Still time for great hikes Bigelow, Acadia trips offer variety

Summer’s slipping away from me. It seems like only last week that I was swatting black flies or wearing a head net to keep off the mosquitoes. Of course, that didn’t happen last week, but in May and June. Now that the flies of spring and early summer have lessened, the season is approaching what many hikers view as the best time of the year to hit the trail.

The days are bright and cool, the bugs are practically gone and it seems like there’s always a fresh breeze. Even the crowds on the trails clear out with the start of school. But summer doesn’t end on Labor Day. There are still three weeks until autumnal equinox, leaving plenty of time for late-summer hikes.

With those thoughts in mind, here are three hikes that are great for this time of year:

. Jordan Pond Trail, Acadia National Park: an easy lakeshore walk on a graded path;

. The Precipice Trail, Acadia National Park: a moderately difficult historic path and;

. Bigelow Mountain, Bigelow Preserve: a medium mileage, mountain hike to a 4,000-foot-high peak.

Jordan Pond Trail

This hike starts at the Jordan Pond House in the middle of the park. It’s an easy hike along a mostly graded path that winds along within a few feet of the shore of Jordan Pond. The hike is about 3 miles round trip and has outstanding views of North and South Bubble mountains at the north end of the pond on the way out.

If you hike around the pond counterclockwise, by following the east shore first, Penobscot Mountain rises above the opposite shore. Once at the other end of the pond, you cross a rustic wooden footbridge. Heading back along the western shore, Pemetic Mountain is in the view on the eastern side. This is a perfect summer hike for families with children because of its level grade and the proximity of the trail to the pond only a few steps away.

To get to the trailhead: The easiest way to the trail parking lot is to get on the Park Loop Road in the village of Hull’s Cove. From that entrance to the park, it’s about six miles to Jordan Pond and the trailhead parking area. Look for a sign for hiker parking on the right.

The Precipice Trail

This is a moderately difficult hike, made so mostly because of a section of boulder scrambling and the occurrence of vertical cliffs that are ascended by climbing iron ladders and rungs pounded into the rock face. There are exposed sections on this trail, which was one of the first trails in the park. If you are not used to exposed heights and climbing ladders, avoid this trail.

If, however, those things don’t deter you, the views are among the best on the island from the 1,052-foot-high summit of Champlain Mountain, where the Precipice Trail ends. If you look west, the tops of Dorr Mountain and Cadillac Mountain rise into the summer sky. Looking northeast you can view Bar Harbor and the Porcupine Islands.

This trail has just been reopened due to the peregrine falcons ending their nesting season and the repairs that have been done to the trail since the earthquake of October 2006. Some repairs remain to be done to the East Face Trail before you can hike that loop back to the parking area. You’ll need to take an alternate trail, either the Bear Brook Trail or the lower half of the East Face Trail. Then it’s a short road walk on the Park Loop Road of a mile or so back to The Precipice parking area. The entire mileage for this hike is around 31/2-4 miles.

To get to the trailhead: From the Hull’s Cove entrance to the park, drive a little more than three miles to an intersection with a sign that points left and reads Park Loop Road, Begin One Way Road. Turn a sharp left. From there it’s about five miles to the Precipice parking area.

Bigelow Mountain

This is a pretty good-sized mountain at more than 4,000 feet high at Avery Peak, one of four summits on the mountain. There are several possible loops and directions to take. The most direct route is the Firewarden’s Trail to Bigelow Col, a saddle between West Peak, elevation 4,150, and Avery Peak, elevation 4,088. The trail is gradual for the first 1.6 miles or so, then becomes increasingly steeper.

Finally, the trail ascends 1,700 feet in the last 11/2 miles. The trail then joins the Appalachian Trail in the col. From there it’s only a half-mile to Avery Peak to the northeast and a half-mile to West Peak to the west.

The thing that makes this trail so perfect for late summer is the views. On a clear day with little haze, it’s possible to see from Mount Washington in New Hampshire to Mount Katahdin. Even on a hazy day, you have great views of Flagstaff Lake, Sugarloaf Mountain, Mount Abraham and others.

To return to your car, take the same trail back or one of the other possible loops. This moderate to strenuous hike is around 10 miles, with several possible longer loops.

To get to the trailhead: About 31/2 miles north on Maine Route 27 from the entrance to Sugarloaf ski area, look for a dirt road on the right, Stratton Brook Road. From there it’s about a 11/2 miles to the trailhead parking with a signboard where maps may be available.

There you have it, three hikes to finish off the season. These descriptions are, of course, no substitute for a good map or guidebook. Maps can be picked up at the visitor’s center in Hull’s Cove for the Acadia trails and usually the map box is filled regularly at Bigelow Preserve trailhead. If not, you can find maps or guides of Bigelow and other hiking trails at most hiking equipment shops.

bradviles@gwi.net