After the Storm....

.....there's a RAINBOW!

Inclement weather and tired body's kept us from doing much adventuring last week........(scroll down)

Saco in Buxton (pt.1)

......and this weekend didn't start out much better. Saturday brought downpours of cold fall rain...we laid low at home. But Sunday the sun came out and it was a beautiful morning. We packed up breakfast and went for a ride.

We found a little boat launch parking area on the Saco river near Buxton Maine. I looked on as Dad cooked us all breakfast at the van. Dad gets a "10" for flipping 3 perfect eggs at a time.....TWICE!!!! We had a dog friend onlooking, smell of breakfast stirred his curiosity, but he stayed away.

After breakfast we took a long walk on the "ITS" (International trail system-for ski-doos) along the side of the river. We could see the old abutments in the river, where the old train tressel once crossed. I couldn't believe they were so huge as we got closer to them...of course everything seems huge when you weigh 3.8 pounds!

There was a small powerboat out playing in the river, one last stolen fall day. The chipmunks were out, in full force, gathering their stores for the winter.....I was born to chase chipmunks!!!!!!! I put in an extra mile just chasin' varmits! Awesome day in the warm fall sun.

Saco in Buxton (pt.2)

Bondcliff

Ledge view from near summit.

Bondcliff (pt.1)

(Remember to click on pics to enlarge, also tip laptop screen to enhance color)

You want adventure? I'll give you adventure...follow me into the Pemigewasset Wilderness. Saturday I hiked my first 14.7 mile hike, to the clouds that engulfed Bondcliff and back down to camp on the Pemigewasset river. Nearly 20 miles of hiking this weekend. PHEW!
I'll start by showing you a quick video from the summit (see video below) We were in a fast moving cloud bank with bone chilling winds. We did not actually make it to the cliff summit. The first set of ledges near the top did us in...or was it the wind...or the cold??? The clouds opened up for a couple of quick photos then back down STEEP ledges to the trail, back down to the river, steep trail too. Dad counted at least 208 stone stairs. Those are all hops to me. Exhausting for all of us. We met tons of new hiking friends and a really cool hiking dog named Morgan, who we hope was able to summit the next day?????
We barely made it back down to water for dinner by sunset. We ended up being so tired we never needed the water after all, cozy, finally, in our tent, Mom and Dad fed me but never did cook dinner. Trail sacrifice. We did all enjoy a huge hot breakfast on a cold fall morning Sunday.
We took our time coming out the last 4 or 5 miles on the railroad grade trail back to the van, taking lots of fall foliage pictures. Our trip home via the Kancamancus highway was full of fall color....and traffic... but we don't blame any of them for being in the mountains for,this, one of the most spectacular foliages ever. Probably our last tent camping trip of 2009, so glad it was so extraordinary!

Bondcliff (pt.2)

Ossipee Hill (pt.1)

A simple day hike this week, short weekend, Mom had to work. So off to an old favorite short hike. Ossipee Hill. We've hiked to the firetower up there in every season. This day was a beautiful fall day.
On our way up the service road we came upon a tree infested with Alder Aphids. Looked like big cotton balls on the tree. Actually a complete eco system going on. Bugs and mushrooms and aphids all living off each other. Nature really is a huge classroom, and this adventure dog is lucky to be "in class" all the time!
A little farther up the service road we cut into the woods and bushwhacked up the ledges to the top....always an adventure with Moxie! Low and behold, no fire tower, wrong summit...oops! No fear Dad, or as we call him,,"monkey boy", climbed a tree and pointed out the direction of the tower. No problem, a little down hill then up the right hill to the fire tower. We're beginning to know this area quite well.
The ladder steep stairs to the top of the tower are too steep for my little legs so Dad carried me up, Mom was, as always, trying to conquer her fear of heights to get up there to take some foliage pictures....success! A vast look around and a few pictures and we all headed back down. We met two different couples hiking on our way down the hill. Hope their day was as awesome as ours.
On our way home we had another blue heron sighting, this one walked right across the road in front of us. Mom jumped out of the van to photograph it, when all of a sudden it went over the bank and grabbed a HUGE fish out of the water. Mom got it on film, picture is a bit blurry but look close and you'll see the fish.
Hoping for a big hike on the weekend coming up...stay tuned!

Ossipee Hill (pt.2)