Mount Everett, Part 2

This was already proving to be a marvelous hike with some of the most outstanding scenery yet. I was happy, the dogs were happy and the weather was beautiful. We'd hiked up past the stone lean-to where the dirt road ended and the rocky trail ascended towards the summit. In this picture, you can see a smile on Fergus' face while Daphne frolics in the background:

You are likely already noticing that the wild Azaleas are blooming along the trail (don't miss them in the previous photo). Also, as we ascended the mountain, the trees became smaller:

Seamus no longer wants to run very much. He, like me, is happy to just plod along and enjoy the scenery:

We arrived at a rocky shoulder with an incredible view of the scenic valley below:

From this vantage point, one can see for many miles:

I didn't arrange it, but did happen to have my camera handy when all three dogs were together on a steep rock:

We hiked a bit higher:

And over more rocky trail. I got a minor stone bruise through the bottom of my sneaker by stepping too hard on a sharp rock surface:

But then we arrived at the best scenic overlook of them all. Even Fergus and Daphne seemed happy, though perhaps they just enjoyed the flat surface and cooling breezes. I liked the scenery:


Daphne, ever alert, scouted for insects, her natural prey:

I don't know what direction this is, but the flat valley landscape was extensive. And beautiful too, as the shadows of the clouds drifted over it:

The vegetation at this point was mostly scrub pines not more than 3 or 4 feet high. The pines, the sky and the valley below were a visual treat. The sun heated the pine sap and sent a wonderful aroma into the air:

A pair of young men hiking the Appalachian Trail with heavy backpacks met us here and snapped a photo of me with the dogs:

But I was still looking forward to the fire tower at the summit, so we pressed on. I've mentioned many times before how the trees become smaller and smaller as one ascends most rocky mountains. But in this case they became so small that they could truly be called shrubs. Notice the oak on the left and the pines on the right:

And just over that next rise we found the summit. But I'll present that in tomorrow's post. I do, however, have one video to share and I'll post that below this photo:

And here is a video of the dogs playing at the stone lean-to I've mentioned. They were having a grand time: