Jazzbo
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On 4/3/11 Beth, Steve, Skipper, and I meet for an impromptu hike to 3580’ Mount Pliny a spur peak off of the Pliny Range. Who is Pliny and why is the peak named after him? Well … according to Wikipedia....
"Gaius Plinius Secundus (23 AD – August 25, 79 AD), better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian. Spending most of his spare time studying, writing or investigating natural and geographic phenomena in the field, he wrote an encyclopedic work, Naturalis Historia, which became a model for all such works written subsequently. Pliny the Younger, his nephew, wrote of him in a letter to the historian Tacitus:
For my part I deem those blessed to whom, by favour of the gods, it has been granted either to do what is worth writing of, or to write what is worth reading; above measure blessed those on whom both gifts have been conferred. In the latter number will be my uncle, by virtue of his own and of your compositions.[1]
Pliny is referring to the fact that Tacitus relied on his uncle's now missing work on the History of the German Wars. Pliny the Elder died on August 25, 79 AD, while attempting the rescue by ship of a friend and his family from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that had just destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The prevailing wind would not allow his ship to leave the shore. His companions attributed his collapse and death to toxic fumes, but they were unaffected by the fumes, suggesting natural causes.[2]"
Pretty good credentials! …. A name that harks back to the days in the mid-1800’s when Thomas Starr King was one of the summer people around Jefferson and writing about the region and applying names to places and no classical education is complete without studying latin and Greek. I don’t know why USGS chooses to call it the Pliny Range when Mount Pliny is just a subsidiary peak off the main range with Starr King and Waumbek, but that’s what the map says. Now the report.
We followed the standard route for this peak which is to follow the Priscilla Brook Trail which follows oddly enough Priscilla Brook all the way up to the col between Pliny Mountain and East Waumbek. At the col you head due south heading for a well fairly defined summit cone. We found the canister right away. The gradient is so mild mannered it could be called the Clark Kent Trail. The spruce forest is mature spruce with plenty of room between trees for hiking.
We work our way up to the summit. Another party of 3 joins us as we arrived at the summit … Michael and Hanna and one more.
We spent a pleasant half hour together enjoying summit cookies, the sunny weather and the peek-a-boo views of majestic King Ravine through the trees.
What makes this mild-mannered hike interesting is our decision to exit via the little 3200’ bump located immediately to the west of Pliny that we chose to designate Pliny the Younger. We descended rapidly 500’ or so down a steep slope again through marvelous open spruce taking care not to miss the narrow connecting col. Brief glimpses of Pliny the Younger through the tree tops. Indicated a very wide open summit. Yahoo! Views of Northern Presidential Range here we come!
We worked our way up to Pliny the Younger through wide open park like woods. The area has been logged, but whoever logged this area did a fabulous job of cleaning up the slash because it really looks like you’re walking in the park. Here is Beth leading the way.
Views of Northern Presidentials were simply marvelous on this clear and sunny afternoon.
There really wasn’t any need to stop as the views just kept on going for a long part of the way down west side of Pliny the Younger. The woods evolved into open hardwoods and resuming a steep descent practically skiing in the soft but firm spring snow conditions. Here's my companions heading down the steep section.
Oh yeah ... this is one of a cluster of beeches we saw with many bear claw marks. There's bears in these woods!
We rejoined the Priscilla Brook trail perhaps ½ mile from the road and were shortly back at the car. Taking our time this hike took us maybe 4.5 hours and is bit over 5.1 miles RT. If you’re going to do this peak, I definitely recommend taking in Pliny the Younger. It will be well worth it. Pliny the Elder for the list and Pliny the Younger for the Views!
"Gaius Plinius Secundus (23 AD – August 25, 79 AD), better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian. Spending most of his spare time studying, writing or investigating natural and geographic phenomena in the field, he wrote an encyclopedic work, Naturalis Historia, which became a model for all such works written subsequently. Pliny the Younger, his nephew, wrote of him in a letter to the historian Tacitus:
For my part I deem those blessed to whom, by favour of the gods, it has been granted either to do what is worth writing of, or to write what is worth reading; above measure blessed those on whom both gifts have been conferred. In the latter number will be my uncle, by virtue of his own and of your compositions.[1]
Pliny is referring to the fact that Tacitus relied on his uncle's now missing work on the History of the German Wars. Pliny the Elder died on August 25, 79 AD, while attempting the rescue by ship of a friend and his family from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that had just destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. The prevailing wind would not allow his ship to leave the shore. His companions attributed his collapse and death to toxic fumes, but they were unaffected by the fumes, suggesting natural causes.[2]"
Pretty good credentials! …. A name that harks back to the days in the mid-1800’s when Thomas Starr King was one of the summer people around Jefferson and writing about the region and applying names to places and no classical education is complete without studying latin and Greek. I don’t know why USGS chooses to call it the Pliny Range when Mount Pliny is just a subsidiary peak off the main range with Starr King and Waumbek, but that’s what the map says. Now the report.
We followed the standard route for this peak which is to follow the Priscilla Brook Trail which follows oddly enough Priscilla Brook all the way up to the col between Pliny Mountain and East Waumbek. At the col you head due south heading for a well fairly defined summit cone. We found the canister right away. The gradient is so mild mannered it could be called the Clark Kent Trail. The spruce forest is mature spruce with plenty of room between trees for hiking.
We work our way up to the summit. Another party of 3 joins us as we arrived at the summit … Michael and Hanna and one more.
We spent a pleasant half hour together enjoying summit cookies, the sunny weather and the peek-a-boo views of majestic King Ravine through the trees.
What makes this mild-mannered hike interesting is our decision to exit via the little 3200’ bump located immediately to the west of Pliny that we chose to designate Pliny the Younger. We descended rapidly 500’ or so down a steep slope again through marvelous open spruce taking care not to miss the narrow connecting col. Brief glimpses of Pliny the Younger through the tree tops. Indicated a very wide open summit. Yahoo! Views of Northern Presidential Range here we come!
We worked our way up to Pliny the Younger through wide open park like woods. The area has been logged, but whoever logged this area did a fabulous job of cleaning up the slash because it really looks like you’re walking in the park. Here is Beth leading the way.
Views of Northern Presidentials were simply marvelous on this clear and sunny afternoon.
There really wasn’t any need to stop as the views just kept on going for a long part of the way down west side of Pliny the Younger. The woods evolved into open hardwoods and resuming a steep descent practically skiing in the soft but firm spring snow conditions. Here's my companions heading down the steep section.
Oh yeah ... this is one of a cluster of beeches we saw with many bear claw marks. There's bears in these woods!
We rejoined the Priscilla Brook trail perhaps ½ mile from the road and were shortly back at the car. Taking our time this hike took us maybe 4.5 hours and is bit over 5.1 miles RT. If you’re going to do this peak, I definitely recommend taking in Pliny the Younger. It will be well worth it. Pliny the Elder for the list and Pliny the Younger for the Views!
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I assumed that Range was probably named after a Roman Pliny but never knew that for sure. It must be a tribute to the Elder, as writer of the greatest work of natural history from the classical era that has survived. 
