After a challenging climb up the rocky vertical mountainside of Mt. Pemetic, we were rewarded with a spectacular vista overlooking Somes Sound .... clear to the islands of Merchant Row. We walked the ridge picking blueberries and looking over to the peak of Mt. Cadillac, only 100 feet higher. Coming down stressed our knees and ankles, but was, of course, much faster. We were thrilled to wake up the next morning with no lingering effects of our venture to the top! Not bad for a couple of 70 year olds!

A shorter, flatter hike around Lake Hadlock followed the next day. Here, the walk was in the woods over a thick carpet of moss and pine needles. Loons and eagles all around. The granite outcroppings were awe-inspiring....made me wish I remembered more from my college geology class.

Northeast Harbor is common stopping place for cruisers in Downeast Maine, so it was no surprise that we had nightly Happy Hours with people we knew. A very special treat was to meet up by chance with three generations of VanAlstines on MBThree, a Pearson 36. We first met Peter Sr and Peter Jr way back in 1990 when we and they did the inaugural Caribbean 1500 from Norfolk VA to Virgin Gorda. Peter Jr and his family returned to the Caribbean for a year's cruise in 2009-2010. Now, it is very special to see Hannah about to leave for her first year of college and Hayden doing whatever he can as a high school junior to join the ranks of a Olympic skiers.

As always, the cruising community is a network of very special people.