A Friday afternoon walk in the Great North Woods

Discussion in 'Adventure, Hiking, Backpacking and Travel' started by Stone, Dec 16, 2016.

  1. Klynesquatch

    Klynesquatch Member

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    Them is fightin words...
     
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  2. Stone

    Stone Member

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    :)

    I hear you, and understand well the appeal of mountains. I lived in or very near big-mountain (i.e., Rockies) states for two decades, and carried big loads up and down them.

    But as I've gotten older, and a little less eager to walk up 5000' to get where I want to be, I've gotten wiser, and realized that the real reason I liked those above-treeline, high altitude terrains was the alpine ecosystems -- everything from dwarfed, distorted fir and spruce to full on tundra -- along with lots of big, glacier-scraped bare rocks.

    So, when I got to Maine -- that is, northern Maine, from about Bangor or Skowhegan north -- I started realizing that those same features -- alpine and glacier-scraped bare rocks -- are accessible everywhere from sea level to 1000'. I can drive to the edge of big wilderness, but then walk for days in relatively less challenging terrain, at least elevation-wise (but sure as hell not walking ground and camping areas -- the upper AT makes any other trail I ever walked look like a NYC sidewalk, and good luck trying to find a dry, level, rock-free piece of ground here to pitch a tarp or tent -- the reason I'm transitioning to hammocks).

    Now, admittedly, there are some 5000' (or near that) climbs. Katahdin is one, the only one > 5k. But getting to those rocky crags and even alpine takes a lot less effort: less vertical, more horizontal, which means further from civ. ;)

    Up in Nuvavut where I want to visit, even live part time, alpine is way easier.

    Here's one example: Auyuittuq National Park. You don't even have to climb the peaks to be in alpine, which is in the valleys with those majestic peaks towering above. I've never been interested in peak bagging. Once I get to big rock and alpine, I'm content to look at them from below. :)

    Couldn't resist posting this one pic of Auyuittuq NP. And we haven't even discussed Baffin Island yet, also part of Nunavut. That island has 150 El Capitans and 500 Half Domes. Rock heaven.

    Here's Auyuittuq. Mountains, anyone?

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2016
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  3. jeeter

    jeeter Member

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    Great pics. We have yet to see any snow this year.
     
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  4. Stone

    Stone Member

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    Maybe I can FedX overnight some to you. ;)
     
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  5. jeeter

    jeeter Member

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    Go for it. We usually get nothing until late January- early February. Then we'll get 2-4' at once that sticks a week.

    Send some PBR too.:D
     
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