We filled our bottles with hand=pumped well water and then headed off onto Duck Harbor Mountain Trail. After a walking through the forest for some time we reached the base of the mountain and started our climb. Small rocky steps soon gave way to large rock walls -- some steeper than others -- that we scrambled up in our stiff hiking boots. Unlike Beehive Trail, there were no notched rocks or metal rungs to assist us.
Higher and higher we climbed until we reached the top. "That wasn't bad at all," I said. "Yeah that was pretty easy," Sly replied. We slapped each other on the back thinking we were hiking badasses and took tons of photos to commemorate our momentous speed record-breaking hike.
Except we had yet to reach the top.
We were too busy taking in the beautiful view to realize that the mountain continued rising high behind us. Damn. We continued through the woods around the side of the mountain, then back up and up and up until we saw the geological markers and knew we had finally reached the top -- this time for real. We took a long break at the summit and enjoyed the cool breeze on an otherwise hot day. There were no mosquitoes at the top and we contemplated possibly coming back sometime in the night to stargaze. It would have been an amazing place to set up camp.
With our climb to the top of Duck Harbor Mountain behind us we figured that everything else would be easy going. Just follow the coast a couple miles and we would be back at camp at no time, right?
Wrong.
After we made our way down the mountain we hiked toward the coast line. At first the terrain was flat and easy, but by the time we hit the Cliff Trail we were hiking up, down, and around cliffs and over and across numerous rocky beaches. The trail was very slow going and seemed like it would never end. I'm convinced now that the mileage on the trail map *had to be* incorrect because it took what seemed like forever to get back to the trail head.
The major upside: the views from the trail were stunning and we never saw == or even heard -- anyone else except for one couple and their dog at the very start of the Duck Harbor Mountain Trail. Alone with our thoughts and aided by such ever-present wild beauty we fell into a natural rhythm. This was why we came to this remote part of Acadia. Far away from crowds and traffic and gift shops we felt embraced by nature once more. Finally we had found our solitude.