I found this:
“After their relative lack of height and ruggedness, the most important characteristic of the Appalachians when compared to mountains in western North America is their extensive forest. With only a few minor scattered exceptions, the entire range of the Appalachian Mountains is cloaked in deep, thick, dense forest. To the north, and at higher elevations, a dark, humid evergreen forest of spruce and fir covers the mountains, while further south and lower down a more open broadleaf mix of birch, oak, and beech predominates.”
Sounds perfect. I am getting packed ;)
“Second, the forest means that hiking trails become far more important. Bushwhacking, away from established trails, is generally miserable, slow work slogging through thick bushes and closely spaced trees. Also, perversely, the going gets more difficult the higher up you get, since the evergreens and harsh climate of higher elevations combine to form dense, gnarled thickets that are all but impossible to penetrate without a trail or a chainsaw. This contrasts markedly with most of the west, where the sparse forests and wide-open above-timberline terrain allow the hiker to go pretty much wherever he pleases without worrying too much about trails.”
Ha! I tried going cross country just once last summer - ended up with soaking feet and pants from having to cross a water-logged meadow, scratches on my face and arms from tree branches where I had to force my way through, and dirt everywhere from falling down a hill. I stuck to trails after that without end thinking about it. They must be talking about way up on Mt. Whitney where the tree line ends. Most of the Sierras aren’t nearly that high. And have plenty of pines. However, ‘Dense gnarled thickets’ in the Appalachians (I had been spelling it wrong) sound pretty neat to keep uninvited people away!
Another spot you would just love is the Gasby Penninsula way north in Eastern Canada. A combination of mountains and little fishing villages in the Vally's along the coast, leave you alternately driving in the mountains looking down on the little coastal villages and then down in the villages driving along the beautiful coastline, looking up at the mountains. It's a long, long drive, even from here in Maine, but one of the few places yet unspoiled by the modern world. Some of the villages are nearly all French speaking and some are nearly all English speaking, providing delighful contrasts within just a few miles.
Yes, the cold winters do get to me , especially as I get older, but occasionally, I still manage to snowshoe out into the woods where the white pristine snow, the quiet broken only by the song of chickadees refreshes my soul and makes me realize that despite the cold, I would miss the changing seasons if I lived elsewhere.