Downeast Maine: Autumn Adventures

Time spent in majestic Maine is cleansing, colorful and awe-inspiring.
It’s a great place for personal renewal and it’s especially fun to discover the state’s natural
resources with loved ones in the fall. Join us as we explore the geology of Downeast Maine
in three blogs:

Part I – Addison, Great Wass Island Preserve and Acadia National Park
Part II – Bar Harbor, Maine Maritime Museum (Bath), Harpswell/Bailey Island
Part III – “What d’ya Make of It?” Creating jewelry with gems from Downeast Maine

You’ll find these and other geology blogs, along with custom jewelry designs, at www.skinoftheearth.com

PART I: Addison, Great Wass Island Preserve,
Acadia National Park

Ahhh, Maine. I hadn’t been back for a stay since our legendary family camping escapade of ’69 when I was about10 years old. (LOL memories from that trip.) So, when my brother and sister-in-law suggested a return visit, we jumped at the chance to join them for an autumn adventure in Maine.

In preparation for the trip we:

• Searched rental housing in areas that looked good for hiking and learning about Maine. We set our sights on the area known as DownEast (or Downeast) Maine and booked rental homes for late Sept-early October. 
• Checked out weather averages and forecasts for the week
• Confirmed our airport transporter, Denise, could shuttle us at 3:30 am (What a woman!)
• Confirmed travel plans and necessary snacks with our group:
  • Twizzlers, nuts, chocolate & caramel stuff, fruit, Necco wafers, Circus peanuts
• Confirmed necessary tools and equipment:
  • Hiking gear and shoes
  • Cameras, tablets, computers. For this short trip we just took our iPhones, iPads and a GoPro
    NOTE: All the photos for this blog were taken on my iPhone, unless otherwise noted.

Ready for an adventure? Let’s get after it!

Downeast Maine

Our fearless travel quad: sister-in-law, Twila, my brother Greg (aka; Gregbro), my husband, Greg (aka: Greghub) and me, were ready to experience the invigorating landscape from an ‘almost-first timers’ point of view. We flew into Portland, picked up our rental car and headed for an emergency fueling station – the highly recommended Coffee By Design in downtown Portland.

Properly caffeinated, we drove the scenic roads from Portland to our first rental near Addison and Jonesport, ME.

Addison, Maine

It was an inviting home on an idyllic cove. The views and peaceful environment were spectacular. The harbor seals greeted us each morning, and the tides kept our schedules on track.
NOTE: the ocean tides of Downeast Maine are some of the highest on the planet with highs and lows occurring twice daily. It was an incredible phenomenon to experience.
The highs:

And the lows:

Imagine my delight at seeing all those low-tide rock formations and sediment. Damn near giddy!

GEOLOGY of Addison

The whole of Maine has a fascinating geological history. This is particularly true for the Downeast section of Maine.
“The bedrock of the state, including Addison, is complex and covers nearly 1.5 billion years of Earth’s history. This includes processes such as sedimentation, deformation (folding and faulting), metamorphism, and igneous activity².” This region characterized by massive granite intrusions and much morphing during the Wisconsin glaciation period (75,000 to 11,000 years ago). 
This glaciation deposited unsorted, poorly drained soil known as till across the area, leading to the formation of bogs and ponds and altering the natural drainage patterns¹.

Common Rocks & Minerals around Addison

Here you can find plenty of jasper, granite and basalt. There are also significant deposits of one of my favorite sedimentary finds, schist! (Say it with me, “Schist!” Just don’t forget the second ‘s’.) Geez we have fun, don’t we?!? We’ll see lots of schist in the Part II blog. Stay tuned.

The cove in front of our home held plenty of sedimentary formations and granite boulders. One digital application identified some of the rocks as granodiorite, which is similar to granite but has more plagioclase feldspar than orthoclase feldspar. The following three stock photos show some of the physical differences between granite, granodiorite and diorite.

Notice that granite is coarsly grained, granodiorite is medium grained, and diorite is finer grained.

If you want to take a really deep geo dive into the Addison area, the Maine Geological Survey provides a detailed analysis of local rocks/minerals/soil along with some helpful graphics at: Maine Geological Survey Tracy Corners Gravel Pit, Addison, ME Pretty amazing stuff!

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With homebase established, we planned out several adventures in the days to come. The first excursion was an evening bike ride over the local bridges and trails:

Gorgeous! Plus, the scenery was pretty good too. 🙂

While the calm Addison shoreline was our homebase, we ventured out over widely varied terrain that was not only exhilarating, but sometimes treacherous. Such was the case with our first hike at the Great Wass Island Preserve.

TREK: Great Wass Island Preserve

Running on Hanks’ time, we woke up way too late for sunrise. We brewed coffee, lounged a bit, made sack lunches and prepared to head out for…somewhere. Usually, we do a deep informational dive into the particular areas we will be visiting, including the physical requirements and the weather forecast. Today, however, we were impatient to get started. Our intrepid logistician, Twila, found several good options for visiting and possibly hiking. Thinking this would be a leisurely kind of day, you know, to survey the local establishments and get familiar with the area, we all dressed in casual, day-trip mode. 

The local roads took us through some charming towns with inviting homes that exuded a ‘come-home-for-Thanksgiving’ vibe. A nostalgic sense that I enjoy wrapping myself up in. The rolling hills and curves led to endless views of Americana. These are the types of sights that have my husband and I checking out local real estate prices. Charming. Quaint. Casual. Surrounded by incredible natural beauty and minimal traffic. All the good feels of a place you’d want to nuzzle into. With the end of September warmth, the bright sun and some fall colors decorating the surroundings, it all seemed perfect. What a fantastic start to our vacation! 

We ribboned our way over the roads to our destination – Great Wass Island Preserve. 

Great Wass Island Preserve Map (nature.org) 

We found a small parking lot on one end of wherever we were and pulled in. There were only a couple other cars there and the ground was flat and dry. Even though we hadn’t done much research on this place, we couldn’t stop ourselves from busting out a trail trot. We all agreed this would be a fun place to spend an hour or two hiking, then return home for a nice dinner. My heart was singing! Off we headed onto the beautiful, forested trail that would guide us merrily along to the water’s edge and back. 

We started out on Little Cape Point Trail. It was a flat, narrow path that wandered pleasantly over some boardwalks under a dense canopy. But the flat ground soon turned into rising, falling and twisting terrain. Hmmm.

About 45 minutes in, we passed a couple who was heading back to the parking lot. They were sweating profusely. They said nothing, just looked at us with soul-sapped eyes and shook their heads. Our group paused and looked at each other. One of us flashed the gritted teeth ‘Yikes!’ face. We looked back as if to visually assess the couple’s physical capabilities. “Uh…I think…we’re good?” one of us uttered with low confidence. We sojourned on as tree roots seemed to grow in real time on the paths in front of us.

Time to take a break and savor the surroundings. It really is a place to experience the adage ‘where the sea meets the sky.’ 

That’s some unbelievable granite bedrock we were lounging on, folks. This granite is also an indication of the “Fundian Fault,” a long crack in the Earth’s crust that extends from the Bay of Fundy to the coast of New Hampshire. It’s where waters from the Bay of Fundy meet the waters in the Gulf of Maine creating a cool, humid climate that supports a unique ecosystem and geology.

The beauty of the rock formations, the water and the vegetation in this place defy description.

NOTE: If you hike to this point, be aware that the granite has been worn smooth by the elements and can be very slippery. It’s like black ice in some spots. Make sure to wear boots or shoes with good traction throughout this trail system. Am I speaking from experience? Yes! One of us took a nasty backward fall on these rocks. And the trails to come were even more challenging.

Rounding the corner of the first point, we were greeted by a scene that should have given us pause. But ignorant of what was to come, the view provided awe and an exciting challenge. Before us were endless rock formations the size of small houses separated by water-filled chasms. The gymnastics of it all was invigorating for about 12 minutes. Again, we had to help each other climb up, down and leap across natural hurdles. From there it only became more demanding.

The trail jutted ominously back into forested ground and away from the shoreline as we moved ahead on Mudhole Trail. 

Searching hard to find trail markings, the terrain became even more rock- and root-laden. Too late we would realize the trail was not blazed or well-marked at all. Therefore, good light was a necessity.  But our daylight was fading quickly.

And then the rain started. 

