From The Giant Mountain Area To The Keene Valley

The dogs and I were making another trip up to the farm and had just made a rest stop at our little campsite near the Ausable River. From there we headed northwest on Route 73 through the Giant Mountain region:

Even though it had so far been an exceptionally mild winter, there was snow in them thar mountains. The dogs watched me every time I got out to take a photo:

Mountaintops loomed all along the edges of the roads:

Because I so love to hike, I often gaze at mountaintops and evaluate their potential for good hiking. This one had lots of bare rock surfaces which would provide nice scenic views:

And speaking of rocky mountain surfaces, get a load of this:

And then Route 73 began to drop us down into the Keene Valley:

This lovely little farm in the Keene Valley was one of the most picturesque:

And more mountains rose up on both sides of the valley:

It was such a clear, fine day that I stopped at Marcy Field to snap a photo:

And again at the intersection of Routes 73 and 9N. I never tire of this view:

God bless New York State for creating the Adirondack Park and protecting these wilderness lands. It is today the largest protected area in the lower 48 states, larger than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier and Grand Canyon National Park combined: