By end of the Ice Age in New England, about 10,000 years ago, the glacier had retreated to Canada, leaving profound changes in its wake. The two mile-high sheet of ice had sculpted whole mountain chains, smoothed hills, scooped out new lakes and ponds, filled in valleys, created new river systems, and moved great quantities of soil and rocks to create strange new land formations. As the glacier slowly retreated from this valley, it left large blocks of ice behind, which were then buried in the river sediments washing out from the base of the glacier. These ice blocks melted and left rounded depressions, which became kettlehole lakes. This floating mat is covered with an unusual assortment of plants, which are well adapted to survive the highly acidic and almost nutrient-free conditions.
Sphagnum moss is the major plant in a bog, which forms most of the bog mat.
Carnivorous plants such as the round-leaved sundew and the pitcher plant, get their nutrients from the insects they consume, while water loving trees such as black spruce and red maple sprout wherever the mat is thick enough. Preserving bogs is important, not only for the uncommon plants they contain, but as habitat for many birds and animals, from palm warblers and spruce grouse to bog lemmings and moose. Please enjoy the view from the trail. In 1980, an unusual occurrance took place here. A small tornado churned through this valley, crossed the lake, and levelled many of the majestic pines growing atop this ridge.