Windswept Adventure: Madawaska Pond

Friday, September 14, 2018

Madawaska Pond - Part 3

The dogs and I were hiking along Madawaska Pond in the Adirondacks (see also Parts 1 and 2, posted previously), and came to a sort of peninsula where people had been camping:

The dogs immediately ran to a big rock next to the water. It was very steep and the water there was deep, so I was a little worried:

And just as I'd feared, both Fergus and Seamus fell in. Fergus was strong enough to climb up the rock and get out, but Seamus was not. I tried to encourage him, but as he tired out, I realized this had crisis potential. I couldn't go in wearing my leg braces and might not be able to get back out myself if I tried. So I hooked two six foot leashes together and looped one end. I lassoed his head with it and hauled him up the steep rock and out of the water:

Seamus had to rest for awhile after his rescue, and the other dogs got to explore the campsite on the peninsula while he recuperated:

But pretty soon, he was back on his feet and I called Clover to come with us:

Daphne, I learned, had also gone into the water but had found a safe place to do it. She too stopped her play and came with us as we returned to the main trail:

Before turning back toward our car, we went to look at the old dam, which blocks Quebec Brook to form Madawaska Pond. It was so decrepit that I began to wonder if it was the reason for the low water level. The Adirondacks has strict rules about leaving most places natural, so it may be that they will not repair the dam. That would be a shame:

The dogs were overjoyed again to be on the trail, though their previous excess of energy had by that time been much reduced:

Seamus was tired, wet and subdued. Jack was still a bit shaken and stinky, and the other dogs had run off some of their exuberance, meaning that I got to walk peacefully with my dogs as we returned on the trail to our parked car: