Edmand's Path, Crawford Path to Clay Col

[forestgnome]

What a beautiful day above treeline!

I saw Big Daddy on the way. His antlers are spreading.

Hit the trail around 8:00am. The trail maintainer's recent work was evident because the many blowdowns I saw the week before were now gone.

A toad was hanging out in the trail, shortly before treeline.

I saw the maintainer and thanked him for his service. Lots of sun and many clouds were around on this gorgeous day. This view is looking south, just south of Mt. Franklin.

I love the views from the alpine zone in summer, with the wildflowers and beautiful lichens on the granite at your feet and the distant forested mountains and sky.

lowbush blueberry...

unknown wildflower...some kind of willow?

another unknown...some kind of cinquefoil with abnormal petals?

North Lake of the Clouds...

a waterbug on the lake...

continiued..

 

[forestgnome]

Enjoyed lunch on the rim of Great Gulf, along Gulfside Trail.

The ravens were extra noisy and their animated calls rang thoughout the Great Gulf. One surprised me by flying past me. I wish I knew he was coming so I could have better captured the experience. He looked right at me. He was only 20' away, at eye level despite being a thousand feet (?) over the floor of the gulf.

The clouds were thickening as I headed back from Clay Col along Westside Trail. This view is south toward Lakes of the Clouds.

bog laurel on Little Monroe...

Someone was playing "Amazing Grace" on a little clay flute-type instrument. There was noone in sight around Mt. Franklin, but the sound was on the wind blending with laughing ravens... very cool...

swallow tail (?) on diapensia, Mt. Franklin...

A north-bound party was all wet. I thought I saw distant showers to the south but I experienced only sunshine all day. Clouds over Mt. Washington...

Do I have to come down? I was almost to the trailhead when I heard a loud snap of a twig, so I headed in, knowing there are many small meadows in the area. I haven't seen any cow moose lately. Many are giving birth and caring for newborns right now and I would love to see them, but it was a bull...

Happy Trails

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Cool photos, as always. That does look like the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail to me. I'm curious about the blue / orange highlights at the back end of the wings. Does this indicate the age in some way? Dead ones seem to be more blue / orange, and new ones (when they first appear) straight yellow and black.

They love those blueberry plants -- we have them (plants + butterflies) all over the island at Lake Sunapee, and I've seen them around the blueberry bushes during mid-spring hikes as well.

Tim

 

[rocket21]

I'm thinking of the Borat movie when he's trying to buy a vehicle...do you have a Moose magnet or something?!?

 

[Hillwalker]

Tin Whistle

(Quote) "Someone was playing "Amazing Grace" on a little clay flute-type instrument. There was no one in sight around Mt. Franklin, but the sound was on the wind blending with laughing ravens... very cool.."


That was me on the tin whistle whilst sitting in Emily Klug's shelter on the side of Monroe.. Glad someone heard it...... HW

 

[arghman]

nice pics. the willow is almost certainly Salix uva-ursi (pistillate = female, with seeds forming. go back in a few weeks & they will be full of white fluffy stuff.). Not sure about the other one (it does look like Sibbaldiopsis tridentata = 3-toothed cinquefoil), can you zoom out?

 

[forestgnome]

Thnaks for nice comments!

Tim, the blue was even more prounced than the photo shows. It was beautiful.

HW, was that really you? Very nice!

Jason, I know...the leaves are the key to ID. D'OH!

Happy Trails