Tooley Pond Mountain, Part 1

We'd just hiked in to Basford Falls and Copper Rock Falls, two beautiful spots on the Grasse River along Tooley Pond Road. But there was one more hike on that road which I'd missed the last time I hike here, and that was Tooley Pond Mountain. So that's where we headed next:

The trail began as a pleasant, level walk through ferny forests:

Tooley Pond Mountain had lost most of its attraction when its fire tower was relocated to Cathedral Rock many years ago, so I didn't expect to meet any other hikers. We had the whole mountain to ourselves:

We crossed a small bridge over a stream:

And then the trail began to head uphill:

Patches of Shining Clubmoss added color and enchantment to the forest floor:

The trail was marked with red discs and was really quite an easy hike:

We arrived at the summit:

I looked down at my feet and saw Fergus' bandanna on the ground. I didn't put it back on him, but just stuffed it in my pocket for the rest of the trip:

And there was a view, though not a particularly good one. If the trees grow much more, there won't be any view at all:

There was a concrete step which must have once been part of the caretaker's cabin. It was marked, if I remember correctly, 1919:

I had to stand on my toes to see any view at all, but still this was a pleasant and remote site which I enjoyed very much. I'll post more about Tooley Pond Mountain tomorrow:

Chapter 3, Cathedral Rock Fire Tower

We were on our way back down the trail from the Cathedral Rock fire tower on a beautifully perfect day in the Cranberry Lake Wild Forest. I was happy and the dogs were happy. Fergus trotted down the trail:

The wild blackberries would be ripe soon and it looked to me like there would be a bumper crop:

The wild raspberries were already ripe and I helped myself:

Happy dogs, perfect weather, idyllic forest scenery. Life was good:

Usnea, also known as Old Man's Beard or Treemoss, hung from dead branches along the trail:

There were lots of Tamaracks along the trail, a tree which is a favorite of mine but which I don't often see:

We continued happily along the smooth trail through a canyon of trees:

We never saw another person the whole time we were there, but I insisted the dogs stick close to me in an effort to improve their "trail manners:"

Clover and Daphne were especially keen explorers, investigating everything:

We arrived back at the wetlands area where I noticed the same white flowers which had been blooming back at my place. I still suspect they were Elderberries:

When we got to the water, Seamus walked right in:

The Papillons and I followed him, but Fergus was nervous about the unsteady footing. He was wise to be cautious as I slipped and got my feet soaked. But our car was just ahead and our hike to the Cathedral Rock fire tower was over. But the day was young and there were several hamlets I wanted to explore before driving home. I'll post more about them in days to come:

Chapter 2, Cathedral Rock Fire Tower

I was hiking up to the Cathedral Rock fire tower with my four youngest dogs in the Cranberry Lake Wild Forest on a perfectly lovely, sunny day:

Clover, who loves to run ahead, was the first to see the fire tower. "Look what I found, everybody!:"

And they all broke into a run to go see it. Just look at Fergus' foot pads as he sprints ahead:

I tied the dogs to the base of the fire tower to prevent them from following me up the stairs. I climbed to the top and was rewarded with this stunning view of the Cranberry Lake Wild Forest:

Cathedral Rock was not an original fire tower location. The old fire tower on Tooley Pond Mountain was disassembled, relocated to Cathedral Rock and rebuilt by the students at the Wanakena Ranger School. I'll post more about the Ranger School soon:

This was not real mountainous terrain and Cathedral Rock would not have been high enough for a working fire tower, but it sure made a wonderful, short hike in a beautiful location:

I snapped a photo in each direction and was surprised that I couldn't see nearby Cranberry Lake:

I could, however, see Route 3. This was wild and largely unsettled territory, though, and I noticed very little traffic on the highway:

I started back down the steps and could see my four dogs waiting anxiously for me down below:

I got the pooches' picture before untying them:

And then we began hiking back down the trail, passing many flowers in bloom such as this St. Johnswort:

The trail had been not too long and not too steep. Even tubby old Seamus was not tired. But I'll post more tomorrow:

Chapter 1, Cathedral Rock Fire Tower

I'd driven up to the farm on Sunday and spent the night. Early Monday morning I loaded the four youngest dogs into the car and headed southwest toward the tiny town of Sevey Corners (click on label below to see previous post on Sevey Corners) and turned west onto Route 3. I found the unmarked trail head for Cathedral Rock, parked the car and began hiking past extensive wetlands:

The dogs were ecstatic. Just look at Fergus' ears flopping!:

As we passed beyond the wetlands, Spruces, Pines, Balsams and Tamaracks rose up to form a sort of canyon through which we walked:

We made a couple of turns, always going uphill. That was sure to be the best method for finding the fire tower:

I passed this plant in many places which looked very much like a strawberry, but with narrower leaves and petals. I never did get it identified. Maybe I'll come back in a few weeks and look for fruit:

Seamus plodded uphill steadfastly, but agile little Clover danced around like a canine elf, running uphill and downhill, through the forest and along the trail. She smelled and tasted everything. Ah, the energy of youth!:

And then I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of a Foxglove in bloom. Not just any old Foxglove, but a snow white flower. It was magnificent:

Onward we hiked, enjoying the sunshine and mild temperatures:

Clover stopped to graze like a miniature Holstein:

And then I found more Foxgloves, all of them the normal (and beautiful) purple color:

Ferns lined much of the trail:

I stopped to snap a photo of this butterfly but was unable to identify it when I got home. But I found a website which offers photos, descriptions and a checklist for identifying butterflies and moths. When I still couldn't figure out what it was, I took advantage of their offer to ID them for its readers. I emailed them the photo and received an answer within several hours. They told me that this is a Northern Pearly-Eye. The website is "Butterflies And Moths Of North America" (click here). Click here to find out more about the Northern Pearly-Eye. Click here to see my submission, which has been confirmed as a sighting which they will use to catalog range, seasonal movements, population density, etc: