The Dog Walks Me

Author: Adele

  • Photographing fast dogs

    Photographing fast dogs

    Photographing dogs is like photographing babies that can run faster than a bike… It’s just not easy. We recently hiked up Eagle Bluffs again in snowy, freezing rainy, and cloudy conditions. It was cold and dark and wet but I’m really happy I still got some decent shots in. I am no expert and have tons to learn, but if you do like my photographs, here are some tips from what I’ve learned along the way:

    TRAINING the dog

    Train a good Sit/Stay and Stand/Stay. Your job will be 20x easier if your dog can stay for 20seconds rather than 1 second

    Whiskey automatically poses for us now. Her “stays” are great for photographs

    You can train them to pose (reward only when you are happy), also train them to respond from afar (freeze from a distance, and walk a bit forward, stay again, go up on that log, look at me, etc). I use treats all the time and though I’m all for treat-less training, I find them really useful especially when you have more than one dog. You can also use them as a way to focus their attention from distractions and where to look (have an assistant hold the treats)

    directing dogs for a photo is not always easy!

    When taking photos of 2 or more dogs, it’s exponentially more difficult so have patience and keep your camera ready.

    Getting both dogs to look at you and stay at the same time can be difficult, especially from a distance

    TRAINING the human

    Take lots of photos. This is the best advice I have! Also, LOOK at your photos, what should you do better next time? What should you repeat?

    Try different angles, get down at their level, or put them up higher and take a shot from below

    getting down to their level

    Always take multiples (dogs blink and pull weird faces)

    Look at amazing photos and get some inspiration. I’m also on Packdog and follow some great semi-pros for ideas:

    THE DOGIST
    SERENAH
    SETH CASTEEL
    NICOLE MLAKAR
    SARAH MCGRAW
    PACKDOG’s WENDY DEVENT (check out other dogs here!)

    Anticipate where they are going to go and set your shot up ahead of time, repeat the same photo several times if you can  (get your dog to go back and forth the same path).

    We saw a nice place for a photograph and set it up

    Learn to multi-task: you will need to be able to walk while looking at a lens, holding treats, checking the light, and also ensuring your dog is behaving.

    multitask taking photos while walking and directing dogs

    CAMERAS

    Understand your own camera- you don’t need an expensive one, though it helps but only if you have knowledge of how to use it. I would suggest to only bring one lens along because switching lenses while hiking is a hassle unless you have loads of time, and don’t mind the extra weight. We hike a lot under the forest canopy so it tends to be really dark. Mix that with the rainy days in Vancouver, plus a fast dog and most of our photos are blurry, even though we have a pretty good lens. A “sporty” camera is great – one that stands up to the elements, and especially if you are going out in the rain, the beach, and generally harsh conditions. Insurance is also great! I’m really hard with my cameras and they always need fixing.

    MY GEAR:
    Canon S110 (shoots RAW, great video, tiny and compact)
    Canon D90 (DSLR, old model but still works fine and I don’t feel bad when it gets sandy and muddy)
    Fuji X-T1 (mirrorless, newer, less heavy than D90, good in the dark, slower than D90)

    I have a 35mm fixed and a general zoom lens for both cameras.

    Use the light that you have. I never use flash because it ruins their eyes and I can’t imagine a dog that is ok with blinding light. If it’s very dark, I’ll make do with silhouettes. For running shots, set your camera to a fixed shutter speed (1/250 and quicker) and don’t attempt unless it’s bright enough. For shots in the rain, or dark locations, don’t shoot slower than 1/60 (for a still dog).

    It’s a dark day but against snow, we get more light for faster shots

    If you don’t have a seriously quick lens, try to manually focus ahead of time and take the shot when the dog runs past that focus area.

    I had to take this shot several times to get the eyes sharp enough

    Take practice shots and set up your camera BEFORE trying to photograph the dog. Their attention span is not long enough for you to get them to stay and twiddle with your camera.

