Beautiful And Wild Quebec Brook

The dogs and I were just getting started on the Quebec Brook trail. The beginning sections looked level and easy to hike. It was plain to see that this had once been a railroad bed. But that's far too practical a description for what was really going on in my head at the time. I was walking through what looked like a magical land with the aroma of Balsam Firs filling my head until it was difficult to think of anything else. I was spellbound in this enchanted forest as I walked down a path carpeted with emerald mosses of many kinds:

Quebec Brook was just to our left, a friendly presence as we walked. Without warning, Seamus bolted down a five foot embankment to immerse himself in its pristine waters. I guess he just couldn't wait any longer. As you can see, the other dogs followed his lead down to the riverbank:

Clover and Daphne, otherwise known as "The Silly Sisters," used the moment to play and to taste the clean water, their ripples causing the reflections of trees to bounce and sparkle in the afternoon light:

Besides the Balsam Firs, the other most common woody plant was the Mountain Alder. It has its own little imitation "pine cones" which dangled over the path like Christmas decorations:

I followed the dogs down to the shore to see what the brook looked like. It was magnificent, an example of what the pioneers must have seen:

There was still woody debris caught on rocks and I guessed that was a remnant of Tropical Storms Irene and Lee which had caused such flooding in the Adirondacks. But mostly I just relaxed, inhaling the Balsam perfume and appreciating the serene beauty:

Once back on the trail, we passed another giant mushroom. The area certainly had the feel of a magical forest:

Back down to the waters once again a little farther upstream, Seamus went in for another refresher:

Then the other three joined him, though they didn't actually go in:

The shoreline was billowing with Balsams and Spruces and Alders and Birches:

This thoroughly imperfect photo was one of my favorites, I suppose because it shows Daphne and Seamus at such an intimate distance and the wondrous Boreal Forest behind them. I'll post more tomorrow: