The Redwood Trail, Catherineville State Forest

The dogs and I left the county Multi-Use Trail and I began driving around, looking for another trail. Very little is marked, not even the roads, and soon I was lost. But I found the Redwood Trail, designed for handicapped people, which actually had a small sign along the road. The road was unmarked, gravel, and so very narrow that my parked car stuck out into it even after I parked as far to the side as I could. But there was certainly no traffic, so we began our hike:

The Redwood Trail was similar to the previous trail we'd just been on. It really needed maintenance, however, if it was to be used by handicapped people. And also a parking area:

But it took us through a lovely woodland, with sunlight filtering down through the canopy:

The dogs were having a grand time and I was exploring the only trail which was actually marked in the Catherineville State Forest:

Most of the markers were like this, permitting motorized ATVs if one had a special handicapped permit:

But it was clear to me that few people, handicapped or otherwise, had been using this trail. It became difficult to find in places, and eventually it just seemed to end in the middle of the woods:

There was a spectacular stone wall running through the forest, evidence that this had once been farmland, part of the former town of Catherineville. I'm told there are old stone foundations somewhere, though I haven't yet found them:

When the trail petered out, we began retracing our steps, making our way back to the car:

Both hikes that afternoon were short and easy, so the dogs never got tired. That means they were overly exuberant the whole time. They had fun, but five overly exuberant dogs in the woods can be a handful:

But the day was beautiful and the dogs were happy:

Almost back to the car:

We quickly arrived back at our parked car, which I'd had to park in a ditch, with the back end sticking out into the "road." Getting in and out was awkward, causing me to wonder again how a handicapped person could manage it. But we'd had our afternoon adventure and I would have photos to edit and chores to do when we got home:

The River Loop Trail In St. Regis Falls - Part 1

We had a warm, sunny day and I was determined to take the dogs hiking somewhere - but someplace where there weren't a lot of other people. I chose the River Loop Trail in St. Regis Falls, not too far from home and a trail I'd never before tried:

The trail began on an old railroad bed and was straight and level - and unexciting. But I wanted to see what else it had to offer:

It seemed clear to me that people had been driving their quads on this trail, eroding much of the soil:

Nevertheless, it was a beautiful day and the scenery alongside the trail was lovely. We walked off into the woods to see a green patch of Princess Pines and moss:

And the dogs, of course, were having a grand time. Little Daphne led the way when we got off the trail:

Jack, Daphne and Clover were running through the woods in big circles:

We got back on the trail and continued until I saw a marked foot trail veer off to the right, into the forest. The dogs knew immediately that's where we were going and ran excitedly down the new trail:

This was a true foot trail which hadn't been harmed by vehicular traffic. In fact, it was a handsome forest:

We strayed off the trail to see another patch of Princess Pines, this one quite large:

And then continued on through the forest, some of it young trees like these and some of it large, older trees:

We continued on through a grove of pines:

And came, eventually, to the St. Regis River. We were high up on a ridge but could see and hear it roaring below us. I hoped the trail would take us down to the riverbank, so we continued on. I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

Snowy, Rural Beauty On County Route 56 - Part 2

I was taking a driving tour of County Route 56 and enjoying the beautiful rural scenery such as this farm house with a barn and silo out back. As a side note - our weather began to moderate yesterday and reached temperatures above freezing. Yet even though our snow is melting, things still look pretty much like this:

A spectacular old barn:

And a not so spectacular old barn:

This corn field was backed up by woodlands, with more farm fields beyond that and more woodlands beyond those - and farm silos on the horizon:

A farm house with a wonderful back porch:

D&D Small Engine Repair:

I see lots of tractors on mailboxes, but this was a surprise to me and, I thought, very clever. I guess I don't need to tell you what this person's winter hobby was:

Another country home, all comfy and warm despite the winter weather outside:

This old tractor, silo and hay bales had apparently not been accessed recently, at least not since the last snowfall, but they make a wonderful scene for a photo:

Snowmobiles, pickup with snowplow, split rail fence with corn stalk and lots of rural trimmings. This is country living:

Another logging operation. This one clearly seemed to be for firewood:

This old barn housed a small flock of very calm and friendly sheep. They watched me with interest but no alarm as I snapped their picture. Yet there was still more to see on this country road and I'll post Part 3 tomorrow:

Part 3 - Elliott Road, Town Of Stockholm, New York

I was approaching the end of Elliott Road when I saw this old, abandoned home set back in the trees. Such places cause me to wonder about their history, who used to live there and why they abandoned it. I'd also love to poke around inside and see what was left behind. But all I did was stop and take a picture:

I passed through more woodlands:

And drove by more farm houses:

This farm advertised maple syrup. There must have been a sugar house out back:

A very old barn with a collapsed roof, an old silo and an old, red dump truck:

This compact home was set back in the forest and looked especially inviting:

And this black and white mobile home had a matching garage:

Board and batten siding:

And another home set back in the woods:

This place still had Christmas decorations out, and I found them to be a colorful, welcome sight in all that snow:

I was almost at the end of Elliott Road and it had become woodsy again. This home was surrounded by trees:

And the last photo of the day was this place, covered with snow and set back in the woods. There was a boat stored in the yard, a reminder that summer was coming soon and this area is rife with rivers and lakes. I put my camera away and continued on my way to buy groceries:

Scenic Buckton Road - Part 2

I was touring scenic Buckton Road (see Part 1, yesterday's post) on a cold winter's day. This lovely old barn and farm equipment made a remarkably scene:

Another old barn:

And a farm house with additions, front porch and a unique window:

I passed by both farm fields and woodlands:

And many homes had old maples out front:

This low rise barn, coral and pine tree must have housed horses, though I didn't see any:

Another classic farm house:

A very interesting home with a raised deck for summer dinners:

This very old home appeared to no longer be lived in:

And this home was nestled back in the trees in a most attractive way:

A beautiful old farm home surrounded by trees:

When I came to the intersection of County Route 49, I called an end to my driving tour - but not until I snapped a picture of the old, abandoned Shatraw's General Store: