hiking plans for alpine flowers?

Alpine flower lovers, what are your plans for this season? Any special itinerary like seaching for rare plants? What mountains or trails are you planning to hike? What are your favorite flowers and trails?

I'll be leading an AMC hike of Carter Dome on June 10 and expect to see a few then, but mainly I'm hoping the weather will be good the following day (and that I'll have the energy) so that I can do the Huntington-Ravine/Alpine-Garden/Lion-Head loop. I've never had any luck with the AG in late June; always a disappointment. The one time I saw some decent color was early one June when I was on the Lion Head trail headed for the summit.

Besides the proverbial Alpine Garden, I've found that around Eisenhower, and the section of trail where the Gulfside and the Airline overlap (as it skirts the rim of King Ravine) are usually good spots for a variety of flowers. And if it's bunchberries you want to see - the high ridges of VT's Long Trail.

I have my favorite spots but the only ones I'll cite publicly are the Alpine Garden and Tuckerman Ravine. Wish I were in better health to hike this season though

forestnome, I'll send you a PM.

The diapensia was just getting going around Mt. Pierce last weekend, with a few blooms of rosebay and alpine azalea here and there. I'd say it's a bit earlier than "usual," whatever that is.

The lower section of the Crawford path had hobblebush, trilliums, trout lilies, bellwort, and goldthread. Lady's slippers were still in bud.

Therre were some fresh fungi here and there, and the pixie cup lichens on the Crawford Path were robust, obviously for the use of big pixies.

The birds were in fine voice too, and a pine marten was scooting around near Mizpah hut.

I don't know if it's any indication, but the flowers were in full bloom around June 12 last year on the Alpine Garden.

audrey said:

The diapensia was just getting going around Mt. Pierce last weekend, with a few blooms of rosebay and alpine azalea here and there. I'd say it's a bit earlier than "usual," whatever that is.

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Thanks, Audrey. I'll be hiking at higher elevations (Presidentials?) for the first time in months on Saturday. Really looking forward to it.

Kevin, I'll keep those spots in mind. Thanks.

Happy Trails!

fyi -- AMC finally reissued the "Field Guide to the New England Summits" by Slack and Bell, which was out of print for a year or two. I bought a copy of the 2nd edition a few wks ago & had the occasion to hear one of the authors (Allison Bell, the photographer) give a brief talk on alpine flora & plant photography.

the 2nd edition is essentially the same as the 1st ed.; same photographs, supposedly they fixed a few errors (I didn't look closely to see), but the major difference is a few new pages at the end -- including a bloom chart, for which you can thank Doug Weihrauch (he's the guy in charge of the Mountain Watch alpine flora phenology program)

also NH Natural Heritage Bureau has various publications which may give you some vague clues on which general areas (both geographically and/or in terms of terrain type) to check out.

Bob Kittredge said:

I've never had any luck with the AG in late June; always a disappointment.

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call me twisted but I like the alpine zone better once the diapensia/alpine azalea/lapland rosebay stop flowering (though that pesky mountain avens is there for most of July, waving yellow blossoms like those evil fans at a basketball game waving stuff to irritate the freethrow shooters); then you get less of a distraction while looking for other stuff.

arghman said:

fyi -- AMC finally reissued the "Field Guide to the New England Summits" by Slack and Bell.

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Thanks for the tip. I'll pick up a copy before my next hike.

Happy Trails!

In Bloom...

I just got back from a jaunt. Diapensia, Rosebay and Azelea are all in bloom up to 5000 feet! Found none any higher up!

Pictures posted later...

Pic

Here's a shot from the littleton formation around 4800ft...

Flowers are coming in Nicely!

The lower Skookumchuck Trail was a haven for scores of red Trillium several weeks ago and when I hiked there last year on Memorial Day weekend, there was a profusion of Lady Slippers. I have also found the Mt Clay Loop to be festooned with a variety of alpine flowers. The Jewell Trail from top to bottom is also a good spot for flowers. It might be a bit early for the upper altitudes but with the low snowfalls this year, the upper reaches may have an early start on the bloomers.

JohnL

Huntington Ravine Trail

Anyone knows the condition of Huntington Ravine Trail?

Planning take this trail to alpine garden this weekeed.

Any other good spots for alpine followers?

Check 'Trail Conditions' here before the trip, but I wouldn't expect any problems with the trail by now. In early June, I really love to hike up Huntington Ravine, across the Alpine Garden, around the lip of Tuckerman Ravine to Boott Spur, then down the Tuckerman Cutoff (I think that's the name) which has wonderful views into TR. That'll probably be my hike this Sunday, which looks to be the nicer day this weekend.

If I can manage a ride/spot my truck, I'm also thinking of hiking up Boott Spur or Slide Peak, over to Lakes of the Clouds, then to Mt. Eisenhower and down Edmands Path.

Both are nice long hikes with lots of alpine flowers.

The entire area around the Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Adams is also on the radar.

Happy Trails!

argh argh argh argh argh!!!! :envy: I hope all of you are taking pictures.

On my run up the auto road last Thursday I noticed some flowers blooming near the Cragway Turn. I don't know much about flowers, but I'd love to get out and learn more.

w7xman said:

I just got back from a jaunt. Diapensia, Rosebay and Azelea are all in bloom up to 5000 feet! Found none any higher up!

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Took the day off yesterday & did a moderate hike from the auto rd (so I guess I'm not allowed to be envious anymore). These are now in bloom (the lapland rosebay looks about peak but diapensia is in various stages (it generally lasts longer & peaks later than the lapland rosebay) and alpine azalea still in early stages of flowering in many places. Trip report (a brief one) coming right up.

Alpine Flowers

Jason,

You said that you did a hike from the Auto Road. Did you hike the Alpine Garden trail or another????

Jack Waldron said:

You said that you did a hike from the Auto Road. Did you hike the Alpine Garden trail or another????

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reply sent via PM. The "heisenflora principle" says that when interesting alpine stuff is involved, you can observe in my comments either precision in where I went, or precision in what I saw, but not both.

forestnome said:

Alpine flower lovers, what are your plans for this season? Any special itinerary like seaching for rare plants? What mountains or trails are you planning to hike? What are your favorite flowers and trails?

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I would have to say this is one of my absolute favorite places for wildflowers, every color imaginable and miles of them. This is the Goat Rocks Wilderness in the Cascades