9 October 2019, Wednesday

N must leave camp early this morning to drive to the Schoodic Institute on the Schoodic Peninsula. It’s not very far as the crow flies, but it takes almost an hour and a half to drive there. He has another work-related meeting to attend. As he and G have decided to return to Portland tonight rather than tomorrow morning, G. O and I remain in camp for a more relaxed breakfast followed by packing up tents and picnic shelter. O and I have decided to pack up as well and sleep in the van tonight as there is a chance of rain this evening. By the time breakfast and dishes are done, Wglwof is almost dry from the night’s dew, but O still needs to get the moisture and leaves off our picnic shelter. 

Once camp is taken down the three of us head over to Schoodic Point. By the time we arrive it is only about two hours until N plans to meet us. We spend our time enjoying the breeze and the sunshine on the granite slabs with their basalt intrusions. Waves throw themselves upon the angular edges of the sloping rock, and the rushing water continues beneath our feet, beneath the slabs, with a deep rumbling.

Soon N joins us. We drive a little further around the Schoodic loop road to the Blueberry Hill parking area. A short distance up the road from here is the trailhead for The Anvil. Shortly after beginning our hike we encounter a steep and rocky climb. O decides to allow his knees more time to recover and returns to Vincent. N, G and I proceed. The Anvil Trail is a beautiful hike with some steep rocky step-ups and stone stairs up cliffs, tempered by other other sections over soft pine needles. Near the top of the ridge are views of the ocean. We pass fluffy patches of the white lichen that O and I found at Terra Nova National Park in Newfoundland. I have seen it referred to as Bog Lichen, Reindeer Moss (or lichen,) and Caribou lichen. By any name it is striking. N, G, and I soon realize we are running out of time and daylight, and we are less than half way around our planned loop. We turn around and head back to Vincent. 

N and G have checked the Happy Cow app and found a restaurant in Ellsworth, Maine that gets rave reviews from the vegan community. As they will have to pass through Ellsworth on their way back to Portland, as will O and I on our way back to camp, it seems the perfect dinner stop.

We are soon in Ellsworth at Provender. On entering the restaurant we are immediately asked if anyone needs either a vegan or a gluten-free menu. This is a great place! There aren’t just one or two vegan options, but an entire vegan menu. The offerings look so tempting that O and I go vegan for the evening as well. While we await the arrival of our meals we admire the old, but lovingly kept 1930’s building with its well-crafted wood work. Each of our dinners is excellent and we enjoy a relaxing meal. After supper O and I bid farewell to N and G. We will see them tomorrow evening in Portland. Then we head back to Seawall Campground for this year’s last night of car camping.