I have been incredibly excited to start this J-Term adventure since learning about it around mid February. My imagination seemed to be simply unable to capture the experience that was about to unfold. The Northeast is truly just one of those places in the world that must be seen. No matter how many books I had read in order to prepare myself I was still dumbfounded upon reaching the summit of Mt.Willard. Throughout our 19 hour drive spread between 2 days I focused my time reading the Appalachian Mountain Club's official magazine Appalachia, although I was immediately attracted to the section on Accidents, most of which involved people setting out for treks being bewilderingly unprepared for the work ahead. Some even dared to begin without a plentiful supply of water.
During our first hike that took us up through Mt.Willard we actually spent 100 yards or so on the world famous Appalachian Trail. Which to say the least is more than the average student at Carthage has ever attempted. As soon as I entered the lush woods of New Hampshire I was immediately relieved by the dampness of the woods, which in comparison to the open valley was a welcoming change in climate and temperature. The temperature of the valley was roughly around 80 degrees. While our hiking began around 4pm,which is rather late in the day to begin hiking, we were not protected entirely from the warm weather outside the forest. I for one began sweating the instant I first exerted energy onto the trail. As I ascended the trail I passed several groups of what appeared to be families that were also attempting to reach the summit that day.
The most incredible aspect of the trail through Mt.Willard was the fact that the forest surrounding and at some parts engulfing the trail was only roughly older than 100 years of age. This being greatly in part to massive logging campaigns which decimated the area, their impact can still be seen when looking from the summit toward Crawford Notch. Many of the trees are not very large or tall yet they are, thankfully, very abundant. Due to the protections put in place by the United States Government these forests should hopefully be around for years to come.
-tm
Tony- "Decimated" is a great word and I swear I didn't use it after reading yours haha. Also, I too thought how nice the temperature change was in the woods compared to the open valley. When Arion said that ALL of these trees were gone only 100 years ago and they are already back gave me an impressive respect for Mother Nature.
ReplyDeleteI would also agree as far as the respect for Mother Nature and the trees and restored wilderness thanks to the weeks act protecting the forest. If we can only imagine what the forests of the White Mountains will be 100 years from now thanks to the weeks act! We can’t help but think we are witnessing Mother Nature at its best here in New Hampshire!
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