Bob: I recognized that the beach photo was from the Porcupine Mountains before I even read your caption. What I can't figure out is how I knew thats where it was. 11,000 year old wood from buried forests sometimes washes up on that beach. I assume that you radio carbon dated each piece of wood before throwing it on the fire to avoid burning priceless fossils.
Lee [email protected] wrote: > Marc, > > You are a kindred spirit. Yes, Maine's Katahdin is remindful of > western summits. It has an impressive cliff face, exhibits compelling > contours that compel the eye to follow its long profile, and it rises > high above its base. One has to see this mountain to fully appreciate > it. And of primary interest to Ents, Katahdin has first-growth forest > on its upper slopes. The individual trees may not be that old, but the > forest is not re-growth from logging. Katahdin is a national treasure. > > Speaking of great views, there is a vista that takes my breath away in > the Great Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee. One encounters the > view at the northern end of the Foothills Parkway. From an overlook, > the scene opens toward the massive forms of 6,621-foot Mount Guyot, > 6,417-foot Mount Chapman, 6,370-foot Old Black, and 9 other > 6,000-footers that comprise the crest of the Smokies. People who stop > at the overlook and snap shots seldom realize that they are looking at > a 4,000 to 5,000-foot wall of mountains rising before them -- a > Western-magnitude landscape. > > In pure vertical relief, the western slopes of the Smokies rank #1 > among eastern mountains, with Mount Leconte often cited as rising > 5,301 feet above its "base" in Gatlinburg, a base that I fear is > laterally placed a little too far away. Still, we can squeeze a > 5,000-foot base-to-summit rise out of Leconte by choosing the right > approach to it. > > Back to the big view mentioned above. For the mountain-attuned, what > diminishes awareness of the size of this view of the Smokies? The lush > vegetation and characteristic blue haze softens the impact (and other > prominent eastern summits). The dense covering of trees on the slopes > and summits along with the almost perpetual blue haze makes them look > softer, friendlier. Clouds often enshroud the summits where annual > precipitation regularly exceeds 80 inches and can go over 100 in wet > years. Rising morning mists lend an almost tropical look to the Smokies. > > But once in their embrace, the wildness, vastness, and sheer size of > the Smokies become apparent. Will Blozan once made a trek to measure a > tree far off the trail network. By the time he had returned from the > tree to his vehicle, he had put on a whopping 7,500 feet of elevation > changes. What motivated him to expend so much energy? Real forest > giants grow hidden in the deep ravines and coves. There are almost > 150,000 acres of original growth forest in the Smokies, and despite > the countless hours expended by Will and Jess Riddle, they keep > finding more huge trees and new champions of height. Their discoveries > and the finds of others have made us aware that the temperate > rainforest environment of the slopes and summits of the Smokies > supports the greatest deciduous-coniferous forest in the East. We have > documented more species of trees in the Smokies that reach significant > size and/or height than for any other eastern forest. Many of our tall > tree lists reflect the pre-eminence of the Smokies. > > When I returned from the Far East and southeastern Asia in 1971, where > I had been, courtesy of the USAF, the Smokies were most remindful to > me of the tropical mountains I had found so attractive in the > Philippines and on Taiwan. I had always loved the Smokies, but as a > consequence of my time in Asia, I acquired a new appreciation for > them. In fact, my Asian experiences and southern Appalachian > reconnections were key motivators in the co-founding of ENTS. > > I have always thought the Appalachians to be far richer in viewscapes > than they are given credit by western mountain aficionados. I'm with > James Robert Smith in his disdain for any who would disparage the > Appalachians as mere hills. They are mountains. My experience as a > numerical comparer and contraster has reinforced that awareness. It > has also allowed me to acquire some measurement benchmarks. For my > particular eye, it takes about a half mile of vertical relief, gained > fairly quickly, to create a real mountain look. Thereafter, visual > impressiveness does expand as vertical relief increases, but a point > is reached where my eye-brain combination just can't calibrate what it > is being fed. Beyond that point, more is not better, at least not a > lot better. Well, uh, let me rethink what I've just said as I > contemplate the visual impact of Denali up Don Bertolette's way. Hmmm, > maybe there are other exceptions as well. Colorado's San Juans or > Wyoming's Grand Tetons anyone? > > I'll conclude this across-the-summits ramble with 3 images taken last > summer on the third of Monica's and my fabulous western adventures. > The first image shows our restful spot on the southern shore of Lake > Superior, a spot near the entrance to Porcupine Mountain State Park - > Lee's old stomping grounds. Lake Superior is a first-class spiritual > experience. In terms of the image, I'm unsure of the whether the chair > on the left side adds or detracts. Maybe it is a metaphor or symbol > for something. My aching bones? > > The last two images are of Wyoming's incomparable Grand Tetons. The > first image looks across sage brush flats to the ever-dominant profile > of the Grand. That 13,770-foot mass of rock and ice is the second > highest summit in Wyoming. At 13,804 feet, only Gannett Peak is > loftier, but the Grand is more dramatic. It boldly thrusts its weather > resistant rock nearly 7,000 feet above Jackson Hole. Eye-popping. > However, in fairness to Gannett, the comparisons are not over (they > never are). The slopes of Gannett Peak are home to the largest of the > glaciers within that portion of the Rocky Mountain chain located in > the lower 48 states. Yes, there are much larger glaciers in the > Cascades and on those huge Pacific volcanoes such as Rainier. > Comparisons. Comparisons. Comparisons. > > The second image looks across Jenny Lake toward the Grand and other > high peaks of the Tetons. > > Bob > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Marcboston" <[email protected]> > To: "ENTSTrees" <[email protected]> > Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 7:29:27 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern > Subject: [ENTS] Re: Eastern and western summits > > > Aside from the "Knife Edge" I have to say that the "Hunt Trail" was my > favorite. I really enjoyed the large rolling plateau and alpine > vegatation, made for a very nice walk after ascending for the first > part of the day. The steep parts of the Hunt trail were gorgeous and > though not as exposed as Paloma or the Knife Edge still exciting. > When I get a chance I will upload some shots. I toted my large DSLR > camera up with me along with a 10-20mm lense. I just need to reduce > the images, they are way to large to upload on here. Bob, dont you > think the mountain rings of something you might see in the Cascades? > Obviously not as arid as California or Colorado. Mike, I think I sat > down on the same area where you wife is sitting . My wife freaked out > one me when she checked out my pictures! > > > On Jul 29, 6:22 am, "Mike Leonard" <[email protected]> wrote: > > Two more shots of Katahdin: > > > > Knife Edge overview. > > The End. The sign for the Big K looks a bit battered just like we were > > at the end of the hike! We met a couple who had just finished the 2,000 > > mile AT and they were poppin' the cork! > > > > Mike > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > > > > Behalf Of JamesRobertSmith > > Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 7:11 PM > > To: ENTSTrees > > Subject: [ENTS] Re: Eastern and western summits > > > > Katahdin is my all-time favorite eastern peak. And I've hiked a bunch > > of them. The only major eastern mountain ranges I've never set foot in > > are the Catskills and Adirondacks. And the Daks are very high on my > > list to someday hike. If I can just get around to doing it before I > > get too old. > > > > I hiked Katahdin a few years ago. I've hiked pretty much all of the > > major southern peaks (with a few exceptions) and several of the big > > peaks in New Hampshire (including Mount Washington). But Katahdin is > > king, in my estimation. Yes, there are higher peaks, but it holds its > > own in pure relief against many other major eastern mountains, plus it > > is so isolated. We did a killer hike: > > > > Entrance to Chimney Pond. Cathedral Trail to Baxter Peak. Knife's Edge > > to Helon Taylor. Helon Taylor back to the Chimney Pond Trial and out > > to our car. > > > > My thigh muscles screamed for two days. > > > > On Jul 28, 4:08 pm, Marcboston <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Bob, I really enjoy your mountain submissions! I just got back ( 2 > > > weeks ago) from Baxter State Park. Katahdin is one truly great east > > > coast mountain, not sure if you have been up there but it worth the > > > trip. Though smaller than Washington it is a world apart. I found it > > > to be a tougher climb and much more "frontier" like. A very steep > > > mountain with a superb alpine zone. The knife edge is unlike > > > anything I have seen here in New England. > > > > > On Jul 28, 12:09 pm, [email protected] wrote: > > > > > > ENTS, > > > > > > Oops! My statement, " The second and fourth images show eastern > > mountain scenes." obviously was meant to be western mountain scenes. > > Alas, as dementia sets in, I make more and more of these goofs. > > > > > > Bob > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > From: [email protected] > > > > To: [email protected], [email protected], "Sarah > > Belchetz-Swenson" <[email protected]> > > > > > > Cc: "Paul Dittmer" <[email protected]>, "Carol Gilmour" > > <[email protected]>, "Sharl Heller" <[email protected]>, "Claudia > > Hurley" <[email protected]>, "Amy Kaiser" > > <[email protected]>, "Rob Loomis" <[email protected]>, "Rod > > MacIver" <[email protected]>, "Mike Ryan" <[email protected]>, > > "Eleanor Tillinghast" <[email protected]>, "Joseph Zorzin" > > <[email protected]>, "Doug Seale" <[email protected]>, "Nancy > > Weiss" <[email protected]>, "Phoebe Weil" <[email protected]>, > > "David Stahle" <[email protected]>, "celeste rounkles" > > <[email protected]>, "Denis Jakuc" <[email protected]>, > > [email protected] > > > > Sent: Tuesday, July 28, 2009 9:58:11 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern > > > > Subject: [ENTS] Eastern and western summits > > > > > > ENTS, > > > > > > I'm convinced that I was born under a curse. I'm sentenced to > > compulsively make numerical contrasts and comparisons. And with no false > > modesty, I am damned good at it. Where others stumble, I see the > > quantitative nuances. For me, rounding off numbers, unless absolutely > > necessary, is a vulgar practice. > > > > I am not alone in my talent. Lee Frelich and Will Blozan are equally > > gifted. Lee would never, say, round the number 1,047 by substituting the > > vague descriptor "thousands" as newspaper reports frequently do. I guess > > reporters think that in introducing imprecision they are capturing the > > essence of an idea. Hogwash! > > > > Well, I'm expanding my comparative talents with the camera. I don't > > yet know what I'm doing, but it feels right. When I attempt to describe > > the boldness of the western landscape in words, it can sound as if I'm > > diminishing its eastern equivalent. Not so. At least, not necessarily. > > However, east and west are qualitatively and quantitatively different, > > and where in the past I've concentrated strictly on numerical measures, > > I have now added the camera's all seeing eye. > > > > The first and third of the three attached images show eastern > > mountain panoramas. The second and fourth images show eastern mountain > > scenes. The vertical relief in these images is approximately the same. > > Does it look the same to the eye? BTW, a spin off talent of this > > cultivated perception is quickly judging the heights of trees. > > > > As a general observation, western mountain panoramic scenes are > > usually painted from a broader color pallet. Land shapes are more > > angular. Outlines are sharper. The blue haze of the Appalachians softens > > features and can diminish the appearance of significant size. The > > eastern Catskills are mountains - not just big hills. > > > > The vegetative covering of western mountains is heavily skewed > > toward conifers,; that of the eastern peaks toward hardwoods. Neither is > > better than the other, just different. Viva la difference. > > > > > > Bob- Hide quoted text - > > > > > > - Show quoted text - > > > > > > > > IMG_1143.JPG > > 927KViewDownload > > > > IMG_1151.JPG > > 800KViewDownload- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
