Because of the insulating effect of deep snow above timberline this winter and lack of desiccation from wind and ice (plus a natural cycle of prolific and less prolific years), the alpine flowers are having a banner season right now.
Weather wise, this weekend should be clearing during today, Saturday, June 24, and be a banner day on Sunday. It would be a great time to get up above timberline and see the alpine flowers.
Hiking is a holisitc way to get up there, feeding the body, mind and spirit. One of the easiest hikes above timberline is the 3.2 mile hike up to Mount Pierce (4,312 feet) on the Crawford Path. However, I did that hike two weeks ago, and the alpine flowers diapensia and alpine azalea were already out. As flowers on the lower summits of the southern Presidentials usually mature first, the flowers on Mount Pierce are more than likely past prime or already gone now. The flowers on Mount Eisenhower (4,760 feet) usually bloom a little earlytoo, however might still be out.
In the higher peaks, the steep Caps Ridge Trail up Mount Jefferson is the shortest route to a higher summit. The trail begins on the Jefferson Notch Road, which is now open for the summer. As evidenced by current photos by professional White Mountain photographers (found on Facebook), the alpine flowers are out in force on the higher peaks.
The talented White Mountain photographer Chris Whiton is one to climb above the trees at sunrise or sunset any time of year. He recently took an amazing sunrise shot on Mount Clay with clusters of diapensia in the foreground.
Robert John Kazlow, author of “The White Mountains: A Photographic Journey” is always out taking pictures, whether on land, by boat or in the air.
Recently, he took some great shots around the six-mile point on the Mount Washington Auto Road. The obvious flowers in them are a mix of the white diapensia, and purple lapland rosebay, in such striking profusion you could describe it as purple carpets.
“There are more blooming lapland rosebay this year than I have ever seen before,” said Nicky Pizzo, AMC Pinkham Notch Camp Programs Director. She has been above tree line three times in the past week or so, checking out the flowers. “On the Alpine Garden the diapensia and alpine azalea are just coming into full bloom. The alpine bearberry willow is blooming.”
She mentioned that on Sunday, June 15, there will be a tour of the Alpine Garden with AMC naturalists (there were only five places left on the tour as of Friday morning). The group will leave in an AMC van from Pinkham Notch Camp at 9 a.m., go to the Glen and up the Mount Washington Auto Road. To catch a last minute reservation call her now at 466-2727.
One of the leaders of this flower tour will be Allison Bell, co-author of the new AMC book “Field Guide to the New England Alpine Summits.
This week Bell has been out in the high huts as a volunteer naturalist, and will be back at Pinkham Notch Camp tonight (Saturday June 14) to present a talk on the alpine flowers (free at 8 p.m.) This coincides nicely with the Alpine Garden tour tomorrow.
I have been perusing the book “Field Guide to the New England Alpine Summits” and am quite impressed. The older “Field Guide to the Mount Flowers of New England” by Stuart Harris was published in 1964.
It was certainly time for the new book, which covers not only alpine plants but also animals, geology, weather, ecology, conservation, history, volunteer “Mountain Watch” programs and more. The color photos are great, and compliment the text in a modern day teaching style.
Many mountain enthusiasts today know that many of the alpine plants in the Presidentials are native to the far north in Canada, were forced south by the last ice sheet and were stranded on higher New England summits upon its retreat north.
But have you ever heard about mountain plant phenology? Read about it.
For those of you who want a thorough introduction to alpine flowers and a safe and quick passage up to the alpine plants, reserve a place on Sunday’s
Alpine Garden tour and then go to Bell’s talk tonight and get a signed copy of her book.
For those of you with a simpler and noble plan — to hike up and see the flowers and reach a summit– have fun. But thoroughly recheck the weather beforehand, and leave word with others of your plans.