The Pounding Waves of Mt. Desert
Last week, we posted a blog entitled 'Snow Shots from Mt. Desert.' These were photos taken by my housekeeper, Cheryl DuLong, after Mt. Desert Island was blanketed over so beautifully with snow. Last Friday, when yet another storm pounded the Northeast, Mt. Desert received a fair share of rain. At 6:30 in the morning, Cheryl and a friend, set out to explore Ocean Drive, to capture the awe of nature, this time using a Canon PowerShot G9. Cheryl is the first to admit that she loves the force and the energy of the ocean, and that she has a healthy respect for it. At no time did she dare venture out onto the rocks. Her amazing shots were all taken from the safety of the road or path, a section of which remains open to the public during the winter. I think you'll agree that these shots are incredible, however, Cheryl is sorry they do not convey the sound of the pounding surf or the sheer emotion felt while standing there.
1 This is Sand Beach on the Park Loop Road and it is still two hours until high tide.
2 Thunder Hole was obviously off-limits!
3 Thunder Hole - can you imagine the sound of the power and energy of these waves?
4 The waves were erupting against the side of the cliff.
5 It is 7AM and you can see the light in the horizon as the waves continue to crash.
6 The sign tells the story.
7 This view is looking towards Otter Cliffs, with the splash rising up and over the closed roadway.
8 There was so much sea spray in the air, making the picture look as if it were shrouded in fog.
9 Another shot of the dramatic surf - Cheryl took about 500 pictures, explaining that it was hard to stop.
10 This is an especially spectacular photo of one wave in the foreground and another huge one in the background - taken by Otter Cliffs.
11 The sun is trying to make itself known.
12 The stake marks the path that runs along the side of Ocean Drive.
13 The tremendous churning of the waves creates a pounding roar against the cliffs - an amazing way to start the day!
14 Otter Cliffs was such an amazing place to be that morning.
15 Looks are deceiving - this rock appears to be a sizable boulder.
16 The craggy shoreline looking back towards Sand Beach.
17 Another look capturing the sea greens of the ocean.
18 Again - the sea spray looks like fog.
19 Zooming in for a closer look.
20 Just spectacular!
21 Another breathtaking look towards Otter Cliffs.
More amazing photos from Cheryl. It's wonderful that she can capture the winter weather drama in Maine at a time of the year when few people have a chance to visit.
Posted by: MMC in San Diego | March 3rd, 2010 at 12:13 am
Power and beauty - what a combination!
Posted by: Donna Olson | March 3rd, 2010 at 1:24 am
What a Fantastic bunch of weather here in maine!! Sunny and 40 degress! The snow is almost gone! Mt. Desert must be breathtaking!
You can see other pics of maine on my site with such good weather, http://www.meandmartha.net I hope to catch a few shot's of eagle's in hollis maine this morning! Thank You Martha!
Dan Viger
Posted by: Dan Viger | March 3rd, 2010 at 2:13 am
Beautiful shots, I can hear the sound of the pounding surf just looking at the photos, amazing.
Posted by: Rowaida Flayhan | March 3rd, 2010 at 2:21 am
Gorgeous. I've seen the waves and surf on the nearby Oregon coast but the Pacific is...pacific compared to the Atlantic!
The power and energy contained in those waves is awesome.
Posted by: Clayvessel from Pie in the Sky | March 3rd, 2010 at 3:09 am
Absolutely beautiful. I can almost hear the power behind the waves.
Posted by: Holly | March 3rd, 2010 at 5:57 am
Amazing photos! My husband and I visited Mt. Desert a few years back and Thunder Hole was impressive then but this is really something.
Posted by: Carmen from Spain | March 3rd, 2010 at 7:37 am
SO impressive. . . .I could hear the waves closing my eyes! Experienced something similar out on the eastern tip of Long Island,NY a few years ago . . .BUT nothing compared to Thunder Hole. . . .
Thank you again . . .That Canon is quite the camera!
your friend Nina
Posted by: nina zeumer | March 3rd, 2010 at 8:56 am
Wow. Nature is something else, eh??
Posted by: IowaCowgirl | March 3rd, 2010 at 11:11 am
wow! the wonders of nature, so amazing. thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Karlene Wissel | March 3rd, 2010 at 12:07 pm
Wow, in the background, #10 looks like a tsunami wave! Wonder if it really was as high as the cliff. Yikes!
Posted by: Mary Anne | March 3rd, 2010 at 12:35 pm
GREAT PICS-- I WAS IN MT DESERT BACK IN SEPT. OF LAST YEAR WHEN PEOPLE WHERE TAKEN BY THE WAVES PRODUCED BY HURRICANE AT THUNDER HOLE AND THAT IN ITSELF IS AN AMAZING SCENE. THESE PIC'S REALLY SHOW THE FORCE OF THE OCEAN SURF BY MOTHER NATURE!! BEAUTIFUL!! MARTHA, THANK YOU FOR SHARING, I LOVE THAT AREA AT SKYLANDS, PLEASE CONTINUE TO SHARE MAINE PICS AND IT'S BEAUTY.
Posted by: MERCY GARCIA | March 3rd, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Amazing!!! I could almost hear the booming waves in these breathtaking photos. Thank you for sharing them.
Posted by: Leigh | March 3rd, 2010 at 2:16 pm
Dear Martha,
As a painter, I have been deeply inspired by this very site and did a series of Mt. Desert Island landscapes recently. Please visit my website to view these: rebeccaallan.com
Posted by: Rebecca Allan | March 3rd, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Beautiful photos Cheryl. Yes... I wish I could hear your pictures!
Thanks for sharing Martha!
Posted by: NeatNicole from Illinois | March 3rd, 2010 at 3:41 pm
Hi Martha and thanks Cheryl. Maine is such a beautiful place. I'm not far from the ocean where I live in Florida but I don't see that kind of action until sometimes during the hurricane season. Your pictures are fantastic! Trish
Posted by: Trish | March 3rd, 2010 at 3:57 pm
We LOVED looking at the snow and wind on Mt. Desert.....we visit every year or so at Seal Harbor and Northeast.......Never in the winter.....but it looks spectacular......Thank you for sharing!!!
Posted by: nancy28 | March 3rd, 2010 at 4:19 pm
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Imagery always comes to mind.....
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Silver steam, as if swelling from an ancient lamp, swarms like a cloud of ghosts across Thunder Hole.... . ... ...
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One of the most classic shorelines of the nation calls up from the deep, "I am Mount Desert Island, home from which thousands of fishermen have sailed," as defiant shorelines are ripped by crashing foam serpents who race to scale cliffs.
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......Take me there.
.
.
.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall....
.
Irvin Flump began to slump.
The wave had turned to water.....
.
.
.
Friend of Maya Angelou and 'Irvin Flump,' eclectic and populace writers respectively. The ocean shines, regardless of the levels of their wit.
.
Posted by: andreaandweims on twitter | March 3rd, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Great shots~thanks.
Spent the afternoon viewing Valentino: The Last Emperor~caught a glimpse of Martha & Kevin at a Valentino party in one of the extra segments~fun to see Martha touring the laundry & kitchen~gave viewers a chance to see a behind the scenes look at Valentino's chateau. Hey, I need a major-domo to take care of things around my house!
I loved when Valentino was on Martha's show
Posted by: Cathybytheriver | March 3rd, 2010 at 9:50 pm
Hi Martha, Thanks for sharing another set of photos from Cheryl. She certainly does a fantastic job of capturing the weather near Skylands. These photos were stunning and yes it would have been fun to hear the roar of those fabulous waves! I would love to see all the rest of her great photos, as well as some of very sunny weather. Kudos to you, Cheryl! Was fun following you on Twitter today and listening to you on Sirius Radio. Your TV show was fun to watch, also. You made my day with all of these super activities. Thanks. Love, Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | March 3rd, 2010 at 10:31 pm
These are wonderful images! We're a few houses back from the water further south in Falmouth, Maine and we've had the same wild storms recently. It's really odd to see bare ground this time of year!
Posted by: The Muddy Dog | March 4th, 2010 at 11:51 am
Cheryl you are a talented photographer. Number 20 looked like a painting. Very pretty.
Posted by: Mike | March 4th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Dramatic and intense....Thanks for the ride on the waves
Becky
Posted by: Becky HK | March 4th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
We love to go to Bar Harbor and Acadia and all of the surrounding area. We enjoyed hearing Martha talk about this area and decided to check it out for ourselves. We have been several times. It is quite a drive from central Ohio, but well worth the trip. Have recommended it to several friends, who have also made the trip. Such a beautiful, friendly area.
Posted by: Jackie Johnson | March 4th, 2010 at 10:26 pm