Whitehill Wild Forest - Part 2

My sister and I were hiking with the dogs in the White Hill Wild Forest and had left behind the lovely shores of Clear Pond (see yesterday's post), following the trail into the Adirondack forest. We kept seeing this interesting flower. I looked it up when I got home and learned that it is the Whorled Wood Aster, Aster acuminatus:

The day was so hot and muggy that it would have been unbearable if it wasn't for the shade the trees gave us:

We crossed numerous small streams, where I struggled because of my braces and the dogs got cool and wet:

Another small, common, woodland flower (with a mushroom). I looked it up when I got home and learned that it is Dewdrops, Dalibarda repens, in the rose family:

We passed several beaver swamps, lovely and wild, alive with all manner of aquatic wildlife:

And the dogs scrambled across the rocks to investigate:

My sister and I stayed near the trail and just appreciated the view:

Daphne and Jack went exploring:

Clover and Daphne climbed rocks and Jack took a drink. Seamus, bulky and with a thick, black coat, was getting uncomfortable. We got him back into the shade as quickly as possible:

Another interesting plant, this one with opposite leaves and red colored flower buds. I thought I knew what it was but confirmed it when I got home. It was the Marsh St. Johnswort, Hypericum virginicum, the only St. Johnswort which doesn't have yellow flowers:

The forest floor had lots of interesting fungi, but few as colorful as this golden mushroom:

And then we arrived at Little Rock Pond:

Daphne and Clover climbed down a very steep rock to get near the water, making me nervous. We still wanted to get all the way to Long Pond, so we kept hiking. I'll post Part 3 tomorrow:

White HIll Wild Forest - Part 3

We were hiking in the White Hill Wild Forest and making side trips off the trail to get closer looks at beaver marshes - or anything which looked interesting:

The first flower of the season turned out to be large patches of these gorgeous but tiny Round Leafed Yellow Violets, less than 2" tall:

We passed by Little Rock Pond but I don't believe we every made it as far as Long Pond. It's hard to tell which body of water is which. But my ankles were troubling me and Seamus seemed to be wearing out, so we turned around and began returning the way we'd come:

Daphne was a happy pooch:

All the dogs, even the hyperactive Clover and Fergus, had slowed down considerably. It reminded me of the popular saying, "A tired dog is a good dog""

Partridgeberry:

We retraced our route, passing by beaver ponds and marshes, and also the snowy hollow:

Because we were tired, the return trip seemed much longer:

But soon we were again walking along the shore of Clear Pond. Tired or not, I couldn't pass by without ambling over for a closer look. It was just too beautiful:

Even the dogs seemed to appreciate the beauty of it all - not to mention the cooling off of their tired feet and the quenching of their thirst:

It was dinnertime, and the fisherman were loading up their boat on the other shore:

We arrived back at the car - four tired dogs and a tired me. It had been a good hike, albeit a short one:

The Hike's End, White Hill Wild Forest Part 8

The dogs and I had hiked 3 to 3.5 miles into the White Hill Wild Forest, from Clear Pond to Little Rock Pond to Long Pond and back again. Almost to our car, I was surprised to see a large bank of very tall Mock Orange in bloom which I'd missed going the other direction. These were not wildflowers, but indicated to me that someone had lived here at one time and planted them near their house:

I sneaked back into the woods just a very short distance and, indeed, there was an old stone foundation laid with some very large stones. Oh, how I'd love to know the story of these early settlers, their dreams and tribulations:

We arrived back at the trail head and piled into the car. Even the few fisherman who'd been here earlier were now gone so I decided to drive down the dirt lane to the edge of Clear Pond where they'd been fishing. I was surprised to find a couple of unimproved campsites there, though no one was using them, and access to Clear Pond for putting in canoes. For the dogs, it was just another fun spot to explore:

It was still raining and the skies were dark. Seamus gazed out over the lake in a pensive, thoughtful manner:

Daphne and Fergus got their toes wet hoping to find something edible:

It was a tranquil scene:

And then it was time to drive home. It will come as no surprise to those of you who subscribe to Murphy's Law that the rain, which had been continuous throughout the hike, ceased as we drove away. The skies cleared and we drove home in lovely weather:

