousands of horseshoe crab shells…    Its low tide…still no sign of the stint…. We head back to catch the 2pm shuttle..It has been a beautiful calm,cool morning on South beach… 

We never did see the Stint..

But we enjoyed the peaceful walk….  That evening at the families home we saw a lovely sunset while sitting out on the deck.

Some of the birds seen that morning

Willet
Piping plover
Barn swallow
Song sparrow
Cormorant
Black backed gull
American pipit
Least sandpiper
Horned lark
Oystercatcher
Least tern
Herring gull
Short billed dowitcher
Semi-palmated sandpiper
Laughing gull
Hudsonian godwit
Dunlin
Snowy egret
Common tern
Savannah sparrow