The Bubbles



The Bubbles, Acadia National Park, Maine (5/11/2009)

This is hike #15 ("The Bubbles/Eagle Lake Loop") in "Chapter 2: Down East" of the book Foghorn Outdoors' Maine Hiking (First Edition). This was the third of nine hikes we did in Maine the week of May 10.

This morning we climbed the South and North Bubbles (which should obviously be pronounced BOOB-uhls). Yesterday we saw them from the shore of Jordan pond and then looked down on them from the ridge of Pemetic Mountain. Today we climbed to the peak of the South Bubble, then the North Bubble and then hiked to Connors Nubble (we had bubbles and nubbles coming out of our ears), where we had lunch. Finally we descended to Eagle Lake and skirted its the amazingly rocky shore for at least a mile of boulder-hopping before making it back to our car.

This was a long hike. The aforementioned book cited a 2-hour duration but we took about twice as long for frequent photo stops, lunch and the basic "let's enjoy this beautiful park instead of trying to prove how wonderful we are by running through it in two hours".

(Click on the thumbnail to bring up a bigger image in a pop-up window)


Ascent from the Bubbles parking lot




Steps help the ascent to South Bubble

Jordan Pond from part-way up


Penobscot Mountain

 

Bubble Rock

Almost successful! [photo by Laura]

It's a huge glacial erratic ...

... hanging over Park Loop Road
 



View of Eagle Lake to the north


 


Great view of Jordan Pond

Sign warns of rock climbers

South Bubble peak (North Bubble in rear)

 


Laura against the North Bubble

Birchy ascent to North Bubble


 


More great views ...

... of Jordan Pond


 



Peak of North Bubble


View northwest
 


Dan & Eagle Lake [photo by Laura]

Photo stop

Dan in distance [photo by Laura]

 


Above Eagle Lake


[photo by Laura]

 


Cairns abound in Acadia


Beautiful rock lichen

Gorgeous tree lichen
 


Close-up of tree lichen

Climbing to Connors Nubble


Break time at Connors Nubble ...
 


... our lunch spot

Timer self-portrait


[photo by Laura]
 




More lovely ....

... lichen
 


Needle carpet at Eagle Lake bank

Eagle Lake

Fisherman

The very rocky bank
 




Breather [photo by Laura]

More views of ...
 


... Eagle Lake



 



Boardwalk through marshy section


 

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