This is our 3rd yearly trip to camp at Fountain Lake as well as the first time I’m doing it without my better half sharing the driving and the tent. Fountain Lake is beyond Lillooet which is a long drive with our many stops (for food and pictures). We left at 3pm and arrived after 7pm just in time to set up our tents, start a fire and watch the light dying down in front of us. There was a little bit of drizzle as we drove in but the weather the rest of the weekend was just fantastic with passing clouds and a really warm days.
Cloudy coming in, stopping for a break at Duffey Lake
Stopping at Lillooet for a view
We’ve recently bought a car-camping kit with a gigantic tent you can stand in, foam sleeping pads that take up half the car space and the much-needed ice box and water jugs to go with our bbq. With a group of 10, we took over our normal camp-site next to the lake and spent the days floating on the lake, eating really really well and sitting in front of the campfire singing, laughing and just having the best of times.
gathering firewood
setting up the camp chairs
Around the campfire, taking my seat
Relaxing in the tent
Elly popped in for the second day!
Marshmellows and fire
On Saturday we even fit in a new hike- the Fountain Ridge Hike. As there was only a tiny description, we chanced it and once we found our way, the views were fantastic. We did get our friends’ van stuck and had a bit of an adventure but found our way back to camp for a quick swim before dinner.
summer days!
the view from our ridgewalk
lunchspot…may I have your sandwich?
views of the Fraser
heading back!
relaxing on the water
toast them up!
come play with me!
warming up at the fire
The next day we took it easy walking around the lake and floating a bit before heading back to town.
Happy days!
Walking around the lake
sharing the paddleboard and Ginger’s first try out!
For our next camping adventure, we stole Whiskey’s sister Sophie and headed off to E.C. Manning with a bunch of friends. I’ve heard so much about this park and was just waiting for a good weekend to go. This was the last weekend before reservations started to book the campsites so I was hopeful that if we arrived at a good time on Friday, we would be able to grab a couple good camp spots for our larger group. We picked Lightning Lake to camp at, since it was the largest and I thought the best chance at getting a couple spots and finding our friends. Campsites were surprisingly expensive ($35/night) with a max of 4 people and an extra $12 for another car. I suppose the facilities made up for the price though, with self flush toilets, hot showers, and lots of bins and water taps everywhere. The rangers even drove around delivering wood (at a high fee of 8$/bundle).
our two guard dogs
playing all day long
Campsites at Lightning lake were a good size but still too close to neighbours to have off leash dogs. We brought the long line so the dogs could still run and play and got to work on drinks, bbq and setting up tents.
morning wake up call, lining up at the “door”
morning walk
A very Canadian scene
Whiskey and Sophie had to get used to their new accommodations but then happily fell asleep in a dog bed (Sophie) and my sleeping bag (Whiskey). Of course they woke me up at sunrise for a walk the next morning but I really couldn’t complain once I got up and saw the beautiful scenery.
The view from the road leading up to Blackwall Peak
our camping group
dogs checking out the view
walking up to the parking lots
really nice views!
checking out the views
Sophie approves
catching snowballs in June
best game ever!
not a bad weekend!
heading back
all clouds lead to Whiskey
Lightning lake from a viewpoint
Once everyone else was awaken and we finished an extravagant breakfast, we attempted the 3 Brothers hike but didn’t realize the road to the parking lot was closed. Instead, we walked the 1 hour on the road to the parking lot and took in the views of the still-snow-covered trail.
Paddleboard with dad
getting a taxi around with the girls
not sure what she’s pointing at
ground squirrels keep a watchful eye
photoshoots with Whiskey
Just a regular at the camera
posing on a board isn’t easy!
Sunset on the water
It was a really hot day so after that we headed down to the day area of Lighting Lake and hung out in the glacier waters until sunset. Whiskey had a couple goes at the paddleboard (we took turns taxi-ing her around) and the dogs were happy just lying in the sun or pointing at the ground squirrels.
campfire after dinner
sleepy in front of the fire
eating way too much food
Back at camp we toasted marshmallows, ate way too much food, and just enjoyed the fire. The dogs were so fully exhausted from the day that they went into the tent and fell asleep on their own (success!). Again, the next morning I took them for their sunrise walk and this time walked a good distance around part of the lake.
morning walks
sunrise with the girls
glacier water is gorgeous
my little poser
chase on the trails
fetch is perfect when it’s this hot!
ear massages while lying on her blankets
This is the life of a Vizsla
Once the group ate breakfast and made some sandwiches for lunch, we then headed again to the day area where some suntanned, some others floated on various items in the water, and a couple of us (including dogs) did the hike around the lake. We headed back home after that with a car full of tired Vs and humans.