First there were just a few drops of precipitation. Since we were hot and sweaty, those initial sprinkles were welcomed cooling. But the rain picked up until it became a steady, cold drizzle. Skin that had been steaming turned cold once it was drenched with rain.

Slick ground made the footing even more perilous. We had to slow down in order to navigate the terrain and ensure we knew the status of all four of us. We continued in this mode for about an hour. After a particularly slippery ascent, my heart was racing, and my heartbeat rose measurably. Something was way off. I had to rest a couple times, and by now the sun had set.

Completely in the dark at this point, Greghub waited with me to recover while Gregbro and Twila forged ahead to try and set a path.

Our cell phone connectivity was gone. We knew if we crapped out now, we’d have to huddle it out until morning. (Oh, the anticipation of that infernal bonding scenario!)

Hot Tip #1: ALWAYS have a source of light/illumination.

The thing that truly saved us from this point forward was our cell phone flashlights. It’s doubtful we could have gone much further without those beacons. And if we were going to fall into a hole at least we could see what was about to swallow us up.

With my heart rate finally back to normal, Greghub and I rose to the occasion. Well, we were up anyway, but we were without bearings. Which way to proceed?

Hot Tip #2: MAINTAIN your hope and humor. 

We moved ahead cautiously, asking each other if this was the right direction. No clue. It got very quiet. 

Suddenly, out of the blue, my husband yelled, “MARCO!”

And from way, waaayyyy ahead Gregbro replied, “POLO!” 

Wherever each of us was in the woods, we all started laughing. 

When the four of us finally met back up we agreed that this was either the dumbest thing we’d ever done on our travels, or one of the best adventure memories we’ll ever have. In hindsight, both.

Two plus hours in, and unbeknownst to us, we’d actually made forward progress on the aptly named Mudhole Trail. We were now deep into the woods heading further away from the shoreline. Without any trail markings we could only hope for the best and keep moving on.

Somewhere along the way the terrain evened out. There were fewer ups and downs. There were some assist-worthy drops in the path to be sure. But the trek wasn’t as rigorous. We were walking in puddles and mud but at lesser inclines. Ahhh. More hope.

When we eventually came to a 2 x 4 boardwalk, I could feel the collective group spirit rise up. There was the sense that we were going to make it. 

At almost three hours from start we flopped out of the woods to the greatest parking lot in the world. What a sight!! 

Standing in the midst of that pitch-dark lot one of our gang dryly noted, “Hunh. Our car is the only one here.”  We piled in and sat there quietly for a few minutes.

“So much for our nice dinner.”  I thought, with a noticeable lack of gratitude. Apparently my growling stomach and surly attitude had gotten the best of me.

And what about the visuals? You might be wondering if we were able to capture any pics of that rocky shoreline or Mudhole Trail. Well, since we were in a perpetual state of stress and hopelessness, the idea of taking pictures wasn’t really at the forefront of anyone’s mind. However, Greghub did unknowingly click a single picture that seemed to capture the essence of this journey. You be the judge:

Epilogue-ish Stuff

What I didn’t know until doing research for this blog was that the Great Wass Island Preserve was acquired by The Nature Conservancy in 1978. They have a nice page for this area, along with maps and directions at Great Wass Island Preserve (nature.org) Also, the more recently posted maps clearly note that Mudhole Trail is not well marked. Good to know.

NOTE: I’m a big fan of The Nature Conservancy and the work they do across the globe. You can follow them, too on FB and at:  The Nature Conservancy: A World Where People & Nature Thrive

With Twila and the Gregs’ input, I’ve compiled a rudimentary list of Do’s & Don’ts for your consideration. I hope it’s helpful to some of you BEFORE you hit the trails. 

DO:

• VISIT & HIKE this magnificent Great Wass Island Preserve. It will be well worth the effort.
• Prepare! Research trails, maps, ratings and tips before heading out
• Agree on the route to take
• Check the weather and know the forecast
• Start early in the day and make sure you can finish by sundown
• Dress for success, based on climate and preferences – layers and water-proof gear are helpful
• Ensure you have proper footwear for the trails you intend to hike
• Print out map(s) or carry a guidebook in case you lose cell connectivity
• Bring a non-digital compass and light source
• Bring water and snacks
• Stay with your group
• Capture the memories via camera, notes or drawings.
  Since we were on a protected preserve, I did not pick up any rock samples. But I did take pictures and used one of them as the basis for Xmas card drawings
• If you’re in the area, DO check out Jonesport Pizza!! Good pizza, sandwiches and snacks. Plus, the staff was delightful. They saved our stomachs on that hangry evening.