    POST PROCESSING

    Taking the picture is half the work. There’s so much more you can do on the computer (or if you’re old-school, in the darkroom).  I use Adobe Lightroom for my post processing so I can process batches of photographs with a few clicks. Normally I only spend about 2 minutes per photograph because I never have enough time in the day. I always shoot in RAW and use what room I have to fix up problems and mistakes.

    the shot I took straight from the camera
    targeting the greens to be more saturated, and focused sharpening
    I don’t take my photography very seriously and it’s just a side hobby for me. Overall I don’t spend much time or effort to take or edit my photos, but I do find them getting better over the years just because I take so many. Good luck with yours!
  • 10 hr Swan Falls Loop

    10 hr Swan Falls Loop

    One of the views from Eagle Ridge

    Last week we hit St Marks Summit again, but unfortunately this we were hit with crowds everywhere (our previous hikes up here had very little people)! So this weekend our goal was an uncrowded hike with breathtaking views. We decided to try a new hike that starts at Buntzen Lake -Eagle Ridge or Swan Falls Loop/Lindsay Lake Loop.

    Having a hiking dog really keeps you outdoors
    She always stays really close when we are on trails
    Buntzen Lake from the North Beach
    We went up (2) and down (1)

    We got to the parking lot super early (8am for us) as we knew we would be fighting sunset times if we took breaks. Surprisingly, a large amount of people also start hiking at 8am on a Saturday morning in March so it was busy for the first section around Lake Buntzen. We knew most people would be doing the Diez Vista hike (a nice one, but we were going higher!) or trail around Buntzen Lake. By the way, I’ve never seen so many warnings around dogs (where to go, where not to go), as well as warnings about hiking in general. I can understand when Buntzen lake is very busy that dogs should be kept to the dog-beach (there were summer days when the lake was “full” and you get turned around) but everyone we saw had their dogs off-leash in this non-busy season

    The trail around the lake is very flat and easy
    A crazy amount of warnings awaits us.
    The first section from south to north beach
    early morning at the lake
    Pose? ok I’ll pose
    artifacts people have found and placed for other to see
    evidence of logging in the past

    At the turn off to the Halvor Lunden- Eagle Ridge Trail, we were finally alone and looking up a very very high mountain (are we really doing this?). The climb is neither difficult nor technical, just long and the markers are pretty easy to follow though there are some sections where you must climb over a fallen log. It should take 2-4 hours for the 3km, 1150m altitude climb and this is by far the longest section. Please be careful if there is bad weather as it seems there lots of people that need to be rescued here.

    the turn off for the higher trails with lots of warnings
    investigating
    Up up up we go
    The trails were easier than we thought
    A couple optional rope sections
    waiting for our group to catch up
    it feels like we’ve been doing this awhile now!
    snack time
    starting to see some peeps
    Fantastic trails here
    We met no one on the way up
    a cat-nap while we wait for the group
    oh we are so close!
    we pass a couple frozen ponds
    very little snow this year, sometimes it looks like this in July
    I can almost taste my upcoming sandwich…
    the last hump, you see the peak there?

    The peak is beautiful and a great place to eat, rest up, and soak in the sun. After an easy cruise along the ridges’ high forests, you have a choice between a walk around some lakes, or a panoramic view-point walk. We were advised by a friendly forestry hiker we met that the viewpoint walk was a little longer, but nicer compared to the muddier lake walk so we took in the views.

    Mt Baker on this clear day
    on top of Mt Beautiful
    heading through the ridge
    my dog glows!
    sometimes we would get lost if we just followed Whiskey
    what an amazing day
    more panoramic views
    You can see downtown,Richmond, the Island, etc
    Whiskey always runs ahead to the cliff and looks down
    I sort of think she appreciates the view too!

    By the time we started the decent, the sun was sinking lower and we picked up our feet so we could get back to the car before they shut the gates at 6pm (gate times are posted as you enter). The decent down the south park is less steep and easier on the knees. The hike took us a total of 10 hours at a pretty leisurely pace.

    until next time!

  • Beginner Agility Classes

    Agility is not just dogs jumping around

    We knew Vizslas were fast runners, amazing trail/obstacle racers, and we knew they could jump high, but we didn’t quite realize what an agile little bunny we had with Whiskey. Early on we encouraged her to climb up stumps, problem solve barriers, and navigate steep cliffs. We were thinking to ingrain her with a joy of climbing, yet a healthy regard about what was within her limits or unsafe. Now she loves to climb for fun!

    a very little Whiskey learning to walk along logs
    we encouraged her to climb 
    and so she was fearless!
    balancing on strange shapes

    All this made agility classes seem so attractive. We were lucky enough to find an agility class downtown that also mixed in intermediate obedience. In fact, there is a ton of obedience necessary to run an agility course well. A dog that is easily distracted, or doesn’t follow at heel would be really difficult to get through a course. And a super bonus and surprise was our class had 3 vizslas (out of 4 dogs!). Watch the experts here– I’m just super amazed at these dogs and trainers!

    are we ready for class today?
    practicing stay with distractions

    Whiskey’s half-sister Millie was one of those Vizslas, and we would usually meet up for a romp at the park before heading to class so they were sufficiently tired enough to concentrate. Our first classes we started with some obedience training (heeling, staying with distractions) before trying out the course. We also switched to short leashes that didn’t trail when they went into tunnels.

    I dunno about this!
    our first classes had the ladder on the ground
    gets raised as we go
    flying Whiskey

    The hardest obstacle was the weaving poles. It’s not a natural movement for these hunting dogs, and I would venture to say that herding dogs would have an easier time with the movement. Tunnels and jumps were super easy though, and we’ve had Whiskey balance on logs so often as a pup that the see-saw wasn’t a problem at all. The biggest challenges were when the tunnels got longer, or had a sharp bend in them. Also, Whiskey found the chute and sharp corners in the course (two jumps at 90 degrees) difficult not to veer off course. Our instructor changed the course several times a lesson so we never got bored.

    weaving is hard!
    you must tell them which way to go
    see-saws can be hard for lots of dogs
    waiting our turn
    this chute business isn’t so easy either

    One of the things worth considering was that our lessons were held indoors on a hard surface (the green was a thin layer) and a 10 month old is still developing so jolts and jumping and running shouldn’t be encouraged much. We thought once a week was ok (we only walk the course a couple times and our speed couldn’t be considered a ‘run’), especially since we do all our training and practicing in the forest. It was also great to get in the obedience training and realize our “stay” was pretty poor with distractions. In the end we were able to run the course mostly off leash (except for the weaving poles. Did I mention our class uses no treats? That’s not easy for Whiskey! We were also the youngest by far and we did pretty good, if I may say so myself.

    sit-stay, then calling her over the jumps
    is that a tired Vizsla I see?
    oops I can’t hold the page right!

  • Upper Shannon Falls hike

    our hiking coach

    Starting at the same parking lots as the popular “Chief” hike, Upper Shannon Falls is slightly longer, with similar views, but less busy and has in my opinion, a nicer trail to enjoy. I really enjoy this option during the Summer/Fall months when hoards of tourists descend to hike up the Chief. It’s also better for the dogs when there are less crowds and more space to run. Details of the hike: 5 hours, 470m gain and 7.5km.

    scouting ahead, but always checking back
    I swear she knows she’s posing for photos
    it’s a nice workout, but not difficult

    We prefer to park at the Shannon Falls parking lot vs the Chief parking lot, because though it’s a wee bit longer to walk, it has proper bathrooms and you also have a nicer view to start of Shannon Falls (the hike will lead to the top of the falls). The trail starts the same as the Chief with lots of stairs and people, but soon it turns off with a small sign and you are on your way- no more stairs!

    little lion king
    Such a nice sunny February day

    The trail also passes under the new sea to sky gondola which today was closed, but for another day, you can keep going further to the gondola platform and take the gondola down (with the dog!).

    under the gondola

    Today though, we stopped at the look-out for a fantastic view of Howe Sound and Squamish where we enjoyed some tasty treats before heading down.

