A couple of weeks ago, I briefly featured parts of this hike for the Daily Post theme “edge”. Mark and I chose to hike the very strenuous Precipice Trail on the last morning of our five-day vacation in Acadia National Park for two reasons: it promised to be a sunny day, so the views would be amazing (they were!) and we could rest up afterwards in the car on the long drive home (we did!). The trail was one of the toughest hikes we have ever done, but all the sweat and effort led to a fun climb and a reward of incredible views.
This almost vertical hike is not for the faint of heart. Metal rungs, big boulders, granite steps and metal bars to hold on to help you with the ascend. You walk along steep cliffs, staring into the abyss underneath, while a handrail attached to the rocks sometimes offers some physical security. For mental comfort, you are on your own. Mark, who has a fear of heights, contemplated for a while whether he would join me this way up Champlain Mountain. He is very glad he did, but admits there were two parts where he didn’t dare look down and scurried over the ledges as quickly as possible.
Returning the same way would be incredibly dangerous and – in my opinion – a tad foolish. Like most hikers, we took the slightly less steep trail back down the mountain.
This week’s Daily Post photo theme is “quest”. A hike like this is a perfect example of our quest for adventure, excitement, beautiful views, healthy exercise and expanding our horizons, especially when it comes to getting out of our comfort zone. Today’s Wordless Wednesday has more words than usual, but I hope you enjoyed the photos.
What does quest mean to you? Have you been on many quests lately?
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September 28, 2016 at 15:48
I remember thinking I probably wouldn’t like that trail – and now I’m sure! Very beautiful, but scary.
September 28, 2016 at 17:03
Actually, to me, the most annoying thing was that it was quite busy and I sometimes felt rushed moving on… Mark, on the other hand, was annoyed that I stopped so often to take photos. 🙂
September 28, 2016 at 18:00
I am also quite sure this would not be for me, especially on a busy day. I’d be crawling on my hands and knees and very annoyed and amazed at the un-afraid hikers, scampering like gazelles over me!
September 30, 2016 at 14:41
Or, you could just step aside on a bit of a wider ledge and let them go by… Exciting! 🙂
September 29, 2016 at 10:14
Yeah, I’m not sure I would do this hike. It would really push me out of my comfort zone when it comes to fear of heights and tumbling down to my death. 🙂
September 30, 2016 at 14:43
I know people have injured themselves on this hike before, not sure about fatal incidents. The good thing is that there are always spots to hold onto. Having two hands and two feet is a must, though!
October 4, 2016 at 15:45
Ah, those are beautiful pictures but I’ve learned something else. My BFF calls himself Acadia Einstein and he’s from Maine. I’m going to have to ask him about this!
October 5, 2016 at 09:20
Acadia Einstein!? How funny, Julie. Fill me in on his answer, please! 🙂
October 17, 2016 at 17:04
Those views were completely worth it. Stunning!
October 17, 2016 at 17:16
The reward was, indeed, worth the effort! 🙂
October 18, 2016 at 13:39
Thanks, Al. Having to work a bit for a certain outcome makes it more satisfying… whether it is a view or a piece of writing. 🙂
October 17, 2016 at 18:26
I don’t really have a fear of heights… it’s more a fear of falling. I’m impressed that your husband went way beyond his comfort zone. The views look spectacular!
October 18, 2016 at 13:29
I totally understand the fear of falling, especially when there are no guard rails! As long as Mark has something to hold on to and doesn’t look down, he seems to be OK. He was nervous about some parts of the trail, though. I do think he worked a bit on his fear for heights over the years. On our first sailboat, he didn’t dare climb the mast, so I had to go aloft, but on our catamaran Irie, he was OK with me hauling him up and him doing work on the mast.
October 17, 2016 at 23:55
Wow ~ gorgeous views ( and photos) from the top! You guys are awesome!
I have something different to “fear of heights” per se…it is more a fear of “sheer drops”…so I would have to miss the spectacular views. I think Mark is amazing for doing it though given his fear of heights. Impressive!
Peta
October 18, 2016 at 13:32
Yeah… Mark did not look down and went pretty fast over the spectacular areas, while I enjoyed taking photos and going slowly. Looking straight down a cliff does provoke a “lack of breath” feeling in me as well, but I find it exhilarating in a way… Mark does not agree! 🙂 I was proud of him to come up with me as well, since he initially contemplated taking another route up.
October 18, 2016 at 13:37
Peta, could you tell me what your website is again? I lost track of it in my browser/history… Thanks!
October 18, 2016 at 10:24
Looks like an amazing hike that I would love to tackle. Thanks for taking us on your adventure.
October 18, 2016 at 13:35
You would love it, Ingrid, and your camera would as well! 🙂 I have to say that Mark was totally annoyed with me after I kept stopping to take photos. Your man might have more patience…