187 Main St, Jonesport, ME 04649-3315
+1 207-497-21870 

DON’T:

• Don’t go it alone
• Don’t pick up samples or disturb the environment 
• Don’t go unprepared
• In sum, don’t do a lot of what we did

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The day after our Great Wass Island free-for-all, we needed some recovery time and a chance to do some local sightseeing. The foliage had already turned in some places and was just starting in other areas. A delectable season to be in the area at the end of September/early October. It was that golden bridge of time between summer’s end and the bustle of the holiday season. There’s some breathing and thinking space in that span. A wonderful time to be in Maine.

NOTE: There were a few grocery stores and eateries in the area. But most of the local joints close up by 8 pm-ish. So, plan your meals accordingly. Personally, I think that adds to the ambience and relaxation of it all – unless you’re hungry, of course. 

We used the evening to plan our next outing and looked forward to visiting a treasure: Acadia National Park. It can only get better from here, we reasoned. Happy to say, we were right.

TREK: Acadia National Park – Sand Beach, Park Loop Road
Jordan Pond

Acadia National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

Acadia National Park is a major gemstone in the crown of U.S. national parks. A whole vacation could easily be planned around this park alone. The variation in geology, geography, wildlife and activities can keep you and yours busy and awestruck for days.
Map of Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov)

Sadly for us, we only had the better part of a day to explore the park. So, we confirmed the weather and ocean forecasts and headed out for a short, but memorable visit.

GEOLOGY of Acadia National Park

The diverse and complex geological makeup of Acadia National Park is more than this rookie could summarize in any coherent manner. Therefore, I’m including a description from the U.S.G.S. in italics below.

Strap in and read on for the down and dirty on Acadia dirt. (Or, if you’re just not that into it, skip ahead to Entering Acadia.)
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“Over 500 million years ago, pressure beneath ancient oceans and heat from tectonic activity turned a mixture of underwater sedimentary rocks (mudstone and sandstone) and volcanic ash into the metamorphic rocks of the Ellsworth Schist, the oldest rock unit in the Mount Desert region. The Ellsworth Schist, identifiable by its green chlorite bands and white-gray quartz and feldspar bands, was exposed approximately 450 million years ago when a micro-terrane (mini-continent) called Avalonia slowly collided with North America. The Ellsworth Schist was left in a position which allowed sand and silt to accumulate on top of it. Eventually this accumulation hardened to become the Bar Harbor Formation, which today is visible as layers of sandstone and siltstone ranging in color from brown to grey. Layers of ash were deposited in the Bar Harbor Formation from nearby volcanoes (Cranberry Island Volcanics). Molten rock below Earth’s surface (magma), later intruded into this area, forming the igneous rocks (granites) of the Mount Desert Island as it cooled. The Cadillac Mountain Granite is amongst the largest bodies of granite on the island, and it is also one of the oldest in the region (~420 million years old).

Further changes to the land occurred around Acadia where heavy glacial ice created indentations in the land which allowed the Atlantic to flow inland once glaciers began melting. As the ocean flowed inland, mountains became islands and marine material covered what had been dry land. As the ice retreated further, the land around Acadia stabilized, rose up, and once again settled above sea level. Lakes and rivers remained in the valleys and the land became dry enough for animal habitation. Plants and animals began to recolonize what had previously been underwater.

During the last two to three million years, thick glaciers flowed across the state of Maine, eroding mountains and carving valleys into the land across which they flowed. This activity peaked about 18,000 years ago during a period called the Wisconsin Glaciation. As large masses of ice (glaciers) receded, their bulldozer-like erosive power left scratches in the rocks called “striations” and gouges called “crescentic gouges.”

As the Earth warmed, the glaciers began to melt. As they melted, they deposited materials they had been scraping up and carrying along their journey. This left piles of rock, gravel, and sand in the wake of the melting glaciers, many of which are still present in Acadia National Park today.”
Geology of Acadia National Park | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov)

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ENTERING ACADIA

The entrance we took into the park was up a beautiful, forested walkway that certainly hints at something special. Near the visitor’s center entrance there were large, legible maps of the park as well as booths for specific trails and areas to explore. The booths were staffed with rangers and park experts to discuss the highlights and suggestions for each area. What a helpful service!

Since we would just have the afternoon here, we decided to hit up several recommended points in the park: Sand Beach and Thunder Hole on the Park Loop Road, then on to Jordan Pond.

SAND BEACH

We made the easy hike down to this coved haven, an invigorating beachfront covered in cool, forest-scented mist and ocean spray. From a geology and geography standpoint, there is a lot going on here. The cove houses a beautiful sand beach with a lively runoff stream trickling down the east end. A horseshoe of granite cliffs and rock formations surrounds the whole cove. It’s like a big bowl of geological Froot Loops in cereal milk. Yum.

Coming down the stairs to the beach provided an impressive greeting.

It turned out to be a cool, but very pleasant day to take some pictures and walk about.

GEOLOGY of Sand Beach

The composition of Sand Beach is unique among the beaches in Acadia. The National Park Service provides a nice summary:

“Sand Beach in Acadia National Park is sheltered between Great Head and Otter Cliff. Unlike typical sandy beaches, its “sand” is composed of finely ground, sand-sized shell fragments that are thousands of years old. The beach is not subject to forceful wave action, which allows for the accumulation of fine-grained sand¹². The stones found on the beach have traveled from various rock formations through glaciers and ocean currents, and have been shaped by waves over time³.”
Geologic Features and Formations – Acadia National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

Although largely protected by the cove, the waves and weather had deposited plenty of rocks and minerals over the years to delight any geo fan. We stayed way longer than we initially anticipated, because…what a setting!

PARK LOOP ROAD

From the beach, we returned to the car to drive up Park Loop Road, which encircles the park. We drove the east side of the loop hoping to see more spectacular views and rock formations surrounding the gulf. We were not disappointed.

We parked in one of the lots along the road and hiked down to the shoreline – or as close as possible – to walk amongst these jaw-dropping glacial formations. The power of nature and time is magnificent.

Pictures can’t capture the awesome experience. All our senses were engaged. We spent so much time exploring the cliffs that we didn’t even make it to the actual Thunder Hole (which offers a guided tour but was quite crowded that day). We were fine with that as we did experience so much of this coastline on a perfect nor easterly day.

This whole rocky coastline is humbling, yet incredibly inviting; you want to dance all over these mammoth granite goddesses. Be careful if you do so. but I strongly suggest you give it a go!

JORDAN POND

Our final excursion of the day at Acadia took us to Jordan Pond. A lovely, flat trail that winds around the whole pond, making for a perfect solo or family walk. Beautiful things to see here.

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According to the U.S.G.S.,
“…Jordan Pond, is a mountain lake in Acadia National Park formed by a glacier and known for its clear waters. In the distance are two small peaks known as “The Bubbles”. Alex Bryan, a climatologist with the DOI Northeast Climate Science Center (managed by USGS) is implementing scenario planning techniques to help Acadia National Park identify potential future climate conditions, enabling managers to start planning for how to best protect the park’s resources now.”

It’s good to know that there is foresight in planning and maintaining these unique sites and critical habitats. What a hidden gem!

This Jordan Pond hike was the perfect way to wind down in pristine surroundings. The fall stillness underscored the coming of colder weather. Yet there was impressive evidence of beavers and other wildlife on full display. Check it out, woodworkers and chainsaw folks! Skills.

This hike – a stroll, really – was more of a spiritual reset. The sunset colors and still water made this walk seem more like a meditation. It was a sublime ending to a lovely autumn day.

Please consider visiting the fascinating Acadia National Park. And if you’ve already been, leave your notes/recommendations in the Comments section of this blog.

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What’s Next??

Returning to Addison, we prepped for a tomorrow’s travel day and more adventures to come, including some nautical mania with plenty of ‘schist and giggles.’ You won’t want to miss the details on the follow-up blog, Downeast Maine: Part II.

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Ahoy, Aho and on we go!
-Nancy