Originally we were going to go to the Catskills, but when Bruce checked the weather online at 5:30 AM on the morning of 9/20/09, they had reduced the temperature forecast from a high of 69 degrees, predicted the night before, to a high of 61 degrees.  Connecticut seemed to have more pleasant weather for hiking, with a forecasted high of 72 degrees.  Therefore, we decided to go there instead.
     The trail to Chauncey Peak and Lamentation Mountain starts at Guiffreda Park.  They have a nice map available on their website.  Even though the guidebook and the website did not say anything on the subject, when we got there we saw prominent signs telling people that all dogs have to be on a leash.  Therefore I, Dickens, had to have a leash on for this trail.
     Despite their names, Chauncy Peak and Lamentation Mountain are traprock ridges, like many mountains in Connecticut as well as the Holyoke Range in Massachusetts.  For those of you have never hiked one, a traprock ridge is a great place to hike because of all the cool geometrical rocks, steep cliffs, and great views.
     The parking area is at the south end of Crescent Lake.  We started at 11:30 AM,  hiked off to the east and ascended  a very steep trail in the woods.   At the top we met a rock climbing instructor, his spouse and two young kids.  They were going to do some rock climbing on cliffs off to the east.    They explained to us that we had missed the obscure turnoff for the main trail which is a left off the trail along this cliff line.  We backtracked and found our way.
       The blue blazed trail we wanted goes north along the east side of Crescent Lake.  There are many ledges and views along the way looking south towards New Haven and out to the west as well.  To the west is a stone tower on a ridge called "Castle Crag".
      Finally we came down off Chauncey Peak to a dried up stream with a Pickerel frog in it, and a wooden bridge.  We turned right and followed the blue blazes.  Big mistake.
     After hiking the wrong way for two miles, we came back to the bridge and figured out that we really needed to take an obscure red blazed trail that looked like an eroded dry stream at the beginning of it.  This red blazed trail goes uphill and then miraculously turns back into a blue blazed trail which ascends to the top of Lamentation Mountain. 
     One thing that had fooled us was that the "wrong" trail was very wide and well used.  Probably this is because it is used by ATVs.  It really just meanders around in a huge circle and has nothing of interest to justify hiking on it, so far as we could see.
      Lamentation Mountain is well worth the trip.  There are many pretty views including a long range view north to Hartford. 
     Because we had taken a long wrong turn, we decided to go back the easy way along the shore of Crescent Lake, without reascending Chauncey Peak.  This turned out to be an excellent move because there were some scenic views along the lake and we saw a family of mallards (see photo gallery).  We were back at the car at 3:57 PM.  Because of the wrong turn we probably hiked about 7.5 miles.  Definitely a good place to visit again.

     On Saturday 8/15/09 Bruce and I, Dickens the hiking dog, decided to climb Owls Head NH (3258'), north of Cherry Mtn, from the north via the Owls Head trail.  However, the trail was full of mud and even some wooden walkways were under water.  After 35 minutes we gave up and turned back. 
     Bruce's shoes were full of mud, but fortunately he had brought along a spare pair.  By now the morning was getting on and it was getting hot.  Therefore we decided to try Mt Willard (2865') which is a fairly short easy hike, but one which is very popular.  The mountain sits at a good vantage point for views down Crawford Notch. 
     As a general rule we try to avoid the most crowded trails but Bruce was sure I could handle it.  We set off at 11:15 AM and met up with many families, hikers of all ages, and other dogs.  There were water sources about half the way up.  We arrived at the top at 12:15 PM and had lunch.  There are many ledges here and plenty of room for numerous hikers to enjoy the view. 
     On the left there was a terrific view of Webster Mtn with its steep cliffs.  To the right there was a view of Mt Willey with various slides and a waterfall.  In between, down Crawford Notch, you could see both Route 302 and the railroad tracks.  We started back at 1:00 PM and were done at 2:10 PM. 
     Having done Mt Willard, on 8/28/09 we decided to do its counterpart, Mt Pemigewasset.  Like Mt Willard looking out at Crawford Notch, Mt Pemigewasset is a small mountain (2557') with views of Franconia Notch.  Pemigewasset is also famous for the Indian Head, a rock face on the summit ledges visible from the notch below.  And, like Mt Willard, it is a popular easy hike for beginners.
      It took us from 1:05 PM to 2:25 PM to reach the summit, where there were a series of ledges to roam around on.  We had lunch where there was a view of a buttress coming down off South Kinsman.  After that we walked around to where we could see the ridge from Lafayette to Flume. 
     The view of Mt Liberty was very dramatic because it is 4449 feet high and has great cliffs on its pointy summit.  Bruce could feel in his bones the call of the mountain -- one he had never yet climbed but one which looked so spectacular.  We left at 3PM and were back out at 4:10 PM.  On the way down we saw a number of red squirrels. 
     On September 5, 2009, Bruce came back to climb Mt Liberty.  He didn't bring me along because he was worried that, with the steep hike and the lack of water, I might get overheated.  After hiking it, he thinks this was the right decision although he did see a number of other dogs on the trail.
     To get to the top of Mt Liberty one needs to hike for 8 miles round trip and go for a 3250' elevation gaiin.  Fortunately the weather was perfect:  about 71 degrees, sunny, with a pleasant light breeze.
Bruce started at 9:10 AM and reached the campsite at 11:10, saying hi to the bearded caretaker.  After that he met some French Canadians.  When he said "Hi" they said "Bonjour!" 
     A large section of the trail is very steep and full of rock steps and rocks to hop around on.  The rock stairways have steps so far apart it would seem that the whole trail was designed by hikers seven feet tall.  However, Bruce made good time.  After the campsite, the trail gets easier.  There is a set of ledges just below the summit where he stopped and took many photos, then he proceeded on and arrived on the summit at 12:40 PM. 
     The views were spectacular and that is why there are 15 photos from Mt Liberty in the photo gallery.   A forest ranger told Bruce that this is one of his favorite spots in the Whites and Bruce has to agree. 
     On the summit Bruce met a man about 35 with a very quiet, mellow dog named Buck.  Buck resembled a Bernese Mtn dog but seemed a bit lighter brown overall.  The owner said that Buck had bit four people and was put up for adoption.  After he adopted Buck, the dog became the model of good behavior that he is today, as well as a big fan of hiking.
     Other dogs Bruce met on the way down were Rosie, a small dog with short hair; Gracie, a yellow lab; and Katie, a dark brown dog about the size of a sheltie. 
     Another noteworthy personage he met on the way down was a local attorney from Vermont.  Bruce finished the hike at 5:02 PM, not feeling tired at all.  He says that the magnificent views were well worth the strenuous, rock-laden trail. 
     But if your dog might get overheated from such a trail, better to leave him home and later take him on a different hike later.

     In a wet year, such as this, a hike that goes by some impressive waterfalls is a good idea.  The hike to the top of Zeacliff, a 3700' summit in the White Mountains, goes past a series of very pretty falls.  The fact that there are lots of water sources along the way make this an excellent trip for dogs who are up to handling a 7.8 mile journey round trip. 
     We started the trip at 9:33 AM.   Zealand trail is supposed to follow an old railroad grade, but soon we hit an area where the trail is full of boulders and requires a lot of rock hopping.  Had this continued for 7.8 miles we would never have been able to complete the hike, but fortunately the trail later improved.
     There were many hikers out today since this trail is a major entry into all sorts of overnight trips in the wilderness.  Along the way we were asked to take a photo of one group near a beaver pond.  After passing a series of beaver ponds draining north, we came to a pond draining south where there is a good view of the ridge of Zeacliff and Zealand mountains.  From the shore of this pond we could  hear the roaring of Zealand Falls and see an opening in the trees where some of the falls are visible in the distance.   We turned onto a new trail and started climbing more steeply. 
     The trail goes by some of the lower portions of Zealand Falls.  By 11:12 AM we reached Zealand Hut and stopped to rest.  Right in front of the hut we saw and photographed a large garter snake.  A group of young hikers were there but they had not noticed the snake.  After we photographed it, they did too.  They then asked us to take photos of them with two of their cameras, which we did.  After that, one of the young women in the group offered to take a picture of us. 
     We then went to look at some of the falls next to the shelter.  The bare rocks leave many areas for hikers to rest on or go wading or swimming in pools or flumes.  When we continued on our way uphill, we had to leap over one flume area. 
     As we continued up the slopes of Zeacliff, we met a series of seven thru-hikers who had started in Georgia this spring and were well on their way to Mt Katahdin.  We spoke with one hiker from Rochester, NY, and another young man with a trail name of Samwise.  After that we met a young woman with a trail name of Squeegee.  She told us she was from Maine.
     On the way up we crossed a stream and Bruce filled a bottle with water to use for me when we reached the summit. 
     By the time we reached the summit at 12:48 PM all the thru hikers had descended and we had the ledges all to ourselves.  We had lunch and enjoyed the fantastic views. 
     From left to right, we could see Mt Jefferson, Mt Washington (in clouds at first but later the clouds cleared), and some of the peaks to the south of that.  In front of the presidentials were Mt Tom with its spruce wave, Mt Field and Mt Wiley. 
     In front of them, and to the right, were the very dramatic cliffs of Mt Whitewall, a trailless peak which certainly ought to have a trail some day, due to its extensive cliffs. 
     To the south we could see remote Shoal Pond, pointy Mounts Anderson and Lowell, and huge Mt Carrigain looming over everything.  To the right of that we recognized Mt Hancock and Mt Tecumseh.
     For lunch I had a roast beef sandwich and the water that Bruce had collected earlier, while he had a ham and cheese sandwich and some ice tea.  On the top of the mountain were some flowering sheep laurel.  The wind was calm and it was a very pleasant temperature.   The weatherman had predicted sunny but it was more like partly cloudy. 
     At 1:30 PM we left the summit and started back.  As we descended we met other hikers who were all very friendly.  When we came back to the shelter we met our first dog of the day, a lab type named Gypsy who was with a hiker who had come down from Mt Hale.  As we descended further we took more photos of different areas of Zealand Falls.  When we got down to the highest pond we met a small white dog named Tansey,  two young women hikers, and a larger dog.
     When we were about a mile from the end of the hike we were resting on a boulder and a hiker came and sat down and talked with us.  He was a handsome young man from Missouri and he told us he had hiked 19 miles this day.  We talked about the Ozarks.  Although he didn't tell us his entire backpacking itinerary for this trip in the Whites, he did mention that he had visited Thoreau Falls which is further south beyond Zealand notch. 
     After he left we noted that he and another hiker we had met earlier both pronounced Thoreau Falls as if it were spelled THOR-o.  Although I am just a Welsh terrier, and not a lexicographer, this sounded strange to me, as if people were talking about the names of pagan dieties such as Zeus-o, Odin-o, and Thor-o.  If this is how the falls are supposed to be pronounced, they should rename them after some illustrious dog, at least, that's my opinion. 
     We were both out by 4:43 PM.  This makes 7.8 miles in 7 hours, 10 minutes.  A bit longish of a hike but well worth it for the outstanding, dramatic views and the many beautiful waterfalls.  In fact, it is one of our favorite hikes of all time.

     We arrived at the trailhead at 10:30 AM on Saturday, August 1, 2009, a rare non-rainy day.  The idea was to climb Round Mtn (3100') the long way, a 6.2 mile round trip which would have the benefits of supplying water sources for me, Dickens, your favorite hiking Welsh terrier.
     The trip up to Round Pond reminded Bruce of "The Hippopotamus Song" by Flanders and Swann which has the chorus:  "Mud, mud, glorious mud.  Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood."  Since June and July were record-setting rainy months, the trail here was full of water and mud. 
     Near Round Pond, we met some people.  We met a couple from Fort Anne who live near the hillbilly miniature golf where we often stop for ice cream.  After that, we met a Bernese Mountain dog named Bonnoo who was hiking with a young couple from Middlebury.  Bonnoo told me her name is Indian for "Gift from heaven." 
     After that we saw a very vivid green frog.  Up in the trees we saw a woodpecker and then, nearby, a hummingbird.  There were some interesting flowers too.  We saw a wild lupine and a lot of hawkweed.
     Once we got near the Boquet River we came through an area of flowering turtleheads (chelione) which is always a pretty sight.  By 12:22 PM we arrived at the Boquet River, meeting three backpackers who were heading to the Dix Leanto.  They went west, but we turned north on the trail to Round Mtn. 
Although the Boquet River looks like a pristine mountain stream, we soon saw that this branch of it has its source in two large, marshy beaver ponds.
     As we came to the turn off to head east up the mountain, we met a group of young French Canadians, three women and two men, who passed us.  The trail goes up and over a knoll which has a nice view of nearby Noonmark Mtn.  Later, the trail goes up and past a number of ledges where there are views out towards Dix Mtn, which Bruce has climbed four times, and Noonmark, which I have climbed once and Bruce has climbed three times.
     Thanks to the wet June and July there were a number of rushing watercourses on this route to help keep me cool and non-thirsty. 
     Finally at 2:20 PM we reached the top and had lunch.  I had a turkey sandwich and half of Bruce's ham and cheese sandwich.  I also had a nice bowl of water to wash it down with.
     The bare, rocky summit is very spacious with many great areas to rest on and enjoy the views.  There are absolutely wonderful views of Dix Mtn, Noonmark, Gothics, Armstrong, Wolfjaw, Hedgehog,
Big Slide, and Porter.  You could see Whiteface off in the distance.  From a different lookout, there were great close-up views of the cliffs and slides on nearby Giant Mtn. 
     While we were there, we could hear the French Canadians joking and having a great time.  A couple with a baby and young child came up and rested near the view of Giant. 
     We talked to both groups.  Due to the wet trail, the couple with the two children  had decided to take the shorter route out, and then hitchhike back to their car.    Then after that we talked to the French Canadians who told us that they were going to do the same thing.
     Bruce and I, however, left the top at 3:15 and went back the same way we came.  When we hit the Boquet River again at 4:24 we broke out the Ritz crackers and had a snack.  After that we met a few backpackers coming in to go to the Dix shelter.  Near the end we met a hiker coming out who told us that he had climbed both Dix and the Beckhorn in one day -- no mean feat! 
     The two of us were back out at 6:24 PM.  We drove up to the ADK access road to look for the hitchhiking hikers, but none were there.  With all the tourists driving up Route 73, we figured they must have had no trouble hitching a ride. 
     Overall it was a very enjoyable hike and the views were well worth the time hopping around and trying to get past the muddy and flooded areas.

     Hello again, this is Dickens the hiking Welsh terrier coming to you direct from soggy New England. Mind-boggling rains this spring and early July have made viable hiking days more precious than ever before. On July 10, Bruce and I climbed Mt. Crescent NH (3261 feet) which is just north of Mt. Madison (5366') and Mt Adams (5799') and has dramatic views of King Ravine and other features of these majestic peaks. When we arrived at the trailhead parking area at 12:00 noon we were the only ones there, which is good because the parking area only has room for two cars!
     The weathermen predicted mostly sunny, 77 degrees for today but actually it was at least 50% cloudy all day; sometimes up to about 70% cloudy. It seemed about 78 or 79 at the beginning but it cooled off later.
     We started off and saw a red squirrel. We took the Carlton Notch trail which goes past a stream to keep me cool. We then took the Castle View loop, which goes by another stream, and came to a very nice lookout at 12:45 PM where we had lunch.
     There is a great panorama of Mt. Madison on the left, the Valley Way ravine, then Mt Adams with the huge King Ravine. Connecting these two mountains is a very spiny ridge with the peak of John Quincy Adams in it. The map does not do justice to this feature. On the map it looks pretty flat but in real life it looks like you would need a Swiss guide to help you traverse it. On the far left is a ridge which blocks a view of the Howker Ridge and the various Howks. On the far right is a ridge which contains the Castle trail on Mt. Jefferson with a series of bumps called "Castles." You can't see the Caps Ridge trail because this ridge blocks it.
     Continuing on our way, we joined up with the Mt. Crescent trail which has a loop on the top of it. We took the right trail in this loop because it goes by a couple of streams which are a very welcome feature to a hiking dog. We didn't have a Randolph Club trail book or map. The guide book we did have has an inaccurate map which shows a second, smaller, elongated loop on the summit. Actually, there is only one loop.  Our trail goes off to the right and around to the other (north) side of the mountain, then joins the other side of the loop off beyond the summit. We had to then backtrack, go over the summit, and then go back downhill to come to the South lookout. We arrived here at 2:18 PM. Fortunately we figured this out for ourselves or we would not have come to the main lookout on the mountain.
     Instead of a football shape, the trails on the summit actually look more like a parrot beak.
     The view on the summit is similar to the lower lookout, but more comprehensive. Far off in the distance to the southwest, we saw two very pointy peaks and with the zoom lens we photographed them, although we have no idea which mountains they were. The South lookout has rocks to sit on but they are very lumpy and perhaps if they had been ironed they would be more comfortable. I had a nice bowl of water here and we enjoyed the view, leaving at 2:39 PM.
     We went back to the trail junction which has a so-called "North lookout" but it is really more of a west lookout. We could see the rounded, wooded summit of Mt Randolph and a mountain with a slide on it which could be Pliny Mtn. It is pretty mild compared to the dramatic South lookout.
     Continuing on, we went along the Crescent Ridge trail which had many signs of a large moose population. This trail goes through a number of marshy areas on the forested ridge, but it is passable enough. At one point on our trip down we caught a pretty glimpse of Mt Madison and Mt Adams where the clouds that had been throwing them in shadow had cleared somewhat, resulting in a very nice photo which is in our photo section, or will be soon. Along our route we saw two snakes and one toad. We were out at 4:50 PM.

     Although this is a very beautiful 3168 foot high mountain, with great views, I would not recommend it for hiking doggies, unless perhaps they are as good at climbing as mountain goats. 
     We arrived at 11:37 AM and arrived at  a rushing mountain stream at 12:01 PM. This is the only water source on the trail.   After the stream,  the trail goes up very steeply and there are many areas of cliffs and high boulders to climb up.  There is also one very narrow rock chimney that one has to pull onesself through. 
     There is another place with no hand, foot or paw holds where one has to simultaneously push on two boulders and shimmy one's way up in the middle between them.   Bruce lifted me up over his head to get over that one.
     In view of all the areas where one has to climb up precipitous rock slopes, this is not a trail to climb in wet conditions.   Or for people who don't have adequate life insurance.
     Along the trail we met some friendly hikers from Quebec who told us they decided to come here because today is a holiday for them, St. John the Baptist's day.
     We had the top all to ourselves and took many photos of nearby Whiteface Mtn, the Saranac River, and the views out towards Lake Champlain.   The entire summit was festooned with flowering diapensia. 
     In view of all the strenuous climbing, we didn't get back out until 6:08 PM.    

     On a sunny Memorial Day, Bruce and I arrived at the trailhead at Dalton MA at 11:05 AM.    We were the only car there, but as we went uphill we saw another car below us arrive and park.  Our route was on the Appalachian Trail heading south for three miles, then back for a six mile round trip.
     We climbed up and over three knolls, then over Tully Mtn (which some books say is 2035 feet and others say is 2085 feet), then up and over three more knolls, then over a large rounded knoll which I will call North Warner Hill, then up to the summit of Warner Hill (2050 feet). 
     Since we went back the way we came, we climbed everything twice except Warner Hill.  This means we climbed five low mountains and 12 knolls.
     A bad ice storm in December 2008 had caused large numbers of blowdowns and broken limbs on trees, but since this was the AT a great deal of trailwork had been done to make the route passable once more.  In fact, this trail was almost as good as new.
     Due to sufficient rain this spring there were some intermittent streams along the way which were very useful for a hiking Welsh terrier such as myself.  Once we went over a couple of knolls which form buttresses to the north of Tully Mtn, the rounded dome of Tully Mtn was hardly noticeable; from the south it is much steeper.  The reality is quite the opposite of all the maps.  The maps make Tully Mtn look steep on the north and gradual on the south.  In fact, the reverse is true.
     In time a couple from Connecticut caught up and passed us, the people that we had seem park after us.   Along our route we saw violets and a couple trilliums, several spring peepers, and a toad.  We startled a spruce grouse.  On the trip back we saw a wood frog.   The forest consists of maples, oaks and beeches, with some cherries and birches thrown in, and a few white pines.  In one damp area there is a stand of hemlocks.   Near Warner Hill there are some old stone walls and apple trees. 
     Finally we came out of the forest onto the bald, fern covered slopes of Warner Hill.  We arrived at the summit at 1:12 PM.  The couple from Connecticut were there, but soon left.  We had lunch and enjoyed the views.  From the top there is a great view of Mt Greylock off to our right.  To our left we could see parts of Pittsfield and the Taconic mountains beyond it.  In front of us we could see the wooded slope of Tully Mtn. 
     There are plenty of comfortable boulders on the top to rest on.  We noticed some high blueberry bushes and a few butterflies.  On a nearby tree we saw a hummingbird. 
     We left the summit at 1:55 PM and were back out at 3:49 PM.  It is a very enjoyable hike and a good one to go on when other trails might be in bad condition from a rough winter.

     In search of good weather, Bruce and I went south to Connecticut to climb Ragged Mtn., which was to be the 388th mountain that Bruce has climbed.   Since dogs don't have as long a life to climb mountains, perhaps people should multiply my mountains by seven to get a comparable total.
     We started out at 11:20 AM on the "Red Dot" trail which has rectangular blue blazes with a red dot in the middle.  The trail goes up and along a large traprock ridge, with many ups and downs.  If you like lots of exercise, this trail is perfect for you.
     Some of the wildflowers that were out were wild columbine, pale corydalis, blue violets, hobblebush, field pussytoes, and mountain sandwort. 
     We reached the first of a long series of lookouts at 11:47 AM with interesting views of a lake/reservoir down below.  By 12:30 PM we arrived at the Big Boulder lookout and had lunch.  After we finished we met a man with a very large expensive-looking camera who told us that he used to live in Isle La Motte, VT. 
     By 1:06 PM we reached the lookout where the trail stops going west and turns north.  Here we met a man and two teenage boys with very short military haircuts.  One of the sons told us that this was indeed the summit of Ragged Mountain. 
     Between 1:00 and 2:15 many clouds rolled in and it became mostly cloudy, but then after that the skies cleared up again.  Heading north, we went down gulleys and up steep knobs.  We ascended a good 100 to 200 feet from the supposed "summit" of Ragged Mtn.  By 1:30 we reached a knob with no views that we think is the actual summit of the mountain. 
     The trail then turns and comes back out to two overlooks above Wessel Reservoir.  Here there was a terrific boisterous wind, as you can see from our photos.  We arrived at the second lookout at 1:53 PM.  You can see Hartford CT off in the distance from here.
     Shortly after that we met a man and wife and three pretty teenage daughters who were doing a loop in the opposite direction as we were.  They were happy that we could confirm to them that they were on the right trail.  The daughters petted me and said what a good dog I am.  It's always nice for us dogs to meet friendly humans on the trail.
     The plan was to go past the Yellow Dot trail and then take the White Blue trail to complete the loop.  But we missed both of them.  We even passed the next one, the Green dot trail, but then doubled back and found it.  The Green dot trail has blue blazes with a green dot in the middle.  Where the trail intersects with the blue blazed Metacomet Monadnock trail we were on, the green had faded and the blue had faded and it looked at first like an abandoned portion of the blue trail.  But we figured it had to be the side trail because at 2:34 PM we were coming up to a swamp which was beyond it.
     Going back a little way, we took the Green Dot trail, which goes on an old logging road and is not all that scenic.  Many areas were flooded and would be buggy later in the season, but today there were not many bugs out at all.  The one redeeming quality of this trail was the very clever bridge it has at the end of it, a photo of which is in our picture section under "The Psi Guys".  Near the way out we saw some very noisy ATVs going down the Red Blue trail.  We continued on towards the parking area.  Here we  met a man and a large brown dog named Ben.  We were back out at 3:15 PM.
     We only did one loop, leaving several other possibilities to pursue on another trip.
     
    

     We arrived at the trailhead at 10:15 AM, the first car there.  Our expedition consisted of me, Dickens, the hiking dog host of this site, and my human Bruce, along with his friend Fred Bump. 
     At the start of the trail we saw an ominous sign warning that the trail had been damaged by the ice storm of December 2008 and that the trail was hard to follow in places.  A mere bagatelle for hiking veterans such as ourselves!
     It was a beautiful day for hiking.  The weathermen erroneously missed predicting rain the night before, but by Saturday morning the clouds began  to dispel, and it soon became sunny with temperatures up as high as 83 degrees F.
     Soon we came to a large, grassy field where we saw a turkey fly away to our right.  After that we went into the woods, passed some private buildings and crossed a private dirt road, then ascended to an open area with views off into the distance.  We could see Mt Monadnock to our west and the Wapack Range to our south.   Bruce saw an osprey and we also saw a few other birds that we couldn't identify before they zoomed out of signt.
     Going back into the woods there were many blowdowns to try to bypass.  When we came to the stream I had a refreshing bath.  Here, the trail was hard to find.  It crosses the stream and then bears slightly to the left and up a wet area which looks like a streambed but is actually the trail. 
     Our trail was named the Shannon trail and Bruce wondered if it were named after singer Del Shannon.  This part of the trail began ascending steeply.  We passed another nice lookout, a large area with flat rocks and grass.  But we decided to continue to the top and have lunch there.   This proved a wise choice because the view on the top was better, and there was a nice breeze there and some shade. 
     After going up, the trail then went down for a long section, which was confusing.  But Fred said, if it goes down, it will surely go up again later, and so it did.  It kind of winded to the right around the back of some high points. 
     One more step pitch up and we arrived at the top ledges at 12:02 PM.  There was a wonderful view of Mt. Monadnock and the four lakes below it.  To the south we could see North Pack Monadnock and a series of Wapack Range mountains behind it.  To the east we could see a few low mountains.  The north view was blocked by trees. 
     While we were having lunch a couple of crows flew by.  Bruce also saw a merlin and a couple of other birds which went by too fast for us to get a good look at them. 
     After lunch Bruce and I explored a bit.  Following the yellow blazes of the Shannon trail, we went up to a knob above the lookout where there was a  tall cairn.  We took this to be the actually summit of Crotched Mtn (2055 feet).  This was the 375th mountain which Bruce has climbed.  In fact, it was a first ascent for all three of us.
     After that, the three of us went a little ways down a blue blazed side trail nearby.  However, we didn't want to overdo it on an early season hike, and we decided just to return the way we came. 
     When we had decended a little ways, we met a man, about 40, and two young ladies about 17 and 15 with him.  He told us that he had climbed this mountain frequently. 
     Arriving back at the lower lookout, we stopped to drink and munch on some pretzels.  We saw a fuzzy brown caterpillar.  Fred asked Bruce why Texas has a long panhandle but Oklahoma has a very long strip of land stretching out north of it.  Wouldn't it have made more sense, Fred said, to have Oklahoma own all the way across or to have the Texas panhandle go all the way north to get rid of the long narrow strip of Oklahoma land.
     "You are lucky to ask me that question," Bruce said, "because I happen to know the answer.  Many years ago when the boundaries were being delineated, they had a popular game called  'Game of the States' where you had tokens and would buy goods of one kind, and then throw the dice and move on a map from state to state to deliver the goods in other states.  It helped speed up these deliveries wonderfully if you could move from New Mexico by way of the strip of land in Oklahoma all the way to Arkansas without having to stop and go through Texas.  And that's why they made the boundaries the way they did."
     After stopping here we proceeded downhill and arrived back at the bottom at 2:15 PM. Overall this was a beautiful mountain and worth returning to in order to complete the ridge walk on the top.

     What a long snowy winter we had!  But now, finally, it's time for me, Dickens, to resume my role as the  world's first Welsh terrier to blog about hikes here in the Northeast USA.
     For our first hike of 2009, my human companion Bruce and I decided to go with one of our favorite early season hikes, Mt. Holyoke MA from the west along the Metacomet Monadnock trail.  When we arrived at the trailhead at 11 AM we had the only car there, but, given the popularity of the Holyoke Range, we knew more hikers would soon show up.  It was a beautiful sunny day, getting up to about 70 degrees F.  Very comfortable hiking weather.
     Very early on we met a young hiker coming down from the mountain who asked Bruce, "Can your dog hike all the way to the top?"  Lucky for him we dogs don't know how to snicker. 
     The trail goes up along a number of rocky ledges, coming to an area where you can look out into the distance and see Springfield MA and Harford CT off to the south.  A large raven flew overhead.
     As we approached the summit we met a series of hikers.  A pair of young ladies came over and greeted me.  Then after that we met a family with two young children.  Finally, we arrived at the summit at 12:15 PM and had lunch in the picnic area to the east of the stately white summit house.  The summit house is closed until May but it does have porches that you can roam around.
     The view from the summit is outstanding, taking in the Connecticut River, Northampton, the Berkshires, the Green Mountains, Amherst.... you can even see the Peace Pagoda up in the hills in Leverett MA.  For lunch, I had a bowl of water and a roast beef sandwich, plus a bit of Bruce's ham and cheese sandwich.  Yummy.
     Since there was no one at the summit house then, after lunch we went up and walked around the porches and took in the view.  It was breezy and almost blew Bruce's hat away.
     Leaving the summit at 1 PM we started off towards the Dry Brook trail.  Here we met a young man about 30 years old with a long black beard.  Keeping him company was a thin, medium sized black dog.  
     Bruce asked, "What is the name of your dog?"
     "Reus," he said.
     "Oh you mean like actus reus?"  (a legal term, for you laymen)
     "No, like Jose Reyes, the Mets' shortstop."
     In this area we saw some beautiful flowering bloodroot.  A runner came flying by us.  This was the second runner we had met on the trail.  I shouldn't say met, because they just went zooming by.
The Dry Brook trail was a little wet at the start and near the end, but mostly was in fine condition.  The Metacomet Monadnock trail is rocky and had no wet spots on it.  When we got near Dry Brook the trail was very shady due to all the tall hemlocks there.  I went for a few baths in Dry Brook which was very refreshing.  Despite its name we have never seen it when it was actually dried up.
     Near the end we met a young man who had never been in this area before.  Bruce talked to him about some of the trails in the area, and he decided to head off to Black Rock, which is a spot we visited in April of 2008. 
     We finished the hike at 2:15 PM and  saw that there were five more cars parked at the trailhead.
Lots of people were able to take today off, a Friday, to enjoy the first warm sunny day of the year.  A good move since the predictions were that the weekend might be cool and rainy.  But today was just  perfect for hiking.