Nature Pics

Post by **Lalaith** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 2:55 am

No otters.

Nor were there eagles at Eagle Lake. Nor any moose at any of the moose crossing signs. Nor any porcupines on the various Porcupine Islands. It became our joke that Maine lies about all of its place names, and only half of the place name is true. So we suspected that "Pretty Marsh" was just a marsh and not at all pretty. We figured "Bear Island" might be an island, but there were no bears there for sure.

Post by **SirDennis** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 5:02 am

Lalaith wrote: We figured "Bear Island" might be an island, but there were no bears there for sure.

This may be a bit of folk wisdom, but I've heard in bear country it's safer to camp on islands than mainland because bears tend to avoid islands... something about not wanting to be trapped on a relatively small foraging ground after the spring thaw (and they can't manage canoes). This and waking up on an island in springtime means their friends will think they're not smarter than the average bear.

If all this is true, odds are any island called Bear Island is a fraud.

Sun Sep 01, 2013 5:08 am

Bears are very rarely seen in Acadia. Moose somewhat more often, but still very rare.

Post by **narya** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 5:20 am

Probably just a typo for a island with no vegetation.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 7:33 am

I remember my brother raging for miles after we drove past Elk City, with no elk to be seen (and no city, now that I think of it).

Post by **Lalaith** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 12:53 pm

I just think that if you're going to claim an exciting animal in your place name you should actually have those animals there for tourists to see. That only seems fair.

In other news, apparently there have been 2 sightings of black bears in my county here in Ohio--one in my township!

Sun Sep 01, 2013 2:35 pm

This is North Dome, from which those pics of Half Dome were taken:

Post by **SirDennis** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 5:50 pm

V was it very dry there? It looks dry. Such different impressions of how I've imagined (and seen in photographs) Yosimite. Mountains here in the east are ancient and worn down, while this place looks relatively new. Also, when you're looking at the tops of trees you know you're high.

(Is that someone's pack in the bottom right?)

Sun Sep 01, 2013 6:44 pm

It is the dry season, although it was pretty wet later that day! The reason why it looks so different than most pictures of Yosemite is that most pics are from the iconic Yosemite Valley, whereas this is in the high country, although looking down into the Valley. I'm not sure if that is a pack or not.

I went a little past the last vegetation that you can see in that picture; Beth wouldn't let me go any further than that.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 8:43 pm

I can understand that.

Post by **Frelga** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:28 pm

Lalaith wrote:No otters. Nor were there eagles at Eagle Lake. Nor any moose at any of the moose crossing signs. Nor any porcupines on the various Porcupine Islands. It became our joke that Maine lies about all of its place names, and only half of the place name is true. So we suspected that "Pretty Marsh" was just a marsh and not at all pretty. We figured "Bear Island" might be an island, but there were no bears there for sure.

"Local people called it the Bear Mountain. This was because it was a bare mountain, not because it had a lot of bears on it. This caused a certain amount of profitable confusion, though; people often strode into the nearest village with heavy duty crossbows, traps and nets and called haughtily for native guides to lead them to the bears. Since everyone locally was making quite a good living out of this, what with the sale of guide books, maps of bear caves, ornamental cuckoo-clocks with bears on them, bear walking-sticks and cakes baked in the shape of a bear, somehow no-one had time to go and correct the spelling."

Terry Pratchett, Witches Abroad

Post by **Lalaith** » Sun Sep 01, 2013 9:45 pm

It certainly could be the case!

Post by **narya** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 5:44 am

Actually, the geographic features in Alaska and northern Canada still have their epinomes about. Bear Valley, Eagle River, Quartz Creek, Dry Creek, Black Rapids, Moose Creek, Carcross (short for Caribou Crossing). The town of Chicken was thusly named because the locals could not spell ptarmigan.

And here's a pic of Mono Lake.

Post by **Pearly Di** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 12:58 pm

Oooh, the big skies of America.

Love it.

V-Man and Narya, your piccies are STUNNING.

I adore big waterfalls - the bigger, the better! I Googled the Waterwheels Falls and have just been watching a gorgeous vid of them on YouTube, in full spate. Awesomely magnificent!

Also love Lali's New England photos.

I've been to Vermont - beautiful state.

Mon Sep 02, 2013 3:38 pm

Here's another one of Mono Lake:

Post by **Inanna** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 3:46 pm

That backpack looks like a person walking to me! Is that possible, V?

Mono lake is gorgeous.

Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:14 pm

It is definitely possible.

Post by **SirDennis** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 6:50 pm

I was thinking a non-traditional Yeti perhaps. A bit blonde though.

Forgot to mention, Narya's 'fishes' is lovely.

Post by **Elentári** » Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:11 pm

Another lovely sunset, Voronwë...and the neat thing about viewing your photo digitally is that if you tilt the screen you can make it appear to be earlier or later (darker/lighter) - rather neat!

(I know, "simple things..."

)

Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:15 pm

Sunrise, actually.