White HIll Wild Forest - Part 2

We were hiking in White Hill Wild Forest (see Part 1, posted yesterday). Shining Clubmoss grew in great abundance:

Wood Frogs (I think) were calling from this beaver pond, so we ambled over for a closer look. I never saw any, though, and they stopped calling when we got close:

The dogs' antics probably scared the frogs, but they were sure having fun (the dogs that is, not the frogs. Well, it was mating season, so maybe the frogs were also):

And then we continued on our way:

The trees had not budded yet and the only spring flowers I'd seen so far were the Trout Lily sprouts in yesterday's post:

We descended down into a hollow, cool and fragrant with Balsams, when I saw - Oh no, not snow!:

But the snow was only in that one spot and no problem at all. We climbed back up out of the hollow and continued on our way:

We passed several beaver ponds and marshes. I'd hoped to get as far as Little Rock Pond and Long Pond before turning back, but I secretly hoped to make it all the way to the spectacular Lilypad Pond:

By now Daphne was playing in the water as much as Seamus. Fergus and Clover tried to keep their tootsies dry:

We came to another beaver marsh and I turned off of the trail and walked toward it:

I sat down on a large rock and watched the dogs as they played and explored:

And they kept coming back to say hello to me. But we still hadn't gotten to the turn around point, so there was more trail before us. I'll post Part 3 tomorrow:

Part 1 - Beebe Hill On A Mild Sunday

It certainly had been a mild winter, and a recent Sunday dawned clear, bright and warmer than ever. I went to the gym and then decided that I absolutely had to get outdoors and do some hiking. But it was late, so I drove south to Austerlitz, New York for my favorite mini-hike of all, Beebe Hill. I parked the car and let the dogs out. The trail began alongside beautiful Barrett Pond, which still had a coating of ice:

There'd clearly been beavers harvesting small trees around the edges of Barrett Pond:

And the paths which the beavers used to drag their small trees down to the pond were also clearly seen. Daphne and Clover used one as a path to the water's edge:

I got very nervous when Clover ran out onto the ice. Daphne followed, slipping briefly into the open water near the shore:

But when 130 pound Seamus also ran out onto the ice, slipping and sliding, I called them all sternly back to dry land. I didn't know how much weight that ice could hold:

We started up the service road, passing by the turn-off to Turkey Hill and Harvey Mountain. But when I noticed a turn-off for the Upper Loop Horse Path (which would take us to the fire tower), I turned right and began the uphill slog. The dogs were still excited and running like happy fools. I had to holler now and then to keep them from getting too far away from me:

They're good about coming back when called, all excited and expecting praise and petting (which they get):

The trail appeared to have been an old dirt road and had ancient stone walls alongside it. We went up and up and up toward the fire tower. I saw a small pond off to the left which is brimming with Wood Frogs in the spring. I want to be sure to hike here again when the Wood Frogs are mating. It's a sight (and sound!) not to be missed!:

Daphne had gotten herself wet when she slipped into the icy waters of Barrett Pond, but was rapidly drying out in the sun. She and Clover were buddies, running and playing as we traversed the trail uphill toward the fire tower:

Being such a lovely Sunday afternoon, there were other people hiking Beebe Hill. But we never saw anyone on this part of the trail. We had it all to ourselves and it was lovely:

A Red Oak had fallen across the trail and been chainsawed into firewood sized pieces by the rangers. I called the dogs back and had them pose for a group photo. Heaven knows it isn't easy getting them to hold still as a group for more than a few seconds:

And then we continued our upward climb. There wasn't much slippery mud because this trail was so infrequently hiked. It looked liked I'd made a smart choice of trails. We'd already made it almost to the top since this was such a short hike. But I'll post more tomorrow:

Harvey Mountain Blueberries - Part 2

I was hiking up Harvey Mountain with four of my dogs and hoping to find the mountaintop covered with ripe Lowbush Blueberries. The trail was a seldom used service road and quite pleasant. I endeavor to keep the dogs slightly ahead of me so that I can keep an eye on them, but not so far that I can't quickly call them back if necessary. They were doing pretty well - except for baby Clover, that is, who was again exhibiting her stubborn, independent streak. But in this photo, all is going well:

Clover and Daphne, both Papillon puppies, are buddies and like to do as much as possible together. They are incredibly active and athletic. Papillons, I've read, were originally bred to be toy Spaniels, but I've come to think of them as toy Border Collies because of their intelligence, high energy and need to have a job to do. Well, on this day their job was hiking and exploring. They considered it great fun:

Fergus can almost keep up with the two Papillon puppies, but he also understands the need to do as he's told and keep close enough to me. When he forgets, though, he immediately comes when called and we're balanced once again. In this picture, he's exploring an old stone wall, an activity he seemed to enjoy more than once on this hike:

It was a very hot, sunny day and we tended to slow down as we hiked upward. You can almost see Seamus' feet dragging in this picture:

And then I began to see Blackberries all along the trail:

Most of them weren't ripe yet, but I found enough which were ripe to make me happy:

And mixed in were Red Raspberries. They were a real treat. Wild berries heated by the summer sun and eaten out of hand with the birds singing overhead and the aroma of mosses and pines in the air, are among life's greatest pleasures. What version of heaven could compete?:

And then I heard splashing. Seamus was hot and tired, and had found a small brook just off the trail but screened by foliage so that I hadn't noticed it. It had a high population of Wood Frogs which scrambled out of the way when the dogs came down to cool off. You may notice that by this time, Clover was dragging her leash. That's because she was still running too far ahead and not coming when called:

All the dogs got a drink and enjoyed the cooling effects of the shaded brook. The two Papillon puppies were fascinated by the Wood Frogs:

Back on the trail once again, the woods opened up somewhat and we got more sunshine. This made it hotter, but also kept the Steeplebush, Spirea tomentosa, blooming beautifully. But we hadn't yet reached the summit, so I'll post more tomorrow: