From Saranac Lake To Hays Brook Horse Trail

The dogs and I made as far as the town of Saranac Lake and, as I often do, I stopped there to fill my gas tank and to buy a sandwich. But there was a new attraction that day right across the road from the convenience store. I'd already heard about this new project so I knew right away that it was the beginning of the Adirondack Carousel. Instead of just horses, the riders will sit on carvings of Adirondack Woodland Animals (and one horse). I hope to chronicle its progress in my future trips up to the farm:

And from Saranac Lake I drove up through the broad, flat fields in the town of Brighton where Adirondack high peaks frame the view in nearly every direction:

I stopped just long enough for a snapshot at Barnham Pond. Notice how close the road is to the water:

At the far side of Barnham Pond:

But it was time for another doggy rest stop, so I pulled off the highway into the Mountain Pond fishing area. No one else was there so I opened the car doors and let the dogs run:

Mountain Pond is always lovely:

We walked along the shore. The waterline was still higher than normal, a lingering result of Tropical Storms Irene and Lee:

The dogs played along the shoreline:

And then I loaded them all back up into the car:

But instead of leaving by the way we'd come, I continued on for the length of the pond to Hays Brook Horse Trail. And for the first time, I actually saw horses there. I wanted to stop and say "Howdy" to the horses and their owners, but I did not want my dogs to start barking. So I simply snapped a picture of the horses, waved to their owners and kept driving: