Part 4 - Dyken Pond Nature Preserve On New Years Day

I was hiking the Spring Trail with my four youngest dogs on an unusually warm New Years day. We'd begun by following ski tracks which helped us make our way through the snow. But then we took a turn back toward the road and walked alongside a small brook where no one had broken through the snow before us. That was more difficult. We came eventually to a lovely forest of Spruce, Pine and Fir:

Fergus waded through the snow for a short distance, but then changed his mind and returned to join the rest of us where he could walk in the tracks I'd made:

A short video of our progress along a small brook. You can see little Clover in the lead, effortlessly walking on top of the snow. Seamus and I, being heavyweights, had a bit more trouble:


As noted in the above video, the two Papillon puppies, Daphne and Clover, were so light on their feet that they were able to walk on top the crusted snow. That, of course, made it much easier for them. As if those two needed any more energy!

Another brief, quiet video of our passing beneath the coniferous forest canopy:


We came to a place in the woods were we could see the plowed road just ahead of us:

And just beyond the road was Dustin Swamp:

We had a bit of a walk along the road to get to our car. There was, needless to say, very little traffic. Nevertheless, I put Daphne and Clover on leashes and gave them another lesson on how to heel. Fergus and Seamus already know how to heel, so I left them unleashed but gave them a chance to practice:

And before long, we arrived back at the parking area. Our New Years day hike was over. It was a wonderful scenic and contemplative experience in addition to good exercise. It was a great way to begin a new year:

Part 3 - Dyken Pond Nature Preserve On New Years Day

I was hiking on a surprisingly warm New Years day in Dyken Pond Nature Preserve in Grafton New York, with my four younger dogs. We were all having a grand time, and the dogs were especially playful - even more than usual, that is:

We walked through pockets of warmer and colder air, and enjoyed the quiet of the woodlands. Clover thought she heard something and went on alert:

Fergus (and Seamus too) comes all insulated with thick, woolly Poodle fur, so snow, ice and cold are no impediments to his having a good time:

A brief video of a quiet moment along the snowy trail:



The ski tracks which we'd been blessed to follow left the trail and we began walking through unbroken snow which made it quite tiring, at least for Seamus and me. I was amazed that little Clover could consistently lead the way and wondered how such a tiny dog could push through the snow so tirelessly. Then I noticed that she was mostly walking on top of it, not through it. I suppose she wondered how we could be so slow:

The trail followed a small brook which burbled and sang as it traveled both through and beneath the snow cover:

Eventually we walked out of the hardwood forest and into a Spruce and Pine woods:

This coniferous section of woodland was darker at the ground level and the snow was littered with needles and branches:

The dogs rightly considered this a grand adventure and made it a point to sniff everything. It'd be fascinating to be able to read the smells which they can pick up. "Hmm, a squirrel walked by here, a 'possum there, a raccoon over there was having dinner. And a trio of turkeys were dining on seeds right here:"

Part 2 - Dyken Pond Nature Preserve On New Years Day

I was hiking in the Dyken Pond Nature Preserve with my four younger dogs on a surprisingly warm New Years day. We were on the Spring Trail but decided to follow a connector trail down into a wooded valley. This, of course, was occasion for more ecstatic running and great joy for the dogs. As I've said before, I think that our dogs' ability to find such joy in nearly everything is their greatest asset and benefit to our lives. Just look at those ears flopping!

After much running up and down the hill trying to get me to speed up, we all arrived at a tiny creek flowing through the snowy landscape:

Skiers had helped pack the snow a bit along the trail as we headed down through the valley:

And up ahead I saw that the dogs had located a small bridge crossing the stream:

This tiny bridge provided yet more joy in the puppies, and Seamus plopped himself down in the snow, apparently to get a drink of cold water. He never did drink, though, so I guess he was just being playful (or tired):

Fergus, Daphne and Clover were anxious for me to catch up so we could continue our exploration of the forest:

But like a child, Seamus was dipping and splashing his toes in the brook:

All along the route were glorious examples of Yellow Birch and I determined to get a photo of one which would convey the lovely golden hue of their bark. This picture gives only a hint of their beauty, but you can see the yellowness of it:

And a very brief video of my four pooches as we hiked through the woods. The trees are quite small, an indication that this area had been deforested not too many years ago. I'm glad that it is now being protected by law and returning to its natural splendor:

Part 1 - Dyken Pond Nature Preserve On New Years Day

After several bouts of cold temperatures and heavy snows, New Years Day promised to warm up into the 40s. I decided to try a short hike and drove the four younger dogs to Dyken Pond Nature Preserve in Grafton, New York to give it a try. I was hoping that cross-country skiers had flattened down the snow sufficiently for the trails to be walkable. Of course I knew that Grafton gets more cold and more snow than Albany, but still I was discouraged when I arrived to see the snow piled up around the parking area:

I'd picked a trail on the map which we hadn't yet hiked, but could find no sign of any trails along the road. I eventually found trail markers and some indication that cross-country skiers had made the trail passable, but there was no place to park, not even shoulders on the road. I eventually parked in the main lot and walked all the way back down the road to the trail I wanted. It was a good opportunity to give the Papillon pups another "heel" lesson. When we finally entered the woods, the dogs reacted with great joy. Just take a look at Fergus' face:

Seamus and Fergus ran wildly along the snowy trails, their ears flapping:

Seamus slowed down rather quickly, but Fergus and the Papillon puppies had more energy than they knew what to do with. They were on an expedition of exploration and sniffing:

The skiers had not packed the snow down completely, but had certainly made it easier for us than it would otherwise have been. So we explored deeper and deeper into the woods:

My little dog pack keeping together in the forest:

The trail was well marked with red discs, so many that I'd have considered it littered in the summertime. But it came in handy for finding the trail when it was all snow covered. We decided to take a spur trail which led down into a valley:

Ever alert and on guard, Daphne kept an eye out for lions and tigers and bears:

A brief video from the beginning of our hike. The dogs are all excited and Seamus leaves us a big, stinky surprise in the middle of the trail: