To the south is the continuation of the traprock ridge system, of which Higby is part, as it extends towards New Haven and Long Island Sound. To the west, through a fault in the ridge system, you see other traprock ridges, such as Lamentation Mountain and the Hanging Hills, before the Western Uplands rise beyond them in the distance. The Central lowlands stretch to the north with Hartford off in the distance. The kind of basalt found at Higby Mountain is called traprock . Traprock is a quarryperson s term that came from the Swedish trappa or step, because of the breaks that give the angular cliff faces the appearance of steps.
Traprock ridges are biologically diverse.
Basalt is composed of a number of metamorphosed minerals including feldspar, which is high in calcium. In contrast, the talus slopes that form at the foot of the escarpments are frequently wooded and, due to cold-air drainage, cooler than the surrounding habitats. This mixing of plants and animals from both north and south, supplemented by calceophiles from the limestone region, increases natural diversity at these sites. The open summit along the escarpment is probably the most interesting plant community on Higby Mountain. Not only is the diversity great but the aesthetics of the place are best felt from here.