We’ve been wanting to go camping for awhile now, but it seems that each time the weather has plagued us until last weekend. In another bout of good luck, we were asked to petsit Whiskey’s sister (different, younger litter) Sophie over the same weekend. It was the perfect opportunity to take them out of the city so they could be off leash the whole time, and we wouldn’t need to worry about the house being torn to pieces (they had already begun before we left). At first Whiskey was pretty protective of her humans and home, but soon the two became best friends taking turns to initiate play and games.
two dogs and two humans with one queen bed
playing non-stop
Sometimes they can stop for treats
I have no idea what happened
I hear we are going places…
Meeting up with a couple friends, we braved the rough forest road to Jones Lake and secured a really nice spot next to the mud flats covered with stumps and roots. The road was pretty busy with 4x4s and atvs and the muddy/sandy flats proved irresistible to those who liked to go “vroom vroom”. This ended up as free entertainment, for each day a truck got stuck and we would watch as they tried really hard to get stuck even further before a nice local would then help them out (he did 3 this week).
Jones Lake
Hmmm not too bad!
First look at their playground
Not so clean dog
Is this really sleeping in my tent tonight?
Sisters having fun
Truck #2 stuck
As hard going as it was for trucks and humans (many times we sank pretty deep), the dogs were just in heaven and ran their little butts off. Whiskey demanded sticks thrown, even swam a little, and Sophie basked in the sun on the sand. We were lucky enough to have access to a blow up paddle board that Whiskey rode (not too happily), and of course we brought out the drone for a couple shots. Both dogs got super muddy but thanks to their fur, it magically disappeared before nighttime.
Sophie gets her model moment
dino attack!
zoom zoom!
Beautiful when free
Sophie running away with the stick
paddleboard with swimming Whiskey
Kisses on the water
Take me back to land!
Dinner was shared (the dogs preferred each other’s food of course) and with lots of leftovers, the pups were more than happy to be the clean-up crew. I couldn’t believe how much energy they had as they played until it got dark and then fell asleep in front of the fire, only to wake up and bark at anyone passing by to go to the toilets (Whiskey is more protective). Of course since they are softies we brought loads of blankets and the pita bed so they were extra comfy.
Warming up by the fire
Feed me your dinner
Beggars!
Clean up crew
Sleeping was a bit difficult with a 3 person backpack tent (larger tent is on the wish list) but we managed. Sophie slept in the pita bed and Whiskey alternated who’s sleeping bag she would crawl into.
Sunrise and Whiskey wants out
Lets go Lets go!
The next door, the dogs ran and played until afternoon when we packed everything up. At some point, I threw the dogs into the car for a time-out just so they could be forced to rest for 20 mins.
I have no idea why humans are so slow!
sharing
Checking out her domain
Sophie loves it here
Play play play
Sophie rests on the sand while Whiskey keeps going
The drive back into the city was quiet with two very sleepy puppies although as soon as we got back home, play started all over again!
Now this was an adventure! To get to Widgeon Falls, one must drive to Pitt Lake, canoe or kayak across, make your way up a creek, and then hike a couple kilometers to a beautiful waterfall. This was my first time and I really enjoyed this day trip. The previous day Whiskey had cut her back paw so we were happy for a short walk (and a bootie to protect her).
The sunrise light on blueberry fields
Arriving at Pitt Lake
Whiskey and Millie, her half sister
We woke up really early on Sunday to drive to the canoe rental shop since we had heard it can get really busy and we had a big group that didn’t want to miss out on canoes (11 people and 4 dogs). Well the shop was supposed to open at 8am but we didn’t realize we needed to knock next door in order to get the shopkeeper (presumably living next door) to open up so we waited around for a good half hour before figuring it out.
Tugging on a found sock, yucky!
What mom? can we go yet?
Millie checking out the view
You got the canoe? Lets go!
The canoe was wonderful and all dogs behaved themselves, even the boat with 4 people and 2 dogs (we were on a 3 person 1 dog canoe). Canoeing to the hike point can be harder than you expect if you aren’t used to paddling and steering but we had enough Canadians to work it out.
a 4 person 2 dog canoe
Little Ginger was also keeping watch in her canoe
It was hard to keep Whiskey fully inside
Amazing mist on the creek
Really beautiful scenery
She kept sniffing the water
We reached the hike point (also the camping grounds) in an hour and the hike itself is very pretty and quite short. The falls were fantastic (my best friend even trucked in a cake to celebrate my birthday early) and it was just wonderful to sit in the sun.
Beautiful light on the trail
Millie takes a dip in the cold water
Widgeon Falls
Part of our group
A little birthday on the rocks
My family
Millie inspects a hole
Shira is our gorgeous 4th dog today
We had paddled out in the early morning on high tide (Pitt lake is large enough to be tidal) but coming back was reaching low tide so there were moments the heavier canoes had to be pushed to get through some very shallow parts (it’s a good idea that someone has water shoes). Also, on the way back Whiskey decided she had enough with canoeing and jumped out into the marsh. We were really happy we could convince her to get back in without jumping out ourselves! I do believe my Vizsla is not the biggest fan of canoes and would rather walk.
Last weekend we went back to the same place as last year for a camp trip: Fountain Lake
Last year she was still a puppy
This year fully grown
We had a different group, and different luck (or lack of) with the weather. This time, as we drove past Pemberton to the site, we enjoyed a thunder and lighting show as we safely avoided the remnants of small rockslides on the windy roads. By the time we arrived, it was pitch dark and rainy but thanks to an awesome tent, we got set up in minutes and could help everyone else. It’s quite a different experience from last year when we were wearing t-shirts to this year with several layers and a rain jacket.
a very rainy drive
halfway through setting up a group shelter
A cloudy and chilly lake
Someone is not happy in the rain!
Still beautiful
Fountain Lake
It rained consistently until late afternoon the next day. Rain can be miserable but it’s all about the right gear to enjoy even the worst weather. It’s also about distracting your rain-shy Vizsla with games to keep her from complaining with lots of stick throwing and sniff games. This is where I’ll go on to advertise merino wool as the best camping clothing. I was the only one toasty that morning clothed toe to head (socks, undies, shirt, hoodie and beanie) in merino. Whiskey had her new chillydog jacket and I was testing my new rain jacket (both worked great). A couple thermoses of hot tea and a well-rigged tarp ensured that we could happily play board games and nap until the sky cleared in the mid-afternoon.
Sleeping in the same bag
A couple strolls around the lake
Some low and high clouds
Working on balance
Lots to do even in bad weather
As we chowed down in the evening under a sky full of stars, we felt pretty lucky! Whiskey probably had the best sleep out of all of us. She absolutely loves sharing my sleeping bag and feels no guilt in waking me up in the middle of the night with a “punch” when she gets too hot. Somehow she is able to wiggle up and down my mummy sleeping bag and curl into a ball on my side (I don’t let her crawl down to my toes). We’ve tried bringing blankets, even a dog bed before, but she’s always ended up inside my sleeping bag. I’ve given into her now…
Really unsure about horses
Daddy…Is this safe?
Hold me!
Baby frog season
Getting sunnier!
Ariel view of Fountain Lake
The next day was beautiful, warm, and sunny. What a change! We took a walk around the lake where we met some little frogs. Whiskey “checked” them out with her mouth (all survived) but wasn’t interested in making friends. When we came across a couple friendly horses, I found Whiskey was more concerned for our own safety than curious about the gigantic creatures. She was clearly not comfortable with us petting them but I do want her to get used to horses in the future. Soon after, we had to pack up soon after lunch for a long drive home. The road back is fantastic and we made a couple stops for photos and drone pictures.
20km (roundtrip), 8-10 hours starting from Seymour Mountain Parking lot Link to hike OR this link
Lake Elsay
This was a tough one as we didn’t expect such technical terrain and had started later than planned. Carrying heavy backpacks we took about 5.5 hours each way with lots of breaks. While it was my first time on this trail, I found the trail pretty easy to follow even though there are loads of warnings about the “poorly marked trail”. There were orange markers everywhere although I can see how it would be difficult to find the trail with fog or snow so make sure you are fit and experienced before attempting this one in less than ideal conditions. Also, there are a couple creek crossings which may be difficult in high water (we are currently in a drought so no issue there).
photobombed!
