We awoke fairly early this morning, which turned out to be in our favor. After breakfast we loaded the bikes onto the roof rack and drove a short way to one of the park carriage road parking areas on the shore of Eagle Lake. First we rode the 6-mile loop around Witch Hole Pond, then another six miles around Eagle Lake itself. Along the way we saw some of the lesser-known, albeit beautiful, lakes and ponds in the clear morning sunlight. The leaves were just starting to change so their foliage reflected off the sparkling bodies of water very prettily. Before today my main memories of the carriage roads had been centered around thoughts of punishing hills that seem to go on forever - and this new visit was no exception. Generally we rode on fairly flat terrain today but there was one particular hill to the west of Eagle Lake that nearly defeated me. That being said, for every tough hill there is the reward of a thrilling no-brakes descent back down.
Good morning!
Breakneck Ponds
Duck Brook Bridge, completed in 1929
After a short return to the campground we loaded our packs with water and snacks and set out for the Cadillac Mountain South Ridge Trail. Our trail semi-started at the campground, which took us through about a mile of dense and mossy woodland, roots, and stones. When we emerged onto Rt. 3 there were many cars parked along the road for the official trail start. From there we steadily climbed through less lush woods until the trail came to a crossroad. We headed to the right for the Eagle's Crag loop which passes through a few treeless areas to give the hiker some early views of Otter Cove below. The loop ended and we rejoined the South Ridge Trail. We quickly ascended to an elevation where the trees became sparse. For the next mile we emerged from the tree line on a false summit of about 1060 feet. From here the views all around were fantastic. Sadly, the trail descended back into a small valley with a reed-filled pond called The Feather Bed (980 feet). Then we completed the summit over the course of 1.2 miles and finished at the 1530-foot marker. Unfortunately, the last bit of trail goes through the large and busy parking lot on top of the mountain. This is the very one from which we watched an amazing sunset in 2011. I felt more than a little smug this time, standing amid the throngs of vehicular visitors with my backpack and sweaty face.
We spent a little time eating a snack and then began the long walk back down the mountain. By this time it was 3 pm and the wind speeds were increasing. My ears were thoroughly windswept by the time we were below the tree line. Our feet were very tired for the final mile of hiking and I practically threw myself down onto the picnic table. Total hiking time: Five hours. It's not every day that we bike 12 miles and then go on a 9-mile hike!
For dinner we went into town and had some mediocre food at one of the more tourist trap spots. The beer was fantastic! We went over to our favorite ice cream place where Hans had some cranberry and cherry sorbet and I had banana black strap ice cream. Yum.
After a fire and some s'mores back at the campsite it was time for bed.
Happy trails
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