61st Birthday Mountain Climb!

"It's the #3 bus. No wait, it's the #4 bus." We're trying to figure out how to get to the trail head to climb Acadia National Park's Cadillac Mountain. Yep, that's right, we're climbing a mountain on my 61st birthday. The North Ridge Trail is listed as a "moderate" hike and is 4.4 miles round trip. Did you know that Cadillac Mountain, at 1532 feet high, is the first place to view sunrise in the United States from October 7 through March 6? True! We get the right bus, are dropped off at the trail head, and start our climb. I'm huffing and puffing but feeling good. It's an overcast day, but the views are still amazing. We go up and up and up—rocks, forest trails, more rocks, across huge slabs of pink granite, the trail winding along the mountain ridge. I even make it up "the 100 steps," which are rocks that look like a stairway up the side of the mountain. Each time we take a break to catch our breath, the views take our breath away! It is so beautiful. Two and a half hours later, we're at the top. Wow! What gorgeous views! My knees are aching and my Achilles tendon is hurting. But not enough to stop me. We rest for a while—applying ice judiciously. It's starting to look like rain. So we decide to get going on our trek down the mountain. There is a wonderful breeze and every once in a while a spit of rain. We make it back down in about an hour and a half. We're at the bottom of the trail—one more big rock to cross. My husband says he thinks he hears the bus coming—I tell him, "go on ahead and hold the bus; I'll be fine." No sooner are the words out of my mouth than my feet go out from under me and I go smack down on the rock. Fortunately, I have enough padding to keep from hurting myself. LOL. After his first initial reaction, "are you okay," my husband bursts out laughing—"yep, you'll be fine, alright." I gather my dignity and finish the hike—woohoo, 61 and still climbing.

Boom boom boom ~suzy

P.S. Sandrajo made this graphic—how fun! Thanks, Sandrajo!