the most beautiful thing you've ever seen on the trail?

[AntlerPeak]

There are way too many most beautiful things over the years but two come to mind. There is a lean-to sitting in a flower filled meadow below the snowy spires of the Cowlitz Chimneys on Mt Ranier's Wonderland Trail. From it you can look down the meadow into a cirque with a waterfall that seems to go forever. Behind it the trail winds upward to a high col or pass and on the rocks we saw mountain goats climbing with such ease it made our efforts to get up there seem even more futile. The second was on a hike along the Nanny Ridge in the south Cascades I turned a corner and there sitting at eye level a few yards away was a bald eagle. With the camera secured in the dreaded pack I very slowly took it out. The eagle just glared, from twenty feet away and my zoom set at 100 he came close to filling the lens. The problem was lighting, near dusk and having Kodachrome asa 25 in the bloody camera it was difficult to get the meter to get close to proper exposure. Thankfully I had a camera that worked fully manual. One slide of the lot came out. That 11x14 hangs in the living room and it is without a doubt the best wildlife shot I ever got. Moose in Maine, well you can tell with a magnifying glass they are moose. Something like the mountain goats above you can tell if you look hard. We just don't show those, not like the eagle.

 

[Gris]

E-Z! Several years ago my daughter (then 13) and I were hiking in a very remote old growth forest in W.V. We were many, many miles from any signs of civilization. We were trying to find a beautiful waterfall rumored to be at the end of this particular trail. The forest was enchanting with a canopy high overhead and leaves covered the ground even though it was early summer. As we made our way up the creek bed the falls came into view - about 80 ft. high with a trickle coming over a big overhanging ledge with a cavernous undercut below, the water splattering onto a perfectly level bathing slab. Indian drawings still on the "cave" walls. We stopped in our tracks about 50 yards before the falls. A doe jumped up from under a log and some brush laying across the little creek and staggered off, turning to bleat back at us every 100 ft. I said "what the heck..." My daughter said "Look!" I then saw the newborn fawn under the log. We backed well off to a point behind a large tree and watched the fawn take its first wobbly steps as it responded to mama's calls. We made a wide circle around them to the falls as they slowly departed. After a head dip in the cool fall we sat in the "cave" and ate lunch as a summer shower moved in. When we left 30 min. or so later as it cleared. We looked back and there was a rainbow over the falls. I am certain that this was one of the defining moments in my daughter's love for the outdoors...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

 

[Amicus]

Thermal Inversion from Monroe Summit

There are the quiet epiphanies and there are the Technicolor Cinemascope extravaganzas. This was the latter:

Standing outside Lakes of the Clouds Hut around 6 a.m. on a clear Monday morning, Labor Day weekend 2004, looking toward Bretton Woods, I saw that a remarkable thermal inversion had created a marshmallow cloud-blanket that extended perfectly evenly to the horizon, just below 4,300 feet (as I later decided).

This demanded to be witnessed from the summit of Monroe, so I hustled up there, following a like-minded stranger. At the top, we discovered a bearded fellow who looked about 30, perched on the topmost crag. I uttered a pleasantry which he acknowledged neither by word nor by gesture. Rude, deaf or withdrawn to some higher plateau of consciousness? I wondered, finally deciding on the last of those.

I was in Lucy-in-the-Skyland. Looking up to the summit of Washington, I saw the structures as the unpretentious dwellings of Skyland's ruler. Southward, the Presidential Range undulated to beyond Eisenhower before the marshmallow sea - here gilded by the sunrise - lapped shallowly over the col between it and Pierce. The latter's summit stood watch as an island to the south.

Like stout Cortez, silent on that peak in Darien (or however that poem goes), I stared westwards at what could have been the Pacific, but surreal. Nary a gap, dip or bulge varied that perfect cloud-blanket, and the only landmarks were islands and archipelagos formed by the highest peaks in the Pemi wilderness. Nearest at hand, the summit of Field alone, barely breaching the blanket, marked the Willey Range. South of that, only the mighty summit of Carrigain, rising several hundred feet higher. To the west, two atolls, long and gnarly fingers, in parallel N-S lines: the Twins running south to Bond, and in the distance, longer and higher, the Lafayette Range.

I turned east, to find that the cloud-blanket on that side too stretched smooth to the horizon. Boott Spur blocked any view of the tall summits in Maine to the north, so this was a featureless ocean. Not our briny Atlantic chop, but a fluffy lake of Toffee Butterscotch Milkshake, from the wonderful sunrise.

My wristwatch ended my reverie - they serve breakfast at 7 sharp in the Huts and people were waiting for me.

Merry Christmas to all.

 

[BrentD22]

Waking Up Early

I usually sleep in as much as possible. I'm a night person. So it has always been odd that I seem to wake up early when out in the backcountry. I think it's my minds way of telling me I love watching a sun rise and other morning views.

Once when staying at the Jim Liberty Cabin I woke to see the valley covered in a blanket of clouds. It gave the feeling of being much higher up than 3K, more like 10k it was very beautiful and along with the sun rising it was amazing!

 

[sun=electric]

!. In the old days (1970's) before restrictions waking up on the peak of Wittenburg and watching the clouds form as the wind blew up over the water.
2. Grizzly cubs sliding down the snow in Glacier Nat Pk Montana
3. Blue Ice in Patagonia glaciers

 

[Johnnycakes]

Aerial Display by Canadian Geese

We were on the Indian Head Cliffs overlooking the Ausable Lakes and the Great Range during peak foliage in October just before sunset (as if that wasn't beautiful enough), when a flock of about 20-25 geese flew over the range between Armstrong and Gothics, and then over Sawteeth. Once over Lower Ausable Lake they proceed to put on the most amazing aerial dispaly I have ever seen, going into vertical dives losing 500-1000 feet of elevation at a time, banking on steep turns, while flying in perfect formation the whole time. It was stunning and I felt as though they were performing just for us.

John

 

[Mike P.]

I have pictures similar to teh Adams shot above, abd was on Mitchell several years ago when the clouds covered everything below 5500 feet.

I've heard loons while sitting next to Elk Lake & sometimes thought seeing my car at the end of the day was a great sight too.

I'll have to say hiking in the Klamms' (spelling?) while ascending & descending Zugspitze although the view from near the top is great too. The klamms are basically hiking on a section of trail that goes in & out of caves along a roaring stream in a gorge with waterfalls coming over the top in numerous places.

 

[Rugger]

Two, a small black bear rolling down the hill, smacking a tree and sitting there on his butt with his hind legs out like a stuffed teddy bear for a minute before staggering off. and the rainbow below us hiking in Scotland this summer (see the Avatar)

 

[dug]

My dog running unabashedly up and down the trail, full joy in every stride. Not a care in the world, and an entire mountain to sniff.

 

[sierra]

goats

I had always wanted to see a mountain goat. A few years back, I was soloing Grays and Torres in CO, when I approached the summitt of Grays peak, there where 3 mountain Goats sitting right on the summitt. I sat down next to them, there I was sitting at 14,000ft with a couple of goats,priceless.

 

[rhihn]

I had always wanted to see a mountain goat. A few years back, I was soloing Grays and Torres in CO, when I approached the summitt of Grays peak, there where 3 mountain Goats sitting right on the summitt. I sat down next to them, there I was sitting at 14,000ft with a couple of goats,priceless.

I witnessed the same thing on the same peak, though almost 30 years ago. Stunning views, though I was not quite so close as you.

 

[marty]

I did the Franconia Ridge Loop three years ago, on a gorgeous Indian summer day in October. When I reached the summit of Lafayette, I asked three guys hanging out there to take my photo. They said, "No, I don't think so". Disheartened with humanity, I saw another couple just summiting. I asked them and they said of course. As I was posing, the female says, "Wait, isn't your name Marty Gallow?" That was my last name before my mother remarried in 1972. I said yes, not having a clue who this person was. She then identified herself. Turns out she was one of my best friends in high school who I hadn't seen in about 25 years. Well, that turned out to be nicer than any high school reunion I have ever been too. She, her husband and I hung out there for most of the afternoon, catching up on things, basking in the warm sunshine.

 

[Rick]

#1
6-7 years aog, Myself and a buddy were leading a trip on the AT in NH. The clients had all set up tents at the campsite on Smarts Mountain. We waited until dark and headed up to the Tower with a ready coffee pot, stove, sleeping bags and groundcloth.
We slept up there in that buffeting wind to the sounds of straining metal and creaking wood floors and as my friend put it, waking up at midnite and seeing all those stars through the windows of the fire tower that were surrounded by giant rivets was like watching an old spaceship show.
Sunrise was absolutely incredible. It was early July, so we got up at 3:45 to see all the colors of the sky just before sunup. Absolutely breathtaking.

#2
Backpacking in PA and finding an unopened can of Labatts caught under the edge of a rock in a cold stream by our campsite.

 

[WalksWithBlackflies]

A miniture forest of lichen, ferns, and moss near the summit of Couchsacraga. Attached is one photo.

Also attached is a photo I took from Whiteface (NY) looking into the Wilmington Valley. It was absolutely nasty on the summit, so I huddled behind the summit buildings to eat lunch. Just as I was about to descend, the sky instantly opened up. Smaller clouds were rushing up the flanks of the mountain. The newly fallen snow on the cripplebrush contrasted with the fall colors in the valley below was spectacular. The photo really didn't do it justice.

 

[Grumpy]

In more than 50 years of hiking I’ve seen so many things of great natural beauty that I simply can’t pick one as the “most beautiful ever.”

So I am left thinking that perhaps the most beautiful thing I’ve seen on the trail is my little family: Mrs. (Pretty) Grumpy, and our now grown up daughter, Prima Donna Grumpy. Many great adventures and places and moments together, pictured in photographs and most especially in mind's eye, which conjures up images that are vividly fresh and very real.

Maybe what I’m remembering is beautiful times and experiences rather than beautiful things. It’s just a different way of looking at our world, I suppose.

G.

 

[Furry]

1. Waking up at Grey Knob, taking a short stroll to the Quay and observing the most beautiful undercast....makes you feel like you're in a whole different world.

2. Any one of the times I've had a chance to see as many stars as I've ever seen while looking up into a cloudless night sky at Baxter State Park (I know lots of others have shared this one too! ).

-and-

3. Along the lines of Rick's serendipitous find - after coming down from the summit of Mt. Pierce on a beautiful day in early-May, we found three cans of ice-cold beer just barely sticking out of a snow drift at Mizpah hut. It was Coors Light , but at least it was ice cold. Probably the best tasting Coors Light I've ever had!!!

 

[MikePS]

Like others , I have been blessed with many beautiful moments over the years, impossible to give justice to them all. Often "firsts" stand out the most, first time over the Knife, sunset on LAke Wassataquoick, first backpack in the tetons, bears in the Wyoming backcountry,first snowshoe in the presis after a two ft snowstorm, and quite recently,NOV 05, a bald Eagle flying over us on Doublehead Good luck and have fun!

 

[Jaytrek57]

The A-10 flyover of Franconia Ridge for the Flags event this past September was....

B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L !

 

[timmus]

For me the most beautiful thing that I ever saw on the trail would be that tiny sun ray piercing the clouds, while hiking toward Chimney Pond on Katahdin.

In the morning the Ranger at TH told us to forget about the summit (and Knife Edge) because of the bad weather. We were so disapointed because we couldn't stay for another day. So we decided to hike to Blueberry Knoll instead. Then that ray of light touch my cheek... We changed our minds, hiked up Saddle trail, and discovered a clear blue sky as soon as we got on the ridge. I think I cried, I couldn't believe it. We had the most amazing mountain in North East just for ourselves ! And of course we did the Knife Edge, and that hike was certainly the best day of my life.

Photo here

 

[trailbiscuit]

The toll booths on I-80 over the Delaware River where the AT crosses. Good-bye Pennsylvania!!!