Saddleback Mt.

I've been busy the past several days, but last Monday, I took a hike up Saddleback Mt with a friend. I love the alpine environments of the Northeast. At 4120' it's the 14th highest in Maine and with The Horn, (a summit attached to Saddleback), 4041' and the 21 highest . And that also means it around treeline. The Appalachian Trail runs along the summit ridge, views are great and the weather isn't always the best. We hit it on terms, calm winds, temps in the 70's.

Scattered patches of krummholz are about on the top, like this clump of balsam fir(Abies balsamea) and labrador tea(Ledum groenlandicum).

Mountain Sandwort (Arenaria groenlandica) was very abundant. It thrives in disturbed areas, especially in places disturb by frost. The trail was fringed with it.

I love the bonsai qualities of the krummholz.

Confessions of a bog walker

I spent yesterday walking in a bog. It's an old bog, completely filled in, thick mat of sphagnum moss, and a tangle of leatherleaf,Labrador tea, and rhodora. All in search of butterflies. Upon spotting one across on the other side, I would, well you can't run,it's like running over semi frozen jello, with a million tripping hazards and ice water. So I would just walk over, way too late to even see the butterfly. Once I got lucky and a mourning cloak flew to me.

It was hot, I got soaked. Got "misplaced".

I had fun.