Rock On

As an avid hiker, I spend a lot of time tromping around in the woods. And, now that I'm in Maine, I've noticed a very strange thing. The woods here are filled with rocks. Lots of them! Not bedrock, or a few small stones here and there. But, big boulder fields. Among the trees. In fact, there are so many boulders here that you could say that the trees are among them.

Apparently, these rock depositories (typically granite or gneiss) are the result of glacial activity in the area. When the glaciers were formed, they trapped many large rocks within them. When the glaciers receded across Maine, they dumped them back out again. But, only after breaking them up into millions of pieces and tumbling them to a nice smooth finish. 

So, if you come to Down East Maine for a walk in the woods, remember to bring your camera, your patience, and your rock slaloming skills. 

And, don't forget to have a gneiss day!