Above the treeline on Katahdin, Traveler, and the Brothers, the ground holds a few inches of soil over ancient rock, and the plants living there have already negotiated wind, ice, and drought in order to stay. A single boot off-trail can undo decades of that work.
When you hike in the alpine zone, walk single file on marked trails and rock. Step on stone where you can. Step on scree where you must. Do not step on vegetation, especially the cushion plants, the sedges, and the diapensia. If the trail is wet, walk through it, not around it. Widening is worse than a muddy boot.
These places are the oldest, slowest-recovering parts of the park. They are also the reason Percival Baxter bought this land. Thank you for walking them with care.