Follow the red painted slashes that mark the Red Dot Trail path.  (Provided photo — Diane Chase)

We have a new puppy who loves the cold. With the extreme weather, finding places to let the pup get her wiggles out without losing her in a snowbank is challenging. She is generally well-behaved, like my children, until she is not. This pup can be singularly focused on a particular scent until she is distracted by a blowing leaf. We are easing her into roadside walks, but she is at the stage where she thinks vehicles are friends, not foes. So, most of the time, we head to the woods and let her explore while preserving my peace of mind and her safety.

An easy favorite is Paul Smiths’ Red Dot Trail. We can all get outside; if she slips her lead, she is between trees and three feet of snow. A narrow path and snowbanks are my puppy safety net.

The parking area has shared access to the Red Dot trail and Osgood Pond boat launch, a popular place for ice fishing in winter and paddling in the summer. When we reach the trail register, a few people are already on the ice.

After signing in at the register near the beach, we follow the shallow canal from Osgood Pond. At the bridge, we turn right toward Little Osgood. The bridge is narrow and open over the canal, so we opt for safety first and carry the pup to the next shore. The snow is deep, but our snowshoes make it easy to pack down the trail. Our puppy is on a lead and we find she loves to bite at kicked-up snow. There are a lot of herd paths, but we continue following the red-painted slashes that “dot” the trees. It is only a tenth of a mile to Little Osgood Pond lean-to. We are taking it easy with this outing. We let her run around a bit before continuing to our next destination.

The red markers continue to the north and turn west as we hike along the esker high above the Osgood Pond shoreline. We soon see the lean-to at .65 miles and slide down the hill to the shore to once again let the pup loose to explore the area. Though the Red Dot trail does loop around, we backtrack through our own packed trail. We watch for signs of the pooch tiring out. Like the toddler she is, she soon needs carrying. We return to the car with one tired pup. Success!

Access the Red Dot Trail from the Osgood Pond Waterway on White Pine Road. From the Route 30/Route 86 junction, continue onto Route 86. Drive about half a mile and turn left onto White Pines Road off Route 86. The parking entrance and beach are a quarter mile on the left. Enjoy!