Holt Preserve(New Scotland, Albany County)

Quiet, tranquil weather moved in following a line of thunderstorms this afternoon, allowing me to pay a visit to the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy's 148 acre Holt Preserve.  The Preserve is located on the western slopes of Copeland Hill in the town of New Scotland and is a peaceful place to take a relaxing walk.  Clearing skies greeted me as I strolled past the kiosk onto the red trail, soon arriving at a small but picturesque pond.

As I made my way around the water's edge, I noticed that I had become quite popular among the fish species residing in the pond.

The trail fully loops around the pond with an attractive clearing and bench on the north side of the water.

After enjoying the pond scene I continued on, entering into a beautiful hardwood forest on old, decaying wood steps.

I explored the red, green, blue and yellow trails on what turned out to be a gorgeous afternoon.

The blue trail passes close by to the edge of the escarpment, offering up broken views down into the nearby hills and farmland.

Wandered about, enjoying the solitude of the woods on this nice and easy 2 mile walk.
On my drive out, near the trailhead, I stopped for a moment to take in the west views from the open meadows and an old, dilapidated barn.