Just got back from a hike in the White Mountains and the tree line is moving up fast

I was hiking the Ammonoosuc Ravine Trail last month, heading up to Mount Washington. Around 4,500 feet, I noticed a lot of young balsam fir and spruce growing in areas that were just open alpine zone a decade ago. The old cairns marking the trail are now surrounded by knee-high trees. A park ranger I spoke with at the summit said they've measured a 300-foot upward shift in the tree line over the past 30 years. It's not just a few saplings, it's a whole new forest starting where it shouldn't be. That means less habitat for the alpine plants and animals that need that cold, open space. The soil is changing too, getting warmer and thicker. It's a clear sign the climate is shifting right in front of us. Has anyone else seen this kind of rapid change in other mountain areas?

3 comments

3 Comments

wyatt1352mo ago

Yeah, I used to think these changes were slow. But hearing about the Alps from ben_lewis and seeing those new trees myself, it's clearly happening now.

marydavis2mo ago

Actually walked that exact trail in the Alps last summer. The tree line is moving up fast, no question. Best thing you can do is document it with photos from the same spot each year. Makes the change real for people who still think it's slow.

ben_lewis2mo ago

Read an article about this happening in the Alps. They're seeing the same thing, with pine trees climbing into meadows that have been open for centuries. It's pushing out the mountain goats and the wildflowers that only grow up there. Makes you wonder what the whole place will look like in another twenty years, you know? Like, will those iconic open ridges just be gone?