Bar Horbor Maine!!

Dear Hannah.

So… Where was I???  Oh yes…

So I rolled out of Horseheads NY in a timely manner, around 0800 or so.  Looking at the map, It’s tough to get across the New England states without using a toll road.  We don’t have toll roads in Arizona!  If someone tried to charge me $3 to get on the highway I’d just drive in the ditch for a few miles then pop back up on the road.  OK so the toll roads are kinda nice!  The rest areas are their own little towns with gas and food and the whole shooting match!  I was a little disappointed when I found out the toilet seats aren’t heated or plush like the guy at the toll booth told me, but whatever.  Basically I used the turnpikes from Ohio to Maine and It cost around $25 total and maybe 2-3 hours… Maybe.

I’m in Arcadia National Park now… Which is in Maine so it’s like I actually made it:)  I love and hate the park I must say.  It’s so beautiful, but so crowded.  I got up early to hike Cadillac Mountain.  I was at the trial head 30 minutes before sunrise and still was only able to score parking in overflow!  Great Hike up the north ridge to the summit (4ish miles)… which also has a parking lot:(

The hike is an out and back and I was back at the car in 1:45 which is pretty good for an old fat guy and will check the box that says “work out” on my to-do list.  Here’s what struck me.  So as I’m getting ready to leave the trailhead two busses pull up and drop of a ton of people who are either older, fatter or both, than I am to do the hike I just did!  Seriously I think they need a screening process before they take people’s money cuz some of those folks looked to be just this side of a walker or wheelchair.  I hope they enjoy the views:)

Now it’s about 0830 and I’m headed over to hike one of the coastal trails.  I had mentioned this of a fellow hiker who cryptically said “I hope you can find parking… He wasn’t kidding!  It’s not that this park lacks parking, there are just so many people here.

And now for a rant…  This is what Edward Abby warned us about, and I’m a guilty as everyone else.  National parks aren’t set up to interact with the tourists.  Yes there are attractions and conveniently placed pullouts to see the pretty sights.  There are bathrooms and gift shops and rangers and all the things we have come to expect.  Those aren’t interactions those are amenities.  There are plenty of hiking trails and yes there are plenty of people hiking on them, but a very small percentage of the total of actual visitors actually get out do it.  Nope, this isn’t a park, it’s a zoo for trees and plants and wonderful wild things, and these things are generally kept at a safe distance from the tourists.  I don’t think people get that.

So I finally found a parking spot at a trail head for a connector trail, jumped out of the truck and promptly twisted my ankle on a slippery rock (insert angry emoji face thing here).  Well I got down to the ocean so I could say I touched the atlantic and headed back to the Spam Can.  No fancy tarp or sexy set-up this time so I won’t post a picture.  I’ll just sit here and Ice my ankle and see if I need to make reservations at my next stop Baxter State Park:)