Tag: whistler

Guide to Beaches and Paddling Lakes on the Sea to Sky Highway

The Sea to Sky Highway linking Vancouver to Whistler and Pemberton is one of the most beautiful drives in the world. Weekend warriors load up every Friday evening and fill up the parking lots to every easily accessible lake, trail, and park along the road. Here’s a guide to the Lakes and beaches of the Howe Sound along the highway, and places I like to take a kayak, paddleboard, or canoe with my two Vizsla dogs Whiskey and Bourbon.

Many of these places do fill up quickly on weekends and parking is not allowed on the highway so I would suggest weekdays or very early weekends to get a parking spot! The guide moves from Vancouver to Pemberton and is location based. Check the tides for anything in Howe Sound and wear a life jacket! In case you’re a dog owner, here’s a blog on how to get started paddling with your dog.

🚗 Car Access
🚶‍♂️ Walk to Access
💪Hike to Access
🚽 Toilets
🗑️ Garbage Bins
🛑Difficult Parking
🚫No Dogs

Vancouver-Squamish

Whytecliff Park 🚶‍♂️🚽 🗑️ – The access is down a set of stairs and a rocky beach. Check the tides before you go! There are seals, periodic whales, and an islet (island sometimes connected) to paddle around. Sunset is gorgeous. This is also a common diving spot so watch for divers! Bathrooms and a small food concession is on site as well as a small trail, green grassy space.

Kelvin Grove Beach 🚶‍♂️🗑️- Lions Bay Beach Park may be preferable for those without dogs, but Kelvin Grove Beach is Dog Friendly. There is paid parking, and the access is down a short trail to a small set of rocks with logs. Depending on the tide you will have more or less beach to launch from with your dogs. No bathrooms.

Porteau Cove 🚗🚽 🗑️ -A much larger beach and area to launch from. There is a campground connected to the beach as well as a large dock. Bathrooms are available and there’s lots of places to launch especially when the tide is low. Very quick and easy access from the car to beach.

Furry Creek Beach 🚶‍♂️🚽🗑️- There is less parking and a bit more walking involved than Poteau Cove to the beach access at Furry Creek Beach, however because of this the area is a bit more quiet. There is very little beach on high tide so be aware!

Squamish-Whistler

Mamquam Beach 🚶‍♂️-in Squamish is currently under a series of construction so it’s hard to tell how access is lately. Right now there’s a decent walk to the beach from easy parking downtown Squamish but the beach has the best view of the Chief especially during sunset.

Spit Road 🚶‍♂️- in Squamish has lots of options to park and launch a boat, however be warned that the river can move quickly and you’ll likely be hiking your way back up the road when you’re done. Have knowledge of river paddling, the waterflow, and tides before putting into the Squamish River (especially if you’re going to drop in further upstream).

Alice Lake 💪🚽 🗑️ – Alice Lake Provincial park has 4 lakes. The easiest accessible lake for paddling is Alice Lake itself but it’s not dog friendly (even the trails around the lake prohibit dogs). Stump Lake is the easiest accessible lake for paddling with dogs and is quite quiet for boats and swimming even on a busy day.

Cat Lake 🚶‍♂️🚽🗑️ – Cat Lake a small lake with loads of docks. It’s great to practice paddling as it’s so small with so many access points and lots of parking. Even so, on weekends the campground fills out and it can get extremely busy. An AWD is advised as the road can get rough and in winter it can be impassible. Boat access is a short walk down a wide trail to the main dock. There are pit toilets at parking and lots of garbage bins.

Brohm Lake 💪🚽- Brohm lake has very limited parking, especially in the summer weekends. There can be a lineup of cars waiting to get in further up the highway. It’s a long narrow lake and water access isn’t the easiest. If you take the trail going south from the parking lot, you get to the lake quicker but you’re launching from rocks. There’s also water access if you walk up north but you’ll be hiking up and down big rocks. The area is beautiful and there are pit toilets up the North trail from the parking lot but no garbage bins currently (please take your garbage out!).

Levette Lake 🚶‍♂️🚽🗑️- A beautiful lake up a FSR (Forest Service Road). You will need AWD on your car in order to get up the road and there’s limited parking. The water access is a short walk from the parking, which has garbage bins and pit toilets. There is very little “beach” to launch from and the area can get very busy on weekends. This may not be accessible in the winter and there are cougars and bears in the area.

Hut Lake 💪🛑- 4.5km hike down a wider easy trail from Levette Lake. You can drive further up the road shortening this hike if you have a 4wd and if you have a monster truck you can drive the entire way to the lake HOWEVER I have seen several trucks attempt this and be stuck and it is not an easy location for someone to come pull you out! A much quieter lake because of the hiking access but with no toilets, bins, and extra cougars and bears.

Starvation Lake 💪- Either 2.6km from the highway or 3.5km from Paradise Valley Road (AWD advisable). An easy walk down a trail to the lake provides a lovely paddle on a nice summer day. There is limited parking on the Highway and you’ll have to walk along the highway for a small stretch before the trail starts down. Paradise Valley can get busy with campers and cars as well.

Lucille Lake 💪- Halfway to Whistler sits Lucille Lake. Again, busy on weekend especially with locals, there is a limited parking on the FSR over Chance Creek Bridge. There are two launch points that involve a short walk in. The further beach has a nice sandy beach, great to lounge or launch from. There’s also a huge questionable bike ramp on one side of the lake. With no toilets or bins, keep your dogs really close and don’t wander too far into the woods.

Daisy Lake 💪🛑- A large lake on the way to Whistler but this one is NOT easily accessible. It’s also closed to organized recreational activity and BC Hydro has it damned so the water level changes radically.

Callaghan Lake 🚗🚽- Callaghan Lake needs AWD access up a longer road filled with waterbars off the Sea to Sky Hwy. Launch access couldn’t be easier as you can drive right up to the lake to drop off a boat. The lake is large and surrounded by mountains. There are campsites, pit toilet but no bins.

Madeley Lake 💪- Access by an easy walk off the FSR that leads to this lake. AWD accessible the last I checked (perhaps 4WD now) and less visited and paddled lake. Small beach access with wild camping, no toilets or bins.

Whistler-Pemberton

Alpha Lake 🚶‍♂️🚽🗑️- A smaller lake with a dog friendly area, Alpha lake has lots to see and like most of the other lakes can get busy on summer weekends. Being a smaller lake in an exclusive neighborhood, parking can be more difficult but there are so many lakes to choose from in this location.

Nita Lake 🚶‍♂️🗑️ 🛑- A smaller lake that doesn’t have the easiest parking access. I Haven’t paddled this lake but there is a trail around most of the lake with access to drop a boat in.

Alta Lake- 🚗🚽🗑️ With a dog-friendly beach, this is another beach I occasionally visit. The rainbow Park area has bathrooms, parking, and bins as well as a swimming area and dock. There are beautiful views of Whistler from the lake as well as lots of docks and big houses to check out.

Green Lake- 🚗🚽🗑️ My favorite lake to paddle in Whistler. Green lake has easy access from many different trail and neighborhood parking along the lake. There’s also high end restaurants, chalets, and a gold course right by. Watch the seaplanes take off right in front of you (and please get out of the way!) and paddle around the gigantic mineral rich green lake.

Whistler River– Golden Dreams Route- Paddle from Alta lake to Green Lake on this slow moving 5km route. You’ll see geese, maybe some bear, and lots of beautiful scenery. Aim for early summer as late summer the water can be low and you might need to portage a section. Check the water level before heading out as there’s a tricky section that might have you in the water. There are also tours you can take!

Lost Lake– 🚶‍♂️🚽 🗑️ A lovely little lake with an easy beach to spend a summer day. Dogs are not permitted on the beach however but they’re welcome at “Canine Cove” 400m to the north.

Pemberton and further

One Mile Lake 🚗🚽 🗑️ – A lovely small lake with easy parking and beach access. The dock is easy to launch from and although the beach doesn’t allow dogs, no one has complained as we launched a boat with dogs from the dock. This is a lovely place to paddle for sunset and has lots of trails to hike when you’re done paddling.

Lillooet Lake 🚶‍♂️🚽🗑️- The largest lake on this page by far! There are many access points along the In-shuck-ch FSR the easiest being Strawberry Point site with pit toilets, bins, and campgrounds. Access is down a dirt path to a rocky beach that stretches for a very very very long time. Because the lake is larger, pay attention to winds, however you can paddle here all day and still have loads to discover.

Lower Joffre Lake 🚶‍♂️🚽🗑️🛑🚫- One of the most beautiful turquoise lakes, this park is now NOT dog friendly and also needs a day-pass. There is no reception at the lake so the pass must be garnered before heading up to the lakes and it is almost always packed. The lower lake is a short walk in and there is a small area to launch from. Pitt toilets and bins are available but sometimes both can be full.

Duffey Lake- 🚗🛑 There is very little access to Duffey Lake but the area isn’t usually too busy. There are some places to pull over on the Duffey Lake Rd, or a viewpoint area on the East side with parking for several cars. The lake is huge and turquoise and surrounded by mountains. No bins or toilets, nor beach though!

Seton Lake- 🚗🚽🗑️ Another absolutely gorgeous lake with limited parking access in the summer. If you’re feeling adventurous with a good car, you can drive around the lake and find quieter places to launch from or just to take photos.

Birkenhead Lake 🚗🚽🗑️- Another provincial park with camping sites, toilets, and bins. The road is a bit rough but most cars can make it just fine, and I’m pretty sure there’s no reception. The area is beautiful with mountain backdrops and a beautiful lake. Perfect for swimming, there is a beach to launch from and it’s very easy to find a quiet spot to yourself on the lake

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June 11, 2023
How to Ski with your Dog (and where)
How to start, things to think about, and where to go!

I love getting outdoors with my Vizslas and when it snows, we still head out. Cross country and backcountry skiing is a really fun way to keep dogs active with you during the winter months. However, there is much more to think about in the winter with dogs, so here’s what we’ve learned.

Winter Hazards for Dogs

While the bugs and bears are sleeping and wildlife is less of a concern in the alpine, there is the looming issue of snow, cold temperatures and avalanches. There is also less sunlight so getting lost becomes much more dangerous when the temperatures dip and there are less people on the trails.

Snow and Cold

You’ll need more gear in the cold (unless you have a winter mountain dog) and snow to protect both your dog and yourself. I find myself bringing lots of layers for everyone, and also sometimes a dog sleeping bag for longer days. Here’s more on clothing and footwear for dogs in the winter. Expect to carry a larger heavier pack than the summer, and keep your dog moving to the car if you start seeing signs of shivering. It’s always a good idea to check on your dog’s paws and body throughout hikes but it’s especially important in the winter.

With deep snowpack, running through especially thick deep snow can be exhausting for dogs and hard on their joints and hips. My dogs know to run on the skin tracks or follow behind in deep snow but some dogs may run beyond what they can sustain because they’re having so much fun. Thick crusty snow that gets punched through can also cut dogs paws and legs. Legs can get very bloody if you end up in these conditions, so ask your dog to stay behind your tracks or turn back if you see their legs raw or bloody.

Tree wells

Even in mild terrain, if there’s enough snow, there are tree wells. A space of loose snow can form around tree trunks and hidden cavities can easily trap and suffocate dogs (as well as people) that fall in. I’ve heard of several dogs lost overnight when they’ve fallen into tree wells and could not get out. This isn’t just for backcountry skiing, but right off the side of cross country trails. Be aware and keep your dogs in sight at all times.

Avalanches

If you’re going into avalanche terrain, make sure you have the training! There are classes available throughout the season and it’s very dangerous to go into terrain without knowledge, gear, and a skilled group of friends. Do not put an avalanche beacon on a dog. In an event a group may be swept away, humans must be first priority and precious time spent digging out a dog instead may mean the life or death of a human. You can put a different beacon on your dog that you can track instead.

When you travel through avalanche terrain, keep your dogs in control, and in line with the pack. A dog running above may trigger an avalanche above a group of humans or may also be caught in an avalanche even if the humans have been able to avoid one. There was recently a dog rescued after 20 minutes buried in an avalanche in Colorado. Please take precautions!

Basic Commands for Skiing with a Dog

There’s a couple things I have taught my Vizslas to do when I ski with them. The first is to get out of my path when I’m going to ski right into them. GO GO GO is the command that I’m right behind and they need to move out of the way. The safest way is to practice this is during running or with cross country skis (something without sharp edges). I just speed up randomly and yell GO GO GO and run them by without hurting them. They learn really quickly to move out when they hear that!

Another important command is to “STAY BACK” and hang out behind your tracks. That can be taught on leash at first, while walking or running. I use STAY BACK often while hiking on leash and need dogs not to pull in technical terrain.

“PASS BY” is something I picked up when I was mushing in the Yukon. When two dog teams pass by each other, they need to ignore each other and keep running. “Pass by” means no greeting, no sniffing, you are passing by dogs and you are working. Again, this is best trained while running.

“STAY CLOSE” and of course full RECALL (“full” meaning the dog comes all the way back and stands by you to be leashed without you stepping forwards) is extremely important when off leash skiing. These should already be in your repertoire but make sure you have these tools before heading out! Lastly, you should be able to leash your dog while on skis at any point (wildlife, dog fight, injury, emergencies, etc) so keep a leash within easy reach.

Dog etiquette

It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) pick up after your dog, especially on groomed ski tracks where someone may ski over. The poop also messes up the grooming machines and if this happens too often, dog-friendly becomes no dogs allowed quite quickly!

Keep your dogs away from leashed dogs or dogs in muzzles, and keep your dogs in the car until you’re all set to go. Off leash dogs in parking lots are super dangerous for both parties. Normally the first 5 minutes dogs are out are when they tend to poop and dog-poop filled parking lots are not fun for anyone.

Whistler Olympic Center

If you’re moving quickly, keep your dogs to the side so they don’t run into anyone else skiing in the opposite direction. Keep your dogs from just standing in the middle of a run, especially on a blind turn, and let dogs play off to the side.

