Click to ENLARGE. A typical section of the trail. Some bits are worse.
Click to ENLARGE. From ‘Google Maps’. Park is circled — near top.
Click to ENLARGE & read here. Click here to access the ‘DCC’ original & brochure.
The tides in the ‘Lubec‘, Maine (i.e., ‘Bold Coast‘) area are legendary for their ‘reach/height’ (i.e., up to 24′) & their astounding power. ‘Cosbook‘, the name of the bay to the north, is from the Native Indian for ‘roiling waters‘ — that being what the tides do to the water.
At ‘Reversing Falls‘ you get to see the awesome & MESMERIZING power of these tides. When the tide is coming in it is as if ‘Niagara Falls’ has been laid out horizontally. The noise. The swirling. The roiling. The sheer power. It is indeed a sight to behold.
I was lucky enough to visit this park last Thursday. I got there 2 hours ahead of full tide. So, I got to experience the rushing in process. WOW. I stayed till after high tide. As I expected the waters stopped. That too was something to see. The noise slackened & then went deadly quiet. It was magical. I couldn’t stay too much longer. I had to (alas) head back home. But, I stayed long enough to see the tide reverse.
Rest assured I will be going back again.
The park is south of Pembroke. You can read the directions if you ENLARGE the 3rd image. It is not well signposted but it isn’t too hard to find.
If you are up that way make sure to visit. You will not regret it.
Click to ENLARGE. A typical section of the trail. Some bits are worse.
Click to ENLARGE. Details of hike per my ‘Garmin‘ smartwatch. Click to ENLARGE. GPS track of the hike per my ‘Garmin‘ smartwatch. Click to ENLARGE. The back of my Google Pixel 5 with its fluorescent green label.
What are the chances of finding a phone that you accidently lost, during a fall — on your own, at dusk, on a gnarly wooded trail?
Well I did. Much to my amazement, against odds stacked against I. I am areligious. But, I kind of attribute this to a huge backlog of good karma. (SMILE) I still can’t believe I found it. But, I did.
Here is the story …. THE MIRACLE at ‘Cutler Coast’, Maine.
It was last Sunday, October 3, 2021. I was on my way to Lubec for a 4-night trip to my beloved ‘Bold Coast‘. I had left home, in New Hampshire, at 7:20am, & was slowly meandering my way up. It was close to 3.30pm when I got to ‘Cutler Coast‘. I was going to do a quick amble to the coast, along the ‘Coastal Trail’, get some pictures & head back. As the 2nd & 3rd photos testify I indeed managed to do that. I made good progress.
On the way back, not that far from the coast, one of my feet got caught on an exposed, raised tree root & I fell. Not too badly. No harm, no pain. I was wearing a hooded sweatshirt. Since it was already getting dark I had my sunglasses tucked into the sweatshirt at my neck & my Google Pixel 5 phone in the ‘hand warmer’ pocket. The sunglasses went flying, to my right, when I fell. I saw & felt that. I poked around, found them & tucked them back. I thought I was FINE. (I wasn’t.)
I got to the car just ahead of 5pm. I was happy. Bar the small fall it had been a great amble. I was going to get a drink. I wanted to take some pictures of the car park. I patted my pocket for my phone.
NO PHONE!
NO PHONE!
I looked all over. Checked the boot of the car. Then the reality sunk in.
It too must have fallen out when I fell.
Would I be able to find it?
There were three empty cars in the car park. I had no one with me — NOR another phone with an active service. So, I could NOT call my phone to see IF I could hear it ring. My Garmin watch does have a ‘Find Phone’ option — but it was stating (quite correctly) that my phone was not in range.
It was now past 5pm. My watch told me sunset was at 6:30pm. I just had time to hike the trail again.
And that is what I did.
Along the ‘flat’ parts & those with boardwalks, I galloped. I didn’t amble. I was running. I got towards the end of the trail. I could see the coast through the trees. I knew I had gone far enough. I turned back.
I started closely studying the green scrub to the right of the trail. My glasses had flown to the right & I had a hunch that my phone too must have flown in the same direction.
I got myself a stout stick. I started beating down the brush on the side with it as I walked. I didn’t have to go far.
I SAW IT!
Given my advanced age & that I don’t share it much, I CANNOT remember my cell phone number! So, I have it written on a bright green strip of fluorescent green so that I can get t it when I need. As luck/karma would have it, my phone had fallen face down. The back of the phone, with the fluorescent green label, was facing me. The fluorescent green label made it stick out. I FOUND IT.
