Acadia National Park

Halfway through a week in Acadia National Park, Maine.  It is absolutely breathtaking everywhere, I'm not sure I'll be leaving...ever.

It's raining now so I took the time to edit some of my favorites so far.  There's many more to edit and more to shoot!

Enjoy

Beaver house and Heron rookery

I set out yesterday morning with the ultimate goal being to find some nesting Great Blue Herons.  My father-in-law gave me the general location so I figured I could find it.  I took the long way and stopped to hike around some gameland trails.  I used only my new 50mm which my polarizer and all my neutral density filters fit happily upon, it was great to get back into some daytime long exposures.   I let the wind ripple the waters around the beaver house while I stretched my exposures to 60+ sec.  The whole time I was scolded loudly by a flock of Canada Geese, not a fan of the annoying honkers.

Spring is technically here but there was very little signs walking through the woods.  I do love bright flowers and green leaves there's something so appealing about last years weeds and other annual growth after being ravaged by winter.

I did finally find the Heron rookery but only after driving past it at 70mph on the freeway.  I doubled back and snapped approx 400 shots (gotta love digital). There has to be at least 25 nests in the tall sycamore trees above a waterway populated by, you guessed it, a flock of Canada Geese that also were very aware of my presence and not too comfortable with it.  The nesting trees are situated perfectly in a ravine next to a bridge on the freeway.  You can position yourself directly across from them and shoot on the same plane.  It pushed my budget Sigma 300mm to it's limits but it performed satisfactorily.  I'll go back in May to try to capture some little fuzzy heads popping out of those nests.

Early Spring Hike

I spent a couple hours hiking around the woods "near" the Trolley Line Trail (I never seem to stay on trails).
The skunk cabbage is blooming, one of the first definite signs of Spring.  I'm fascinated by these little blossoms, they maintain a balmy 72 degrees inside and on chilly spring days if you peek in you'll find honeybees taking refuge.

I trudged happily through boggy marshes in my (formerly) shiny new hiking boots and tried to get lost, I found a tiny waterfall and giant tree fungi (whom pleasantly allowed my to pose with them).

grip

Pining for spring

Despite what some large mystical rodent may have divined it's still very much wintertime in NW Pennsylvania.  March is quite a schizophrenic month, it melts then freezes then rains then freezes and snows over the ice then rains over the snow.  Everything is white then brown then brownish white then brown again then greenish brown then finally Spring truly arrives.  I love spring.

Here's some shots from this week.

And don't forget to text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10  to Japan relief.   It's a great way to help such a huge need, and it doesn't get any easier.

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I took a stroll down an old closed road in the woods that goes straight into a lake.  (you can see the "road" at the right side of the lake, drag the map to the left)

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 This time of year the water is very low so there's less of a lake and more of a mud pit at the end.  Nonetheless some interesting photo-ops and shoes that will likely end up in the garbage.

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I started the day hitting Neshannock Falls, neslted outside Volant, PA.

Then on to Hell's Hollow trail which is the southern end of McConnell's Mill State Park following the smaller Hell's Run on it's way to meet Slippery Rock Creek.  The weather wasn't as kind today with full sun creating harsh shadows but I did my best.  The hike was quiet and beautiful.  It was easy going until I continued past the "main attraction", Hell's Hollow Falls, off-trail where the rough terrain yielded much more appealing scenes further down Hell's Run. 

Quite appropriate for a place called Hell's Hollow.

5 frame panorama

more acorns

lime kiln

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...and I followed this home.