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 …
Category: United States
Mar 29 2020
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 …
Oct 14 2018
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 …
Jun 16 2018
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 …
Jun 16 2018
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 …
Jun 03 2018
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 …
Jun 03 2018
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 …
Apr 28 2018
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 …
Apr 22 2018
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 …