Hiking Vroman's Nose, Part 2

I could tell that we were getting near the top of Vroman's Nose, but there hadn't been any scenic overlooks so far. But Clover and Daphne dashed about through the forest and the oak leaves like two little woodland elves. They were having a magnificent time:

Daphne runs up to me every few minutes to look up and see if she can get me to be more fun - and also to be sure I'm still happy with everything:

We were withing a few feet of a cliff and I was wondering if I'd better put the dogs on their leashes:

Aack!!! I quickly put the dogs on their leashes:

From this, the first of many scenic overlooks, I could see out over the Schoharie Valley to the mountains beyond:

Looking at the farms and barns in the Schoharie Valley below felt as if I was in an airplane looking down:

But wait, there's more! We continued to climb up to the next rocky crag where I felt sure there'd be more views:

And indeed there were - farm fields neatly squared and trimmed, with mountains just behind them:

That river is Schoharie Creek, not very impressive most of the year but a flooding, raging torrent many times in the spring melt. It's the Schoharie Creek which took down two bridge spans of the New York Thruway and just this past August took down a covered bridge after Tropical Storm Irene:

But the scene on that day was all pastoral loveliness and calmness, at least as long as I had the dogs on their leashes. But we weren't to the top yet. I'll post more tomorrow:

Up Through Long Lake and Beyond

I was driving up to the farm on Route 30 with all six dogs in the car. I arrived in the Adirondack town of Long Lake and parked near the Adirondack Hotel. When Tropical Storm Irene came through, the road in front of this hotel and the parking lot were flooded right up to the building:

And directly across from the hotel is a beach with pontoon planes parked (docked?), awaiting tourists for sightseeing tours, sportsmen heading for the interior or businessmen in a hurry:

Long Lake is quite beautiful and, needless to say, extremely long. The town and this beach are located at a particularly narrow spot in an otherwise narrow lake:

 There were numerous pontoon planes parked along the shore:

After taking a few pictures, I resumed my journey. But when I passed this magnificent waterway lined with bog plants and spruces and with a mountain for a backdrop, I just had to stop for another photo:

Route 30 is a beautiful road with great scenery:

And I began to pass small ponds as I neared the town (and the lake) of Tupper Lake:

There are lots of ponds just south of Tupper Lake and they sure are spectacular. Notice the clouds drifting across the top of that small mountain. That's one advantage to driving through the Adirondacks in rainy weather. The dogs wanted me back inside the car - either that or they figured they should be allowed out:

All along the shoreline of this pond were birches and other hardwoods showing their autumn colors. Clouds drifted slowly across the mountaintops:

I love watching the clouds moving across the mountains. They seem to skip over the valleys and then get caught on the high points:

Beautiful And Wild Quebec Brook

The dogs and I were just getting started on the Quebec Brook trail. The beginning sections looked level and easy to hike. It was plain to see that this had once been a railroad bed. But that's far too practical a description for what was really going on in my head at the time. I was walking through what looked like a magical land with the aroma of Balsam Firs filling my head until it was difficult to think of anything else. I was spellbound in this enchanted forest as I walked down a path carpeted with emerald mosses of many kinds:

Quebec Brook was just to our left, a friendly presence as we walked. Without warning, Seamus bolted down a five foot embankment to immerse himself in its pristine waters. I guess he just couldn't wait any longer. As you can see, the other dogs followed his lead down to the riverbank:

Clover and Daphne, otherwise known as "The Silly Sisters," used the moment to play and to taste the clean water, their ripples causing the reflections of trees to bounce and sparkle in the afternoon light:

Besides the Balsam Firs, the other most common woody plant was the Mountain Alder. It has its own little imitation "pine cones" which dangled over the path like Christmas decorations:

I followed the dogs down to the shore to see what the brook looked like. It was magnificent, an example of what the pioneers must have seen:

There was still woody debris caught on rocks and I guessed that was a remnant of Tropical Storms Irene and Lee which had caused such flooding in the Adirondacks. But mostly I just relaxed, inhaling the Balsam perfume and appreciating the serene beauty:

Once back on the trail, we passed another giant mushroom. The area certainly had the feel of a magical forest:

Back down to the waters once again a little farther upstream, Seamus went in for another refresher:

Then the other three joined him, though they didn't actually go in:

The shoreline was billowing with Balsams and Spruces and Alders and Birches:

This thoroughly imperfect photo was one of my favorites, I suppose because it shows Daphne and Seamus at such an intimate distance and the wondrous Boreal Forest behind them. I'll post more tomorrow:

From Saranac Lake To Hays Brook Horse Trail

The dogs and I made as far as the town of Saranac Lake and, as I often do, I stopped there to fill my gas tank and to buy a sandwich. But there was a new attraction that day right across the road from the convenience store. I'd already heard about this new project so I knew right away that it was the beginning of the Adirondack Carousel. Instead of just horses, the riders will sit on carvings of Adirondack Woodland Animals (and one horse). I hope to chronicle its progress in my future trips up to the farm:

And from Saranac Lake I drove up through the broad, flat fields in the town of Brighton where Adirondack high peaks frame the view in nearly every direction:

I stopped just long enough for a snapshot at Barnham Pond. Notice how close the road is to the water:

At the far side of Barnham Pond:

But it was time for another doggy rest stop, so I pulled off the highway into the Mountain Pond fishing area. No one else was there so I opened the car doors and let the dogs run:

Mountain Pond is always lovely:

We walked along the shore. The waterline was still higher than normal, a lingering result of Tropical Storms Irene and Lee:

The dogs played along the shoreline:

And then I loaded them all back up into the car:

But instead of leaving by the way we'd come, I continued on for the length of the pond to Hays Brook Horse Trail. And for the first time, I actually saw horses there. I wanted to stop and say "Howdy" to the horses and their owners, but I did not want my dogs to start barking. So I simply snapped a picture of the horses, waved to their owners and kept driving:

An Ausable River Rest Stop

I hadn't been up to the farm in many weeks due to a busy schedule and too much rain so I was anxious to get up there again. On Sunday morning I loaded the dogs into my little red car and pointed it northward. We didn't stop until we exited the highway and arrived in Keene, New York. I pulled into our little campsite hoping no one was using it. Apparently campers had just left because their campfire was still smoldering:

The dogs piled out of the car and we headed immediately down to the banks of the Ausable River:

This is a pleasant and level walk. Seamus' new, leaner look seemed evident in this photo:

The flood conditions left behind by Tropical Storms Irene and Lee had abated so I rock-hopped out to the edge of the water. I was surprised when I looked back and saw that elderly and nearly blind Wally was keeping up with me. Little Clover was still back on the shore watching us:

Daphne and Seamus had already hit the water for a cool drink:

And the river was lovely, with small mountains and the beginnings of autumn color visible from my rocky perch:

Little old Winky is getting slower and more stubborn in his dotage, so he just waddled along. He still enjoys himself, though I have to watch him closely:

But this was just a quick rest stop so we soon headed back up the hill to our parked car:

The camp fire was still smoking:

The four younger dogs all hopped back up into the car but Wally needed some encouragement to finish his journey back up to where we'd parked:

And of course Winky was the last to arrive. He seems to be intentionally taking his time, sniffing rocks and plants as he slowly makes his way toward where I'm calling. I think it's a declaration of independence for him, his way of saying that he's perfectly capable of doing this on his own and he'll arrive when he's darn good and ready. But we had many miles yet to drive, so once all six dogs were in the car I continued on my way toward the farm: