Catherineville State Forest - Part 1

It was Sunday, the day before I was to get my ankle braces and the warmest, loveliest day so far this spring. I decided to drive back to Santamont Road and check out the Catherineville State Forest. I noticed that the sign had an "S" in Catherineville and checked the internet when I got home. Most sources omitted the "S:"

I parked the car and let the dogs out, then quickly returned to leave my jacket in the car. It was warmer than I'd expected:

I stopped to investigate an abundance of cones on the ground and decided that these were from the many Black Spruce which were growing all around me:

It was a fine day for a romp in the forest and the dogs were excited to be outdoors:

There were lots of wet spots and I attempted to keep the dogs from drinking out of them, though I let them play and splash to their hearts' content:

These tiny beauties were, I believe, Northern White Violets:

The dogs and I continued on our way down the trail. I kept calling the pooches back when they got too far ahead of me:

I believe that this trail was once a woods road, perhaps to someone's camp or a logging operation. These days, it's a fine way to see the forest and smooth enough for someone like me with bad ankles:

There weren't many flowers in bloom of any kind yet, but I knew that these Spring Beauties would be among the first. Our spring is 3 to 4 weeks later than normal this year. In another week or two, the forest floor would be carpeted with beauty:

Fergus looked like a little lamb in the woods. I decided that it's time for both Fergus and Seamus to get haircuts. But we had more to see on this unmarked trail, so I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

A Spec-top-ular Experience On Coney Mountain - Part 2

We were hiking our way up to the top of Coney Mountain, the dogs and I, and enjoying the wildflowers along the way. Spring Beauties were in full bloom:

And Red Trilliums:

The climb was gradual and quite easy, even for an old codger like me:

And the dogs would stop and wait for me every so often:

We were nearing the summit:

The incline turned steeper:

And rockier:

And higher:

We were almost there:

Maybe this was the last incline?:

No, there was one more:

Ah, we made it. Coney mountain has a wonderful, 360 degree view and you can see why I coined the word, "spec-top-ular." The dogs were quite happy and so was I. I'll post Part 3 tomorrow:

Part 2, Coney Mountain In The Horseshoe Lake Wild Forest

The trail up Coney Mountain was both scenic and easy, just the ticket for an old geezer who had recently experienced some leg weakness:

And the dogs were happy, happy, happy. This, after all, was their second hike that morning. By the way, don't let the radiance of Daphne's "smile" cause you to miss the cluster of Painted Trilliums near her feet:

We continued gradually upward. Many trees were just beginning to leaf out even though this was mid-May and we'd had an early spring with 80 degree temperatures in March:

And then the trail became steeper. The dogs turned around to look at me as if they wondered if my legs would poop out on us again. But I was doing just fine and we continued on our way to the summit:

And I found Trout Lilies in bloom in mid-May. Boy, these mountainsides were really experiencing a late spring!:

My legs were fine but Seamus, overweight as he is, needed a rest. We all waited for him to catch his breath. He's since gone on a diet and is looking thinner these days:

I got down on my belly to photograph a Red Trillium in bloom and Fergus walked over to keep an eye on me. It made for quite a terrific picture:

And then I began finding Spring Beauties in bloom! I wondered just how late the mountainside snows had melted this year:

More Red Trilliums:

And then we reached the steeper, final rocky ascent toward the summit. Views were already opening up to the right:

The higher we went, the better the scenic overlooks became:

Higher and higher, through a small clump of trees. We were almost there - but I'll post photos from the summit tomorrow:

Jenkins Mountain Trail, Part 3

The dogs and I had hiked the trail alongside Black Pond and Long Pond, then continued on when we intersected the Jenkins Mountain Trail. My formerly weak legs had been feeling fine until the trail turned steeper and then they began to tire rapidly. I was well past that rocky crag I'd thought was Jenkins Mountain and decided that new mountain just visible through the trees must be our destination:

My legs continued weakening noticeably, and I lay down in the leaves to rest while I enjoyed the views. I immediately noticed that my reclining was presenting me with a new, wonderful look at the local flora like these Trout Lilies:

And my own dogs were thrilled to have me down at their level. Daphne came leaping over a small log, headed directly for my head:

I was resting on a rather steep incline and the dogs kept a watch nearby:

Fergus and Seamus were happy to relax with me:

But Clover and Daphne, AKA "The Silly Sisters," continued their high energy woodland exploration:

I stood up to continue hiking but immediately realized my legs would not go any farther. I reluctantly began returning toward the trail head. The consolation for my disappointment was seeing so many beautiful things I'd missed the first time along the trail. These Spring Beauties, for example:

The dogs stopped at the base of an uprooted tree to sniff:

And that, I presumed, was Jenkins Mountain. I felt sad that I wouldn't get to see the view from its peak, but will surely have other opportunities in years to come:

And we began traversing the trail back the way we'd come, along the tops of the eskers. I'll post more tomorrow:

The Taconic Crest Trail - Part 1

Sunday morning, May 2nd, dawned warm and summery, promising a hot, sunny day. I had lots of chores and errands to do but decided I must go hiking. So I loaded Seamus, Fergus and little Daphne into the car and drove to Petersburg Pass. I lived out that way for many years and know the area well. Along the way, I passed my old house where I'd adopted and raised my two boys. It's been extensively remodeled and is now quite a showpiece though it was beyond modest when I lived there.

We arrived at Petersburg Pass in less than an hour and parked at what had once upon a time been a ski resort parking lot. No buildings remain, though when I first moved to the area there were remnants. I put the dogs on a leash as the trail begins across the road from the parking area. But as soon as we were across the road and climbing up the steep rocky trail, I removed the leashes. Little Daphne wasted no time and quickly began running and romping as only a puppy can do:

And the lowbush blueberries were in bloom on both sides of the trail. I find their waxy white bell flowers especially attractive and it looks like it'll be a good year for eating wild blueberries:

There's a short spur trail to a scenic overlook right at the beginning of the hike and we took it. This view shows the Taconic Valley and State Route 22 from Petersburg right down to Berlin, New York. Just to the left one can see State Route 2 which runs from Petersburg, New York to Williamstown, Massachusetts:

It was only minutes until we were on the main trail and as you can see it was lovely, almost enchanted. The trail is uncommonly straight and level. It's also distinctly visible and well marked. The surrounding land has been purchased by Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts and is now popular with students. When I used to hike here it was known only to the locals. And yes, Fergus' ears are a-floppin' again. He's a happy boy:

At that altitude the trees were just beginning to turn green. In the more exposed places, they were also miniaturized from the harsh winds and extreme cold. Seamus was just happy to outdoors:

Trout Lilies, Erythronium americanum, were in bloom. No, "in bloom" doesn't quite describe it. There were acres and acres and acres of Trout Lilies carpeting the forest floor. Their mottled leaves and delicate yellow star flowers were to become perhaps the most memorable part of the hike:

And mixed in with the Trout Lilies were Spring Beauties, Claytonia virginca, with a variety of colors - white, white with purple stripes, pink or purple:

The trail dropped down into a bit of a protected valley between the mountains and the trees were taller. There was still plenty of warmth and sunshine coming down through the mostly leafless trees. Albany had mostly progressed beyond spring and into summertime, but up on these mountains it was still early spring. The three dogs and I hiked merrily along the trail and yes, it did have some of the feel of traveling the yellow brick road:

And all through the woods these shrubs were in bloom. They are Hobble Bush or Witch Hobble, Viburnum lantanoides. I couldn't find them in my field guide, presumably because they are more a woody shrub than an herbaceous plant, but thank heavens for Ellen Rathbone's blog where I found them clearly identified. If you'd like to see Ellen's blog, click here:

The boulders along the way were mostly white quartzite, adding more magic to the overall appearance of the forest:

And deep in the sheltered valley, skinny little Daphne heard a sound and went on full alert:

And all along the trail I saw these aptly and imaginatively named Dutchman's Breeches, Dicentra cucullaria, with their feathery leaves:

But there were some which didn't have the trousers look but looked more like the Bleeding Hearts in my mother's garden of long ago. I thought they might be yet undeveloped Dutchman's Breeches, but I looked them up when I got home and found they are the closely related species called Squirrel Corn, Dicentra Canadensis. Both plants, by the way, are indeed in the Bleeding Heart subfamily. You can see how it pays to keep one's eyes open and try to take in all the tiny beauties as well as the majestic scenic overlooks. This is Squirrel Corn:

Notice happy little Daphne's position in this photo. You'll see it a lot as she was full of energy and joy, running more than walking. Seamus, in contrast, has slowed down so much I had to keep encouraging him to walk ahead of me instead of dully plodding along at my side:

And here's a video from that first scenic overlook at the beginning of the hike. I made an error in my narration when I said the road below was Route 22. While the spot overlooks both routes, I was at the moment referring to Route 2 which runs up over the Petersburg Pass from New York into Massachusetts. You can hear an Ovenbird singing in this clip. You can also see black flies buzzing the camera lens occasionally: