Path of the Ancients
Carving a rugged ribbon through an ocean of alpine tundra, a worn footpath traces the exposed spine of a monumental mountain ridge. On either side of the stony trail, resilient colonies of alpine bearberry (Arctostaphylos alpina), dwarf shrubs, and golden tussock grasses form a vibrant, low-profile carpet that mirrors the shifting palette of early autumn. This narrow path snakes upward toward a dramatic, pyramid-like peak, flanked by steep glacial cirques where dark green krummholz selectively gives way to a sprawling canvas of orange and yellow deciduous forest rolling into the distant New England valleys.
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