Alpine Garden Education Trip

The weather was simply amazing and Redline Guide and naturalist, Liz Wyman, took advantge of it by leading a special half-day Alpine Garden educational out-and-back hike — one of our new Guided Nature Tour offerings.

Liz ascended the Auto Road in her car and met our guests at the “Cow Pasture,” from which they ventured forth on foot hiking across the Alpine Garden, and back. Normally we would drive up together, but in this case our guests were already up there performing trail maintenance. Yes, you read that right. Trish, Alex, and Sage are the volunteers that have adopted this amazing trail. The trio heads up a few times each year to work on the trail, sort of helping all who walk it (thank you) as well as the adjacent environment. In fact, it was their connection to this trail that inspired them to take our tour and become more knowledgeable about it.

With barely any clouds and sunny skies, Liz, along with our three guests, enjoyed seemingly endless views in all directions. Cool temperatures and fresh breezes kept the bugs at bay allowing a thoroughly enjoyable day so the group could focus on the rare alpine flora. That said, let’s let Liz tell it:

We had a beautiful, sunny afternoon on Mt Washington exploring the Alpine Garden! Alex and Sage identified a lot of the plants on their own and learned about the adaptations they have that help them survive in a harsh environment. The diapensia, alpine azalea, and Lapland rosebay are in full bloom, and we discovered a lot of cool lichens and sedges as well as some flowering plants that will bloom later in the season. I was so impressed by their knowledge and enthusiasm! —Liz Wyman

 

Thanks for that, Liz. She was also able to sneak in a few photos while teaching. Enjoy:

Word has it they had a great time. If you would like to enjoy a guided nature tour of your own, or perhaps for your group, we’d love to be able to help. Please contact us today to get started, or jump right in and book now.