North Shore Mountains Research Paper

When I crossed by the snow covered sign that read “Welcome to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness National Park” and looked at what surrounded me, I was beside myself. I didn’t know that trees could ever be so beautiful. The towering trees were the perfect shade of dark emerald green, and the way the snow piled on them looked like painting. I thought I was living a fairytale. It was the most beautiful sight I have ever laid eyes on.

The mountains are a beautiful adventure. As you walk up the incline, trees overhang, animals run wild, and rivers roar. All of these are things that keep me coming back to hike. On my most recent hike, while it may have been 100 degrees back home, where I was it was a chilling 40 degrees. As we walked around ten miles up and over the mountain, I took many breaks to catch my breath and take in the majestic scenery. There are also the snow skiing vacations. While you can’t see anything besides snow and trees, the adventure of cruising down the slopes is full of adrenalin. The mountains have always signified an adventure for me. Just like the mountains, life is a beautiful adventure. I do not know yet what adventures are in store for my life, but I look forward to them. I strive to see the beauty in everything.

Captured from the top of the Daniel Boone National Forest, located in northeastern Kentucky near the city of Morehead, this featured image originates in one of the most beautiful and well kept secrets on earth. Although this location is breathtaking, efforts to capture images from the summit will certainly involve a bit hiking and climbing, but it’s definitely worth the journey. Whether it’s photography or purely for the love of a great hike, I can’t see anyone regretting making this trip. Regardless of the agenda, a striking and tranquil retreat awaits the willing adventurer.

There was no pavement for his dog to follow. The trail is marked only by small patches of white paint on trees, rocks, or occasional posts. No signs were in Braille, so Bill Irwin had to run his hands over their etched letters to read them. Many of the hundreds of footbridges were only twelve inches wide or less and Irwin had to cross them on his hands and knees. The trail often wound its way along steep cliffs and mountainsides. He had to contend with the continual unevenness of the trail’s rocky surface, which tore up his boots and twisted his ankles. And Bill Irwin fell literally thousands of times – fracturing several ribs on one occasion. There were no inspiring vistas that would reward all those uphill climbs. He made the journey in perpetual darkness. And although the Appalachian Trail Conference has published dozens of detailed topographical maps of the trail, they were all useless to this man who couldn’t see. How, then, could he find his

Taking on a journey stretching well over 2,100 miles, covering fourteen states (from Maine to Georgia) by foot is no simple stroll where at the end of the day a comfortable bed and hot meal would await you. Instead, hiking the Appalachian Trail can be an endless battle with all the elements of mother nature: whereas in one state spring would have sprung already with wildflowers dressing the forest floors and insects buzzing through crisp air, on other parts of the trail it [the weather conditions] would be smothering heat, but meanwhile a few states north the rain would fall endlessly with gusts of cold wind, and snow would blanket the pathways of the trail and more than likely blizzards

This trail, only a third of a mile, would not be a difficult hike for someone who had not just hiked almost four miles in the midday sun, but I could feel the fatigue as I hopped from rock to rock. However the view at the top was well worth

-Go to the mountain tops for views and pictures. These are short lived experiences on the AT and often the views are blocked by the trees. Sometimes there are open rock/cliff areas for fantastic views. However, these rock areas can have more threats than the valleys. Snakes love to hangout on the rocks and if you slip off a cliff, it could ruin your day. In life, we often strive to reach the mountain tops thinking life will be easy. Many times it’s just chasing the wind for a short lived experience and the threats may be higher on the mountain top than in the valley.

Well you can enjoy hiking with your family every month when the park is open. Here are some hiking trails: Appalachian Trail, Charlie's Bunion, Alum Cave Bluffs, Andrews Bald, Rainbow Falls, and Chimneys Tops. When you go on a hike you must follow these rules: Have to back by dark, Travel only for 1.5 miles per hour, and Traveler slow, Did you know? that the Appalachian Trail is 8.0 miles and the high elevation health bald are treeless expanse where dense thickets and shrubs such as the mountain laurel, Rhododendron, and sand myrtle grow. Did you know? There are 9 species of shrubs in the park: Rosebay Rhododendron( the color is white), Catawba Rhododendron( the color is purple), Flame azalea, Sweet azalea, Cumberland azalea, Small-Leave azalea, Pinxter-bush azalea, Pink azalea, and Clammy

For my place narrative assignment, I chose to focus on a place that I not only visit frequently, but truly appreciate: Mount Douglas. This is a place I value not only for its beauty, but for the calmness it allows me to experience as a result of being part of nature. As it turns out, this has been the location of many important histories, dating back hundreds of years, and is still making history today. This history is significant both ecologically, and culturally, and is something I have enjoyed learning about. Through researching this place, and its surrounding area I have come to learn its importance branches far greater than its importance to me.

The pink blooms on tall stakes, also known as Fireweed, often blanket the land in this region and when the flowers turn to cotton, it is a sign that winter is around the corner. As the 90 degree heat of summer comes to an end, the 70 degrees below zero of winter highlight the beauty of the northern lights, tundra, forest and mountains. Look up and Denali Mountain rises 20,310 feet above sea level as the highest peak in North America. This summit is company to 6 million acres of the Denali National Park and Grizzly Bears. This particular bear is abundant in the Talkeetna Mountains and the metal gold is present in the creeks and valleys.

The last time I was here, a juvenile bald eagle was flying above the trail as I arrived. Once I went to the creek, an adult bald eagle flew just beyond me straight north along the creek bank. Just south of us were three deer grazing in the stream.

After a long mountainous drive, I arrived at my destination to embrace one of nature’s wonders in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park, Abram Falls Trail. Upon departing the car, a cool crisp breeze brushed my face and the aroma of bacon lingered in the early morning air from the neighboring campground. The narrow rocky footpath looked like a tedious adventure, however a gorgeous, vibrant array of red, purple, orange, and yellow wildflowers blossoming at the entrance made the trail alluring. Navigating the rocky, uneven terrain required sturdy footing, but the quiet stillness created a peaceful relaxing atmosphere. The lush pine-oak forest formed a green canopy of shelter above the trail, offering welcome cool shade, as vivid sunlight filtered through the foliage. A sweet honey fragrance permeated the air, as a stunning scene displayed a cluster of purple and pure white

For my observation, I choose to visit the area of the Stanislaus National Forrest. I had wanted to see the changes over the few years from the rim fire. I headed up to the 120 towards Groveland and got as far as I could, but the road was closed. I stop for a moment to observe the area, and decided that I would take a different route to the area where I could look down below to see if I can catch anything with the Rim Fire affects.

Driving down the Franconia Notch Parkway, the mountain walls rise up around me and consume me. On one side, the guardrail separates me from the cars speeding past in the opposite direction. On the other side, nothing is separating me from the slopes. My eyes slowly follow the smooth curvature of the faces of the mountains. Wind, rain, snow, and ice have shaped the rock in such a way that the rock looks like silk sheets. As my eyes take in more, they come across the sharp jagged edges and ridges where rocks have recently fallen and taken parts of the mountain as their casualties. The sun peeks from behind the summit and causes the great mountains to cast shadows on their smaller counterparts. Crimson, goldenrod, bronze, and saffron leaves dance across the air as the cool gusts of wind blow them along. Soon the trees will become bare and blend with the barren slopes above the treeline, but for now the contrast between the two is unmistakably noticeable.

For a trail with less traffic, head to Black Star Canyon, located northwest of Silverado. This 15.6 mile (25 km) trail is rated as moderate, with plenty of rocks to climb over and a waterfall to see as you make your way along the path. Interested in ghosts and general spookiness? Black Star Canyon is supposedly haunted, and was once home to quite a few grizzly