September 28, 2015
On our second day at Cardigan, we woke at 7:30 to Miss Cairns' voice to prepare for breakfast, which consisted of eggs, bacon, muffins, oatmeal, and lots of hot chocolate. After hearing the ORT (Our Remaining Tidbits) Report about our total food waste, we hoisted our day packs and began our trek up the Manning Trail to Mount Firescrew. Along the way, we stopped and sketched often, recording the latitude, longitude, elevation, and internal temperature of objects, anything from a hobble bush to a tree of Artist's Conk mushroom. We learned quite a lot about the area, like how Cardigan was once a ski mountain. We even found evidence of an old rope-tow. When we reached the top of Firescrew, we enjoyed a lunch of homemade sandwiches, cookies, fruit, and water. A short ridge (Mowglis Trail) led us over to Cardigan, and along the way we encountered an owl pellet, which was fascinating. Summiting Cardigan was difficult only because of the bare rock, which had no real hand or footholds. But when we finally reached the top, it was worth the climb. A panoramic view displayed the entire White Mountains, Presidential Range, and spectacular fall foliage, and there was also an old firetower. The wind was much stronger than in the tree zones, and the temperature was much colder. When we hiked back down to below treeline, we performed a 10 foot-by-10-foot plot study, where we identified tree species, shrubs, and other alpine plants. We took the Alexandria Ski Trail down to the lodge, which led us over the Croo Bridge, where we stopped to sketch and snack. When we returned to the lodge, many of us hit the showers to freshen up. After about an hour of free time, we set the tables and enjoyed a delicious dinner of pineapple-chicken and rice. A trivia game determined the order for dessert, which was ice cream sundaes. After eating, we gathered around a crackling bonfire for a night of bird calls, silly songs, and interesting skits. Sleepy and exhausted from the day's activities, we quickly brushed our teeth and immediately fell into deep sleep. A Theme of Geography that related to Day 2 was region. There were 3 main regions of the mountains we climbed: the hardwood zone, the boreal zone, and the false alpine zone.