Madawaska Pond - Part 3

The dogs and I were hiking along Madawaska Pond in the Adirondacks (see also Parts 1 and 2, posted previously), and came to a sort of peninsula where people had been camping:

The dogs immediately ran to a big rock next to the water. It was very steep and the water there was deep, so I was a little worried:

And just as I'd feared, both Fergus and Seamus fell in. Fergus was strong enough to climb up the rock and get out, but Seamus was not. I tried to encourage him, but as he tired out, I realized this had crisis potential. I couldn't go in wearing my leg braces and might not be able to get back out myself if I tried. So I hooked two six foot leashes together and looped one end. I lassoed his head with it and hauled him up the steep rock and out of the water:

Seamus had to rest for awhile after his rescue, and the other dogs got to explore the campsite on the peninsula while he recuperated:

But pretty soon, he was back on his feet and I called Clover to come with us:

Daphne, I learned, had also gone into the water but had found a safe place to do it. She too stopped her play and came with us as we returned to the main trail:

Before turning back toward our car, we went to look at the old dam, which blocks Quebec Brook to form Madawaska Pond. It was so decrepit that I began to wonder if it was the reason for the low water level. The Adirondacks has strict rules about leaving most places natural, so it may be that they will not repair the dam. That would be a shame:

The dogs were overjoyed again to be on the trail, though their previous excess of energy had by that time been much reduced:

Seamus was tired, wet and subdued. Jack was still a bit shaken and stinky, and the other dogs had run off some of their exuberance, meaning that I got to walk peacefully with my dogs as we returned on the trail to our parked car:

I knew this wildflower immediately from previous hikes. It was Whorled Aster, a sure sign of coming autumn:


Madawaska Pond was on our right, the forest on our left and soft, aromatic pine needles underfoot:

Almost back to the trail head, I felt grateful for a wonderful hike in a beautiful forest:

Madawaska Pond - Part 1

I took the dogs to beautiful Madawaska Pond in the Adirondacks. I drove 24 miles south of home, then 5.9 miles into the forest on a rough, one lane, dirt road to arrive at the trail head. There was a vehicle parked there, but I never saw another person during our hike:

I first noticed a tiny purple flower with skinny leaves which was new to me. I looked it up when I got home and decided it was Slender Gerardia:

We began our hike in a forest of tall White Pines. The red color of the path was from dried pine needles:

Ferns grew along the edges of the trail as the dogs ran and played. As always, they were a little bit too energetic at first, and I had to keep reining them in:

This is a Bunchberry, in the same genus as Dogwood trees, a fact that always amazes me:

Bunchberries grew in big clusters, and the bright red and green reminded me of Christmas:

The dogs were excited, but I endeavored to keep them close to me:

Little Jack and Daphne thought they were timber wolves instead of foo-foo dogs:

We took a side trail to a bare hill which overlooked Madawaska Pond. I was shocked at the low water level. Clearly, our recent rains had not yet overcome the month long drought which preceded them:

I knew from experience that what looked like a meadow at the foot of the hill was in reality a marsh, so we turned back uphill to rejoin the main trail:

The Adirondack soil was so sandy that I had to sit on that fallen log and empty my shoes and leg braces. With that done, we were again on our way:

The day was heating up and the sun began to cause the pine aroma to increase. It reminded me of the Oregon forests of my youth. But we were just getting started. I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

Degrasse State Forest - Part 3

The dogs and I were hiking in Degrasse State Forest (see also previous two posts) and had already been swimming in an oxbow of the Grasse River and seen a privately owned cabin in the forest. We were on our way back to the car:

I spotted a large patch of Yarrow in bloom along the way:

The dogs were no longer running ahead and needing me to holler at them. They were happy, tired and satisfied:

The forest of mixed conifers and hardwoods was beautiful, though the underbrush was thick:

I'd seen a coyote cross the road on my way to the trail head so I wanted the dogs to stay near me even more than I usually do:

Our walk back was leisurely and comfortable. I enjoyed the sights and sounds, the dogs enjoyed the scents:

Clover, who usually leads the way, began to lag and stay close to me:

But we were all happy and feeling as if we'd had a grand experience:

I got a stone in my shoe and stopped to get it out, so Fergus came back to see what was slowing me down:

We were almost back to the car and I felt some sadness that this hike was almost over:

We arrived back at the car:

But before we left, I saw this lovely pond. It was on private property, so we couldn't investigate - but I did take a photo:

Climbing The Pinnacle - Part 3

The dogs and I had reached a point in the hike where the trail made a sharp left and we took it. But the trail was poorly marked and the heavy layer of leaves obscured the trial, leaving me unsure of its location. I remembered my recent episode of being lost in the forest and made a decision. I admitted that I was now an old man and simply couldn't do some of the things which used to be so easy for me. So I turned around and we all began descending the trail, back toward the trail head:

It was such a lovely day, especially given the time of year, that I had no regrets:

The views were astounding, even without having reached the summit:

And our descent was just as much fun as our ascent. Certainly the dogs didn't care which way we were heading:

I'd made note of the icy patches on the way up so that I could be extra careful when I reached them on the way down:

So what we had was a wonderful walk through beautiful Adirondack scenery. What's not to be grateful for?:

Clover continued to climb up on rocks and strike poses:

And we all traveled happily through the forest:

A row of mountains was visible through the trees ahead of us, with a broad valley between:

I was thinking here that the trail head must be getting close:

And indeed it was. Jack ran full speed back to the car, overjoyed to see it again. I gave up and let all the dogs run down to the car. There was no traffic, after all. It had been an unexpected treat to get outdoors this late in the year and I was grateful:

The dogs all jumped up into the car, I snapped one last photo and we all began heading for home:

Climbing The Pinnacle - Part 1

We are near the Canadian border and it's supposed to be winter, but we recently had a sunny day with highs near 55 F. It seemed otherworldly for this part of the world. To celebrate, I took the dogs on the trail which led to "The Pinnacle." The trail head is 18 miles south of my house and then 1.6 miles into the Adirondack forest. It was an easy drive. I parked, and we all hit the leaf strewn trail:

The new, more slender version of Seamus had much more energy than he used to have:

And all the dogs ran and played - and then ran some more. As for me, I spent a lot of time hollering at them to "Get back here!"

"Who, me?"

"I'm having too much fun. I'll come back when you're really, really mad"

But aside from the dogs running too far ahead, it was great fun and we progressed uphill until I could see the mountains off through the trees, on the other side of a deep valley:

Clover and Daphne ran and wrestled and played Queen Of The Hill:

I can almost hear them giggling when I look at this picture. Five dogs in the forest is a fun experience for them. I was more cautious, with leg braces, painful ankles and nitro glycerine in case of heart problems - but I was having fun too:

This was a rocky landscape, reminiscent of the Catskills but a bit unusual for the Adirondacks. Clover and Daphne found all those rocks to be great playground equipment:

Did you notice the leafy growths on the rock in the above photo? I've been seeing them for years and kept trying to identify them. I believed them to be Liverworts. Well, I've finally got them figured out and they are called Rock Tripe, a form of Lichen. A lichen is a combination of fungi and algae, living together in a mutually beneficial relationship. Rock Tripe lives in the coldest climates and is "green" all year long. Furthermore, it grows up high on rocks where it won't be buried in snow. For these reasons, I have read, the Native Americans used them for emergency survival food (apparently they aren't at all tasty):

The trail took us gradually uphill, zigzagging across the face of the mountain:

But we were just getting started. I'll post Part 2 tomorrow: