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Saturday, June 1, 2013

FLT - Delaware River to DEC Horse Campground

 
If you saw the pictures I put on Facebook you know that our big goal for the day was to hike over Houck Mountain. I think the final descent was down the back side of Bear Spring Mountain, but the peaks aren't labeled very distinctly on the map. Anyway. I don't want to repeat pictures, and there are plenty to show. It's hard to pick a few. The rain was going to be ours to own for the rest of the week. It was still fairly warm, and we hiked up in the rain, and then down through wet grass. Even though the rain had stopped by then we continued to get wet, just from the bottom up instead of top down. I chose to remember other things.

Like the wild columbine.

wild columbine

We did see some wildlife on this hike. Nothing very unusual, and I didn't get pictures of anything even out of the ordinary, but here's a whitetail deer. It's as wet as we are.

whitetail deer

Of course, we had to do at least one of the requisite stupid self-pictures. It gives me Popeye arms, and Marie is always stunning in a fashionable veil. But it proves we were both there, wet and being gnawed.

hikers

Spotting snakes is always a treat. Here's a harmless and happy juvenile Blue Racer. I'm pretty sure that's what it is- they are patterned before they develop the blue color. He didn't stick around long enough to identify us very thoroughly either.

garter snake

Back to the flora. We saw a lot of trilliums. One of the best parts of New York hill hiking for me is that we see fewer white trilliums and more red or painted ones. Not that white ones are bad... I just see a lot of them in Michigan. This is a nice painted trillium.

painted trillium

Finally, just a reminder that one finds beauty in the oddest places. This is just a dead Norway spruce tree. But look at the wonderful form!

Norway spruce
Total miles for the day, 9.5.

See Fletcher Hollow Road to the Delaware River
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6 comments:

rainfield61 said...

Only Popeye can hike such a long way.

Duxbury Ramblers said...

I could have used that veil today - the midges are out in force.
Our Wild Columbine is purple.

Ann said...

Popeye arms...lol You must eat your spinach :)
I always enjoy spotting deer even if they aren't out of the ordinary. Is there something wrong with that ones leg? Or is the black spot just a shadow or something

The Oceanside Animals said...

Ah, I do miss my New York mountains!

Lin said...

Sorry about the rain....wish you had sunnier weather for the hike. I can see it didn't break your silly spirits though--you guys crack me up.

Sharkbytes said...

rainfield- "cause I eat my spinach"

Carol- I hate the little midges and gnats much more than mosquitoes

Ann- I enlarged the picture to look at the deer's leg. I'm thinking it might be an old injury

Dennis- I really love this section of NY.

Lin- I don't think Marie was seeing the humor at that moment, but we try to serve!