Unique hike reveals setting moon, rising sun

This time of year I tend to look back on memorable hikes of the preceding three seasons. One hike in particular stands out, mainly because it was one of the most recent. It was in October, so many weeks ago now it should have slipped my mind, but the warm, October-like weather that we’re experiencing just makes it seem closer.

It went like this. Columbus Day weekend blessed us with three clear days and nights. So, when I called Scott Fisher of Ellsworth, my frequent hiking partner, for ideas, he suggested a moonlight hike. My thought was, “Great. Where?”

We settled on Cadillac Mountain, before sunrise. Then we could see the setting moon and the rising sun in one grand view. Just to make it a little longer hike, we decided to start on the east side of Dorr Mountain, so we could climb two summits.

At 4 a.m. we left the parking lot for the Tarn and the East Face trail network at the base of Dorr Mountain. There are several trailheads that converge either there or at Sieur de Monts Spring. We chose Kurt Diedrich’s Climb, a trail that was built in 1915 and appeared on maps the next year. At the beginning of the trail was a sign posted by the National Park Service. The sign stated that the Ladder Trail and Homan’s Path were closed due to earthquake damage. We would have to return the same way we went up.

We needed the headlamps while we were in the trees on the lower slopes. As bright as the full moon was, the shadows it cast were just as dark. The trail itself winds up the face on a dramatic course that has been paved with stone. The curbing work on the sides of the trail make this memorial path excellent to hike, if only because of the stonework. Then there are the views.

Across Route 3 the dome of Huguenot Head on Champlain Mountain’s sloping west face shined in the direct moonlight, revealing details of the sheer ledges. The moon cast its light on the path ahead of Scott and I, where the trail crosses the top of a cliff. We shut off the headlamps and, after a while, we got used to the change between light and shadow.

The trail passes through a cleft in a couple of enormous rocks and soon we were at the junction of the Ladder Trail. We turned away from it and toward the top, while the surroundings got brighter and clearer as we climbed over the open summit ledges. Once on the summit, we looked out at the lights of Cranberry Island. Offshore a cruise ship approached, all lit up and looking like a city on the water.

By this time we knew that we would be plenty early for the sunrise on Cadillac and the sky was already starting to get lighter. We dropped down into the sag between the two peaks, then soon were at the summit of Cadillac along with throngs of others who drove up the auto road.

The wind picked up, so we found a sheltered spot facing east and the faint glow of color on the horizon. Behind us shone the silver orb of the full moon. We waited for sunrise while snacking on breakfast bars and drinking hot cocoa. The cruise ship had slowed to a crawl. It seemed that no one wanted to miss this sunrise.

Gradually, more brilliant, but subtle, colors of the rising sun filled the horizon. Gold, pink, and red hues stretched farther across the cloudless line between the ocean and sky. Finally, the first glimpse of the sun brought a cheer to the crowd gathered behind us. Then, the sun quickly rose to reveal the light of the new day.

By the time Scott and I descended the way we came, the sun was casting long shadows. The light of the moon had been replaced. The route we came up looked entirely different under sunlight instead of moonlight. The sun shone bright pink, almost red, on the granite summit of Cadillac Mountain. The lights of Bar Harbor, shining the night before, were turning off under the light of the sun. The cruise ship had moved slowly to its mooring off the shore of the village. Soon, we had arrived back at the parking lot. It was 8:30 and a great start to another day.

Getting there: To find the trailhead for Kurt Diedrich’s Climb, take Maine Route 3 south from Bar Harbor, for about two miles. After passing Jackson Laboratory on the left and the entrance to Sieur de Monts on the right, the trailhead parking lot appears on the right.

The trail begins on the west side of the outlet to The Tarn. Total distance from there to Cadillac over Dorr Mountain is around two miles, one way. There are several possible loops, using different connecting trails.

Brad Viles is an avid hiker who has logged some 8,000 lifetime miles, including the Appalachian Trail. A trail maintainer for the Maine Appalachian Trail Club, he has climbed Mount Katahdin more than 85 times. He can be reached at sball1@ prexar. com