The Adirondacks From I-87 To Keene, New York

Another Sunday dawned bright and clear, albeit cold, and it was time for another trip with the dogs up to the farm. I drove north on I-87 for over an hour before I began to see the real Adirondacks just ahead:

Though it's been a cold, snowy winter, there'd apparently been a recent thaw as this mountain alongside I-87 was almost completely snow free:

And once we'd pulled off onto Route 73, the first big mountains which came into view were Giant Mountain and Rocky Peak Ridge:

Unnamed mountains and valleys lined both sides of Route 73 and driving on such a clear, bright day was a scenic delight:

As we gained altitude, the mountains alongside the road began to show more and more snow:

This one, however, must have been too steep to hold its snow. I think it had just all fallen off:

The highway began to drop down into the Keene Valley, after which we'd drive right back up into the high peaks:

I stopped to take a picture and the dogs watched me with concern:

I stopped in the hamlet of Keene Valley (which, of course, is in the Keene Valley) and turned down Trail End Road to see what I could see. The view was wonderful:

 On we drove through the Keene Valley, with mountains rising up on both sides:  


These homes sure had spectacular views:

And this must surely have been a farm at one time. They still sometimes have horses in that pasture:

Starting Another Trip North To The Farm

I hadn't been up to the farm in 3 or 4 weeks and had decided not to attempt another trip during the worst of the winter's cold and snow. But as soon as I heard that the upcoming weekend would be in the 40s, I made plans to travel northward. I began on Rt. 87, the Northway, that limited access highway taking Albany folks to the Adirondacks and Quebec. After an hour and a half of driving, the scenery made it clear to me that I was in the Adirondacks:

The surrounding mountains continued to get bigger as I neared my exit:

And when I turned onto scenic Rt. 73, there directly ahead of me was Giant Mountain and Rocky Peak Ridge.I have lots of fond memories of hiking those heights:

But we'd been on the road for almost two hours and my six dogs needed a break. So I took a chance and pulled as far off the road as I dared and ushered the dogs back into our favorite little campsite along the Ausable River:

There was just a few inches of snow - no hindrance whatsoever for most of the dogs. Daphne and Fergus ran with joy, stopping momentarily to make sure I was with them:

 But the snow slowed little old Winky down considerably and Wally simply didn't want to walk through it at all:

We didn't go very far into the forest this time as I was carrying Wally and urging Winky forward. So when we got near the campsite, I stood in one place with Wally and the other dogs ran and played. Even Winky got a bit adventurous at that point:

All the dogs except Wally came trotting merrily out of the forest when I called (Winky is behind Seamus, almost blending in with the tree trunk). Wally was standing at my feet, unable to push his way through even that little snow:

I found a spot with less snow accumulation and carried Wally over to it. He too needed a bathroom break:

I gave a call and got the dogs moving back toward the car. Wally tried to come with us but in the end I had to carry him:

The big problem was Winky. He stalled and moved as slowly as possible. I think it was a matter of asserting his dignity and independence. But with much cajoling, urging and threatening, he finally made his way back to the car. Winky is a "special needs dog" with many idiosyncrasies, some of them quite frustrating. But when he's filled with joy, it's a wonder to behold:

Finally I had all six dogs back in the car and was ready to pull back on the road and begin the drive through the Adirondacks as we made our way to the farm. But I'll post more about that tomorrow:

The Final Leg Of The Trip Home

We were on our way home from the farm, the dogs and I. We'd gone hiking in Brasher State Forest and taken a driving tour of the northern towns of Bombay and Moira, New York. The dogs were fresh off a nice rest stop at Marcy Field and I was driving through the Giant Mountain region on my way to join up with the main highway back to Albany:

Snow was falling lightly - just enough to be pretty but without sticking to the roads:

Occasionally the clouds would part and allow magnificent mountain views:

We were close to the tops of most of the nearby mountains and they were wrapped lightly in clouds:

I parked on the shoulder of the road to get a quiet view of the Adirondack majesty:

The waterfall which normally cascades down that cliff appeared to be all frozen but I assumed the water continued flowing beneath the ice:

I still had about a two hour drive to get home but wanted to take my time appreciating the beauty at hand. Once I was on the highway there'd be no leisurely stops for scenery:

I passed through the mountain pass which leads past the trail heads to Giant Mountain, Rocky Peak Ridge and Noonmark Mountain, old friends of mine from my younger hiking days:

And shot one last photo before I pulled onto the main highway. It had been a pleasant, relaxing and fruitful trip up to the farm. I'm always anxious to go back: