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Marcboston wrote (July 28,
2009):
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.
Bob Leverett wrote (July 28, 2009):
Marc,
Yes, I'm familiar with Katahdin. In the East, it is mountain that
stands apart from all others. At 5,267 feet it gets excluded from
the one-mile-or-more club, but no other eastern mountain would dare
challenge the physical dominance of Katahdin. Also, as you well
know, it rises far above its base and presents a more western than
eastern profile. Great mountain. I'll bet Jenny is darn proud of it
and rightly so.
Bob
James Robert Smith wrote (July 28, 2009)
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.
Mike Leonard wrote (July 29,
2009)
I agree James. Katahdin and the Knife Edge is the best hike East
of the
Mississippi!
I did it again last year with my wife Sun.
First Pic is the view of the peak kayaking from Togue Pond.
Second is the Knife Edge. Sun is the little figure in the lower
right.
Mike
-----Original Message-----
From: entstrees@googlegroups.com
[mailto:entstrees@googlegroups.com] 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 <m...@hillsidenurseries.com>
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, dbhg...@comcast.net
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: dbhg...@comcast.net
> > To: entstrees@googlegroups.com, wnts@googlegroups.com,
"Sarah
Belchetz-Swenson" <sa...@belchetz-swenson.com>
> > Cc: "Paul Dittmer" <paulditt...@frontier.net>,
"Carol Gilmour"
<ca...@oneilz.com>,
"Sharl Heller" <slhelle...@comcast.net>,
"Claudia
Hurley" <mandchur...@comcast.net>,
"Amy Kaiser"
<amykai...@sbcglobal.net>,
"Rob Loomis" <rloomis...@gmail.com>,
"Rod
MacIver" <r...@herondance.org>,
"Mike Ryan" <mike_r...@comcast.net>,
"Eleanor Tillinghast" <eleanortillingh...@att.net>,
"Joseph Zorzin"
<jjzor...@verizon.net>,
"Doug Seale" <Doug.Se...@comcast.net>,
"Nancy
Weiss" <n-we...@embarqmail.com>,
"Phoebe Weil" <phoebedw...@me.com>,
"David Stahle" <dsta...@uark.edu>,
"celeste rounkles"
<celeste.rounk...@spudnik.com>,
"Denis Jakuc" <d...@denisj.com>,
mja...@smith.edu
> > 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 -
Here are a few more shots of
Katahdin and the Knife Edge:
The view down to Chimney Pond - Hey don't sweat it honey it's only
5,000
feet down! Are we there yet?
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!
Continued at:
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/07d7ec258668ce38?hl=en
Mike Leonard wrote (Aug 6, 2009):
Doug,
Great Wass Island off the north Maine Coast is also very
interesting.
You can drive to it from Jonesport over the bridge. Though not quite
as
dramatic as the Bold Coast, it does have some interesting features
such
as one of Maine's largest stands of rare jack pine.
My daughter Sara and I also visited Mohegan Island. Hop the ferry
from
Port Clyde at 9 AM - hike a few loop trails and check out an old
growth
spruce forest and then hop the ferry back at 3 PM - makes for a real
nice day trip.
The picture is another dramatic shot from Katahdin into the
spectacular
Great Basin.
Check out the interesting "fir waves" on the mountain in the center
in
the distant background.
The most difficult spot going up to the Knife Edge was climbing
Pamola
from the Helon Taylor Trail which is the traditional route. It was
difficult for Sun - similar to rock climbing for a few hundred feet.
I
went first and guided her up but it was a little nerve wracking!
Once you start there's no going back! I'm not sure if going up the
Dudley Trail would be any easier. Sun got vertigo and hurled on the
little Beehive in Acadia causing Jason and I to laugh (I know we
were
uncool!) but she wasn't afraid at all on the big K. So I'm sure
Ellen
will be OK.
Mike
Continued
at:
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