Category: United States

The Most Iconic Animals of Rocky Mountain National Park

Because the Rocky Mountains are over 3,000 miles long and sometimes hundreds of miles wide, it should be no surprise that there are many hundreds of different animal species that call these mountains home. From the most fearsome carnivores to tiniest ground mammals, the Rockies are capable of supporting such a diverse cast of characters …

Continue reading

A Geological History of the Rocky Mountains

It seems that no matter what part of the Rocky Mountains you are traveling through, you will be overcome with an incredible and unassailable sense of history. Indeed one feels overwhelmed with ghost-like recollections of the prospectors and trappers that settled this wild country, or the explorers and warriors that came before them to unlock …

Continue reading

Walking Mount Tabor, Oregon’s Cinder Cone in the City

What to do when you’re in one of the best states for exploring mountains, new at climbing, and tethered to the city of Portland during your summer vacation? Walk Portland, Oregon’s dormant volcano, Mount Tabor! This is exactly what I did this summer. One sunny day in August, my daughter, brother-in-law, niece, and I took …

Continue reading

Douglas Mountain: A Short Maine Hike to Revisit Again and Again

It is sometimes the lower, quieter mountains that can offer the deepest insights into the world. Douglas Mountain, located in Sebago, Maine, is one of those mountains. Referred to by some as Douglas Hill, it offers the natural beauty that sets the state apart, while also having trails that are short enough to do in …

Continue reading

Cadillac Mountain

Jutting up from the Northern Atlantic seaboard, where the land breaks off into islands that stretch east to greet each day, is Cadillac Mountain. The largest of the 20 peaks on Mount Desert Island, Cadillac Mountain’s summit tops out at 1,530 feet (466 m) in elevation. After Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, Cadillac’s summit …

Continue reading

Cerro de Punta and the Endangered Tree Ferns

Peeking out over the Cordillera Central range of Puerto Rico is Cerro de Punta. Cerro de Punta, endearingly referred to by locals as Puntitas, is located in the middle of the island territory, straddling Ponce and Jayuya. Rising to an altitude of 4,398 feet (1,388 m), it is the tallest mountain on the Isla del …

Continue reading

Steep ≠ High Elevation in the Uwharrie Mountains

When one thinks of North Carolina and the mountains, one’s mind is usually drawn to the western part of the state, with the soaring peaks of Grandfather Mountain, Chimney Rock, or Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in the East. But 500 million years ago, another range of mountains formed along the coast, what is now …

Continue reading

Mount Katahdin: The High Point of Vacationland

Every summer, hordes of people flock to Maine. So many people come, in fact, that the Pine Tree State has another eponym: Vacationland. The state has many mountains to enjoy, including the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, which also happens to be the highest point in the state. Mount Katahdin, located within Baxter State …

Continue reading

Crowders Mountain: The Antidote to Urban Living

Increasingly, it seems, people are losing control of their own attention and by extension, of their own minds. Mechanized notifications are able to seamlessly capture any given individual’s attention multiple times throughout the day, resulting in so many breaks in that steady state of focused attention that people are forgetting how to judge whether something …

Continue reading