Two Videos at The End Of The Acra Point Hike

The dogs and I were hiking back down the mountain from Acra Point and were approaching the trail head where the car was parked. It was such a beautiful day and the dogs were behaving so well that I thought I'd stop and take a video of the forest through which we were hiking. Though it's not the same as being there, perhaps you can still share some of the joy of that day:



We arrived back at the beginning of the trail where there is a sign-in box at which hikers register. That's so that if someone gets lost, there's some record of where and when they went. The red disc on the bridge over the Batavia Kill is a trail marker, the same type which was nailed to trees throughout the hike. It'd been an exceptionally scenic and pleasant hike, and the dogs ended it with a chance to get a drink from a mountain stream. And this was the end of a pleasant and scenic hike:

Trekking Up To Acra Point - Part 5

I'd hiked up to Acra Point, a scenic overlook in the Catskill Mountains of New York. It was a gloriously sunny day in August and the dogs, who'd begun the hike a little too excited to be called well behaved, had gradually calmed down and begun to be wonderful companions. Daphne and Clover, the two Papillon puppies, were still rather new to this and, of course, still puppies. But they were learning.

I'd already explored Acra Point and then walked to the opposite side of the ridge for a view out over the Hudson River Valley. I'd managed to make it clear to the puppies that their find of tasty human poop was something they could NOT have. I could, at that point, have simply begun the hike back down the mountain but decided instead to walk back to Acra Point for more views, more serenity and more inspiration:

I confess that I did get nervous whenever the dogs got near the drop off of the ledge, but by now the dogs were behaving pretty darn well and I began to relax. Daphne and Clover were everywhere - looking, listening, climbing and sniffing:

I found another exposed rock which offered some nice views and actually sat down and relaxed for a while, other Catskill Mountains seeming like friendly neighbors:

Seamus had by this time rested and been re-energized, so he was feeling very happy:

Since I was sitting on a rock, Seamus nestled in some Spruce boughs, grinning broadly:

And I set the camera on self-timer and snapped a photo of myself with Daphne and Fergus:

But of course the time soon came to begin trekking back down the mountain back to the car. So off we went, hiking back through the forest and leaving the grand vistas behind:

Daphne and Clover were now well behaved puppies. I told Fergus and Seamus to heel and they spent most of the rest of the hike walking just behind me and a bit to the side. They seemed so happy and comfortable there that I just continued hiking that way. Clover and Daphne ran a bit ahead, but not too far - and they came running back for petting whenever I called. We came upon two guys who'd stopped at a brook and the dogs did not run wildly up to greet them. I asked the hikers if they minded the dogs and they welcomed them, so I said "Okay" and allowed the dogs to go say "Howdy." Now that's how hiking with dogs should always go:

I passed a rather large American flag suspended from a rope high in the trees on the ridge. I don't know its intended message or if its display in this manner meets protocol, but I found it a pleasant sight nonetheless:

And walking through the Catskill forest was extremely pleasant, especially now that the dogs were all behaving themselves so very well. I stopped for a photograph and the dogs ran over for attention. No face kisses were allowed, however. I knew what had been in those mouths so very recently. We were headed back to the trail head, but I've got two more posts. More tomorrow:

Trekking Up To Acra Point - Part 4

I was at Acra Point, on the Escarpment Trail in the Catskill Mountains with four of my dogs. It was a spectacular sunny day in August and I was, as far as I could tell, the only person on top of the mountain:

Acra Point is a large rock shelf jutting out over the valley between mountains, thus providing amazing views out over the Catskill Mountains to the southwest:

The aromas of pine, spruce and balsam fir heated by the sun filled the air, the dogs were happy and I was having the sort of wilderness experience which elevates and renews my mind and spirit:

The dogs explored the ledge and then set off to sniff the surrounding forest, especially a campsite which, by the smell of wood smoke, was only abandoned that very morning:

Clover and Daphne, my two Papillon puppies, found something very exciting and I guessed that they'd found food scraps left behind by the campers. When I investigated, however, I found them nibbling on their "treasures," stolen goodies which were actually pieces of poop. I made them drop their brunch and then noticed where some inconsiderate camper had pooped in the woods too close to the trail and campsite. So I issued a stern warning to the puppies not to go near there again and led all the dogs back to a clean, scenic spot on Acra Point:

We walked back to the trail and then crossed it, searching for some scenic view on the other side of the ridge. Finally I found a large rock which I climbed in order to shoot some pictures and dogs followed me, momentarily interested. But when all I did was stand there holding the camera, they went off to explore once again. I'll post a video of the view to the northeast tomorrow:

I had to do a bit of scrambling through the brush to get to my rocky perch, but the view out over the Hudson River Valley was worth it:

And I used the zoom lens to see the valley a little better:

I walked back to the trail and prepared to begin the hike back to the trail head. We had one more "puppies in the poop pile" incident after which I went back to Acra Point to refresh my perspective and possibly find a new overlook I might have missed:

I did find one more rocky ledge which was both pleasant and far from any temptation for the puppies. Fergus arrived first and was quite excited, anxious to show us all what he'd found. I'll post some videos tomorrow:

Trekking Up To Acra Point - Part 3

I was hiking in the Catskill Mountains with four of my dogs. We'd hiked up the side of a mountain and turned right onto the Escarpment Trail. We continued hiking that ridge-top trail until I saw a path turning off to Acra Point, our destination. I'd been there several times previously, so I knew what to look for. I remember that it wasn't so easy to figure it all out the first time. We walked a short distance to the edge of the ridge and saw this:

