Although I landed on Harbor Island the same day I visited the Georges and Steve’s, I’ve created a separate post because I have so much to say about it. I have spent 6 nights there in the past two years, and now know it like the back of my hand. I love it. Harbor is northeast of Merchant Island off Isle au Haut, and has a well-protected anchorage in most winds, but particularly in a Southwest breeze. The campsite on the Southwest shore is by far the best and so far is the best MITA campsite I’ve been to. It is a bit exposed since it is not in a grove of trees, but that provides 270 degree water views. The tentsite is flat, and there is room for 2 – 3 tents, although I’ve only ever pitched one. Just past the site is a natural meadow on a hill and the surrounding shore is composed of bedrock granite ledges and massive granite boulders. There is a well-travelled path that leads to the other side of the island and the other two campsites.
Both are nice, and have nice spots for tents, but they are close together, and almost the same site despite being separated by a short path.
The island is small enough that is a quick 30 minutes to walk around (.5 miles), and maybe 5 to walk across, but large enough the sides of the island are separate, and the SW site feels like it’s own island.
One of the things I like most about the SW site is the landing possibilities. It works for all crafts, and has a beautiful white sandy beach at low tides that is exposed for an hour or two on either end of low. A perfect place to unload gear, although you then need to climb the granite ledges. If you wait for midtide or higher, you can bring a powerboat right up to the ledge without raising the engine, and even glide a kayak right up on it with a bed of rock weed to protect your hull. It is perfect. I can be tricky to keep a dinghy available for use (if you don’t beach it high and dry) but it couldn’t be better for kayaks. There is a more gradual beach to the East that can be used to tend to a dinghy, but while there is soft sand at the top, the majority is rocky and requires some strategy.
The site also includes two spots for kitchen grill and stove areas that ensure you are protected from all winds, and the large rock providing this protection is flat on top, and the highest point on the SE side of the island, which makes it perfect for sitting, reading, relaxing, etc. there is also a perfect sunset spot a few steps from the site where you can sit and watch. It is perfect. There are no fires allowed, so that is a drawback, but I’ve come to enjoy even that.
This was my first MITA campsite, and it will be hard to beat. But I’ll be searching!
Isle au Haut
I ended up staying at Harbor Island for two nights since there was a small craft advisory, but I didn’t mind at all. I actually changed my plans and went down to Isle au Haut to get to a store and go for a run. Isle au Haut is beautiful this time of year, no crowds, long days, and before the bugs. There are several MITA islands off the northern tip I was planning to visit, but I misjudged my fuel situation, the weather, and the distance between the sites, so I wasn’t able to set foot on them to check them off my list. I did get some provisions at the General Store, charged my devices at the Acadia National Park Ranger station (and use the compostable toilet), and went for a run two miles into the park and back. It was fun to talk to the people on the island. There was Belvia and her daughter in law who are from the island. Belvia actually lives in Brooksville now and cleans houses in Brooksville and Sedgewick. She lives on Cape Rosier in Ed Black’s old place, which I think is just past Lou Black’s place by the Bell Farm. She has a house on Isle au Haut, but I got the impression that her son and the daughter in law may be living there. I also saw three different older gentlemen driving around in golf carts socializing. They seemed to be looking and waiting for people who might need a ride, and would be willing to pay the fare in conversation. I’m sure there are normally many takers for this service coming off the mailboat in the high season, but for now they were just like taxis driving around before the bars shut down.
The one disappointment was learning from Belvia that Black Dinah no longer operates on the Island. It started there, and way back they served breakfast on weekends during the high season, which I assume was their ‘day job’ so to speak. But they had a passion, and it is incredible what they have done with it, particularly with the marketing. They now have storefronts in Blue Hill and Portland, and have moved operations to Portland full time. When I asked about them, Belvia informed me they hadn’t been out there, or at least serving breakfast, in four or five years. Time flies. And it reminds me to enjoy many of these cool Maine options while they last, because they might not last long! In this case it is a good story of great growth. That is not always the case. I’m going to add reviews of these things, both on the island and the Main(e)land, but need to accomplish the 30 in 30 first.
I only spent the day on Isle au Haut, and went back to Harbor for the night to take advantage of the protected anchorage in the 25 -30 mile per hour winds. It was a long night, hard to sleep even on land because the tent was shaking from the wind.