[Journal entry for July 18-21, 2021, Monhegan Island (Maine) Trip]

July 18, 2021. Dallas and I left Harpswell, Maine in the early evening and drove north to New Harbor, Maine. We checked into the Gosnold Arms Inn, on Route 32, almost directly across the highway from the ferry wharf. We are staying in Oak 1, half of a duplex cabin set back in the woods from the main building of the Inn. The evening sky is overcast and the daylight is fading. I walk around area, enjoying views of the harbor and the sea from high points along the road. Then, I moved the car from the Inn to the ferry lot, which is about a quarter mile west along the highway, so that I would not have to deal with it in the morning.

July 19, 2021. After a buffet breakfast at the Gosnold Arms, we met Kathy Abbott and Albert Li, Gigi Estes and Harold Weeks at the ferry wharf. Robert Porter is also part of our group, but is taking a later ferry. We found seats on the top, open deck of the boat, so as to get a good view of the sea and the minimize the Covid danger. The ten-mile trip takes about an hour. Our eyes scanned the sea, picking out wildlife, including marine mammals such as porpoise and seal and birds such as Atlantic Puffin, Common Murre, Shearwater, sandpipers, gulls and terns. About at the halfway point, we could begin to make out the dim outline of Monhegan Island through the haze – and especially the lighthouse and communications tower on its highest ground. The ferry navigated into a straight between Mohegan Island and Monana Island, and into a small harbor with a wharf nested between them.

We retrieved our luggage and walked into Monhegan village, which consists of several large wood frame hotels, including Island Inn and Monhegan House, and many smaller hotels, restaurants, stores, and private residences, all clustered in the southwest corner of the island, in the general vicinity of the harbor. Main Street runs north-south through the northern part of the village, and is more-or-less continuous with Lobster Cove Road in the southern part. A few short side streets branch off of these main streets. Most of the buildings are surrounded by well-tended gardens, full of colorful flowers. We checked into the Trailing Yew, a hotel and restaurant on Lobster Cove Road. It consists of central restaurant building with a few surrounding residential buildings. Dallas and are staying in Seagull 5.

A group of us, including, Albert, Dallas, Gigi, Harold, Kathy, and I went for a walk, taking Lobster Cove Road south to Lobster Cove, a rocky beach on the southern end of the island that commands a good view of the sea. We inspected the wreck of the tug boat D.T. Sheridan, lost on November 5, 1948. Rusting fragments of its iron hull are strewn about the rocks. Harold and Albert lingered at the cove. Gigi and I decided to walk the loop trail – Trail 1 – around the island. Dallas and Kathy accompanied us for a while, returning to the village via Trail 3, one of many trails that cut east-west through the woods in the center of the island. The trail is beautiful but the going is tough, with many successive ascents and descents as the trail climbs up onto headlands and then sinks down into valleys. Sometimes, the trail hugs the cliff-edge, offering spectacular views of towering cliffs above breaking waves, but requiring a lot of scrambling over rocks. Sometimes it winds through low forest and wildflower-strewn meadow, but requires dodging many a mudpuddle. We had lunch at Black Head, near the northeast corner of the island, eating salami and graham crackers that I had brought in my backpack. The ground became flatter once we passed the headland called Pulpit and the trail turned westward. We had some nice views of Seal Ledge, in the sea to the north of the island. The last leg of our loop was first through woods and then through the village, via Main Street.

After dropping off my gear at the Trailing Yew, I had a couple slides of pizza at the Novelty.

Later we bought take-out dinners and at them on the porch of Sea Gull. Robert Porter joining us, having taken the ferry over in the afternoon.

After dinner, Kathy Abbott and I walked to the north end of Main Street, and then up to the lighthouse. A concert was in progress on its lawn.

July 20, 2021. We ate breakfast on the Seagull porch. I had an egg sandwich and coffee. I walked down to the beach and spoke with Tristan, who rents kayaks on the bay, reserving a tandem for Dallas and me for a little after lunchtime.

I then systematically hiked several of the east-west trails. I first took Trail 3 to the east side of the island, Trail 1 north to Burnt Head, and Trail 4 back to the village. These trails traverse the central, wooded part of the island. I spotted a Pheasant while on Trail 4. I then did another traverse, via Trails 6 and 12. I finished just in time to meet Dallas for kayaking.

We rented a Wilderness Systems Pamlico 135T tandem kayak and paddled it in a loop around the harbor, crossing over to the Monano Island side and following its steep shore, while ducks dodged out of out way. We passed the island’s sole house, the residence of Daniel Bates, one of Dallas’ high school classmates. We then paddled north out of the harbor, past Smutty Nose ledge, to a far north as High Duck ledge. The sea was very calm, and the view of the island beautiful. We stayed out for about an hour, and then returned to the beach.

After changing in dry clothes, I had pizza again at the Novelty, chatting with Albert, who was also having lunch there.

I then continued walking the east-west trails on the island, completing to more traverses, 7 and 11, and 10 and 17. The latter route took me over the Pulpit once again, where I had some nice views of the sea. I also paused to view the rock of the cliffs, which are a gabbro that is cut by numerous basalt dikes and felsic dikes. I found one spot where a felsic dike cut a basalt dike, indicating that the felsic diking was the younger event. The surface of the ledges has been sculpted by Ice Age glaciers. Many rock surfaces have striae. I one spot, I found a glacial furrow a couple of feet deep. The woods along the cross trails are lush and damp and are full of mushrooms and wildflowers, including Steeplebush and Bunchberry.

Once again, we had dinner on the porch of Seagull. Although the day had been mostly overcast, the sun shone during dinner. I was glad of it warmth, for the day’s activities had left me tired and chilled.

July 21, 2021. It’s a beautiful sunny morning. We had breakfast on the back porch of Seagull, again, me having an egg sandwich, sausage and coffee. After packing up and checking out, Dallas and I walked Trail 4 to Burnt Head. We spotted a Pheasant with a chick near the cliff edge.

We then wandered down to the ferry wharf. We waited a rather long time for the boat to arrive, so I ordered a latte from the Barnacle, a wharf-side coffeehouse. Later, it was later that the boat had been delayed by heavy fog near the mainland. As we boarded the ferry, we sighted two of our Lamont colleagues on the shore, Mary Ann and Hannes Brueckner. We wave to one another as our ferry departed. Small world!

Once again, we sat on the top, open deck of the boat, viewing wildlife. I sighted several groups of porpoises and numerous sea birds.

On the way back to Harpswell, Dallas and I stopped at Sprague's Lobster, on Main Street in Wiscasset, Maine for lobster rolls. The afternoon had turned vert hot, especially compared to the cool sea air of Monhegan Island.