The East Shore Of Black Pond, Headed South - Part 4

I'd opted to return to the trail head by way of the eastern shore of Black Pond, not realizing that the trail would be much longer and hillier. My legs were weak and sore, causing me to limp painfully. Around every bend I hoped I'd see the parking lot but around every bend I saw only more trail:

On the other hand, this trail was much less used and was more wild and beautiful than the one on the western shore. I could see the fire tower atop St. Regis Mountain across the pond:

I passed by this most amazing fallen tree trunk, obviously a favorite of woodpeckers:

The trail took us away from Black Pond and up a hill:

And into a mixed forest:

I stopped and marveled at this wondrous moss, a filigreed, ferny sort of plant which I don't think I've ever seen before:

And down to the water's edge once again, so close in fact that they'd set down planks for hikers to walk on:

It appeared to me that we were not at the main body of Black Pond but rather at a cove of some sort::

A beautiful cove which no one ever saw except those few who took this lesser used trail:

And then the trail once again took us away from the water and up a steep hill. I was becoming very tired and hobbling like a crippled man. Fergus and Daphne looked back at me, apparently concerned with my strange and slow gait. I'll post more tomorrow: