Wolf Lake Loop Trail, Part 1

I'd arrived with the dogs at the farm on Sunday and taken a driving tour of Norwood and Norfolk, New York (see previous posts). When Monday morning dawned, I ate breakfast and left with the four younger dogs to hike the Wolf Lake Loop trail, touted as being magnificent. Of course I knew it was black fly season and had already decided to give it up and return to the car if they were too bad. So with some trepidation, I parked the car and entered the forest with the dogs:

We began in a dense forest and the black flies were not bad at all. I saw no mosquitoes. Maybe this would be okay after all:

We passed by a beaver marsh, the first of an untold number along the trail. Little Clover, ever the adventurer, walked all the way out that log to see the sights:

Seamus, as is his custom, did his Brontosaurus act in the marsh:

This was looking promising. Clover and Daphne were happy, happy, happy:

The trail took us through emerald forests with rather unique geology. Large biting flies were beginning to appear and buzz around us, but so far it wasn't too bad:

I found this Pink Ladyslipper, past its prime, along the trail and spent some time snapping a photo. I thought that Ladyslippers were rare and I'd probably not see another one, especially if their blooming season was past. Little did I know then that the entire trail would be lined with thousands and thousands of Pink Ladyslippers in full bloom. You'll be seeing more of them in upcoming photographs:

And growing in the mosses were myriads of tiny Canada Mayflowers, also sometimes called Wild Lily-Of-The-Valley:

The black flies were no problem but the larger flies, either deer flies or horse flies, were becoming quite bothersome to me. They didn't seem to bother Daphne, however:

On we marched through the forest. Notice Fergus in a full, excited and happy run as he sprints past his buddy, Seamus:

And a brief stop along the trail for a family portrait:

As I said, I discovered thousands of Pink Ladyslippers along the trail. Clover stopped to take a look at one as I photographed it:

And a close-up shot. These are truly unusual and beautiful flowers, a favorite denizen of the northern forests. But we were just getting started. I'll post more tomorrow: