Acadia - Part 1
I decided to visit Acadia National Park in the last week that it was fully open, when the leaves were expected to be in full color, and before the bitter cold sweeps in. Armed with my travel books, photographic and camping gear, I started out from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania at around 6 AM and arrived when there was still enough light to cook dinner and set up camp. I relaxed for a few minutes by the light of my headlamp, looking over my Acadia guidebooks until the chill set in, before ducking into the hammock.
I awoke a bit late the next morning, maybe 6:30, stiff from the trip, and because I really didn't know exactly where I was going to go, I took my time planning the day over a couple of quick cups of coffee. It made sense to make the first day a scouting day, an then get some nice sunset shots in the evening. I had a decent breakfast and went on my way, with my free map in hand,
to the eastern side of Mount Desert Island. That's the side of the park where most of the attractions are such as the shoreline along the Park Loop Road (cliffs, “beaches” and Thunder Hole), Bar Harbor, Cadillac Mountain, Eagle Lake, The Tarn, Jordan Pond, most of the hiking trails and most publicized attractions, in the park.
What I didn't expect was how difficult a time I would have navigating around the island. Given that the Park Loop Rd is one way, if you miss a sign, or there is no parking where you planned to park, or you get a glimpse of something interesting but there’s no way to pull over, you have to figure out the quickest way back to the spot you missed, or decide to scout a different location. I found out quickly, that at least for the first day, ALL roads lead to Bar Harbor, and once you're there, it's a slow drive through the narrow streets and crowds of people, to get to where you think you want to go. It was a good place to test my patience!
So notwithstanding a few bouts of frustration, I finally hit my stride on the second full day. I'd had the opportunity to see both the east and the west sides of the big island, which are separated from each other by a body of water- suitable for marine navigation. By this time I’d found some ways to drive to places on the bi-directional back roads and shortcuts, and had already gotten some nice shots of the shoreline during the day, and some lakes during the colorful, subdued light of dusk and dawn. I was a happy photographer each night as I lay in my hammock, quickly drifting off into dreamland.
I was truly excited the entire trip and made it my goal to be on location, ready to shoot by 5:30 or earlier each morning and in the evening, at least 1.5 hours before sunset. This would ensure I could place my tripod wherever it would offer the best camera viewpoint. Even though I scouted on the previous day, the lighting conditions were deifferent, and i needed to take some time to find the perfect spots. It turned out to be a great policy, because some of the locations I was interested in photographing are favorites for crowds of photographers from all over the world. Also, some of these iconic spots are perfectly suited for expensive photo clinics consisting of 10 or 20 people, each hustling for a good vantage point.
A long view at Eagle Lake, on the western side of Mount Desert Island, taken just as the sun was hitting it’s stride…
When it mattered the most, I was literally the first person on location. The prime directive was to basically follow the sun to get the best shots of this heavenly place! What made that possible was travelling alone. Going solo gave me the ability to think logistically when it was needed, to set ambitious goals, and to change the plan if the situation called for it.
Wherever I went, I met friendly people- other photographers, and hikers and folks local to the area. People on vacation are almost always happy and helpful, and that makes them fun to spend time with. The folks I met in Maine were no exception, and every person I met who lived there was genuinely interesting, helpful and kind...