Alpine Garden via Huntington Ravine and Boott Spur

forestgnome · Jun 13, 2005

Yeehah!!!

So much for beating the heat by starting early. The air was saturated at 7:00 a.m., but the sunlight filtering through was beautiful!

A little bug juice, and I wasn't bothered all day.

It was great going up Huntington Ravine, with lots of hand-on-rock and places where you'd better not fall!

I saw what I think was sandwort half-way up the ravine, and lots of alpine bluets.

The Alpine Garden was magical. The fog kept the summits and the valleys invisible. The trail throughout there was as pretty as it gets, with lichens, alpine bluets, alpine azalea, and lots of diapensia and lapland rosebay. I really took my time through the garden. A few die-hards were skiing the East Snowfields.

Then I took the Lawn Cut-Off(?) and around the top of Tuckerman Ravine, planning to descend Boot Spurr. Around 1:30, the rain started and then some huge lightning bolts reached down into the ravine, lower than me

The rain was welcomed and refreshing, but being on top of a ridge in lightning was a bit scary.

I bailed out when I reached the Boott Spur Cut-Off and descended down to the hut. After the storm passed I descended back to Pinkham Notch for a dip in the Ellis River and some ice-cold summer ales!

Photos below aren't completely sharp because I forgot my tripod at home.

forty8 · Jun 13, 2005

What an awsesome day you had -with a little lightning scare to really get the heart pounding! Great pics too; thanks for the report.

smitty77 · Jun 13, 2005

Forestnome,

What time were you traversing the garden? Myself, my wife, and our three year-old were hiking an out-and-back across the Garden from the Auto Road between 11 and 2 (approximately). I saw one lone hiker when we reached the top of Huntington Ravine on our way to the Lions Head junction, and then saw him again at the other end of the Garden. Was it you?

We got caught in the storm as well. The thunder clapped just as we were making the final climb up to the road. Also have some photos here: Alpine Garden Trip

In depth description posted at AlpineZone.
Smitty

kmac · Jun 13, 2005

alpine garden

~Thanks for sharing the pictures~ sounds like you had a wonderful day~

forestgnome · Jun 14, 2005

Smitty77,

Did I comment on the wonderful ride your child was having through the garden? Yes, that was me. Lucky us!!!

I'll check the link for your pictures. Glad you also survived the storm

smitty77 · Jun 14, 2005

forestnome said:
Smitty77,

Did I comment on the wonderful ride your child was having through the garden? Yes, that was me. Lucky us!!!

I'll check the link for your pictures. Glad you also survived the storm

Glad to have "met" you. You never know who you'll run into out there.

The little guy had a ball, he even got a chance to do some hiking of his own when I took him out and let him walk the last tenth or so to the juntion with the Lions Head Trail. We had a rain hood for the pack, so he didn't mind the downpour too much.

My wife is just starting to get into hiking, and I thought she would be pissed having to slog up that steep pitch to the Auto Road (where we were parked) in a thunderstorm, but she grinned and said it just made the hike more memorable. Whew!

Smitty