Catskill Forests On Our Way Up Windham Mountain

The broad, level trail up Windham Mountain in the Catskills had changed to a more narrow and steeper path as it ascended. I was beginning to feel as if we were really gaining elevation:

And when the path hugged the side of a steep hill, I could truly get a feel for the vertical rise. The forest became greener and scrubbier:

And then we came to an intersection with a sign post:

And according to the sign, we'd only come 1.16 miles and had 2.20 miles to go. It seemed to me that we'd hiked much farther than that, and if we'd only come one third of the way........ But I decided not to think about it, only to keep on hiking upwards:

We passed out of the hardwood and hemlock forests into spruce plantations:

And up on a hill I saw a lean-to for campers. The dogs saw it too, or perhaps they smelled the history of food cooked (and spilled) up there, for they ran full speed up to it:

Discovering no food, the dogs returned to me and we continued on our way, passing the trail in to the lean-to once we'd reached its elevation:

Spruce forests always remind me of fairy tales set in the Black Forest. Fergus could have been playing a part in Hansel and Gretel:

And Seamus looked like a black bear up ahead as he waited patiently for his slow-poke dad:

The "Silly Sisters" continued to run up and down the hills without regard to the fatigue which I was beginning to feel. Seamus, you may notice in this photo, plopped himself down on a ledge to rest while waiting for me to catch up:

I noticed many mushrooms which looked very much like puffballs on stalks. Indeed, later on I found some which had holes in their tops, indicating that they probably were related to puffballs: