Great Dogs, Great Weather, Great Travel!

Today was Great (in case you hadn't guessed!) the weather was amazingly beautiful with a dusting of fresh-just-starting-to-warm-up snow on top of the settled lower snowpack resulting in perfect travel...we could stomp about anywhere with no sudden breakthroughs, or death-ice to slip on...I could have hiked for six hours today, it was awesome! The crew today were, Ever, Brigg and Spy, Skip and Rudy Rooster...an awesome pack, all suuuuuper high energy today! They stuck together in a gang for the majority of the hike...sometimes they have an ebb and flow of playtime, then private sniffing where they have their own agendas but stay close...today however, a gang of schoolkids seems to be an apt description! They ran about, rolled, sniffed, played, dug holes, peed, - everything, all as one - it was so funny! At one point we were all digging and barking excitedly at each other...I had a bit of a headache after that, but I wish I could have captured it on film - 5 dogs, one human, all digging frantically and being very excited about the outcome of snowballs and a hole! Good times, life should be this simple :)

group sniff

They also behaved perfectly - one of those days where you almost wished a film crew could have followed to see the 'model of a perfect hike'! As we were unloading we met a chap going for a snowshoe...they trotted up to say hi nicely, then we set off...a few minutes later he could be heard tramping along behind us as we had stopped in a open area to play and dig. They all barked, but then trotted up again to say hello, then coming back perfectly when called...Good Dogs! A few excited barks still came out, but they did not chase or trip up the fellow, not did he fall over my poop bags that I left for our return trip (I did pre-warn him about that...can you imagine a snowshoe breaking a poop bag? Would be nasty I am sure!). Later on in the hike, we met another chap with his lovely German Shep. Again, the dogs trotted up for a sniff, and it was all super friendly - no hackles came up, nor did anyone yap at the newcomers, I was so proud of them!

  

These shots were taken in the forest during a high energy sniff-pee-play sequnce, was all pretty funny; everyone was yipping and taking it in turns to run and be chased. Skip started it off, then Rudy followed his example! Even Brigg had a good old bark, he is usually quite chilled out!

 

These shots are at one of our river sections...this is where snowballs, holes and general group fun takes place! After play, I call everyone in to sit, calm down, have a good cuddle and maybe a treat. Then we walk on. I try to make sure they know to stop and listen every now and then - and it is great practice to calm them when they are most wound up, and get them all sitting and listening. It's a good insurance policy if something loud and crazy should happen (goodness knows what) but I like to feel that should any emergency situation occur, that I can call them in to listen. If that makes sense! I am tired tonight, and feel I am rambling on a bit (my husband rolls his eyes at the suggestion!), so here is one more picture before I sign off and go and have a nice cup of tea - it was one of those magical moments when it is all quiet apart from soft snow under foot, sniffs and yips, and the clouds part showing what we all live for and love...mountains! The Armchair Glacier came majestically into view under blue sky and sunshine...beautiful. See you all tomorrow, arooooo!

Dogs n' mountains....heaven!