The Return Hike, White Hill Wild Forest Part 7

After leaving Little Rock Pond, the dogs and I continued following the trail back to our car at Clear Pond. We passed several sections where very large fallen trees littered the ground like giant matchsticks. Apparently there had been a considerable blow-down in the recent past. These were very large trees with comparatively small root systems, so I suppose it's no surprise that a mighty wind would topple them. Many places in the Adirondacks have shallow soil under which is solid rock:

And I stepped over this friendly little flowering plant, snapping a photo to use for identification when I got home. But I couldn't decide if it's Northern White Violet or Dewdrop. Now that I've seen Saturday's posting from the "Saratoga Woods And Waterways" blog, I'm convinced it was Dewdrop, also known as False Violet, Dalibarda repens:

And more club mosses, a favorite of mine:

We again skirted the northern tip of Little Rock Pond:

Daphne was alert for any signs of trouble:

Both Papillons were still full of energy and undeterred by the soaking rain. They may be small lap dogs, but don't tell them that! In their minds they are miniature Border Collies:

The wetter places were filling in with Sphagnum Moss. What a chain of environment altering events a family of beavers can initiate:

Retracing Our Steps, White Hill Wild Forest Part 6

The dogs and I had hiked into the White Hill Wild Forest from Clear Pond, where we'd parked, and then hiked on to Little Rock Pond and Long Pond. We'd had the entire forest to ourselves and it had been beautiful and awe inspiring in spite of the continuous rain, the Mosquitoes and the Deer Flies. But the time came to turn back toward the trail head, retracing our steps:

I saw many things I'd missed the first time I passed by them. For instance, this shiny Turkey Tail shelf fungus on a mossy log:

When we arrived at the shore of Little Rock Pond, it was simply too inviting to pass by. So the dogs and I pushed through the ferns to make our way to the water's edge:

Poor little Clover was drenched, and without all that fluffy hair it was evident how truly skinny she was. Well, she's certainly healthy and happy, and didn't seem to mind the rain at all:

And Little Rock Pond was serene, lovely, wild and primitive:

We were truly in a natural setting, just the dogs and I, and I found it a wonderful experience:

And right at the water's edge were many Whorled Loosestrife, Lysimachia quadrifolia. I've never seen this plant before but recognized it right away because I'd seen it in someone else's blog. By the way, if you're interested in a spectacular nature blog, I recommend Saratoga Woods And Waterways, http://saratogawoodswaters.blogspot.com/ :

Fergus, Daphne and Clover ambled over to find a beaver to say hello to:

Seamus did his Brontosaurus imitation, a giant wading in the shallow waters:

In spite of the rain it was a fine day and a wonderful hike. So we lingered at Little Rock Pond for quite a while. But then it was time to continue on. I confess that I was beginning to tire. I had, after all, been up since 3:00 and spent 5 hours on the road. It had been a long day. I'll post more tomorrow:

Long Pond, White Hill Wild Forest Part 4

The dogs and I hiked from Little Rock Pond south toward Long Pond. I'd never seen it before, but according the map, the lateness of the afternoon and my tiring legs, Long Pond would be as far as we'd go this hike. We had the entire White Hill Wild Forest to ourselves and I was enjoyed watching the sights (when I wasn't swatting at Mosquitoes and Deer Flies), such as these Turkey Tail shelf fungi and the perfect miniature white mushrooms at their feet:

The trail was grassy, indicating to me that it is not much traveled. With the continuously falling rain and tall grass, my feet were getting soaked. But after a while, it just didn't seem to matter anymore:

Another attempt to use my camera's self-timer resulted in this washed out photo:

Suddenly the air was filled with the delightful aroma of Balsam Fir and felt cooler. I looked around and noticed that the woods now was full of Balsams. The trail dropped down a hill and we continued on through a slightly different type of habitat:

Around a few more bends we encountered Long Pond. It was not very deep or very big, though I suspected that there was much more of it just over that grassy ridge:

My wet dogs hopped from rock to rock exploring this beautiful wilderness pond. I did likewise, no longer concerned about getting my shoes wet:

This was pure wilderness beauty, a place to remember, a moment to refresh the soul:

This was Long Pond, a wild and gorgeous example of what one can find in the White Hill Wild Forest. But we had more to explore, so I'll post more about it tomorrow: