A Walk above the Clouds

[dawn_felagund]

Earlier this week, we took a walk down my road, in the valley along the Barton River. These pictures, which we taken the day after the walk down my road, couldn't be more different. Instead of the valley, this walk was along the ridgeline of Mount Mansfield, Vermont's highest mountain. Instead of soft meadows, a gently coursing river, and a palette

Comments

[oloriel]

EVERYBODY loves to make cairns, especially in the face of cliffs, abysses, waterfalls or the ocean! I've been assuming that whenever nature makes humans feel small, they need to do something with their hands - like put a couple of rocks on top of each other - to assert themselves. But when my parents were in Norway, they learned that actually, you make these stone heaps in order to pacify the trolls. I suppose it amounts to the same thing.

What an uncomfortable hike that must have been, but it looks very scenic and atmospheric on my computer screen! I can imagine that it's going to be completely different when you try it again in summer (and in proper boots). Hope you'll be feeling better about yourself soon!

[dawn_felagund]

I never saw cairns in Maryland, but Marylanders don't do much outdoorsy stuff as a general rule. When we vacationed in Maine this summer, there was a "Leave only footprints, take only pictures" sign on one of the trails with a photo of cairn beneath it with a red slash through it! I felt like that was probably aimed at the Vermonters. :D We'll sometimes drive along a low river here, and there will be dozens of cairns in the river, not to mention the obligatory cairns on trails. (There is one on Haystack Mountain that is taller than me!)

I'm just really not comfortable on rocks at the moment. I had a pretty bad fall on some muddy rocks this summer and landed backward on my forearms, which I tore up quite badly. I do need new boots. If I had better boots and my previous state of confidence, it would have been a lovely hike!

[oloriel]

It probably depends on the place (and its policies)! As I said, in Norway (as well as Iceland) it appears to be an honoured tradition. I also saw cairns in Namibia (probably no troll tradition), Britanny and, rarely, in Germany (but then, I rarely go hiking here). That is why I assumed it was a typically Noldorin human reaction to awe-inspiring scenery. Of course, the place also needs some handy rocks that can be stacked in this manner.

Ouch! That would be enough to make anyone feel insecure on rock, especially in wet weather!