Jordan Cliffs Trail (ANP)
It has been far too long since my last entry. No new science talks to report on. No word yet on the two submissions I have in to publishers or editors. No brilliant insights into the world of writing and publishing. I've been keeping up with my favorite writing/publishing podcasts (Writing Excuses, AISFP, I Should Be Writing, and Get Published) and added a few more to the cue (Flagship and The Appendix).
On the writing front, I'm nearing the last chapter of my M/M romantic erotica novella. It's the first story that I've written in a long while that has not a single paranormal element in it. Without the world coming to the end or some evil villain to vanquish, my characters have had to focus on their inner turmoil and the conflict between their feelings for each other and how being an out couple would affect their lives.
It is taking me forever to finish reading Jasper Kent's Twleve. This is probably a symptom of my normally desk-bound body wanting to be outside during this brief period between mud season and winter.
That update aside, I thought I'd share my morning hike with whomever might glance at this entry. Every weekend I try to pick a different trail in Acadia National Park (ANP) to hike. My goal is to get in good enough shape this summer to hike Katahdin in Baxter State park. Growing up on a farm in rural Quebec, I was spoiled with hundreds of acres to explore that stretched from lakeside to mountain side, from rolling fields to mixed wood forests. Now I have ANP as my playground.
Last year, I declined to go on a search because I was unsure about my hiking abilities. I was told the trail would be equivalent to the Jordan Cliffs Trail, which I hadn't hiked at the time. In search and rescue (SAR), it's important to know your limits and I wasn't sure I could be of use after a day on such terrain.
Flash forward to this week. It rained for most of the week. When the sun finally broke through the clouds on Thursday, I was itching to get outside. By Friday, I was having a hard time sitting down at my desk to concentrate on work. I decided I needed a challenge. I remembered the missed opportunity last year and decided it was time to tackle the Jordan Cliffs trail.
By nature, I am a cautious hiker. I've done the Beehive and Precipice, but I am always a little tentative when it comes to difficult trails that I haven't explored before. I knew this was going to be a challenge and I knew the misty morning would produce some slippery conditions. But after a week indoors at a desk, I was looking forward to getting out.
My starting point was the Bubble Rock parking lot. Like I said earlier, I'm working my way up to Katahdin so I added some mileage by parking pretty far from the trail head. My planned route was along the east side of Jordan pond, up the Spring trail to the Jordan Cliffs, back along the west side of Jordan pond, and finally up the east side of Jordan pond back to the car. Total mileage was 7.1 miles with a 920 feet elevation gain accomplished in 3.5 hours.
[image error]Maybe it was a good thing the fog stayed thick throughout my hike. The warning signs at either end of the Jordan Cliffs Trail is well warranted. There was plenty of exposed rock ledges, cliff scrambles, and iron rungs to scale. I have no idea how far down the drop was, but the tops of the trees were lost in the fog. 
I made my way along the trail taking my time and being careful of my footing. There were a few spots that were pretty dicey. About half way through the trail, there is a log bridge far above the ground that I wouldn't have wanted to fall from. There were many times I was either on hands and knees or scooting down rock faces on my butt. One part gave me enough trouble that I had to stop and figure out how to proceed. Just before the highest point of the trail there is a rocky crevasse to scale. The drop below extended into the fog. I don't even want to guess at the distance. With short legs, large steps are harder to navigate. And this was no place I cared to make a mistake. After three aborted attempts and finding a loose rock that wouldn't support my weight, I finally found a way to clamber over the rocks and up to the rung ladders.
My favorite part of hiking/climbing is also the scariest for me. I love the tactile feel of having to use my entire body to push/pull/clamber/spring/jump/scale. It's the narrow margin for errors that kicks in my anxiety. One misstep or bad judgement or bad luck could easily hand anyone in need of SAR assistance.
It turned out to be a great hike. Only about an hour of it was really strenuous. The rest of the hike was rather leisurely. This is one of those trails you want to do the right way (start at the south end). I'm glad to have met my self-imposed challenge. Unfortunately, I did not get to see the spectacular views I know where buried beneath the fog. Now I can lounge around my place, do my chores, and get some writing done... and baking something sweet.