Acra Point s a rocky shelf projecting out over the steep side of a mountain and providing marvelous views of some of the Catskills. Because I had puppies with me and knew about the sharp drop-off, I'd planned to keep all the dogs leashed. But they had other ideas and I decided to trust their natural instinct for self preservation:

Acra Point looks out to the northeast to the Blackhead Mountains, three peaks which can be seen on the horizon from as far away as Albany:

I'm happy to report that the dogs behaved very sanely - even the puppies. And when I got nervous about them being too close to the edge, I simply called them back to me:

Daphne and Clover, the two Papillon puppies, were having lots of fun exploring and sniffing and discovering the world:

Seamus found a Balsam under whose shade he could rest. Two years ago I hiked here and at that time Seamus was the puppy, while Wally and Casey rested in the shade of that same fragrant Balsam:

But puppies have lots of energy, and Daphne had to see, smell and taste everything:

And so did Clover:

I wanted to sit down and relax in the glorious views, the sunshine and the aromas of the Balsams, but we hadn't yet been there long enough and the dogs (except for Seamus) weren't yet ready to settle down. So I kept walking and snapping photos. I'll post more tomorrow:

Trekking Up To Acra Point - Part 2

We hiked up the side of the mountain until we reached an intersection. Yes, an intersection of hiking trails complete with directional signs. We'd arrived at the Escarpment Trail which traverses the ridge line. From here, we turned right and headed toward Acra Point:

By this time, the dogs were behaving much better and keeping close enough to prevent me from hollering at them. There's nothing like hiking up the side of a mountain to help dogs cool their jets:

Daphne was a happy puppy and very much wanted to be the pack leader. She had learned on the last hike, however, to come back to me when called. She continued that behavior on this hike and was rewarded with much petting and praise each time:

I stopped for a self portrait. I have a ten second timer on my camera, so there isn't much time to get myself and the dogs in position. You should see the embarrassing photos which I've deleted! No, on second thought, you shouldn't see them:

Once we were on the Escarpment Trail, the grade alternated between flat and sharply inclined. There were many big rocks along the route and this suited the dogs just fine because they liked to climb on them:

Once we were on top of the ridge, I could see daylight on each side of the trail. It was a narrow ridge with sharp a drop-off on each side. This photo shows just a bit of the deep valley off to our left as we approached Acra Point:

Clover was a happy girl and ran back and forth, up and down and all over the trail. She only paused a second so I could get this shot:

Up and up we climbed, always higher. Our next stop would be Acra Point, but I'll begin posting that tomorrow:

Two Videos From The Acra Point Hike

The Acra Point trail begins with crossing the Batavia Kill. There's a bridge, but since the dogs were hot and the water was low, we rock-hopped across the stream instead of taking the bridge. This was a somewhat new experience for Clover, but she's always game for trying new things:



And just a short way farther up the trail, we came upon this pool and small waterfall. Well, you know the dogs wanted to stop and cool off once again:

Trekking Up To Acra Point - Part 1

It was a beautiful Sunday in August and I wanted to make the most of it. So I drove to the Catskill Mountains to hike up to Acra point with four of my dogs. This hike is only 3.4 miles long, up the side of a mountain and back down, but that's long enough for this old geezer. It's surprisingly seldom hiked and one meets few other people along the way. The trail begins with this bridge across the Batavia Kill, but we didn't take it because I knew the dogs would want a drink of cool, clean Catskill Mountain water. And besides, the creek was low so we just rock-hopped to the other side:

The Catskills forest was quiet and lovely, so I stopped to enjoy it and prepare for the hike:

I'd planned to keep both Papillon puppies on extending leashes because they'd been running ahead and not coming when called. Worse, Seamus and Fergus had begun imitating the puppies instead of the other way around. But I quickly discovered how difficult it is to hike with two puppies on leashes. Furthermore, it's impossible to snap photos while doing so. So we went back to the old system of the puppies running ahead and me hollering. I was determined to make a breakthrough in doggy trail behavior, but more on that later. For now, here's a very happy Clover posing as she danced across a large trail-side rock:

The trail and woods were beautiful, and what appeared to be giant white Aster flowers were blooming along the trail-side. You can perhaps see the "enchanted forest" look in this photo:

When I later arrived home, I checked my field guide and learned that those early blooming, giant flowered white Asters were Whorled Wood Aster, Aster acuminatus. With the whorled leaves and blooming deep in the forest, it's a perfect name:

The trail is not wide because it's not heavily traveled. I'm sure glad there are so many wild places which the masses have not overrun. It's a very different and extraordinary experience to explore the deep forest all alone (except for the dogs, of course):

I was determined to keep the dogs walking near me and behaving obediently. As we hiked, they began acting better and, as you can tell from Seamus' big smile, they were very happy:

Clover is a high energy, sure-footed girl. And even at the young age of four months, she was a natural hiker and mountain dog. And yes, she's posing atop a rock once again. I suppose that's her show dog genes expressing themselves:

We continued our trek up the side of the mountain, headed for the Escarpment Trail which runs along the crest of a ridge. The two adventurous Papillon puppies led the way. I'll post more in the days to come: