Alpine Flower Programs Include Guided Hut-to-Hut Adventures, Alpine Garden Tours, Flower Table Talks, and Alpine & Wildflowers Weekend
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2007
This June, discover the best-kept secret of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. The alpine flower bloom each June rivals the beauty of New England’s fall foliage color show, and the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is offering a month of wildflower-themed programs, guided trips, and lodging packages.
The annual June display includes the “big three” of White Mountain flowering alpine plants – diapensia, Lapland rosebay, and alpine azalea – which are the biggest draw for many visitors. The Alpine Garden, located off the eastern side of Mt. Washington’s summit, is one place where these plants cover large areas of the landscape in a sea of white, pink, and purple flowers. It is also one of a small handful of places in the world where this variety of alpine flowers grows.
The AMC offers a number of ways to both appreciate and learn how to protect this unusual plant community:
- Join the AMC for a guided, multi-day hut-to-hut hiking trip above treeline with an AMC naturalist. Learn about alpine flowers and efforts to protect them while experiencing the only full-service, hut-to-hut hiking in the United States—including the opportunity to stay overnight near the summit of Mt. Washington at Lakes of the Clouds Hut.
- Guided day hikes of Mt. Washington’s Alpine Garden on Sundays, for enthusiasts interested in a more moderate hike.
- A special Alpine and Wildflower theme weekend, including guided programs, at AMC’s Highland Center.
Free flower table talks offered to the public every Saturday during June at AMC’s Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, located adjacent to Joe Dodge Lodge, will provide an overview of which flowers are blooming and where for self-guided hikes. The discussion will also tell hikers how to get involved with AMC’s citizen-scientist program, called Mountain Watch. AMC’s companion guide, AMC Field Guide to the New England Alpine Summits, is also available at the Visitor Center.
For more information about guided and self-guided packages and free wildflower programs during June, visit AMC’s website at www.outdoors.org/conservation/mountainwatch/events.cfm#wildflowers.
Guided Experiences:
Guided Hut-to-Hut Alpine Wildflowers Hiking Tour
June 11-14 (Joe Dodge Lodge, Lakes of the Clouds Hut, Mizpah Spring Hut)
June 18-21 (Joe Dodge Lodge, two nights at Lakes of the Clouds Hut)
Take in the full range of mountain environments with a naturalist-led hike beginning in the northern hardwood forest and eventually climbing to the alpine tundra, where tiny flowering plants carpet the mountain ridges. Traverse the southern Presidential Range for ample opportunities to explore the ridge in full bloom. Trip leaders include Nancy Ritger, an AMC staff naturalist for more than 15 years, who will be joined by AMC Hut manager Mike Kautz (June 11-14) and AMC alpine ecologist Doug Weihrauch (June 18-21). The package includes the guided program, three nights’ lodging, dinners, and breakfasts. Rates start at $275, plus taxes, for AMC members ($305 for non-members).
Alpine Garden Tours
Sundays, June 10, 17, 24
Join AMC and discover the wonders of life above treeline in the White Mountains on this one-day natural history exploration. Begin the day with an overview and drive up the Mt. Washington Auto Road to the summit. Spend the day hiking through the Alpine Garden on the eastern slope of Mt. Washington. Examine the alpine flowers in bloom, discuss alpine adaptations, and compare alpine plant communities. This trip includes a moderate three-mile hike on steep, rocky terrain. The program includes naturalist-led instruction, lunch, a copy of AMC Field Guide to the New England Alpine Summits, and transportation up and down the Auto Road. The rate is $65 for members ($72 non-members).
Alpine & Wildflower Weekend at AMC’s Highland Center
June 15 - 17
Highland Center’s Alpine & Wildflowers Weekend will feature the late-spring alpine flower bloom through guided visits to the tundra-like alpine region of the nearby Presidential Range, along with lectures from the foremost experts on high-altitude flora and educational displays. Packages for the weekend start at $134, plus taxes, for adult members ($148 non-members) and include private room/shared bath accommodations for two nights, programs, four-course dinners, buffet breakfasts, trail lunch, and a complimentary copy of the AMC Field Guide to the New England Alpine Summits. Highland Center guests also receive free use of equipment from the L.L. Bean gear room. Discounted rates are available for children ages 12 and under. Private room/private bath accommodations are also available.
Self-guided Experiences:
Mid-week Wildflowers Special for Ages 50+ at AMC’s Highland Center
Through June 28, Highland Center guests ages 50 and older can plan a self-guided alpine flower and wildflower-watching hike in the White Mountains and take advantage of the mid-week 50+ special being offered Sunday through Thursday nights. Double occupancy packages are just $79, plus taxes, per person/night for members ($83 non-members) – a savings of up to 40 percent! Rates include a private room/private bath, four-course dinner, buffet breakfast, trail lunch, and daily, walk-on AMC Outdoor Explorations programs and activities geared toward people of all ages and ability levels. Complimentary use of equipment from the L.L. Bean gear room is also included. www.outdoors.org/lodging/lodges/highland/featured-programs.cfm#alpine.
Kids Half-Off in June at AMC Huts
AMC’s White Mountain Huts, located a day’s hike apart along the Appalachian Trail, provide a great way for families to get a taste of the backcountry without having to carry a tent and extra food. Plan a self-guided wildflower hike this June and pay just $24, plus taxes, per child/night ($26.50 for non-members) for Sunday–Thursday night stays at all eight AMC Huts. This savings of 50 percent includes full-service hut amenities, including free naturalist programs, bunk lodging, dinner, and breakfast—plus the chance to meet new friends against the spectacular backdrop of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Hut naturalists will offer wildflower-themed talks during the month of June. Child rates apply to kids ages 12 and under.
www.outdoors.org/lodging/huts/featured-programs.cfm#half-off.
Free Naturalist Programs:
Free Flower Table Talks at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center
Saturdays in June
Join AMC research staff in the courtyard at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center for short, informative talks on alpine flowers to find out which flowers are blooming and where. Staff will discuss how to help track alpine and woodland flower timing across the Appalachian Mountains as part of AMC’s citizen-scientist Mountain Watch program, which gathers data contributed by hikers for long-term research on air quality and indicators of climate change. June is “Flower Watch Month,” and the need for volunteers to go on flower monitoring hikes grows. Guidebooks and datasheets are available at AMC destinations and can also be downloaded at www.outdoors.org/mountainwatch.
Rates and Reservations:
For more information and to book a reservation, call (603) 466-2727. All AMC programs and destinations are open to AMC members and non-members, with additional discounts available to members. Membership is $75 for families and $50 for individuals. Must mention specific package deals when booking, and packages cannot be combined with other offers or discounts.
Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club is the oldest conservation and recreation organization in the nation. With 90,000 members in the Northeast and beyond, the nonprofit AMC promotes the protection, enjoyment, and wise use of the mountains, rivers and trails of the Appalachian region. The AMC supports natural resource conservation while encouraging responsible recreation, based on the philosophy that successful, long-term conservation depends upon first-hand enjoyment of the natural environment.
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