SUP Lesson and Biking

Monday night I stopped into Acadia SUP and was chatting with the gal working, she helped me realize that I probably should take an actual SUP class, especially if I'm going to invest money in a board, I should know how you actually do it.  So I signed up for a class today at 9:00. I needed to be at the store in Bar Harbor at 8:30 so I was going to catch the 7:28 bus to the Village Green.  I arrived at the bus stop at 7:18 and sat down to wait.  Soon two other guys joined me.  We waited. And waited. And waited.  Finally I pulled out my bus schedule to double check the arrival time - yes, 7:28, it was now 7:40 and no bus.  The Island Explorer buses are always on time. Never late.  So what was up?  One of the other guys, Derick, who was waiting and I started chatting and it turns out, he was also heading in for the 9:00 SUP class.  He called the Island Explorer information line and explained that the bus was now 15 minutes late and we'd been here 10 minutes before its scheduled arrival time.  After a very long time on hold he was told that it was a new bus driver and he missed the stop! We never saw a bus go by. There is major construction on RT3 just pass our campground, eastbound traffic takes 3, westbound traffic takes a detour. In order to get to Bar Harbor from the campground you have to go east on 3.  If you took the detour heading east you'd miss the campground, so we are guessing that's what the driver did.  The Island Explorer person told us a bus would come in 10 mins.  After 15 mins with no bus and getting closer to not making it to our SUP class, Derick and I decided we needed to drive into Bar Harbor. Luckily he is tent camping and has a car! We walked to his site and jumped in his car and went into town.  We got there by the skin of our teeth! Although it turned out Derick was doing the ocean class and I was doing the lake class.  They offered for me to move to the ocean class - I think the guy in charge was very confused by our relationship! I'd called the SUP place on behalf of both of us, I'd explained that Derick and I had literally just met minutes before at the bus stop, but I don't think it computed! 

I was in a group of 8, one family of 4, 3 students from Thailand here working for the summer and me. We all drove out to Echo Lake, which is one of two lakes on the island that SUP is allowed (Long Pond is the other).  Sarah, our instructor was awesome! She clearly loves SUP and explained everything so well! The paddling strokes are different from canoeing and kayaking, and it's actually a lot easier than I was making it the other day! During the class we had a chance to practice our strokes and we even did a little yoga! Warrior 2 is really hard on a SUP! I had it for about 2 seconds and then fell right into the water! I was the 1st to fall in! I tried warrior 2 again so Sarah could get a picture and fell in again! Luckily it's easy to get back on the board!

After the lesson was over Sarah loaded the truck and then we headed back to Bar Harbor. They were doing some major electrical line work at the intersection of 102 and 3 in Somesville and we were stuck for almost 45 minutes! This is the crossroads of the roads on the island and there is no way around! Ugh.  When we finally got back to Bar Harbor I caught the #1 bus back to the campground and got into more traffic from more electrical line work.  Finally got back to the campground a little after 1. 

After lunch and doing the dishes from breakfast (I'd shoved the empty yogurt container back in the fridge because I didn't have time to wash it this morning and I knew if I left it out it would smell horrible by the time I got back.  Even after I washed it I decided it's place was in the fridge!)

It was nice this afternoon, but again tomorrow rain is predicted. So I decided to go do something this afternoon in case tomorrow is too wet.  I took my bike back to the Visitor Center and rode out the Carriage Roads to Eagle Lake. I rode around Eagle Lake and rather than going back to the Visitor Center I went to Duck Brook Bridge and then to Duck Brook Road and down into Bar Harbor. From Duck Brook Bridge it's all downhill and paved! Duck Brook Rd is closed to vehicles, but the other streets aren't. I had to ride on 3 for a little while & there is no shoulder! Luckily the car behind me slowed down and I could quickly turn onto Cottage Street! I went over to Mt. Desert Ice Cream and got the lemon blackberry again and then got the bus back to the campground for dinner.  All the electrical work seems to have been completed, or at least they quit for the day!