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Yes, it's not well known but the Smokies are a subrange of the Blue Ridge, along with the Blacks, Great Balsams, etc. While people say Grandfather Mountain is the "tallest in the Blue Ridge" it is merely the tallest along the front range of the Blue Ridge.
1 - White Mountains - The Presidential Range, Franconia Ridge, and some of the other smaller groups have fantastic summit views above treeline and great vertical relief.
2 - Blue Ridge Mountains - Forested to their summits, most of these mountains lack the summit views of the northern apps, but contain some really unique and rewarding rugged topography like Linville Gorge, Grandfather Mountain--the second most impressive mountain in the Apps, and the highest elevations in the chain in the Blacks and Smokies, which is something.
3 - Adirondacks - Geologically, they are technically not considered part of the Appalachians. As an ancient range that looks the same and runs contiguous with the Appalachians I think it's splitting hairs though. A great collection of mountain lakes complements these peaks.
4 - Katahdin - Arguable the single most impressive mountain in the Appalachian Range. But it's all alone. However, even all by itself, I would put it above all the other ranges that remain. The Alleghenies, the Ridge and Valley, the Catskills, The Cumberland Plateau, the Greens... all those seem very auxiliary compared to this thing.
Which range is your favorite Appalachian subrange? Judging the whole thing, whether you like skiing or Hiking or both, which have the nicest mountain towns, hardest or prettiest hikes (depending on what you want).
I'm not having a poll because there are too many, Whites, Greens, Adirondacks, Smokies, Blue Ridge, Blacks, Longfellow etc.
Given that criteria I would go with the NC/VA Blue Ridge Mountains and outdoor towns like Asheville NC, Brevard NC, Boone NC, Bryson City NC, Damascus VA, Galax VA, Big Stone Gap VA and Roanoke VA.
Nicest Mountain Towns/Cities: I'll go Shenandoah/Allegheny range with Pittsburgh (distinct in the East, and really even in the world), Harpers Ferry, Morgantown, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Winchester, etc.
Best Range (Scenery): I think that the Northeastern Mountains are more rugged and rocky. The Adirondacks are bigger and have all the lakes too, but from a sheer mountain standpoint, I think the Whites reign supreme.
That being said, the Smokies have the best year round weather (IMO, anywhere outside of the California coast in the US at least), they have some pretty great towns and cities, and are the most vast range and thus likely have so many different features. Also, they are a distinctive cultural region, and are just so incredibly lush.
To keep the post going for one more point though, not an Appalachian range, but the mountains of the Upper Great Lakes, like say Lutsen area in Minnesota North Shore and others, with the views of Lake Superior and Northwoods, may be the most aesthetically pleasing mountain area in the east, and among the most beautiful in the world: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...bac5d2c74d.jpg
just an example, but this picture hardly does them justice.
Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vatnos
4 - Katahdin - Arguable the single most impressive mountain in the Appalachian Range. But it's all alone. However, even all by itself, I would put it above all the other ranges that remain. The Alleghenies, the Ridge and Valley, the Catskills, The Cumberland Plateau, the Greens... all those seem very auxiliary compared to this thing.
Yup, Katahdin is pretty badass. See vertigo below......
Adirondacks hands down. Been through all ranges north of Georgia. What I love about the Adirondacks are all the clean water lakes and the feel of Adirondack Park with the towns. It's a one-of-a-kind for me.
I recently did the Franconia Ridge and Having 2.5 miles above the treee like is just incredible and that's only possible in the Whites and Katahdin.
The Roan/Unaka Mountains and the Great Balsams have long treeless summit ridges called 'balds' in the south, though it is not a true treeline as there are higher summits with trees. It's more like the situation with Mt Monadnock, a combination of acidic soil and wildfires created a false treeline in an area that's only borderline habitable for trees.
The Roan/Unaka Mountains and the Great Balsams have long treeless summit ridges called 'balds' in the south, though it is not a true treeline as there are higher summits with trees. It's more like the situation with Mt Monadnock, a combination of acidic soil and wildfires created a false treeline in an area that's only borderline habitable for trees.
The picture above shows the Art Loeb Trail, which has roughly 3.5 miles of uninterrupted treeless ridgeline (checking by hand in google maps). It goes over three 6000 ft peaks in the Great Balsam Mountains. It may be the 3rd largest treeless area in the Appalachians after Katahdin and Washington, oddly enough.
The Appalachian Trail goes over the Roans and there are two separate sections with a 2 mile and a 2.5 mile treeless ridge each, those are probably the second biggest sections.
However, none of these balds are as rugged as Katahdin, Washington, Franconia, or the High Peaks in the Adirondacks, as far as I know anyway.
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