    That’s it? I didn’t even break a sweat!
    Not too shabby a view

  • Dog vs Cat (Whiskey vs Moo)

    Dog vs Cat (Whiskey vs Moo)

    Getting a puppy and cat together

    So within the span of a couple months I decided to rescue my cat, Moo, and fly home a puppy- Whiskey. I went from never having pets to being surrounded by fur. We purposefully picked up a cat-like dog (Vizslas are supposed to be cat-like) and dog-like cat (Moo was advertised as very dog-like in personality). Here are my personal perspectives on owning a dog vs a cat

    dog-Whiskey

    cat-Moo

    Training

    -both are equally trainable to DO something. Moo is crazy for food, just as much as Whiskey is so training them both was pretty easy. Both have great recall, sit, lie down, paw, roll over, and go where I point (up, down, etc). I just spend more time training Whiskey because it’s more useful and she doesn’t make you bleed when she is frustrated.

    -it seems impossible to train my cat NOT to do something. With a dog, it’s still difficult because you may not always be able to control the situation (ie, Whiskey barks when she is playing with other dogs) but Vizslas generally want to please you. On the other hand, my cat completely understands she’s not allowed to do something, but doesn’t really care about what you’d like. You need a strong enough incentive for her not to do something bad at ALL times, and we’ve so far not found that incentive yet (water spray, loud noises, scruffing, bitter taste, double sided tape, etc).

    try to train a cat not to escape….
    training recall on the long line

    Ease of Toilet

    -Cats are so much easier to potty train and you don’t need to walk them outside in the middle of the night, in the pouring rain when they need to do their business. In most cases, cats come trained and kittens learn by copying mom. Of course, you still need to buy and clean litter in most cases (we are trying to train Moo to use the human toilet so we are past the litter stage), but it’s generally easier than picking up dog poop and carrying it around until you see a garbage.
    -It took about 3 months to fully housebreak Whiskey and we’ve trained her now to ring a bell, but when she needs to go in new situations or if we leave her for long periods of time, it’s still sometimes tricky.

    Moo using her toilet

    Boarding

    -Whiskey is actually easier to board, surprisingly. She’s really sweet and will listen to others, recalling without issues and doesn’t tend to rummage through and eat everything in sight

    -Moo is only trained to me and people she knows (her recall is usually only to me) and she’s so sneaky she’s able to get everywhere she’s not supposed to go (eg: the windowsills 30 floors up). She’s also harder to deal with in terms of her getting into food on the counter and getting into drawers and shelves (so far the dog hasn’t learned to open drawers yet). Also moving her to another location is more of a problem since cats are generally territorial, and won’t immediately get along with other household pets like Whiskey does. Luckily we have amazing friends that will cat-sit Moo at our apartment and have learned to cat-proof any food.

    She’s been so easy to board

    Health Issues

    -Because Moo is an indoor cat, there are much less vet visits or digestion problems from eating stuff on the ground. Dogs get into everything, everywhere, so more vet bills but both have been really healthy so far.
    -It is far easier to inspect and handle Whiskey.

    An outdoor dog has more health problems

    Claws/Nails

    -We are getting better at trimming the nails of both animals as we do it weekly with really good snacks. Only Moo will draw blood and bite but we are making progress!

    Food

    -Both Whiskey and Moo love their food though Moo is less picky (she will happily eat anything from dog kibble, butter, raw anything, to slices of bread and chips). They will enthusiastically help clean pans and dishes and Moo regularly jumps into the fridge to approve of our groceries. Moo eats daintily while Whiskey inhales her food. Moo also steals Whiskey’s Kongs and enjoys them just as much.

    We trained Moo to tolerate Whiskey with lots of treats around the puppy
    Moo stealing Whiskey’s Kong

    Cuddle factor

    -Strangely my velcro dog doesn’t normally cuddle unless we’re in bed (prefers cave bed to couch) but if we force her to cuddle, she’ll tolerate us
    -Moo only cuddles on her time, when she wants, where she wants (even if you are sitting on the toilet, you may be informed it’s cuddle time) though she also has the softest fur ever and never smells bad.

    both are great sleeping buddies 
    it can be slightly more uncomfortable with the dog on top

    Grooming

    -Whiskey is pretty clean for a dog but extremely smelly and dirty when compared to a cat
    -Both will groom themselves but Moo has never had a bath (god help us if we need to), Whiskey gets a bath once a month when she starts to smell or has rolled in something foul

    Moo is twice as soft


    Exercise factor

    -Contrary to what you may think, cats need you to exercise them too! Moo needs about 15mins daily compared to 2+ hours Whiskey needs. On the plus side, we can hike with Whiskey but Moo refuses to wear a collar or a leash so we can’t take her outside.
    -You can exercise Whiskey whenever is convenient, though Moo has her own schedule and may decide that midnight is time for Kung Fu practice.

    playing together (ie, Whiskey trying to avoid getting hit)

    Toys

    -Whiskey plays with both cat and dog toys and regularly destroys them
    -Moo will only play with feathers, string, boxes, and your newest package of food on the counter. She will also destroy them

    Destruction level of home

    -So far my socks and sheepskin slippers are now dog toys. Whereas all my wicker baskets, my cloth hampers, my bedframe, my blankets, my bathrug are all Moo’s. All the curtains (bath and windows) as well as the leather couch have little claw marks from climbing training.
    -Whiskey will relocate items around the home, while Moo just shreds them in displeasure
    -Knitting is difficult!

    both love to chase yarn
    our bed is now theirs and require lots of washing

    Friendliness

    -Both will meet me at the door, but whereas Moo sees it as a chance to escape, Whiskey will give me a welcome like she’s just won the lottery. There’s really nothing like coming home to a Vizsla
    -I think my cat just stays with me because I have the best treats. Whiskey actually likes me (and the treats).

    Both rock our world!

    Curiosity

    -If a poor neighbour happens to have their door open at the moment we have our door open, both pets are likely to rush into their home and immediately start exploring. Both are quite fearless and love checking out what is going on in our bags but overall I would say Moo is more curious and thorough

    And what is for dinner tonight?

    Ultimately…

    In conclusion, Whiskey is like my human daughter with floppy ears, a sweet personality, loves you to death, and totally dependent, while Moo is like a cranky elderly roomate who yells at you to feed her, has a taste of everything you eat, is totally up in your business, but is also really sweet once in awhile.
     

  • Hope, Hikes, and Ticks

    Hope, Hikes, and Ticks

    The past long weekend we decided to take a cheap, dog-friendy vacation to Hope for some hiking. We managed to be lucky enough to have one dry day between the crazy rainfall and got in a couple hikes.

    The view of the town of Hope
    playing in the forest
    posing in the forest

    The town of Hope

    Famous for the film location of the first Rambo, we did our research by watching First Blood with Whiskey in bed. We stayed in a beautiful AirBnB suite with a really comfortable bed and friendly family and had a blast. Hope is a pretty small town and we didn’t really meet any tourists out.

    the roads around Hope are beautiful, even in the rain

    Mt Hope hike 800m+(incline)10km

    The first day we set out early to conquer Mt. Hope, a 6+ hour hike. Unfortunately, Hope recently had a bad ice storm that damaged a ton of trees around the area. The logging road to the start of the hike was hopelessly blocked but we tried to get through anyway to see if it was just a small section (it wasn’t) and found the extent of damage was pretty incredible. This was the ultimate agility course for Whiskey and she was super quick to jump over, climb on top of, crawl under, and find her way though all the downed trees. She didn’t understand why the humans had so much trouble.

    road is blocked!
    yeah…not the easiest to get through
    she gets through this mess like a wiggly snake -no problem
    ok, time to try something else

