My Triumph at Cadillac Mountain

First Stop on the Way Up Cadillac Mountain

Today was a triumphant day.

Fog Rolling in and Out

We drove to Acadia National Park again, this time to see Cadillac Mountain.

Bar Harbor from Look Out Ascending Cadillac Mountain

As you can see from this look out point on the way up to the summit, the fog was rolling in and out.

Apparently, fog is a big part of being in Maine so learning to appreciate a foggy day is part of the Maineiac experience! 

The Gorgeous Granite that Covers Cadillac Mountain

Once we parked at the top of Cadillac mountain, we spent about 1 1/2 hours climbing around on the rocks (with some breaks to sit and rest!)

I'm obsessed with this granite that covers Cadillac Mountain--made of Quartz (white), Hornblende (black) and Feldspar (pink).

There are a lot of steep and tricky areas on the mountain, and while my FitBit doesn't say I took a ton of steps, we all sure did work hard to hike around!

At the Top!

While the sun did pop through a bit and we could see beautiful views of the mountains, we couldn't see much of the ocean.

Cadillac Mountain is the highest summit along the Atlantic coast.

So Many Gorgeous Views

It is known for being able to see spectacular sunrises and sunsets.

I found every ounce of this part of Acadia mesmerizing, and am so glad we spent an entire afternoon here.

The Fog Made it Difficult to See the Ocean

We spent enough time here to see the fog rolling in and out, the sunlight changing, the light glistening differently on the mountains, rocks and water.

A Glimpse of the Ocean in the Background

And, oh did we ever climb around on these gorgeous pink granite rocks! It is steep and hilly and uneven and crazy hard. I don't know how I did it, but I. Did. It!

So what if most people double my age were passing me? Ha!

In my world I was a Rock Star today. I was taking on the world.

Taking a Breather!

Even the puppies seemed to really enjoy the outing. 

They also got a LOT of attention for being so cute.

The Puppies Did SO Well!

We spent our entire afternoon focused on this one part of Acadia, and that helped me to really stay in the moment. I didn't want to rush through this. I didn't want to just take a quick picture and head to the next stop.

Some Ocean Can Be Seen!

Succeeding in staying in the moment felt incredible.

I let myself watch the fog rolling over the mountains.

Tovah Rose took it all in!

And so did Mr. Gershwin.

One Last Shot from the TOP!

The biggest challenge for me when I am on a big outing is trying not to think about how I might feel later, how sick I might feel, if I might have a miserable crash or an autonomic storm. 

Anxiety and a sense of unease can easily slip into my thoughts.

What will the consequences of my actions be?

Look Out On the Way Down

Am I overdoing? I often feel fine while I'm doing the activity, but I don't know how much is too much.

At This Look Out on the Way Down we Could See Some Ocean

My body doesn't let me know until later.

Tonight, I didn't start to feel sick until after dinner.

Then, I started to worry that maybe I wouldn't feel well enough for the nature cruise we are scheduled to take tomorrow.

I am sure this is a completely normal and constant struggle for people with my type of illness who suffer from post-exertional malaise--meaning we often don't feel sick until AFTER we have tried something. 

I keep pushing because I want to keep getting stronger, but too much pushing can mean a big setback.

Still, I don't like the anxiety that creeps in and takes away from living in the moment. Even the alarm on my phone reminding me to take my meds (or else!) reminds me to take a step back. 

Regardless of the consequences, I'll never forget this day or this place. I'll never forget how strong my body was today and how many pieces of beautiful granite I walked on, the puppies by my side and Mom climbing along with me. 

I'll never forget that I did something today that I haven't done in 18 years--I huffed and puffed and stretched and climbed and walked and felt STRONG.

Of Course We Stopped at the Gift Shop at the Top!

Climbing to the top of Cadillac Mountain today, the highest summit on the Atlantic Coast, was indeed a triumph of my very own. I was on top of this great mountain, but also, I was on top of my own world.

Blessings,

Emily