It would be so nice to sit down…
Well marked path in the summer
technical terrain
We parked at the 2nd Seymour parking lot (designated for overnighters) and started on the trail to Seymour peak’s first pump. Right before first pump, there was a marker to veer off towards the Elsay Lake trail. From here there are about 8kms to get to the camp site and about 6kms of it is technical and tough terrain going down down down. Just a note of warning, we did see someone carrying their dog back the trail in a backpack because the poor pup had warn through their pads on the hot rocks, so make sure your dog is used to hiking on rocks and check their feet often.
starting out with Seymour’s first pump ahead
my vizsla-goat
turn off to Elsay trail
From the turn off, we soon turned a corner to see an enormous panorama of the valley. We crossed about 4 rockslides and followed one more down. There are some streams along the way (about 2kms to the lake) and the lake itself was pretty large for swimming. For space in the emergency hut, make sure you get there early (houses 6). It was a long weekend and we were a bit surprised to find another 6 tents up and a group staying at the hut.
She loved the rocks
just wow!
my hiking buddies
Taking a well needed break
crossing a creek
The way back seemed so much easier although it took the same amount of time (this time going uphill). We had run out of water in the summer heat so we stopped by the creek to filter a couple liters while Whiskey rested on some mossy rocks. I was surprised since this is the first time I’ve seen her lay down on a hike! We made sure she had plenty of dehydrated food, water, hard boiled eggs, and she shared all our food. She even crawled into our sleeping bags at night taking turns with mommy and daddy.
setting up camp while Whiskey supervises
so hungry!! feed me
it was too hazy for stars
waking up with a Vizsla in the sleeping bag
swimming in the lake
heading back home
Overall the hike would be much faster without the packs, but it’s still pretty long for a one day hike unless you are a trail runner. The payoff wasn’t as amazing as many of the other trails we’ve done though I acknowledge we are spoiled for choice in BC. In the end I’m glad we did it but I won’t be planning another hike or overnighter here for a couple years.
My little girl is 1 year old. We’ve both been working overtime these days so we haven’t been able to have her a little party, though I we gifted her with a custom made dog monster-toy from etsy. Lets see if this one lasts! Here’s a little look back at our growing puppy:
It seems like we’re always on the ‘go’ these days. We just got back from a weekend on BC’s Sunshine Coast where we had a fantastic time with Whiskey and a group of friends. At the moment I’m exhausted, the dog is happy, we’ve got a ton of stuff to unpack and a dirty house to clean. Here’s how it went:
Ferry ride We had our first ferry ride with a dog. Unfortunately dogs aren’t allowed past the car deck so our top-deck photo-ops are over. We did however walk all around the parking level saying hi to everyone and sniffing all the ropes. Good thing it was a 40 min ride otherwise we might have gone for a poop though. Whiskey’s been great with the car these days although we make a big effort to make sure she’s tired before a long ride.
our little poser
I wonder who peed here?
Blackberry season It’s blackberry season and boy are they everywhere! Every stop we made whether it be a scenic view or pit-stop there were heavy bushes waiting to be picked. Here we are waiting for the ferry, collecting and eating our fill. Whiskey is a fan of sweet ones and gobbles them up from my fingers.
it pays to be tall!
sooo many wild blackberries!
On-leash campground It was a dog-friendly campground, much less rugged than our last trip though a clear downside was that dogs had to be leashed at all times. There were RVs, tents, yurts, cabins, and a motel section along with a dock. It was really hard to keep her on a leash while doing all our activities and we still needed to give her all the exercise she required. It was half as productive (putting up the tent, cleaning, cooking, eating, packing) and half as relaxing. On the upside it was good to have her on-leash when there were deer around. I’ve never had her pull so much before!
Whiskey helps rearrange firewood
Lakes Whiskey is still too scared to dive into water from a dock. She’ll fetch up to her tummy, and maybe take one step further, but beyond that she’s whining and stressed when we ask her to do more. So it was a big shock when we were hanging out on a little platform and our little Whiskey took a couple steps backwards, falling in the water! She was only in for a second before we fished her out, but was shivering for an hour afterwards, even with a towel-down and lying in the sun. I guess she was just stressed.
Come on in! The water’s great. *lots of whining*
shivering and miserable in the sun
overseeing activities on the lake
Dog limitations We ended up at Alice Lake just past Squamish on our way back. Little did we know, dogs must be leashed and are not allowed on the grass, paths, or beach areas (so where are they allowed??). It’s frustrating when you’re with a group of friends but have to chose the dog. We ended up taking a hike while the rest of the group sunbathed, swam, and relaxed by the beach.
Hikes
We did one hike on Sunshine Coast: Mt Daniel as well as another one at Alice Lake: the Four Lake Trail. Mt. Daniel is about 6km and 440m climb which is the most we’ve tried with Whiskey. She was running until the end! Alice Lake was unplanned but was absolutely gorgeous. The trail was easy and beautiful (around 6km) and the landscape was astounding for a rainforest. For both hikes we had loads of fun. Sometimes I can’t believe my luck when I go hiking with Whiskey. She never fails to make me laugh and smile and she’s just so fearless and silly. I’m addicted!
Boy oh boy! At first I wasn’t so sure about camping but I knew that if it worked out, Whiskey would be the happiest little Vizsla. We had a couple hurdles to overcome but leapt over each and everyone of them:
So we were supposed to start our trip at noon, but our driver was having her car fixed and it seemed like they took extra long with something. Finally, we ended up leaving the city at 5:30 during rush hour, a bit behind schedule. I was worried about Whiskey’s car sickness but she seemed fine after two walks, ginger gravol (the all natural one), and only a small lunch. We made a stop in Whistler where she was happily running up and down the lift area, then headed off to the camp site at Fountain Lake.
Once past Pemberton, there was a steady climb on the highway and that was where we started having car troubles. The car was losing traction, smelling bad, and smoking underneath the body. Over the next couple hours it got worse and worse. Finally, we were almost at the camp site, past the last town, Lillooet. At this point we were barely making it up inclines, and this was where the car just gave up. It was midnight when we lost all traction and the car rolled back down the incline with absolutely no power. After contemplating walking the rest of the way to the site, we realized we weren’t sure how close we were to the campsite (no cell reception), we had a puppy with us, and there were bears here. We were able to roll (and push) the car back to the Xaxli’p Native community so we weren’t in complete wilderness, then set up tent by the side of the road and went to sleep.
Five minutes later we were woken up by a concerned resident who was walking home. He insisted we camp on his property for safety reasons (camping by the side of the road wasn’t very safe) and also for protection against bears. Apparently a woman had been attacked not too long ago! The whole time, Whiskey had been quiet and took everything in-stride but this property had two large dogs and she wasn’t quite comfortable with these outside our tent. While we were sleeping, any noise outside would evict a growl from her, which we had never heard her do. She was on constant alert the whole night guarding us!
The next morning we found another helpful Native man that was kind enough to take us and our gear to the campsite where we finally hooked up with the rest of our group. After that, we had a wonderful trip. Within the first hour, we saw a mother bear and her 3 cubs pass really close (we kept Whiskey on a leash) and took a dip in the lake. When the bears weren’t close-by we let her go off leash and wander around, chewing on sticks, stalking ants, frogs and dragonflies, meeting horses, and (trying to) beg food from our friends. She had two other doggy friends on the campgrounds and they had loads of fun running around.
a family of bears
We had no problems sleeping together in the tent. It was a bit chilly at night and Whiskey would snuggle inside our sleeping bags, making her way down to the bottom section and sleep at our toes. I have no idea how she managed to breathe but she seemed quite happy and warm there. She also experienced her first thunderstorm (napped through it), developed an obsession for steak (medium rare please), and managed to jump high enough to catch half a raw chicken from an unsuspecting victim. Other activities included cleaning up some unguarded plates and rearranging firewood, shoes and socks to her liking. Fun times! We even got her swimming a little, fetching sticks from the water, and floating on rafts.
retrieving sticks in shallow water
All things considered, I can’t wait to go camping again with her. It’s amazing to see her so happy off leash, running, swimming, fetching, discovering, and just being a happy puppy. Of course, as soon as we came home to unpack, we turned our heads, and there she was peeing on her bowser bed.
whiskey had no problem with a tent as a home
Fountain Lake
sometimes she’d go in, then remember she didn’t like water
