Trail Blazers
by Brother Luke
In mid-February, my canine pathfinders Fuller and Iris had a new task before them: to see if they could find the new trail that they helped lay out last summer. Now it is covered with snow and ice. The new trail runs from our road, New Skete Lane, down to our little stream and at that point it connects with the existing Blue Trail. The idea was to create a trail that would allow guests staying at Emmaus House to access all our trails starting at Emmaus House and not have to go up the road to the kennels to begin their hike. Up until now they had access from their driveway to the trails on Two Top Mountain but not to the original trails laid out behind the two dog kennels. One of our Companions, Ed Capowich, helped lay out and clear this new trail last year. But just about the time it was ready to be used, the snows came. Probably not the best time to initiate a new trail. But with spring not that far away, I thought it would be good to let people know that it is there. So off we went into the snow to test it out. I say “we” because Fuller, Iris, and I had some additional help this time. Ann Marie Heilmann and her nephew Calvin joined in this little adventure. They are great friends of the community and our dogs, and whenever they get a chance they come up and walk our dogs on our road, and sometimes in the woods too. What fun for the dogs!
The new trail is accessible from two locations on New Skete Lane, directly across from Emmaus House and just above the small pond on the south side of our road midway between Emmaus House and the Training Kennel. Be aware the blazes from the road to the power lines are orange, signifying a short access path, but the rest of the trail is blue, since it runs along the stream.
We started at the entrance across from Emmaus House and made our way down to the stream. Fuller and Iris, true to their nature, led the way. Well, sometimes they did some additional exploring and fooling around, but they knew where we were going and often were on the trail ahead of us. They also had great fun eating way too much snow and jumping into the stream, sometimes by breaking through the ice covering it in places. The trail crosses the stream in four places, so if you try it out be sure to wear boots. In midsummer it is not unusual for the stream to be dry. But otherwise it does flow with water. Also that side of the road can be damp because of natural run-off. So, be prepared. But if you take the plunge, I think you will enjoy the sights. As the photos show, Iris and Fuller certainly did!
In mid-February, my canine pathfinders Fuller and Iris had a new task before them: to see if they could find the new trail that they helped lay out last summer. Now it is covered with snow and ice. The new trail runs from our road, New Skete Lane, down to our little stream and at that point it connects with the existing Blue Trail. The idea was to create a trail that would allow guests staying at Emmaus House to access all our trails starting at Emmaus House and not have to go up the road to the kennels to begin their hike. Up until now they had access from their driveway to the trails on Two Top Mountain but not to the original trails laid out behind the two dog kennels. One of our Companions, Ed Capowich, helped lay out and clear this new trail last year. But just about the time it was ready to be used, the snows came. Probably not the best time to initiate a new trail. But with spring not that far away, I thought it would be good to let people know that it is there. So off we went into the snow to test it out. I say “we” because Fuller, Iris, and I had some additional help this time. Ann Marie Heilmann and her nephew Calvin joined in this little adventure. They are great friends of the community and our dogs, and whenever they get a chance they come up and walk our dogs on our road, and sometimes in the woods too. What fun for the dogs!
The new trail is accessible from two locations on New Skete Lane, directly across from Emmaus House and just above the small pond on the south side of our road midway between Emmaus House and the Training Kennel. Be aware the blazes from the road to the power lines are orange, signifying a short access path, but the rest of the trail is blue, since it runs along the stream.
We started at the entrance across from Emmaus House and made our way down to the stream. Fuller and Iris, true to their nature, led the way. Well, sometimes they did some additional exploring and fooling around, but they knew where we were going and often were on the trail ahead of us. They also had great fun eating way too much snow and jumping into the stream, sometimes by breaking through the ice covering it in places. The trail crosses the stream in four places, so if you try it out be sure to wear boots. In midsummer it is not unusual for the stream to be dry. But otherwise it does flow with water. Also that side of the road can be damp because of natural run-off. So, be prepared. But if you take the plunge, I think you will enjoy the sights. As the photos show, Iris and Fuller certainly did!
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