THE BOWL Bar Harbor, Maine

 This weekend our goal was to make it to the Bowl and Beehive.  We parked in the upper parking lot at Sand beach crossed the road and went right for a very short walk down the road and to the left we saw the marker for the two mountains we were climbing today. We followed blue markers walking over rocks and boulders till we came to a cairn pointing in the direction to the left to go up the back of the Beehive via the Bowl.  Linda last week suggested that we go that way since I haven't been cliff climbing in over thirty-five years.  Heading up we crossed over many rocks and a few man-made stairways. It snowed a day ago so this weekend the land was scattered in spots with snow and ice dripping from the cliffs.  We took it a little slow to be more cautious as to be safe. I wore my hiking boots this weekend and what a difference it made to wearing my sneakers, but remember we were out to do nothing last weekend, but got caught up in the history and went exploring. Going to the Bowl the trail was fairly easy going and interesting foliage and rock formation as we went.  Before we knew it the .8 mi was behind us and we were heading down the forest trail and found ourselves in front of the lake.  At the lake we found a boardwalk path, following it to the right we found it headed back up the mountainside.  On top I was surprised at the beautiful scenery below at the Bowl.  I heard the screech of a bird that I thought was an Eagle.  Looking to the sky I saw wings wide as the wind took it higher.  I think he thought we were too close from where we stood watching, he screeched again the sound carrying in the wind.  To the left looking over the mountain toward the lake I saw five more birds dipping in the wind on a mountain top heading for a landing somewhere in the cliff-side.  They didn't look like eagles after all and Dave said they were Peregrine Falcons.  The Falcons that I have read of that live in the cliffs of Acadia. Our walk brought us into the forest through a short valley and then we came to more arrows pointing the way.  At that point I could still chicken out because one of the arrows pointed back toward sand beach via a different trail down, the direction that Linda from last week was assuming I would be taking back to the car after we went to the Beehive summit, anyway we started heading back up the mountain continuing on to the Beehive.  If you are interested in peregrines, I read to stop by the Precipice Trail parking area most days from July 1 through mid-August weather permitting, the Precipice trail is closed to hiking during this time but a ranger or volunteer will be available with viewing scopes so you can watch peregrine falcons breeding (or attempting to breed) on Champlain Mountain. They will be there between 9 a.m. and noon. You may just see us there on foot.