The day began very humid and cloudy, with a threat of rain in the air and on the radar, but weather conditions along the coast are very changeable and unpredictable. It was worth trying to hike regardless, because it was warm and I planned to stay on mostly level ground. At least, I wouldn’t attempt anything like the crazy climbs and descents of the Black and White path.

As always, first we had breakfast. Neither of us was very hungry, so I just walked down to Mount Dessert Bakery to pick up a few treats. I was third in line, and they had exactly what we wanted: croissant, pecan sticky bun, and blueberry hand pies for later in the day. We ate on the porch as usual, and discussed where we might like to explore.

Turns out I went back to the same area today, exploring near Beaver Dam Pond again, just to see what else I could find—might as well explore thoroughly while I can!

I entered the woods at the same hidden “trailhead” I used yesterday, thinking I might find a connection between it and the bicycle path. I didn’t find anything distinct, just a few faint trails, but it’s open woods and only about 100 feet between the paths, so a connector isn’t necessary. I just worked my way over to the bicycle path and continued on my way north, around the Beaver Dam Pond toward the Park Loop Road.

I didn’t see too much along the way, but it was still a lovely day for a hike in spite of the soggy conditions. Hiking an abandoned trail in the rain pretty much guarantees you won’t see anyone else! And I didn’t, at least not until a bit later.

I wanted to take another old set of steps (which were once part of the Black and Blue Trail) from the bicycle path up to the Champlain North Ridge trail, and hike a bit of the North Ridge Trail just to see what conditions were like on the higher ledges. I figured it would be foggy, but I still thought I might be able to catch a bit of a view. So I climbed up, and on the ascent it was actually pretty dry. It wasn’t raining at the time, and the rocky slopes were mostly dry so I felt safe enough climbing for a while.

It was nice to get some exercise on a steep trail, and I haven’t hiked this one in a while so I enjoyed being reminded of its twists and turns. But as I climbed higher, it began to mist again, and the mist soon turned to rain. Two young women passed me, going down, warning me that the terrain ahead was very slippery and there were no views. I didn’t plan on going all the way to the summit anyway (I was about half a mile away) and this seemed like a good point to turn around.

I stepped my way slowly down the slabs and didn’t have any problems, but the rock ledges were becoming wetter, so treacherous conditions would be materializing soon. I took the Black and Blue steps back to the bicycle path and followed the bicycle path out to the Park Loop Road, where I crossed over to the north side to look for Dorr’s granite quarry.

Interesting thing is that the quarry is right there, butting up against the road, although you wouldn’t know it because it’s simply not visible over the high bank. Unfortunately it began to rain more heavily when I was there, and I preferred to explore the quarry with Rich anyway, so after taking a few quick photos I turned around and headed back on the bicycle path.

I was soaked by the time I returned to Bear Brook picnic area … but still excited by the walk and the discoveries I’ve made in this area. I can’t wait to share them with Rich!

We spent the rest of the afternoon researching and reading in our room before heading to dinner at a new French restaurant in town: Brasserie Le Brun. (“Is the ‘Brown’s’ doormat that inspired the name?” Rich wants to know.)

It is apparently owned by the same people as Havana, and it provided another excellent dining experience. Inside a former spa, the restaurant features beautiful high ceilings and blue walls with white trim, and has a breezy modern feel. Quietly playing in the background were various types of French-language music (everything from some sort of French rock/rap to Les Champs-Élysées).

And the food was amazing! We shared everything we ordered, so we each had a taste of a few different things. We started with cocktails: French martini (vodka and pineapple) for Rich and a “sage advice” for me (gin & tonic with sage and blueberries). Then starters were the French onion soup and a root vegetable tarte tatin, both of which were amazing.

The entrees we chose were large, tender scallops with toasted farro, and steak frites. The steak was tender and beefy with a light butter sauce, and the fries were served with a delicious vinegar sauce (and ketchup, of course).

We barely had room for dessert but wanted to try the butterscotch crème brûlée with toasted hazelnuts, which was so creamy and delicious. It would have gone so well with coffee, but we didn’t have room for another bite or sip of anything.