Cooper takes a needed break near Pharaoh Lake outlet.

Pharaoh Mountain reflected in a beaver pond on the trail to Pharaoh Lake.

A family of mergansers enjoy the waters of Pharaoh Lake.

I hoped the dog was up for this.

An out-and-back along the western shore of Pharaoh Lake to Pharaoh Mountain is around 12 miles, but I tend to include a full trip around the lake for extra beauty and miles.

I’ve done the hike before and on some level was disappointed in myself for repeating it. As a writer and as a human, I should seek new places and new experiences, but I’m drawn back year after year. I’ve developed a hunger for this place.

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Cooper the dog and I walked an old road to Mill Brook where the Guinness-colored water meanders through tall grass. On the brook’s wooden boardwalk we encountered sleeping garter snakes roughly every 25 feet. We paused as I tapped the planks to wake them and they crawled off into the........

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