American Toad
Hermit Lake: An Ecological Adventure June 7-8, 2008
Interested in learning more about life on Mount Washington? Then set aside the weekend of June 7 and 8 for a unique exploration of the Hermit Lake area. Located about halfway up the mountain, at the base of Tuckerman Ravine, Hermit Lake is one of the few high-altitude bodies of water in the White Mountains. Join biologist Scott Smyers of Oxbow Associates and Friends of Wachusett Mountain and Observatory Scientist Bob Deegan in a field trip (with an optional overnight at the Hermit Lake Shelter Area) to learn what lives in and around Hermit Lake. Scott is an expert in reptiles and amphibians, and is keen on finding out more about life in these little-known high mountain ponds. He'll enlist your help in monitoring signs of life in Hermit Lake, including live trapping and other activities. (The research work will be conducted under State and Federal permits.) Are you interested in the variety of life high in the White Mountains backcountry? Do you like getting involved in hands-on science? Are you prepared to hike halfway up Mount Washington on a rocky trail for such exploration? Then this workshop is for you!!
The workshop will involve activities on both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday evening and early Sunday morning activities will also be included, but will be optional, since opportunities for overnight stay in the Hermit Lake area are limited -- please see below.
The workshop -- limited to 10 participants -- will meet at the AMC Visitor Center at 9 AM Saturday morning. (Due to limited parking, and a likely busy weekend with spring skiing still bringing many visitors, please carpool if possible, and plan on an early arrival. Some satellite parking is available, several minutes' walk from the Visitor Center.) Meeting place is in the hiker's pack-up room, located in the "Trading Post" (the main public building -- the store and cafeteria are on the main level of this building.)
After a brief orientation, we'll hike up to Hermit Lake. The hike is 2.4 miles long, and is moderately steep (by White Mountains standards), gaining almost 2000 feet in elevation, and is quite rough and rocky. Along the way, we'll stop on several occasions to discuss the ecological possibilities and constraints afforded by the mountain environment. We may also stop here and there to consider what types of living creatures we can find as the northern hardwood forest changes with elevation to the colder, wetter transition zone.
After arrival at Hermit Lake, we'll include surveying and trapping at Hermit Lake and accessory bodies of water, with informal educational sessions about the animals that live in this area, how they cope with a harsh environment, and their life cycles. There will also be free time for sight-seeing, bird-watching, relaxing, and exploring on your own.
In late afternoon, day-participants will depart, while overnight participants will have additional field sessions at dusk and after dark.
Early Sunday morning, we'll have a dawn field session, and after breakfast will join day participants for more field time before an early afternoon departure.
Garter Snake
OPTIONAL OVERNIGHT: The workshop can include an optional overnight stay at the Hermit Lake Shelter area. While our preference would be to include this as an integral part of the workshop, logistical considerations prevent it - overnight stay in the area is limited to the established capacity of the shelter area, and no advance reservations for shelter space are available. Natural (and operational) schedules suggest an early June weekend as a suitable time for the visit -- and that is still spring skiing season on Mount Washington, so competition for the limited space in the shelters will be tight. Those wishing to spend the night should sign up and pay ($10 per person per night) for their own shelter space at the AMC Visitor Center at Pinkham Notch on Saturday morning -- the desk opens at 6:30, and those who are in line before then will have the best chance (though no guarantee!) of being able to secure a space at the shelters for Saturday night. Please note that you must be present to purchase shelter space -- you cannot have a friend or other representative buy a space for someone who will be arriving at Pinkham Notch later.
If shelter space is not available -- or if any participant prefers day-participation only -- we welcome individuals who would be interested in taking part in the workshop during the day only on Saturday or Sunday (or on both days, for anyone who does not mind repeating the 4.8 mile round-trip hike on both days).
Preparation: Participants should be in good health and good physical condition, and ready and raring to hike the 2.4 miles uphill to Hermit Lake with full day or overnight packs (and back down to Pinkham Notch, too). Educational sessions will focus on biological and environmental science -- so participants should already be skilled in backcountry hiking, and be able to take care of themselves in possibly cold, wet, and windy weather.
You are also encouraged to read a short illustrated report about prior White Mountains field research on high-altitude pond ecology.
Clothing and Equipment: Participants should have appropriate clothing and equipment for cold, wet, and windy weather -- sometimes, early June on Mount Washington can have the taste of late winter!
Spring Peeper
Include: sturdy boots - socks - warm pants - shorts - several layers of shirts, jackets, etc. - good quality rain gear (jacket and pants)- warm hat - gloves. Have extras along for emergency back-up in case primary items get wet. Avoid cotton, which performs very poorly when wet -- synthetics (or wool) are recommended.
Because the field sessions will involve time in ponds and brooks, extra footgear, socks, pants, and gloves are recommended. While heavy, hipwaders, rubber boots, and rubber gloves can be considered.
Other items to pack include water (two quarts recommended), food (for lunch, and for snacking), flashlights (headlamps are vastly preferred), extra batteries, sunglasses, sunscreen, personal medications, and basic first aid kit.
Overnight participants should include sleeping bag, pad, and food and equipment for dinner and breakfast (e.g. stove, fuel, pots, cooking utensils), toiletries, etc . Campfires are STRICTLY PROHIBITED throughout the area.
Weather: While all participants must be prepared for cold, wet, and windy weather, the forecast of weather that would be a severe detriment to the research and educational goals of the trip would result in postponement to the following weekend. So, if heavy rain, bitter cold, or other such weather is in the forecast as June 7 approaches, we'll be in touch with participants regarding possible postponement.
Fee: To help support the scientific work of the Observatory and its partners, we are asking a fee of $35 per person for each day's participation (thus, $70 for two-day participation). Payment can be made by check or credit card (MasterCard or VISA). Thank you for your support!
To register: Please call Peter Crane, Director of Programs, at 1 800 706-0432 x 203. Or, email pcrane@mountwashington.org