Mount Baker On A November Day - Part 1

We had a surprisingly clear, warm, November day and I decided to take the dogs to Mount Baker in Saranac Lake. I located the trail head, parked and began the hike. Daphne immediately found some interesting hollows beneath a couple of White Pines:

The trail was easy walking at first, though it became increasingly rocky as we gained altitude:

Daphne was a very happy Papillon:

The scenery was magnificent and we proceeded along the trail without difficulty. This was billed as one of the easy hikes, so I expected a day of carefree fun in the woods:

The trail continued uphill, but mostly at a very gradual rate:

Given my age and leg braces, however, I confess that I was becoming tired enough to say, when I saw that peak ahead of us, "Gee, I hope that isn't Mount Baker." Of course I don't have to tell you what the answer turned out to be:

But it was scenic and invigorating. Seamus, it appeared, had lost enough weight that he was trucking along like a much younger dog:

And we continued uphill, enjoying the loveliness all around us:

The dogs continued to run and play (notice Fergus in mid-leap):

I kept calling them back to me, insisting that they stay close:

They could still run and play, but they were not allowed to get very far from me:

But then the trail got rockier and steeper. I'll post Part 2 tomorrow: