We headed out for a week of exploring, fun, and frolic in the most beautiful high peaks in the Adirondaks. It's about a 250 mile drive and we stopped for a delicious healthy lunch at McDonalds. I am partial to the "double cheeseburger and fries". Soon after we arrived at the Sharp Bridge campground. As luck would have it we had one the nicest sites there which I won't divulge on a public blog. It was most spacious, but to access it we had to drive down a path which mom thought resembled a hiking trail. Good thing she drives an FJ cruiser and I have nerves of steel.
We did lots of exploring all week and on Sunday prior to our departure we hiked with Dot Meyer who is a very special elderly woman ( 80's), who still guides hikes for the Green Mountain Club in VT. Her hiking accomplishments are too numerous to mention but suffice it to say that she is one very remarkable woman. Mom tells me that she is her "inspiration" and she promises to never give up doing what she loves. She says she might have to modify but will never quit! I am so fortunate to have such a good mom but she sure is lucky to have me as a pup.
Unfortunately I cannot post pics of that hike because this is a public forum and I do not want to disrespect people's privacy. We hiked up to Blueberry Ledges on the Giant Mt trail, approximately 4 miles round trip. I was only 9 months old and this was my most difficult hike yet. Mom is very careful with my legs because I am a growing pup and she tells me that if we stress them out too much early on, I might sustain permanent joint damage and we certainly don't want any of that.I do have some Panosteitis (growing pains), so we take it easy. I will grow out of that condition soon I hope. It can be a little painful and makes me lame. It certainly was hot that day but there were some running streams that I could wander in and out of. Not many but enough to get me cooled down some.
We did not care much for Lake Placid. Way too much hustle and bustle. The ski jump was wonderful. I was not allowed out of the car but mom checked it out and got to see some of our "olympic hopefuls" doing some practice runs. She was sooo happy and returned with a nice Olympic style "ski jump" sweatshirt. I like it because it has a large front pocket which my mom keeps filled with delicious dog treats.
We explored hills and valleys, ponds and waterfalls. It is so beautiful and the peaks are so HIGH and WILD! We had supper every night at the Noonmark diner. My standard fair was a hot dog and ice cream. Do I ever love vacations!!! Mom raves about their homemade blueberry pie. The Mountaineer is a terrific gear store in Keene Valley. We highly recommend it for all your hiking needs. Nice people.
One of my most exciting moments was when we arrived at the trail head for our Giant Mt hike. I could not believe my dog eyes. There were no less that 7 dogs, many of them off leash and most were youngsters like myself running wild and free! I had never seen that many dogs all gathered in one place and we met them again on the trail on our way back. I sure did have a great time romping with them. Their owners were so fun to. There was one BIG fella, much bigger than myself, and he was only 9 months old. I could have easily fallen in love but we did not have much time for courting. He was sporting an empty saddle bag. I think he might have been in training for backpacking! We did not reach the peak but that was not our intention. We did pick lots of blueberries on the ledges and I LOVE eating them.
Too soon we were on the way home but it surely was a wonderful experience and my first in the very big mountains. Can't wait to see more. A great time was had by all. Goodnight!
"Whatever joy you seek, it can be achieved by yourself; whatever misery you seek, it can be found by yourself."
-Bhutanese Proverb