    Boston Bar Trail

    Next we made a random stop on the highway and found a small section of the Boston Bar Trail. Named after the Americans that had found gold on the Fraser, this is a really old trail that dates back to the 1850s. Now used by ATVs, there was no one out so we just strolled on through, throwing sticks and taking pictures.

    not too shabby a stroll
    weeee! happy dog
    little waterfalls everywhere with melting snow and rainfall 
    Whiskey on the rocks
    chasing sticks
    a man and his dog
    posing for treats

    Hope Lookout Trail (470m, 2.7km one way)

    Coming back to town, we next did the Hope Lookout trail, “the Grouse Grind of Hope”. It certainly was a grind and a good workout but with more variation in scenery than the Vancouver one, and much much less crowded. The finish wasn’t at the top of the mountain, but had a cute bench and a nice view of the city.

    we have a pointer
    common slowpokes!
    mid hike hugs
    hurry up humans!
    evidence from the icestorm
    up up up
    mossy monkey arms
    Lion King moment
    chasing sticks up the mountain
    view from the top
    our little mountain goat in her element

    Mt Lincoln (580m, 2.5km one way)

    Another short-ish hike because, hey, it’s the long weekend and we wanted to sleep in a bit. We were the only ones on this hike which starts right off the highway. There’s no precursor- it’s just up up up and there are some scrambling parts as well with ropes to help out. The top has quite a bit of ice storm damage but the trail was really easy to follow. I would say that this might not be dog-friendly to small or old dogs because of the incline but any athletic dog would be fine (Whiskey was chasing sticks up and down like it was nothing). Also, since it was a rainy day, I would suggest to make sure you have good traction shoes for this hike. We had the most fun on this one, but be warned- we found ticks!!

    the trail starts up right away
    in lumpy moss land
    we gain height quickly
    taking a breather
    she really doesn’t understand why we are always so slow
    a quick peek
    a couple ropes to help
    Whiskey sits on my lap in the middle of a scramble
    top top top!
    waiting for me to finish the ropes
    This is one gorgeous hike
    she races up and down this mountain
    until next time

    Ticks

    Oh gross oh gross oh gross. I’m not really good with bugs and was really happy to have someone else pull these buggers out. They can grow to enormous sizes and carry some serious diseases (rare) so make sure you check your dog if a hike is known to have ticks. We found 2 well hidden behind Whiskey’s ears and killed them in alcohol (flushing them down does not kill them).

    a tick embedded at the back of her ear (6 hours)
    one dead tick, one headless tick GROSS
  • The Peaceful Iona Beach

    The Peaceful Iona Beach

    If you’re looking for a long beach walk with excellent views, close to the city, and undisturbed, this is it! We’ve come here twice, both on weekends, and we’ve seen very few people here. It may be because it involves a bit of driving, and is not super close to any residential areas, but it’s also pretty close to the city (next to the airport) and easily accessible.

    no one in sight!
    she likes to follow me around on logs
    beautiful view of the mountains and the logging boats
    queen of her pile

    Iona Beach is much longer than it initially looks and covered with logs, sand and grass. Before you reach the beach, there is also a super long jetty that most people aim for, but it’s crowded enough that I would not want to let my dog off leash there. Stick to the beach and you’ll have plenty of space to yourself.

    snow geese taking off
    view from the beach back onto the airport
    playing fetch with found balls
    perfect place for a stroll if you need some peace and quiet
    getting almost to the end, it narrows down

    There are only garbage cans near the parking so wait for your dog to poop or you’ll have a long way to carry a poop bag. Make sure you note the well marked no-dog areas that are wildlife areas (behind the parking area) so just leash up your dog until you are well into the beach before letting them run.

    throw the ball mom!
    watching the tug boats organize the logs
    there are no shortage of sticks
    kisses!

    We found two balls on the beach to play fetch, and Whiskey even reluctantly went swimming a little (furthest she’s ever been). The first time we came we were surprised at how far the beach went down and only made it halfway. This time we went until the beach ended and turned into rocks before heading back.

    logs everywhere!
    the end of the road
    the areas you need to watch for
  • Vancouver Vizsla Meetup (Video too!)

    Vancouver Vizsla Meetup (Video too!)


    or (if you are in NZ or OZ)

    We look forward to our quarterly Vizsla meetup for weeks and this time we met at a 100 acre off leash field area called North 40 in Delta. It was rainy and gray and we didn’t expect many people to show up, especially since it was also pretty far from our normal locations but hey, Vizsla people are pretty dedicated because we got at least 20!

    Very dedicated Vizsla owners

    There were red dogs as far as we could see chasing each other around, jumping over ditches, stealing sticks, and smelling butts. Whiskey had a ton of fun and is still curled up under my feet sleeping it off (after an agility class and another walk).

    We were so happy to see so many people out and the location was really perfect. The dogs just blended into the background. We had quite a flock of bald eagles watching us from above (probably not happy with the invasion) and Millie even flushed out a crane from the bush. I’ve been speed editing this video so hopefully it gets across the amazing bunny-vizslas of the day. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again- this breed is awesome!

  • Eagle Bluffs

    Eagle Bluffs

    We’ve done this hike a couple times with Whiskey but what makes it so strange this year is that Cypress Mountain has no snow! The ski mountain is bare this year and I’ve never seen it like this, especially in January.

    The Cypress Ski slopes in January
    Not much snow on the trails either, but a little slippery
    beautiful mist on a snow covered pond
    Whiskey blends in, this is her land!

    Eagle Bluffs is a great short hike if you are ok with a steady incline. The elevation is only 350 meters and is over pretty quickly. Once you reach the top of the elevation climb, there is a nice view from Black Mountain and then you head through a meandering trail to Eagle Bluffs for a beautiful view of the city. It’s a great 3-4 hour hike from the Cypress parking lots but be warned you’ll need to get a free yellow “hiking pass” to walk past the ski area during the ski season (you can get the pass at the old lodge where the buses pick up and drop off).

    A little stream of melting water
    Vancouver’s mountains are gorgeous
    pausing for a break on top of Black Mountain
    A view from Black Mountain
    the trail is sometimes also the stream

    Normally I wouldn’t attempt this hike in winter because of the incline and the snow (well maybe with snowshoes), but there was barely anything this year and with only a couple slippery bits, we could easily accomplish it in hiking boots.

    markers and trail is very easy to follow
    breathtaking view from the Bluffs
    the city from the mountain
    Whiskey just wants to play with the snowboarders

    We had a bit of trouble keeping our curious Vizsla off the ski slopes, as the hike follows the ski slope up. Be sure to keep your dog on-leash if there is any traffic! Whiskey was exceptionally bouncy today and must have ran 3x times the path going up and down like it was nothing. This must be an “extra bouncy” stage of puppy-hood.

    At the peak with my Vizsla girl!
  • Discovering new city parks

    Discovering new city parks

    One thing when you have a dog and need to get out for walks is that you quickly get bored of your local park no matter how awesome it is (ours is pretty awesome). So when our washing machine broke and we needed to pick a new one out ASAP, we found ourselves in a new part of town we rarely visit. We discovered the Everett Crowley park near the Knight St bridge to Richmond.

    It’s quite pretty in the rain. I can’t say for a sunny day yet.
    It’s great to have the park to ourselves.
    Lots and lots of space! 100 acres
    Our crew today is 2 humans 1 princess

    At 100 acres the park is a good size to walk an active dog and not feel like you are going in circles. All the inside trails are off-leash and on our very rainy walk, we basically had the whole park to ourselves.

    she will climb anything
    the inside off leash trails
    a little wildlife area
    taking some smaller paths

    There is a lack of garbage cans around so watch out for them and remember to pick up. There’s a beautiful pond in the middle dedicated to wildlife in the area. Aside from the large flat gravel path there are also some smaller trails that criss-cross throughout. We’ll certainly come here again when we want an easy stroll and are in the area.

    Where does this trail go? who cares!
    all tired she decides to sleep UNDER the seat covers