Darby is now an almost 6 year old chocolate lab. She has been our wild mountain biking dog since 4 months old… sadly she’s got some arthritis issues that we’ve been working through – so biking is on the back burner (for now)…. Enter her HIKING era…

This is our first hike since we started injections and I wanted to pick something pretty low key. Blue Ledges (aka: Blue Ledge on the Hudson) seemed to be the right choice, plus it’s one of the eligible hikes for the Indian Lake 4321 Way Challenge – and I love me a hiking challenge.

The Hike Report

 Still working our way through the 4321 Way Challenge, so I decided to take Darby on a “test” hike to see how her arthritis injections are working. We got to the trail head around 10:45 am.  The trail was off a partial dirt road so I was excited to get to use the 4-wheel drive in Eddie (my Toyota Tacoma).  We took our obligatory “with the trail sign” photos for the challenge and headed on our way. 

The trail started off a bit muddy in spots and quickly provides some fairly good views of Huntley Pond  on the right. It was a beautiful day with a nice breeze which was a nice change from the blistering hot days July had brought this year. It was nice to be out in the woods again and be there with my camera and no time constraints to take as long as I wanted.  We took our time enjoying the woods.  Darby was thoroughly  enjoying every moment. We met a few other hikers along the way and enjoyed the scenery as we explored the trail. 

Darby was made to be in the woods and it’s been good to be able to get back out there with her – even though it’s a lot different.  She seems to be happy to hike with me, and I’m really excited to be able to explore more places with her.  I practiced some songs – Adirondack Blue & Seven Rivers Run – as we walked along the trail. I remember a lot more of the words then I think that I do, which is good. I wonder a lot if I will be inspired to write a song or two – especially now that it seems I will be hiking a bit more. The woods are a good place to think about a lot of different things. This picture of Darby was my favorite picture of the day – and will probably be one that I cherish for a very long time to come.

We arrived to the Hudson in just about an hour.  The current seemed to be moving quite well, with definite still spots that would be great for a quick dip or swim.  There were also several rafting groups that stopped at this spot while on their tours.  Darby was a bit bummed by this, as I didn’t let her go for a long swim. We took some photos and headed back up the trail.  

This was the biggest ascent on the trail – bak up from the river – but it was not too challenging.  By this point, Darby was no longer pulling on her leash and she walked right next to me, never going very far from me.  I’ve been noticing her do this more as she settles into the hike and gets out her initial excitement.

The hike back was a little more challenging then the way in.  It felt like more ascent than decent and Darby was a bit slower this time around.  Not wanting to push her – and also not being in any kind of rush – I let her set the pace.  She had a few struggles, not quite being able to jump over some of the larger downed trees – but I was there to guide her around or help her over. We made it back to the trail register in about an hour or so, signed out, made a quick stop at the small stream so Darby could grab a fresh drink – and cool off a bit – and headed to the truck.  

It was a great hike and I am very excited to be able to do this more with Darby now that hiking seems to be the best exercise for her.  There are a lot more trails we need to explore – and challenges to finish (and maybe start).

Trip Stats

• Distance: 4.57 miles (round trip)
• Total Time: 2 hours 21 minutes 9 seconds
• Ascent: 440ft
• Weather: Sunny, approx. 76F, though smoky due to Canadian wildfires
• GPS System: Gaia GPS (see hike here)

Rating

I give this hike a 7 out of 10. It was easy enough to get to, had a really cool destination, and was the perfect spot to really begin Darby’s “hiking era.”

Happy hiking friends!