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.
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.
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
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
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
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.
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).
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.
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!
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.
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
The Pacific Spirit Park is one of those amazing parks in the center of the city that makes you love Vancouver so much. Like Stanley park, it’s easily accessible and intersected by roads while also giving visitors the feeling of being in a real forest just steps away from home. Whenever we’re feeling lazy (or it’s threatening to rain heavily) we zip over to the park for a short walk.
our puppy is getting older!
whiskey looking for the stick we threw
getting better with her jumping aim
The park connects with one of the best dog beaches in the city -Spanish Banks with an amazing view of West/North Vancouver as well as the downtown city. From here we turned into the forest for a long loop. We’ve also done loops further in the park without going to the beach (so many options!).
The view from Spanish Banks on a rainy day
Whiskey loves her stumps
happiest place for a vizsla
There is a surprising variation in the paths and terrain you can experience. We’ve also had less altercations with unruly/aggressive dogs here than Stanley park. Whiskey loves the amount of sticks here to chase after and of course we had to take some photos to share.
she doesn’t retrieve yet, she runs with it and chews it
Dog mountain has been our go-to mountain since we’ve had Whiskey. Close to town, an amazing view (though not this time), a short-ish length with an interesting trail and dog-friendly…what else do you want? We knew this hike is pretty popular so assumed the trail would have been packed enough for normal boots, although in some places it was icy enough that small crampons would have been an option.
the first 10 mins of any walk with these two is nuts
the gorgeous Millie with her Christmas collar
a conversation
kangarooing through the snow
another version of the raindeer
Whiskey is still all legs
Whiskey and her half-sister Millie ran up and down like little speed-demons. There’s a section where normally there is a pond and a small open area that was untouched. They kangarooed through the deep snow and we were laughing so hard! Millie even ran so hard her poor paws started bleeding. It’s a good thing her parents had boots to slip on at the peak. As soon as the boots came on, she was happily galloping away again. They puppies also started shivering once we stopped for pictures so we put the jackets on.
No need to throw sticks with these two
flying vizslas!
this trail is so much fun, snow/rain/sun
Whiskey has her Christmas bow on
treats? gimmie!
There was no view because of the clouds but we took a picture anyways. Lets hope these dogs sleep for at least a couple hours now!
We’re very late this year for snow on the mountains and today we finally had a good dump up at Seymour Mountain. The mountain still isn’t fully open for skiing so we had several slopes to ourselves. We took the Goldie Lake Loop and were the only ones on the trail (we could tell because we were the only footprints in foot-high snow).
She’s flying!
new snowfall
so proud of my happy puppy!
It’s such a different element to hike in
small snow covered lakes
Whiskey and her Great Dane puppy buddy Hanna (7 months) were so excited about the snowfall. They chased snowballs, ran ahead on the short trail, and met many other happy dogs at the parking lot all under the thickening snowstorm.
