| Traveler Mountain | |
|---|---|
Traveler Mountain, from Lower South Branch Pond, to the northwest | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 3,540 ft (1,080 m) |
| Prominence | 2,346 ft (715 m) [1] |
| Listing | New England Fifty Finest #22 |
| Coordinates | 46°04′22″N68°50′41″W / 46.072833°N 68.844833°W Coordinates: 46°04′22″N68°50′41″W / 46.072833°N 68.844833°W |
| Geography | |
  Traveler Mountain | |
| Topo map | USGS The Traveler |
Traveler Mountain is a mountain located in Piscataquis County, Maine, in Baxter State Park. [2] The Traveler, is the eighth-most prominent in Maine. Subsidiary peaks include the Peak of the Ridges 3,225 ft (983 m) North and South Traveler Mountain 3,144 ft (958 m) and 2,677 ft (816 m), respectively. [3]
A mountain is a large landform that rises above the surrounding land in a limited area, usually in the form of a peak. A mountain is generally steeper than a hill. Mountains are formed through tectonic forces or volcanism. These forces can locally raise the surface of the earth. Mountains erode slowly through the action of rivers, weather conditions, and glaciers. A few mountains are isolated summits, but most occur in huge mountain ranges.
Piscataquis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2010 census, its population was 17,535, making it Maine's least-populous county. Its county seat is Dover-Foxcroft. The county was incorporated on 23 March 1838, taken from the western part of Penobscot County and the eastern part of Somerset County, and is named for an Abenaki word meaning "branch of the river" or "at the river branch."
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Maine is the 12th smallest by area, the 9th least populous, and the 38th most densely populated of the 50 U.S. states. It is bordered by New Hampshire to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and northwest respectively. Maine is the easternmost state in the contiguous United States, and the northernmost state east of the Great Lakes. It is known for its jagged, rocky coastline; low, rolling mountains; heavily forested interior; and picturesque waterways, as well as its seafood cuisine, especially lobster and clams. There is a humid continental climate throughout most of the state, including in coastal areas such as its most populous city of Portland. The capital is Augusta.
The Traveler stands within the watershed of the Penobscot River, which drains into Penobscot Bay on the coast of Maine. The east side of the Traveler drains into the East Branch of the Penobscot River. The north and west sides of the Traveler drain by several brooks into Trout Brook, then into Grand Lake Matagamon, the source of the East Branch of the Penobscot. The south side of the Traveler drains into the Pogy Brook, then into Wassataquoik Stream and the East Branch.
A drainage basin is any area of land where precipitation collects and drains off into a common outlet, such as into a river, bay, or other body of water. The drainage basin includes all the surface water from rain runoff, snowmelt, and nearby streams that run downslope towards the shared outlet, as well as the groundwater underneath the earth's surface. Drainage basins connect into other drainage basins at lower elevations in a hierarchical pattern, with smaller sub-drainage basins, which in turn drain into another common outlet.
The Penobscot River is a 109-mile-long (175 km) river in the U.S. state of Maine. Including the river's West Branch and South Branch increases the Penobscot's length to 264 miles (425 km), making it the second-longest river system in Maine and the longest entirely in the state. Its drainage basin contains 8,610 square miles (22,300 km2).
Penobscot Bay is an inlet of the Gulf of Maine and Atlantic Ocean in south central Maine. The bay originates from the mouth of Maine's Penobscot River, downriver from Belfast. Penobscot Bay has many working waterfronts including Rockland, Rockport, and Stonington, and Belfast upriver. Penobscot Bay is between Muscongus Bay and Blue Hill Bay, just west of Acadia National Park.
The Traveler was named by loggers using the East Branch of the Penobscot River. As any distant object will appear to do, it seemed to move along with them as they went down river. Upper and Lower South Branch Ponds are at the western base of the Traveler. Three ridges descend the western slopes of the mountain and provide access to the summit. These ridges are from North to South: North Traveler Ridge, Center Ridge and Pinnacle Ridge. North Traveler Ridge of course leads to the Northern summit. The other two ridges begin near the thoroughfare between the two ponds and proceed up to the peak of the ridges 3,225 ft (983 m). Both routes then merge on the way from the Peak of the Ridges to the summit of the Traveler.
