Adirondacks From Keene To Brighton, New York

We were on our way up to the farm, the dogs and I, and traveling Route 73 through the High Peaks Region. This photo was taken just as we began to climb up into the mountains:

Route 73 took us past the Cascade Lakes with what I think was Mount Marcy up ahead:

Past an old farm:

With mountains visible in nearly every direction:

I stopped on Adirondack Loj Road to snap a photo of the mountains, but the dogs got into the act also:

And from there I could see Lake Placid just ahead. Those are the Olympic Ski Jumps towering over the town:

And entering Lake Placid, I got a better look at the ski jumps:


Another great view from the highway:

We traveled on Route 86 through the town of Brighton and stopped for pictures. You can see how full the back of my car was. I move more up to the farm house with every trip even though it crowds the back seat dogs:


These remaining shots were actually taken on our way home. This one was taken at the intersection of Adirondack Loj Road. The three Papillons were fascinated with it all:

A great view of snowy peaks:

And finally, one photo of Whiteface Mountain just about 10 miles away:

Almost Winter In The High Peaks (But Not Quite)

We were on our way north to the farm for the weekend and had just had a great rest stop along the shore of the Schroon River. From there, I headed up Route 73 through the High Peaks Region of the Adirondacks. We were making good time until I saw this scene in the Keene Valley and of course had to stop and take a photo. Now that we're all buried in snow it seems hard to believe that everything looked so "autumny" such a short time ago:

From the Keene Valley the road took us up into the High Peaks Region which began with the Cascade Lakes and a good view of what I think was Mount Marcy:

And toward Lake Placid, where lots of mountains framed every vista:

Many of the farm fields in the area are being given over to housing developments, but these fields are still growing hay and still providing beautiful views:

Daphne found the whole thing fascinating, Madeline kept her eyes on me and Clover focused her attention on more immediate concerns. Seamus, in the back of the car, also watches everything with a great interest:

And on through the town of Brighton, where more scenic vistas beckoned:

There wasn't yet much snow in the mountains, but there were lots of clouds caught in the peaks:

I stopped to snap these photos, but mostly we were making rapid progress toward the farm and would be there in record time. I'll post more tomorrow:

Cascade Lakes With Hurricane Sandy On The Way

I'd driven up to the farm on Sunday and met with the fence contractor on Monday morning. But Hurricane Sandy was roaring up the east coast that very day and I had to make a decision whether to stay up at the farm and ride it out - or drive quickly home to Albany where the hurricane was predicted to be much stronger. I chose the latter and began hightailing it for home with all the dogs in the car. I stopped at the Cascade Chain of lakes along Route 73 just as the winds were beginning to pick up:

There was no one else there, so I let the dogs out for a run and a romp as the fog rolled in:

Seamus roamed widely, happy to stretch his extra long legs:

Little Madeline trotted across the grass, bracing herself against the ever increasing winds:

Winky did likewise, but his denser, more tangled coat and barrel shaped body seemed to make him extra wind resistant:

I called the dogs down into an area with more trees and less wind:

Daphne, ever the adventurer, braved the gusty winds to explore a retaining wall:

But Madeline and Clover were happy to be in a more sheltered spot. No, I don't know why Clover appears to be leaning like that. It wasn't because of the winds:

You've probably noticed the ever increasing fog which was shrouding the area. We had our windy rest stop beneath its cover and I wondered if it would soon envelop the area or if the winds would drive it away. We never stayed long enough to find out:

This little park along the Cascade Chain of lakes is always beautiful, but it took on a bit of a haunted, excited look with the promise of a hurricane on the way:

I got all the dogs except the two old timers down to the sheltered spot where they could explore in peace without fighting the winds:

And then we all began making our way back to the car so we could finish our dash back to Albany. In the end, Hurricane Sandy left both the Albany area and the north country pretty much unscathed. But we'd had a good trip up to the farm and back, I'd seen the new fencing and all was well:

The Drive Home From The Farm

As always, my weekend at the farm was over all too soon and I began the long trip home through the Adirondacks. I pulled off the road to give the dogs a rest stop at the Cascade Lakes. It was even more beautiful than usual and the dogs were thrilled to go exploring:

Little Clover went chugging through the grass as if she was on a mission:

Fergus and Clover explored the shoreline beneath the stony cliff of a mountain:

I got the dogs back into the car and we continued on our way. But I just had to stop when I saw this filed of wild Lupines. I've read that these were garden flowers which had escaped and gone wild. I don't imagine that anyone is complaining, though:

We stopped for one last rest stop along the Ausable River:

I took a different path through the woods here, passing by some large boulders. I suppose these would be considered glacial erratics::

Fergus always keeps a close watch on me. He aims to please:

I don't often get a photo of the youngest and oldest dogs all together, but that's what happened here. I had probably just turned back toward the car and that resulted in the fastest dogs joining up once again with the slowest. Fergus and Seamus were nearby:

We all trotted back to the car, officially ending that trip up to the farm - well, all except for the final one hour and forty-five minutes of high speed highway driving. That's my least favorite part:

Driving Home To Albany, From The Farm to The Cascade Lakes

Monday morning dawned and I locked up the farm apartment and loaded all the dogs into the car for the long drive home. I began by heading down the dirt road which bisects my farm and was startled when I saw a birch tree which looked like a skeleton. No, wait a minute - that really is a skeleton! Someone had hung a deer skeleton from a tree alongside the road. I have no idea why:

I passed by a flock of wild turkeys in a farm field with a country church in the distance:

I stopped briefly at the St. Regis boat launch site in Santa Clara just to admire the beauty and let the dogs out briefly:

And the dogs did have fun:

Then I loaded them all back up into my little red car so we could continue on our way:

When we reached the Cascade Lakes, we were all ready for a real rest stop. The nearby mountaintops were shrouded in misty clouds:

We were all alone there so I ventured farther into the woods than I had previously, crossing a wooden bridge and aiming toward a waterfall I could see on a mountainside:

The youngsters ran ahead with with great joy and excitement:

Seamus was slower, but managed to keep up:

Old Wally and Winky, however, could not keep up and I returned to the parking area. Heck, with views like this, how could I be dissatisfied?:

In spite of the warm weather, a bit of snow remained on the steep mountainsides as clouds drifted past:

But I was anxious to get home and the dogs had just had a good rest stop. So once again, I loaded them all back up into the car, said goodbye to the Cascade Lakes and continued on my way home: