Is 45 the mountain’s peak?

I've survived another ride around the sun!

To celebrate, I chose a nice little walk around the South side of Echo Lake on the quiet side of Mount Desert Island

Before long, the casual stroll became some serious uphill climbing

Follow the blue swatches the trail map said...UP!

But the views were amazing

The weather was as perfect as the day

Until we realized that the trail map we were following no longer matched up to the sign posts...and if you read this notice, you'll see that the Park Service apologizes for any inconvenience...but we're 4 miles up on a mountain at this point and have no clue which way to turn...

So we took our best guess...the stairs heading up to the next peak

More stairs and more cliffs...3+ hours later...

At somepoint on the way down, I could only think of the cold beer we had hidden in the lake for quenching our thirst when we got back...albeit 4 hours later instead of the intended 90 minutes I had planned...but you know, a beer never tasted so good...so good that I forgot to take my own photo! Happy Birthday to Me 😉