The Hike To Duck Pond, Part 3

The dogs and I had come a long way on our November Adirondack hike to Duck Pond, though we still hadn't seen it or any side trails which might have led to it. I was beginning to wonder if I'd made some mistake. Heaven knows it wouldn't be the first time! But the dogs were happy and so was I. Clover came running when I gave her a call, seeming almost airborne in her speed. This kind of speed and agility is why Papillons so often win obstacle course agility competitions:

On and on we hiked, though no Duck Pond appeared:

A handsome pair of small Adirondack mountains watched us from beyond the trees:

The skies clouded over but no rain was predicted so I didn't worry. We just enjoyed our excursion:

And the scat was everywhere, some old and some new, apparently from one species. This looked rather dog-like (heaven knows I've seen plenty of that!) but there were far too many to be from dogs. Coyotes perhaps? They have certainly become common and might be inclined to use the road:

But mostly the pooches and I just walked. I enjoyed the scenery and silence. The dogs enjoyed the smells:

The leaf littered hills were full of bright green ferns, apparently a different species from those along Quebec Brook which had turned brown more than a month earlier:

Eventually it became clear to me that there was no Duck Pond along this trail and we turned back toward the trail head:

More carnivore scat filled with hair. My best guess was coyotes, but I am open to suggestions:

These Spruce cones littered the ground in many places and I have since concluded that they were from Norway Spruce, an introduced species which I have read has become common in many Adirondack forests. Again, I am open to correction: