Fourth Annual NSPN Bar Harbor Retreat

[prudenceb]

Fourth (is it?) Annual NSPN Bar Harbor Retreat  

September 8-11 2017

 

This is not a trip report.  It's mostly photos with a few comments.  OK, hard for me not to start with a few more words, so here goes.

The Llangolin Inn and Cottages once again served as our base, as around 17of us - including three paddlers new to NSPN (Welcome, Walter, Shirley and Troad!) - gathered for what has become my favorite NSPN event of the year.  (And I cannot understand why everyone doesn't clear her/his calendar to join us.  The venue is outstanding!  From sunrise on Cadillac Mountain - which I know both Yong and Lisa enjoyed - to the many different paddles one can do on this wonderfully varied coastline; from eating (Mama DiMatteo's, Saturday night potluck, Thurston's Lobster Pound!) to hiking (which folks manage to accomplish this year without any damage to life or limb); from cottages at Llangolan to campsites at Hadley Point around the corner -- Mount Desert is the best!

Some of us arrived on Wednesday in order to go up to Sullivan Falls the next morning for the now traditional pre-retreat currents training session with Nate Hanson; others to just wander about and enjoy the island.  The club event started Friday.

I spent what turned out to be a dark, damp and intermittently rainy Thursday in wander-about mode.  I went over to one of my favorite spots, Wonderland, on the south side of the Quiet Side of the island. There was a stiff wind from the south, which made Wonderland a good spot to be to watch nature without having to negotiate anything in a boat.

First, though there's a half mile walk from the parking area.  I was taken by the lichen colors on the rock, and thought someone should print a fabric with this pattern.  I'd buy a shirt made of it!

I could hear the ocean before the woods opened up to the sea.  Here's what it looked like when I got there.

There's a nice path that goes along the shore.  You're protected until you take a side trail onto the beach.

It was high tide, so much of the granite slabs were covered, but you could still walk out on them.

Back in the woods, berries on trees were showing fall colors.

 

On Friday, most people arrived.  We worked out two paddle options for the day.  One group decided to do a longish (16+ mile) leisurely (very!) paddle from Seal Cove on the Quiet Side back up to Hadley Point.  This involved the always challenging task of setting up a car shuttle, but our collective brainpower somehow managed to pull it off.  The other group did a Northeast Harbor up into Somes Sound roundtrip.  I wasn't on that one, so Gary, Sherry is Liz will have to chime in on that one!

As compared with windy wet Thursday, Friday dawned blue and calm.  At the launch site, the water was clear and flat calm.  Pretty colors on this submerged rock.

 altho the weather forecast said that there would be waves and wind from the SW for those not in a protected area.  It certainly wasn't sporty as our Seal Cove-Hadley crew launched.

We had all agreed that the day would be a relaxed one, and the pace was consistent with that promise.  The water got a bit textured as we got out of the cove, but whatever wind there was was at our backs - part of the plan for the day.  Here's Dan against a typical MDI backdrop.

We eventually ended up over by Bartlett's Island, a Rockefeller family property.  I love this little white beach.

As I said, it wasn't a race, and after we crossed over back to the MDI side, we hugged the rocky coastline.  Peter commented he'd covered this route before, but had been in a hurry.  He'd stayed out far from shore, heading from point to point to make good time.  He expressed surprise at how lovely it was to be close to shore, close to the rocks.

Dan paused and asked for a photo of his orange boat against this rock with orange lichen atop.  It was a perfect match but this photo doesn't really do it justice.  Sorry, Dan.

We stopped for lunch at Indian Neck.  I had told all that we would know we were there when we saw the red Adirondack chairs that the Nature Conservancy, which owns the property, had placed there. Peter - in particular - thought I was making this up, but sure enough, in the distance, there were red Adirondack chairs on a rocky outcropping.  Don't know why I didn't take a picture, but I didn't.   We stopped for lunch close by.  Closer inspection revealed that the traditional very heavy wooden chairs had been replaced by plastic ones.  Heresy!  I was last there a year ago and can vouch that at that time, the chairs were as I remembered them.

We continued on, needing to get to the bridge that connects MDI with the mainland before the tide turned the current against us.  The last mile or so before the bridge saw the wind pick up, and we paddled along with rear quartering seas and a helpful wind.  Then we were at the bridge with plenty of time to spare.

Once under, Dan went ashore to call his wife, Jori, who was back at camp, to meet us to get the car shuttle going again.  The rest of us relaxed.  Peter particularly so...

We did the last few miles on flat calm waters.  This stretch looks and feels like a lake.  Someone - who shall remain nameless - managed to paddle right up onto a rock that was clearly sticking up out of the water.  Perhaps focus was diminishing a bit at this point?

We returned to Llangolan or the campground, showered, changed and headed back to Seal Cove to get the cars we'd left there in the morning.  It also provided an opportunity to go just a bit further south and have supper at Thurston's Lobster Pound in Bernard.  Third year of this particular tradition.  I can say that everyone was satisfied with: fish chowder, lobster, lobster rolls, and clam cakes.  The blueberry mojito wasn't bad, either!  Too busy eating and drinking to take photos.

 

On Sunday, after some confusion about launch time or after-paddle plans (some had thought of going for a hike) - everyone ended up launching from Seal Harbor for a paddle out to the Cranberries. One group elected to do a more mellow paddle, staying in the protection of the area between MDI and the north side of Sutton and Little Cranberry Islands.  The other group planned to go around the outside.

Again, it was a pretty much flat calm start to the day.  Here's Mike at green can number one.

OK, even calmer here...

And here, heading from Sutton to Great Cranberry.

I tried to get good photos on the outside of Great Cranberry, but pretty much failed.  There were wonderfully large, smooth swells.  We had to stay far off the south side of the island because of smooth dumping waves, but there were two groups of surfers out there.  Cool to watch them.  This is the only photo that turned out even marginally ok to show the swell size.

It was super fun going around the outside.  Barb Todd, who joined us for the day, provided some valuable local knowledge, telling/warning us to be respectful of the point around the east side of the island.  There were huge waves breaking on the shoals.  But from the outside, there were spots where to our left, it looked calm.  

Here's Sue.  Note that the sky was starting to look a wee-bit different.   The forecast had called for possibility of thunderstorms in the afternoon, and we certainly saw the clouds starting to pile up, their undersides turning darker.

Here's Barb - a classic shot with the mountains of MDI in the background, and those building clouds above.

And Gary...

Barb found us a good spot to get through the shoaly waves and into the protection of the area past Crow Island as we headed to Little Cranberry.

We stopped for lunch at Little Cranberry just as it started to rain.  This didn't discourage what appears to be a very impressive mosquito population on the island.

We contemplated a circumnav of Little Cranberry, but decided instead just to check out some of the high-priced real estate on the north side of the island, then do a crossing back to MDI via East Bunker Ledge, marked by a white triangular...bunker?....that appears to be many miles away, but is only about a mile distant.  But first, we had our relaxed paddle along Little Cranberry.  The rain had stopped but the clouds were still telling us that weather was a-changin'.

At one corner, there was a place for rockplay.  A few went through.

Directly opposite the marker of East Bunker Ledge, we banged a left and headed toward it.  Calm seas here, too.

Three B's - Beth, Barb, Buoy...

From Little Cranberry, we could see that there was rough water around the rocks of East Bunker Ledge.  I've made this crossing three or four times, and have never seen white water there.  As we got closer, we saw that it wasn't just confused water washing over rocks, but a clean line of building building then dumping (BOOM!) surf, in a long line off the ledge.  The chart tells the story.  It goes from 70 feet to no feet in no distance at all.

We all sat in protected water, utterly transfixed by this middle-of-the-ocean wave.  The ledges and marker are immediately to the left of where this wave is breaking.  We spent 15 minutes there, in awe of the beauty and power and sound of this one spot, where waves kept forming.

Then it was time to go - unfortunately.  The water to the west of the ledges was a bit lively.

And in no time, we were at the cliffs on which sits some of the most exclusive, old money real estate on the island.

As we made the last turn into Seal Harbor, we could see the front moving in from the north.

We all got boats out of the water and secured on cars, changed and loaded up before the skies opened as we drove back to Llangolan.  It was a pretty spectacular day on the water all in all.  One of the best.

That night, the potluck...

People seemed pretty happy to be there and eating...  Shari and Bill

and Beth

seemed particularly pleased.

After supper, it was time to make plans for Monday...

Winter Harbor, anyone?

Decision:  two pods, one from Bar Harbor to Winter Harbor, the other out to the Porcupines and Ironbound.

Unfortunately, I had to leave the next morning, so can't report on the day the others had.  But rumor has it that small, long period swells made for interesting and at times challenging conditions out at the Porcupines.  Hopefully, someone will post photos!

Thanks to all who participated, and especially our new club members.  Special thanks to Peter - whose brainchild this now annual event is; and to the Ladies in Cabin Six, to whose cabin all tend to flock, drawn by the warmth provided by Janice, Shari and Liz, the bustle and aromas of their gourmet cooking, and this year - by Liz's Absolutely Amazing Watermelon Mojitos!

I think I said it last year, but I'll say it again this one:  Folks should make a note on their calendars NOW for next year.  It's always the Friday after Labor Day Weekend, with some arriving one or two days early for other events and others staying longer because...who wouldn't want to?  Mount Desert Island?  Magic!

 

Prudence

[Jeff Charette]

Prudence, thank you for sharing another great trip report. I wish I could have been there. Maybe nest year. Looking forward to reading about your next adventure.

[gyork]

Link to trip route/stats:  https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/5cfccc42705b731d622e32a8fc7162ee/?layer=gaianoaarnc

Biggest swells that I have paddled, outside of Great Cranberry.

[EEL]

Although circumstances prevented my participation this year, you pictures and commentary certainly take some of the disappointment away.  That said, I was really looking forward to Ironbound this year and it hurts to have missed it.  It must have been wonderous to watch those swells hit East Bunker Ledge.  If anyone wants to know why they are called "boomers", that is the place to find out.  As you say, it is a most enjoyable weekend each year. 

 

Ed Lawson

[jmcotton]

As always, wonderful photos and reporting Pru. Thanks. The MDI retreat always provides great company, great paddling, great food and many options of paddling and non paddling things to do. Mark your calendars for next year!  

[rpg51]

Hey, wait a minute, isn't that my Aries?  (Pic#13).

Looks like a nice bunch and a great time.  I know for sure it is one of the special places on this good earth.