By Diane Chase, author of Adirondack Family Time: Tri-Lakes and High Peaks Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities (with GPS Coordinates)

This is the first time we’ve returned to Henry’s Woods since the death of our twelve-year-old golden retriever. It is a strange way to now remember walks that were once occupied with aspirin and arguments as the children both wanted to be the one to walk “their dog.” Ella didn’t care. She took advantage of the opportunity to be off the lead and get all footloose and fancy-free.

Henry’s Woods is named after Henry Uihlein who left a lengthy legacy in the form of the Henry Uihlein II and Margaret A. Uihlein Foundation, Heaven Hill Farm, Uihlein Mercy Center, as Olympic supporter and more. The 212-acre lot is easily accessible from the road and very dog friendly. Doggy bags, and not the kind you want to take home, are conveniently located along the trail so people have no excuse for not keeping the path clean.

Our dog didn’t miss climbing the High Peaks in the end, but she truly enjoyed the opportunity to get out and explore the woods without repercussion. This comfortable walk made her think and act like a puppy with no limping around the next day.

The whole 2.5-mile loop is a gentle incline and descent, joggers pass us on one segment while some dog owners hold onto their animals to let us pass by. We can’t resist stopping for a bit of puppy loving. Signs are well posted with rules asking for respect and proper trail etiquette, nothing that we wouldn’t expect. Henry’s Woods is located off Old Military Road in Lake Placid. Turn onto Bear Cub Road and the entrance to the trailhead is an immediate right. The trails abut the Uihlein Mercy Care property. The parking lot is a half circle so it is an easy drive in and drive out situation.

Getting another dog isn’t immediately on our docket. I can’t just replace Ella. Though when I returned from the pet store with fish and realized that a food source for some is now our children’s only pet, I may be persuaded to reconsider.

Diane Chase's Adirondack Family Time Tip: If not all members of your party want to ski or walk, there are benches in the gazebo near the trail entrance. This year-round place is perfect for X-C skiing.

photos and content © Diane Chase, this post is an excerpt from Diane's guidebook Adirondack Family Time:Tri-Lakes and High Peaks: Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities (with GPS Coordinates) - covering the towns of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, Keene/Keene Valley, Jay/Upper Jay and Wilmington. Diane is currently working on the next Adirondack Family Activity guidebook in the four book series and co-owner of the the young adult wilderness adventure program, Adirondack Outdoor Expeditions