The Drive Home - Part 1

Our walk along Clear Pond had yielded almost no wildflowers except for Painted Trilliums, but I'd seen other species in bloom along the road in to the trail head, so kept my eyes open as we traveled back out. The first flower I saw was another Painted Trillium:

And another. They were certainly do well this year:

And someone had engineered many stone cairns all along the one lane, dirt access road:

And then I saw a large Red Trillium:

Unfurling ferns at the base of a large, old Black Cherry tree:

And Hobblebush, a wild Viburnum. We hadn't seen any by the lake which were in bloom as apparently I was too late, but deep in the forest I found a few still blooming:

A wondrous creek, making its way through the forest:

The Trout Lilies were up but not in bloom. They are long past in most parts of the country. We are always later, being a northern location, but this year we were even later than usual:

Two more tall Red Trilliums:

Every time I'd get out of the car to photograph wildflowers, the dogs would watch me anxiously. They'd rather jump out and "help," but I wouldn't let them. But there was yet more to see, and I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

Spring Flora White Hill Wild Forest - Part 2

I was walking around Clear Pond with the dogs and photographing whatever spring flowers I could find. I saw lots of Hobblebush, which often looked as if it was artfully arranged by a professional landscaper:

 Painted Trillium:

I couldn't identify this Violet, but perhaps it was a Broad-Leafed Wood Violet:

 Red Trillium:

 Trout Lilies were up but not yet in bloom:

I guessed these to be emerging Canada Mayflowers. Everything is so late this year that we may want to rename them Canada June-flower:

 Painted Trillium:

 Red Trillium:

 Coltsfoot is usually the first flower of all, and to find it so late in the season was confirmation to me that spring was much delayed this year:

 Red Trilliums:

We were on our way out when I saw patch of Marsh Marigolds, with a State Forest sign in front of them. Tomorrow I'll post about the dogs and their happy romp along the edge of Clear Pond:

Happy Dogs In Brasher State Forest - Part 2

I was hiking with the dogs in Brasher State Forest (see also Part 1, posted yesterday), only ten miles from home:

There was a lot of excited running and sniffing of smells, with all the dogs having a wonderful time. It was a bit more difficult for me as I tried to keep all five of them close at hand and under control:

But there were serene moments too as we quietly walked the paths covered with White Pine needles:

Because of my leg braces and damaged ankles, I can no longer walk very far and it wasn't long before we turned back toward the car. We'd taken some detours off the main trail anyway, so I figured we'd see some new sights on our way back:

The dogs were happy wherever we went:

And it wasn't long before I espied our red car parked up ahead. I had pulled about fifty feet off the road to park in the forest:

There were wonderful patches of healthy looking Princess Pine, our ubiquitous and beloved clubmoss:

The dogs were so intent on the smells and sights at hand (or paw) that they didn't at first notice how close we were getting to our car:

I had been disappointed that I hadn't seen any Trout Lilies, but finally found some. They were just emerging and would be blooming soon:

The Shadbush, however, was in its full glory. It began blooming on Mother's Day:

I moved in for a closeup:

Soon it was time to go home and I called the dogs back into the car. They consider that to be fun also, and are always happy to oblige:

Hiking Along Hannacroix Creek - Part 2

I was hiking along Hannacroix Creek just south of Albany with my four youngest dogs. The day was fairly warm but spring was so delayed this year that I despaired of seeing any greenery. But there among the fallen oak leaves I began spotting Trout Lilies emerging. Trout Lily, Erythronium americanum, which is also sometimes called Fawn Lily, Adder's Tongue or Dog's Tooth Violet. Their tiny yellow blossoms are one of the surest and most beloved signs of spring. I can hardly wait to see more of them:

But the dogs cared nothing for emerging wildflowers. Smelling the aromas of animals which had passed by ahead of us was their big thing. And movement. They love the sense of progressing through the woods with legs pumping and all their senses awake and alive. Come to think of it, so do I:

The trail followed Hannacroix Creek for quite a while, but since the dogs had already had their opportunity to splash in it, we stayed up where it was dry and the walking was smooth and easy:

Just up ahead I spotted the remnants of an old stone foundation built right on the riverbank:

It was the remains of an old paper mill:

And on we hiked, with the dogs adventuring up into the forested hills:

Seamus was all smiles as he paused with Daphne, his little Papillon buddy:

And then we arrived at the beautiful falls. There is a narrow rocky ridge which leads out to this overview and the dogs ran on ahead while I snapped this picture. But I sensed that they were up to no good so quickly pocketed my camera and hurried on up ahead to see what they were doing. I found a small pile of shoes and jackets and lunches - and yes, Daphne and Clover had managed to break into a lunch and eat half a sandwich. I saw two young barefoot ladies down on the rocks below and tried to call to them to explain and apologize. But the roar of the falls prevented them from hearing me:

So I returned to the trail and continued on my way, feeling quite guilty for the transgressions of my two puppies and for not telling the girls about it. I could have climbed down the rocks to where they were but considered that would have been an even bigger disruption of their idyllic outing than what had already transpired. So we just kept on hiking:

The forested hills were lovely but I saw no more signs of emerging vegetation. I'll continue the story tomorrow:

The Taconic Crest Trail - Part 2

The dogs and I had begun our hike on the Taconic Crest Trail and were on our way to the Snow Hole, a sort of grotto which reputedly holds its snow year 'round. Well, it used to, at least before global warming. In the past I've found tiny amounts of snow in early July but little or no snow thereafter. This was early May so I had high hopes.

We'd ascended the rocky slopes which began the hike and then descended into the protected valley between the peaks. Now we were were gradually climbing up towards the scenic overlooks and the Snow Hole. The forests surrounding the trail were spectacularly beautiful in an early spring sort of way. The trail was clear cut and the whole look of the mountain path was one of magic, of a fairy tale come to life. Notice that little Daphne is once again (or still) running joyfully, this time with her playful buddy, Fergus:

Besides the other flowers I presented in yesterday's post, there were purple and white violets along the trail:

Shadblow trees were in full bloom in the canopy of miniaturized trees and the Trout Lilies were in full bloom carpeting the ground below. The effect reminded me of Easter decorations:

And Daphne kept running joyously:

Fergus ran for a while, but eventually pooped out:

On and on we hiked. This trail is aptly called a "crest trail" for one can see the drop off into the valleys below in nearly every direction, at least a great deal of the time. Notice in this photo the clear sky up ahead. There are no mountains blocking the view for we are on top already:

Daphne continued to romp and play:

But Seamus was getting winded:

Fergus was still having fun, but less enthusiastically than previously. Notice the muddy feet:



On and on we hiked, with flowering Shadblow trees in the canopy, Silver Birch trees alongside the trail, and carpets of Trout Lilies in all directions. Even the dogs seemed to appreciate the magical beauty:

Here's a sample of the "carpets of Trout Lilies:"

Fergus and Daphne, being the youngest and most energetic, continued to lead the way:

And after some time, we arrived at the first scenic overlook. These are the Taconic Mountains on the border between New York and Massachusetts and the view was stunning:

Besides the Taconic Mountains in the distance, the Shadblow trees were blooming on the slope:

Here's a brief video taken while on the trail. It was a very hot day, which seemed at odds with the early spring blooms and buds we found on the mountain tops. But is was beautiful and the dogs were thrilled to be outdoors and were running happily: