White HIll Wild Forest - Part 1

I tried taking the dogs to White Hill Wild Forest just six days earlier, but found the access road still blocked with snow. But we'd had some warm, sunny days, so I decided to try again. I drove to Parishville and turned at this sign - which, you may notice, still had dirty snow piled up around its base:

But the access road was passable and the scenery along the almost two mile stretch was gorgeous. This beaver marsh, for example:

Daphne and Clover watched the passing forest landscape with interest and excitement:

When we arrived at the parking area, I let the dogs out and headed into the forest on the hiking trail. Our first stop, barely a few hundred feet in, was lovely Clear Pond:

Daphne rushed right down to the water's edge:

A couple of guys launched a small fishing boat from another shore. My dogs watched briefly and then continued having fun. Seamus, of course, waded right in:

Clover and Daphne were a bit more cautious:

We continued on the trail, passing greenery in the form of Princess Pines, one of our most beloved local clubmosses. They seemed to have made it through our rugged winter without difficulty:

Clear Pond is quite large and we skirted the edge of it, often making side trips to explore interesting places. Seamus, lover of water that he is, was especially fond of the wet places:

And all along the shore line was great beauty. This is why people love the Adirondacks;

But the trail took us away from Clear Pond and into the forest:

I was just thinking that no spring flowers were up yet when I noticed patches of Trout Lily. They were only a couple of inches high, but they were up and looking prosperous. They'll be blooming in a week. But we'd just gotten started on this trail, and there was much more to see. I'll post Part 2 tomorrow: