Clear Pond - Part 2

The dogs and I were walking along the edge of the Adirondacks' Clear Pond, in the White Hill Wild Forest (see also Part 1, posted yesterday), and I was surprised by all the wildflowers I was seeing. At first I didn't see any Blue Flag, but Clover and Daphne found one:

Blue Flag is our native wild Iris, and it is a beauty:

Clover looked at the pond wistfully but didn't go in:

And then Daphne joined her to explore around the rocks. You can see here what a gorgeous wild pond this is:

Little Jack, who most commonly runs in continuous big circles by himself, couldn't resist joining Clover and Daphne for a bit of water fun:

And then they split up to continue exploring:

 Back in the forest again, I was surprised to find this long stemmed violet. I usually don't try to identify violet species, but I looked in my field guide when I got home and decided this was definitely Marsh Blue Violet:

The trail took us through beautiful forest scenery:

And then deeper into the dark interior, the dogs leading the way:

But our main intent was to stay near the water, so we returned to the pond every chance we got:

 I was enamored of these jewel-like patches of Partridgeberry and mosses:

Daphne and Fergus again ran down to the water for a drink and some play. We were almost back to where we'd begun, and I'll post Part 3 tomorrow:

A New Favorite Hike - The Santa Clara Waterfalls - Part 1

The owners of the feed store told me about a short trail to a waterfall where I could walk the dogs. It sounded almost too good to be true, but I was excited about it and drove the dogs there the next day. It was located exactly where they'd said, only 16 miles from my door. I parked my car and let the dogs out to run:

The trail was easy to walk and took us through a beautiful forest of Balsam Fir, Hemlock and Mountain Maple:

The ground beneath the trees was covered with moss and Canada Mayflowers:

The dogs were wild with excitement to be out on another adventure, and they stopped to sniff every smell along the way. At other times, they ran too far ahead and I had to holler at them:

Just as it had been described to me, we soon saw a smaller, less used trail take off to the right. We followed it:

A fallen tree was covered with small, orange fungi which looked like upside down mushrooms. I stepped over it but forgot to watch Seamus, who has always had difficulty with such obstacles. He either managed to step over it or walked around:

We took several forays into the trees (mostly Balsams), just to see what we could see:

One thing we saw was lots of Partridgeberry:

We heard the roaring water before we could see it. The dogs ran ahead and I again called them back. But soon we all arrived at the falls:

There were flattish rocks at the base of the falls, and Fergus and Daphne rushed out onto them. I followed cautiously because I am rather clumsy in my leg braces:

The falls were not high, but they were nonetheless dramatic and magnificent. The dogs found them lots of fun to explore:

We all climbed up on a higher rock and I marveled at the beauty of the St. Regis River (east branch):

Then the little dogs clambered down to the water's edge again for a drink of pure water and to investigate. Seamus and I, both of us awkward and prone to falling, stayed up on the flat rock where we'd be safe. But we had just arrived and there was much more to see. I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

Water Loving Dogs At Whippoorwill Corners - Part 1

I'd been thinking about our first trip to Whippoorwill Corners State Forest last year which didn't go well because we began at the wrong end of the trail. I promised myself to go to the nicer part of the trail this year. So, with a heat wave expected to begin that afternoon, I drove there early in the morning, parked in the shade and let the dogs out to run:

The trail runs right along the banks of beautiful Plumb Brook (Plum Brook, without the "b," is north of here):

Plumb Brook is noted for its rapids and cascades, but most of it was relatively placid, and it certainly thrilled the dogs:

They investigated the cool waters at every opportunity - and even more so as the day warmed up:

I don't know if that dam is something beavers made or just the result of water rushing between the rocks, where the sticks get jammed (I suspect it was the latter), but either way, the dogs loved it:

And they went right in. In this photo, they appeared to be calling to Clover to come down and join in the fun:

In places, the trail went uphill, above the turbulent water below:

And in the dark, damp forest there were lots of Partridgeberries blooming. You can see their four-petaled white flowers and pink buds. You can also see one red berry and a White Pine cone from last year:

Fergus and Jack were very well behaved:

Oh look, Seamus, a quiet spot where we can swim:

And swim they did, prancing and splashing like happy children:

And then we again hit the trail. Jack and Daphne raced past a large Yellow Birch. But we were just getting started. I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

Beautiful Lampson Falls - Part 3

The dogs and I hiked to the top of Lampson Falls, then down to its base and around a rocky ridge for more spectacular views (see also Parts 1 and 2, posted previously). Now we were climbing back up to the top of the falls:

The roaring, churning wall of water was just to our right, but my focus was on the dogs' safety and my own as I navigated the wet rocks with my leg braces and awkward gait:

We took one last look at the top:

And then we began our journey back toward the car. The trail from the top of the falls to the parking area is handicapped accessible:

I stopped to admire a handsome patch of Partridgeberry. Our spring was so delayed that little else was growing yet:


The trail back was broad, level and easy. The dogs were worn out and their wild behavior at the beginning was by now calm and mild. When we got home, they curled up on their beds and slept for the rest of the afternoon:

The scenery was first class even if the Beech leaves were behind schedule this year:

And I was both happy and getting a sun tanned face:


It was a joy to have such well behaved dogs. If only they were so calm at the beginning of a hike:

They still stopped to investigate every smell, but even Jack was tired and reduced to a walk by this time. I signed out at the register and loaded the dogs up into the car for the journey home:

West Parishville State Forest - Part 2

The dogs and I were attempting a walk in the West Parishville State Forest, avoiding the deeper snow and the icy trail (see also Part 1, posted yesterday):

We were in a predominantly Red Pine forest, but hardwoods were mixed in. When I came to this Striped Maple, I fondly remembered the mountain trails I used to hike back on the Massachusetts/Vermont/New York intersection. Striped Maples were everywhere there. You can see where the small tree got its name by taking a close look at the striped bark:

And there were plenty of small Beech trees, still bearing their golden leaves and adding much beauty to the scenery. Back in Ohio, Beech trees grew huge, but here they seem to stay small, like the Striped Maples:

When we began, I'd been angry at the dogs for running ahead and not coming when called, but they calmed down and so did I. Soon we were having a grand time:

We turned around and carefully made our way back to where I'd parked the car. I was amazed at how little ice and snow was on the ground in that area, so I led the dogs off into the woods for a bit more exploring:

I came across an old log with this beautiful emerald moss, a kind I don't remember seeing before. I was sure it had to be called Feather Moss, and spent considerable time online at home, trying to identify it. I finally concluded that it was called Common Fern Moss, Thuidium delicatulum. I guess Fern Moss was as descriptive as what I wanted to call it:

We continued on through the snow free forest, heading toward an old stone wall:

And of course I had to stop to photograph this Partridgeberry. It was a great pleasure to see green leaves this time of the year:

We continued on toward the old stone wall:

The stone wall was unlike any I'd seen before, as if it was incomplete, with only very large stones. At first I thought that someone had tried to reconstruct an old wall, but later figured it more likely that the original farmer had just never gotten it finished, as there were no smaller stones nearby to fill in around the big stones. Daphne and Clover didn't care. They were having lots of fun running and playing:

We continued uphill and through a gap in the stone wall, only to discover that just over the next wall was the forest access road which had brought us here (not that there was any traffic at all). So it was time to return to the car:

I love this photo because it shows the dogs' great joy as we ascended the hill to our parked car. Seamus and Fergus look especially ecstatic. These pooches love our walks in the woods. I do too, though reining them in at the beginning can be trying. Once they've used up some of their excess energy, they're well behaved dogs: