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Ok lets make something very clear. Trust me. There are four legged creatures that make Great Pack animals. Goats are not a member of that group! 
They make a good roast or ragout, their milk is wonderful for cheese. You can make nice sweaters with the coats of some goats. They are great for lawns, one end mows, the other end fertilizers. They are great garbage disposals. Goats have a great many wonderful traits, but they ain't good winter hiking companions.... Then maybe, goats prove the theory that I have been advocating for years, most animals are smarter then most humans!! 
By now, I suppose you are figuring there is a "Hawk Tale" coming here, and if that's what you figure, then you figure right.
I met Ashton (heretofore known as "walks with goats" (actually "cusses at and prods goats" would be more accurate) in Indian Lake and followed him to the trailhead for John Pond. He then drove home (about 1/2 mile) and walked back with the goats. One male, one female (Kind of like Noah and the Ark if you're into the Old Testament). Cute, cuddly goats, at least that was my first assessment.
So Hiho, Hiho up the trail we go, Me, Goat A, Goat B, and Walkswithgoats bringing up the rear. First sign of "walking with goats might not be so neat" is when Goat A steps on my snowshoe, and yes, I'm walking in the snowshoe. I almost go on my a$$ and I give goat A a dirty look
and continue. Another 10 feet or so and Goat B decides that it was pretty funny and promptly steps on my snowshoe. I flash a glance to 
"Walkswithgoats" that wordlessly says "How would you like your goat, rare, medium or well?". He decides to walk behind me and let the goats follow him.
It's a beautiful day and a nice wide trail that is used a lot by x-c skiers. Trail has been well broken so it's an easy walk, as easy as it can be carrying a winter backpack. We take our time, stopping now and then to rest or take in the winterscape and sometimes wait for the goats to catch up. There is a lot of activity with chicadees, flittering among the trees with their distinctive cries. We pass Bullhead Pond which according to the ADK guide book is a great trout fishing place. Ash points out Bullhead Mountain in the distance.
Then it happens!! For whatever reason (Intelligence maybe?) The goats decide that they are going to grouse, graze, or whatever goats do (Sioux are not very familiar with goats, we're warriors and hunters as opposed to herders like the Navaho or the Hopi). Ashton tells me that they love the bark of certain trees and I take his word for it, since as I said, I don't have a clue about goats. Anyway I tell him that I'll continue on up the trail, and since I hike slow anyway, he and the goats will catch up with me.
I push on ahead, a leisurely stroll in the forest on a crisp winter day. What could be better? After about a half to three quarters of a mile, I stop, shed the pack, clear a little snow away and then squat/sit, back against a tree. My eye catches some activity about 100 feet away. There is a tree that has fallen a while ago, prevented from falling to the forest floor by another tree, it's about three/four feet off the ground. I watch as a Downy Woodpacker flies to and from, perching on the underneath of the treee, upside down, and plays his ratty-tat-tat as he pecks away at the tree. I sit there transfixed watching this bird for about 15-20 minutes and then I don my pack again and continue up the trail. I pass a party of four skiers with three dogs coming out, warn them about the carniverous goats down the trail and I continue on. I pass the cutoff for the gravesite of two children who died a long time ago, continue past a foundation of one of the dwellings that used to stand in the community (Little Canada) over a century ago. Past the turnoff to Puffer Pond (4 Miles the DEC sign says) and the last 1/2 mile to John Pond.
There is a nice lean-to there, Elevated off the ground about 18 inches. It's New, Ashton watched them knock down the old one by the shore and was the first to use the new one. He tells me that it was great having all the wood from the old lean to to burn for a while.
The lean to is set back from the pond, but there is still a nice view of the Pond. There are a series of "mountains" just across that is a steep climb (at least for me). According to the book, there is a great view of the High Peaks from there. It's a beautiful spot.
I shed my pack and start walking back down the trail to see if I can meet Ashton. About 1/4 mile I think maybe he had to take the goats home, and whatever happens I/We, will need firewood. So I go back to the lean to and start gathering. Surprisingly, there is an abundance of firewood not far from the lean to. I'm talking a couple hundred feet. I find some nice stuff and drag it back to the lean to, assemble my new saw (about a minute) and make short work of it. As I'm finishing up on the stuff I got, Ashton comes hiking in, sans the goats. He had to prod them back home and then hike back in!! So, I get some coffee made and he goes and gathers some more wood and I get a fire started.
I make dinner, Chicken and Rice Creole , we feed the fire for a while and hang out and chat. I take a walk out on the pond (Yes I do walk on water!!) and admire the January Sky, trying to remember and identify many of the constellations. I feel the presence of the Creator and take a moment to be grateful that places like this still exist. I'm wishing that I had brought my SLR and tripod to capture some photos. I try a few digital, but I know that they won't show the stars. I also wish I had been able to "shoot" the woodpecker with my 300 meter telephoto lens, but I don't carry the extra weight in the winter. There is also a rowboat inverted on the shore. I make a mental note for future visits.
Finally we crawl into our sleeping bags and doze off. Both of us sleep soundly through the night. About 8:30 the following morning I wake up and it's freezing. Yeh, I know, this is January, but trust me, it's freakin' freezing. 45 seconds out of the mittens and fingers are numb! Neither the Jetboil nor my other canister stove want to work, even my butane lighter won't fire. I throw the Jetboil Canister under my ampit to warm it a little, Slip out of the Down Booties and put toe warmers in my boots and put them on and break open a pack of handwarmers (which I rarely use) to slip in my mittens, I also slip in the butane lighter. Ashton gets up, bitches about the cold and gets a small fire started. The Jetboil fires up and heats my coffee water but it's strugging. I get mine made and heating Ashtons, the Jetboil is barely going so Ashton has been warming the canister for the exponent stove and we get it started and I transfer the water to a kettle and it finally gets boiling and Ashton gets his coffee.
We had planned on doing some exploring in the area but we decide to pack up and bail out instead. By the time we're packed, the sun is well up and it's a pleasant hike out. It takes us about 1 1/4 hours to hike the 2.5 miles out.
It was a great adventure! Nice trail, good company, beautiful spot.
I have the "tracks" from the gps saved to NG tpo file if anyone wants it.
They make a good roast or ragout, their milk is wonderful for cheese. You can make nice sweaters with the coats of some goats. They are great for lawns, one end mows, the other end fertilizers. They are great garbage disposals. Goats have a great many wonderful traits, but they ain't good winter hiking companions.... Then maybe, goats prove the theory that I have been advocating for years, most animals are smarter then most humans!! By now, I suppose you are figuring there is a "Hawk Tale" coming here, and if that's what you figure, then you figure right.
I met Ashton (heretofore known as "walks with goats" (actually "cusses at and prods goats" would be more accurate) in Indian Lake and followed him to the trailhead for John Pond. He then drove home (about 1/2 mile) and walked back with the goats. One male, one female (Kind of like Noah and the Ark if you're into the Old Testament). Cute, cuddly goats, at least that was my first assessment.
So Hiho, Hiho up the trail we go, Me, Goat A, Goat B, and Walkswithgoats bringing up the rear. First sign of "walking with goats might not be so neat" is when Goat A steps on my snowshoe, and yes, I'm walking in the snowshoe. I almost go on my a$$ and I give goat A a dirty look
and continue. Another 10 feet or so and Goat B decides that it was pretty funny and promptly steps on my snowshoe. I flash a glance to "Walkswithgoats" that wordlessly says "How would you like your goat, rare, medium or well?". He decides to walk behind me and let the goats follow him.It's a beautiful day and a nice wide trail that is used a lot by x-c skiers. Trail has been well broken so it's an easy walk, as easy as it can be carrying a winter backpack. We take our time, stopping now and then to rest or take in the winterscape and sometimes wait for the goats to catch up. There is a lot of activity with chicadees, flittering among the trees with their distinctive cries. We pass Bullhead Pond which according to the ADK guide book is a great trout fishing place. Ash points out Bullhead Mountain in the distance.
Then it happens!! For whatever reason (Intelligence maybe?) The goats decide that they are going to grouse, graze, or whatever goats do (Sioux are not very familiar with goats, we're warriors and hunters as opposed to herders like the Navaho or the Hopi). Ashton tells me that they love the bark of certain trees and I take his word for it, since as I said, I don't have a clue about goats. Anyway I tell him that I'll continue on up the trail, and since I hike slow anyway, he and the goats will catch up with me.
I push on ahead, a leisurely stroll in the forest on a crisp winter day. What could be better? After about a half to three quarters of a mile, I stop, shed the pack, clear a little snow away and then squat/sit, back against a tree. My eye catches some activity about 100 feet away. There is a tree that has fallen a while ago, prevented from falling to the forest floor by another tree, it's about three/four feet off the ground. I watch as a Downy Woodpacker flies to and from, perching on the underneath of the treee, upside down, and plays his ratty-tat-tat as he pecks away at the tree. I sit there transfixed watching this bird for about 15-20 minutes and then I don my pack again and continue up the trail. I pass a party of four skiers with three dogs coming out, warn them about the carniverous goats down the trail and I continue on. I pass the cutoff for the gravesite of two children who died a long time ago, continue past a foundation of one of the dwellings that used to stand in the community (Little Canada) over a century ago. Past the turnoff to Puffer Pond (4 Miles the DEC sign says) and the last 1/2 mile to John Pond.
There is a nice lean-to there, Elevated off the ground about 18 inches. It's New, Ashton watched them knock down the old one by the shore and was the first to use the new one. He tells me that it was great having all the wood from the old lean to to burn for a while.
The lean to is set back from the pond, but there is still a nice view of the Pond. There are a series of "mountains" just across that is a steep climb (at least for me). According to the book, there is a great view of the High Peaks from there. It's a beautiful spot.
I shed my pack and start walking back down the trail to see if I can meet Ashton. About 1/4 mile I think maybe he had to take the goats home, and whatever happens I/We, will need firewood. So I go back to the lean to and start gathering. Surprisingly, there is an abundance of firewood not far from the lean to. I'm talking a couple hundred feet. I find some nice stuff and drag it back to the lean to, assemble my new saw (about a minute) and make short work of it. As I'm finishing up on the stuff I got, Ashton comes hiking in, sans the goats. He had to prod them back home and then hike back in!! So, I get some coffee made and he goes and gathers some more wood and I get a fire started.
I make dinner, Chicken and Rice Creole
, we feed the fire for a while and hang out and chat. I take a walk out on the pond (Yes I do walk on water!!) and admire the January Sky, trying to remember and identify many of the constellations. I feel the presence of the Creator and take a moment to be grateful that places like this still exist. I'm wishing that I had brought my SLR and tripod to capture some photos. I try a few digital, but I know that they won't show the stars. I also wish I had been able to "shoot" the woodpecker with my 300 meter telephoto lens, but I don't carry the extra weight in the winter. There is also a rowboat inverted on the shore. I make a mental note for future visits.Finally we crawl into our sleeping bags and doze off. Both of us sleep soundly through the night. About 8:30 the following morning I wake up and it's freezing. Yeh, I know, this is January, but trust me, it's freakin' freezing. 45 seconds out of the mittens and fingers are numb! Neither the Jetboil nor my other canister stove want to work, even my butane lighter won't fire. I throw the Jetboil Canister under my ampit to warm it a little, Slip out of the Down Booties and put toe warmers in my boots and put them on and break open a pack of handwarmers (which I rarely use) to slip in my mittens, I also slip in the butane lighter. Ashton gets up, bitches about the cold and gets a small fire started. The Jetboil fires up and heats my coffee water but it's strugging. I get mine made and heating Ashtons, the Jetboil is barely going so Ashton has been warming the canister for the exponent stove and we get it started and I transfer the water to a kettle and it finally gets boiling and Ashton gets his coffee.
We had planned on doing some exploring in the area but we decide to pack up and bail out instead. By the time we're packed, the sun is well up and it's a pleasant hike out. It takes us about 1 1/4 hours to hike the 2.5 miles out.
It was a great adventure! Nice trail, good company, beautiful spot.
I have the "tracks" from the gps saved to NG tpo file if anyone wants it.
).
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