The Hike's End, White Hill Wild Forest Part 8

The dogs and I had hiked 3 to 3.5 miles into the White Hill Wild Forest, from Clear Pond to Little Rock Pond to Long Pond and back again. Almost to our car, I was surprised to see a large bank of very tall Mock Orange in bloom which I'd missed going the other direction. These were not wildflowers, but indicated to me that someone had lived here at one time and planted them near their house:

I sneaked back into the woods just a very short distance and, indeed, there was an old stone foundation laid with some very large stones. Oh, how I'd love to know the story of these early settlers, their dreams and tribulations:

We arrived back at the trail head and piled into the car. Even the few fisherman who'd been here earlier were now gone so I decided to drive down the dirt lane to the edge of Clear Pond where they'd been fishing. I was surprised to find a couple of unimproved campsites there, though no one was using them, and access to Clear Pond for putting in canoes. For the dogs, it was just another fun spot to explore:

It was still raining and the skies were dark. Seamus gazed out over the lake in a pensive, thoughtful manner:

Daphne and Fergus got their toes wet hoping to find something edible:

It was a tranquil scene:

And then it was time to drive home. It will come as no surprise to those of you who subscribe to Murphy's Law that the rain, which had been continuous throughout the hike, ceased as we drove away. The skies cleared and we drove home in lovely weather: