Humans welcome too at ‘Dogs Only Hike’

Alec Linden

Humans welcome too at ‘Dogs Only Hike’

Hikers of all shapes, sizes and species gather atop Cherry Hill to enjoy the morning sunshine.

Alec Linden

Rusty maple leaves shook overhead in a light morning breeze as hikers both human and dog mingled at the edge of a large field. Residents and their canine companions congregated the morning of Saturday, Sept. 21, at the Hart Farm Preserve for the Cornwall Conservation Trust’s (CCT) “Dogs Only Hike,” and pleasant chit-chat filled the air, interrupted by the occasional bark or whine.

Previously, the CCT’s guided walks did not allow dogs to join due to logistical and safety concerns such as trip hazards from leashes and excitable pets, CCT board member Katherine Freygang explained. She organized this outing so that residents could finally enjoy a guided walk on CCT managed land without leaving their furry friends at home.

Before the group embarked on the short walk, Phil Hart, whose family owned the land before it was purchased by the CCT in 2003, gave a brief overview of the layout of the property and various hiking opportunities either directly within the preserve or immediately adjacent. “There’s so much the Trust can do with this,” he said, alluding the many possible uses for the property, which is composed of fields and woodland.

The group set off down the field’s edge and descended into a meadow brimming with milkweed for monarch butterfly habitat. The trail then passed into a woodland, where people happily ambled along as dogs flitted back and forth among the group. At one point, Freygang stopped to clear a spiky branch of invasive multiflora rose from the path, then shortly after identified a growth of bittersweet, which she explained is also invasive.

Freygang noted that while she usually organizes guided walks around a theme or focus, she felt this specific outing called for a more relaxed format. “I just decided to let this one be open and social and fun,” she said, adding that she plans to use this structure more in future hikes.

After a brief but steep uphill climb over rugged terrain, the group emerged in a spacious oak grove at the top of Cherry Hill. Humans and dogs regathered themselves into their respective family units before heading to the main viewpoint of the excursion, a picnic clearing looking south over a field toward West Cornwall’s rolling green hills, now lightly speckled with orange and red.

Here, people relaxed and chatted while dogs, some recently freed of their leashes, chased each other and rolled in the grass. The canine personalities in the group were as diverse as their owners’: golden retrievers Chester and Rufus burst with excitement and social energy, while wirehaired pointing griffon Dottie was more reserved and stayed close to her owner Todd’s side.

Not all participants brought dogs. Leslie Middlebrook of Cornwall was simply there to enjoy the morning and watch the dogs play. “I have cats,” she said. Another hiker recently had a dog pass away, and had joined for a “puppy hit,” as Freygang termed it.

The group eventually descended the hillside back to the cars, where the walkers said their goodbyes. While the group parted ways, Freygang assured that future “Dogs Only” hikes are coming – we just have to hope that humans are invited to the next one as well.

Latest News

Fallen trees injure man, destroy fences at dog shelter

Two uprooted locust trees still lie in the yard in front of Animal Farm Foundation’s original kennels where they fell on a fence during a storm on Thursday, June 19.

Nathan Miller

AMENIA — Fallen trees, uprooted and splintered during a thunderstorm, injured a man, destroyed fences and damaged a dog kennel at the Animal Farm Foundation facilities in Bangall.

Isaias Nunez was cleaning along a road on the property with Marco Ortiz, another employee of the dog shelter, when the storm rolled in on the afternoon of Thursday, June 19.

Keep ReadingShow less
Siglio Press: Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature

Uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.

Richard Kraft

Siglio Press is a small, independent publishing house based in Egremont, Massachusetts, known for producing “uncommon books at the intersection of art and literature.” Founded and run by editor and publisher Lisa Pearson, Siglio has, since 2008, designed books that challenge conventions of both form and content.

A visit to Pearson’s airy studio suggests uncommon work, to be sure. Each of four very large tables were covered with what looked to be thousands of miniature squares of inkjet-printed, kaleidoscopically colored pieces of paper. Another table was covered with dozens of book/illustration-size, abstracted images of deer, made up of colored dots. For the enchanted and the mystified, Pearson kindly explained that these pieces were to be collaged together as artworks by the artist Richard Kraft (a frequent contributor to the Siglio Press and Pearson’s husband). The works would be accompanied by writings by two poets, Elizabeth Zuba and Monica Torre, in an as-yet-to-be-named book, inspired by a found copy of a worn French children’s book from the 1930s called “Robin de Bois” (Robin Hood).

Keep ReadingShow less
Cycling season: A roundup of our region’s rentals and where to ride them

Cyclists head south on the rail trail from Copake Falls.

Alec Linden

After a shaky start, summer has well and truly descended upon the Litchfield, Berkshire and Taconic hills, and there is no better way to get out and enjoy long-awaited good weather than on two wheels. Below, find a brief guide for those who feel the pull of the rail trail, but have yet to purchase their own ten-speed. Temporary rides are available in the tri-corner region, and their purveyors are eager to get residents of all ages, abilities and inclinations out into the open road (or bike path).

For those lucky enough to already possess their own bike, perhaps the routes described will inspire a new way to spend a Sunday afternoon. For more, visit millertonnews.com/tag/bike-route to check out two ride-guides from local cyclists that will appeal to enthusiasts of many levels looking for a varied trip through the region’s stunning summer scenery.

Keep ReadingShow less