Part 2 - A Journey On The Port Kent Road

I was on my way back from a weekend up at the farm with all seven dogs via the Port Kent Hopkinton Turnpike. I pulled off the road to give the dogs a rest stop at the scenic Deer River Flow:

Both old dogs, Winky and Wally, were faltering and showing signs of aging. I helped them in and out of the car and also kept an eye on them lest they wander off and get lost:

Seamus and the other young dogs, however, had no lack of energy. They covered a lot of ground as they checked everything out:

The three Papillons trotted around together:

I put them all back into the car and pulled back onto the Port Kent Road:

The road became a seasonal road, but we kept going because I knew there was lovely scenery in every direction. This view, for instance:

The road became unpaved and lifted us uphill to a higher elevation. I could see mountains just off the side of the road:

Mountains in every direction:

We passed by a wild pond where I've never seen another human being or sign of human activity. But this time I saw a canoe on the far bank - but no people:

Daphne and Madeline watched the passing scenery with great interest:

And scenic it was indeed:

I've often seen loons in this lake, but there were none on this date. But we kept driving the Port Kent Hopkinton Turnpike. I'll post more tomorrow:

Part 1 - A Journey On The Port Kent Road

Tuesday morning dawned and it was time to drive back home to Albany, this time knowing that I'd be moving permanently very soon. So I decided to drive along the Port Kent Hopkinton Turnpike. It's a series of small, rural roads now, but once was the major thoroughfare through the northern Adirondacks:

The road took me alongside the lovely and wild St. Regis River:

And I stopped to admire the beauty, hear the roar of the water against the rocks and smell the pines, spruce and balsams:

Even though there was no traffic at all, I didn't let the dogs out because we were parked on the side of the road. There'd soon be more chances for the dogs to get out and have fun:

Everton Falls was just up ahead. I've walked in to see it in the past, but this time just photographed it from the road:

The Papillons also enjoyed the view. Well, Madeline and Clover enjoyed it, anyway. Daphne was totally focused on what I might be up to. She just never knows what mischief I might get into:

There was a small parking area and canoe access near the falls which, I've read, includes a hiking trail. I've not yet tried hiking it, though:

I pulled away from the river and continued along the Port Kent Road:

Until, that is, we reached the Red Tavern Hotel. This is a truly historic site and still in operation:

When I reached the Deer River Corridor, I pulled off the road into one of my favorite and most remote rest stops:

I followed a narrow dirt lane back into the forest and let the dogs out, being careful to keep an eye on old Wally and Winky. Both of them had shown signs of faltering health lately:

We walked down to the Deer River to admire the scenery. You can see why I love this spot. But I'll post more tomorrow:

Stopping By The Deer River Flow. Part 2

We were on our way home, the dogs and I, from a weekend at the farm and I'd pulled off the road into a forest alongside the Deer River Flow. The forest, the water and the mountains in the distance were all lovely, but I also took the time to stop and look down at the smaller beauties around my feet. There were mosses, lichens, Partridgeberry and what looked to me like newly emerged conifer seedlings:

The "flow" itself consisted of multiple boggy ponds surrounded by forest:

And all of it wild and unspoiled:

The dogs and I walked back up to the narrow dirt lane and began investigating:

Fergus kept a close watch on me:

And Clover, independent as always, walked on ahead. I believe that small black and white spot even farther ahead was Wally. He's nearly blind, so I have to keep a close watch for him lest he wander away:

And then, just for the fun of it, we entered the woods and explored a bit:

By the time we were finished, Wally had made his way all the way back to us and I knew it was time to get all of them back into the car:

I got all six dogs loaded up into the car, counted them several times to put my mind at ease that no one had been forgotten, and continued on our journey home:

Stopping By The Deer River Flow, Part 1

I drove home from our aborted Jenkins Mountain hike and found both Winky and Wally asleep in the farm apartment, apparently unaware that we'd even even been gone. But I let all the dogs out into their fenced yard and began settling in for the night. The next morning we all left for home by way of the Port Kent Hopkinton Turnpike, that series of small Adirondack roads which was once upon a time a major means of transporting goods from Lake Champlain to the north country. I stopped when I saw this familiar sign for the Deer River Flow:

I pulled off the road onto a narrow dirt lane through the forest with the Deer River Flow on one side. It was a marvelous place to let the dogs out:

We walked away from the car investigating. Winky, as is his custom, lagged behind and needed to be urged forward:

Running Clubmoss grew all over the ground - or at least where it could find spaces between the fallen tree limbs:

And then we walked down to the Deer River Flow. It was peaceful and beautiful:

Seamus got his feet wet but apparently that was enough for him on that damp day:

There was evidence of a lot of beaver activity, not at all surprising I suppose:

I could see out over the flooded fields of the Deer River Flow to conifer forests not far beyond:

It was raining lightly that day and the trees gave us some protection as the dogs and I investigated the forest:

We walked the dirt lane for a bit and then all got back into the car to continue our drive home:

From The Deer River Flow To The High Peaks Region

I was on my way home with the dogs from a weekend stay at the farm. We began the journey on Port Kent Road which became Red Tavern Road, part of the historic Port Kent Hopkinton Turnpike. But when we arrived at Route 30, I turned south on the highway because to continue on the Port Kent Hopkinton Turnpike would have involved seasonal, unplowed roads. Besides, Route 30 had plenty of its own gorgeous scenery along the way:

The wetlands of the Deer River Flow abutted Route 30 in many places:

All the snow had melted the day before, leaving an autumn-like golden hue to the water's edge. There was so little traffic on Route 30 that I was able to stop anywhere on the shoulder of the road to snap pictures:

The Adirondacks has much real wilderness which can only be accessed by hiking or canoe, but it also has much "almost wilderness" which can be viewed from the comfort of one's car:

And even in these relatively flat sections of the Adirondacks, there were almost always mountains in the background:

More glorious wetlands, part of the Deer River Flow:

And I stopped briefly at Barnham Pond, whose shoreline laps the shoulder of Route 30 just north of Paul Smith's, a sort of combination college and town:

This was a December morning but the waters were not yet frozen over:

But then I turned southeast on Route 86 toward Route 73 and entered the high peaks region:

The scenery was glorious and we were just north of the towns of Ray Brook and Lake Placid. But I'll post more about Ray Brook tomorrow: