Kevin Judy and Emma
Well-known member
Blueberry Mountain 2662'
Blueberry Mountain Trail
3.6 Miles 1100' Elevation gain
Kevin, Judy, Tim L, Gryffin
On Saturday we finally got a chance to meet and hike with our friend Tim's new pup, Gryffin. He is a real cutie, and Tim and his family have done a wonderful job with him. Like all pups, he is eager to please his best friend Tim while on the trail, so although he was very excited to be out in the woods, he never got far out of sight, and always returned promptly when called. Judy and I had great luck while hiking Emma off leash in the White Mountains and elsewhere, and just as we did, I am sure that Tim and Gryffin will have a great life sharing adventures together. For those who have never known the joys of sharing the trail with a four-legged companion I have no easy way of explaining what it entails, but for those of you who have, I need not explain. We are happy that our friend Tim will get to have these same experiences that gave us so many great memories over the years!
Gryffin is still quite young, so there is still concern about how far and how long of a hike to take, but the trail we chose seemed perfectly suited for him to begin "cutting his teeth". If you have not been to Blueberry Mountain then let me explain that it is an easy trail, never steep, which rises first through deciduous forest to a point where there is a sudden switch to conifers. There is easy, smooth ledge to cross which affords great views to the south and west. I was able to pick out Mount Cardigan, nearby Smarts and Cube, and we could easily see the snow-covered ski-trails on Killington in Vermont. Views of the rest of the White Mountains are blocked by the mass of Mount Moosilauke which dominates the scenery to the east and northeast, and Mount Clough to the north.
We quickly rose through the forest to the ledges where we had our views. Not much further along the trail I spotted the short herd path which leads to the actual highpoint of this small mountain. As if on cue the sun made an appearance long enough for us to have a quick sandwich on the summit before it ducked back into the clouds. The view from here of "the Moose" was beautiful, and there was a distinct "snow-line" where the clouds had passed and left their frozen moisture in the form of rime on the trees above 3500 feet. South Peak was directly to our east, and above it to the north we could see the summit where it appeared to have snowed along with the rime. Gryffin thought this was wonderful!
We made our descent with the Gryffinator in the lead, and we stopped often to call him back. Each time he answered his commands promptly. In the rare instances when Tim will have to call him back and leash him on the trail I'm sure he will have little problem. As with all dogs he has his own mind, but good training from the beginning is the key, and with luck there should be few problems with him on the trail. Judy and I look forward to reading about the adventures of Tim and Gryff, and we hope the hiking community will share our enthusiasm to welcome another great trail dog into the fold! Thanks Tim and Gryff for a great day out!
Full set of pics HERE:
KDT