Skijoring, kick sleds

I’ve never tried! I’ve trained my dogs not to pull but I know lots of people that skijor and love this sport. There’s competitions with teams, as well as bikejoring and canicross (running with dogs pulling you). Make sure you have the correct gear (not just a regular harness and leash) and see if there are classes and competitions in your area (some listed below). For even more fun, try kick sleds on tracks! The faster you go, the bigger wipeouts you’ll have, so first start running and teaching commands before you really go for it.

Dog Friendly Cross Country Skiing Trails in Canada

It’s uncommon for dogs to be allowed off leash in cross country ski areas but there are some that do! Some are of these are on-leash, some allow skijoring, and some off leash. Please do your research before going! BC and Alberta have more off leash trails and Ontario and Quebec have more skijoring trails.
Dog Friendly Cross Country Skiing Trails in USA
Backcountry Skiing

There’s lots of places to go backcountry skiing with your dog. The terrain opens everything up, and basically you can go anywhere that’s not dog-prohibited. Just make sure that you have all the essentials for yourself as well as a dog.

It gets really expensive and dangerous for winter rescues so make sure you’re self sufficient. At minimum carry a satellite communication device, first aid, and have the training to be out. I really like the Whyld River down dog bags as an emergency bivy/dog bag. The XL sizes can fit both you and your dog inside should you get caught out and it packs in extra small.

as a reward for reading all this, here’s a pug in a backpack going backcountry skiing
February 21, 2023
Ultimate List of Dog-Friendly Hikes in Squamish/Sea to Sky

warnings:

Most of Squamish is officially dogs-on-leash however you’ll find most people skirt these rules outside of the downtown areas. Squamish, including downtown has loads of wildlife you must be aware and prepared for. DO NOT let your dogs off leash if you cannot recall them from wildlife. You will find Black Bears, Coyotes, Eagles everywhere throughout Squamish including residential areas. There are also Cougar sightings almost constantly in one trail or another, and less common are wolves, Grizzly bears, bobcat, and elk. Check trail reports before you go to avoid cougar and bear sightings.

Here’s a list of beaches and lakes to take your dog paddling along the Sea to Sky from Vancouver to Pemberton and beyond!

Wonderland Trail is super green in the winter

Parking is very limited in the summer in certain places, especially weekends. Avoid busy areas with dogs as a curtesy of other trail users. Trails may close due to Grizzlies and Black bear issues so check before leaving. Roads can close due to flooding/washouts. Roads and parking are also different in the winter as many FSRs are snowed in and never ploughed. Chains are usually necessary in the winters. Check avalanche forecasts and have knowledge before you head out. Many areas have no reception so download or print maps, and have a point of contact if your car breaks down.

Alexander Falls Frozen in the Winter

Easy- 1 hourish

Ray Peters–
Very flat, official dog-off leash area, can be close to the highway so be aware, bears, coyotes, lots of options to make your own, also good for biking

Alexander Falls
Winter hike, entrance fee to Callaghan, microspikes advised

Whistler Trainwreck
Several entry points, watch for trains and broken bottles, metal on the ground

Wonderland
Close to highway, so be aware! Great for running on-leash or biking

Cat Lake
Extremely busy in summer, AWD, not ploughed in winter

Starvation Lake/ Cheakamus Canyon
AWD advised to park in the canyon, must leash up to start by highway

Crumpit Woods is close to town but beautiful views

Moderate- under 3 hours, uneven ground

Crumpit Woods
Easy to get lost, bears and cougars sometimes present, lots of trail options

Murrin Lake/Jurassic Ridge
Must leash around lake, no dogs around lake, busy in the summer, easy to get lost

Murrin Lake views overlooking the Howe Sound

4 Lakes Loop
Very busy in the summer, No dogs at Alice lake (walk on road do not follow the map), lots of offshoot bike trails to add-on, limited parking

Smoke Bluffs
Easy to get lost on the trails, Lots of viewpoints

Brohm Lake
Very busy in the summer, lots of trail options, awesome views from viewpoint, places to dip in the lake, leash near highway, very limited parking

Crooked Falls
Road can flood, AWD, Leash around waterfall, No reception

Tunnel Bluffs

Moderate/Hard- under 4 hours, uneven ground, steep sections, trailfinding

Watersprite
Very busy in the summer, Bears almost constant in the summer, cougar area, no reception, winter route is different, cars will need chains in the winter

Debeck’s Hill
Short but steep and easy to be lost, several options, views aren’t great

Chief
Very busy in the summer, may need daypass, leash around steep areas, 3 peaks for options

Sea to Sky Gondola/Sea to Summit Trail
Buy dog ticket at the bottom to go down by gondola, steep sections, rope areas, microspikes on icy days needed

High Falls
Easy to get lost, Grizzly and black bears, AWD, no reception, leash near falls

Tunnel Bluffs
Very busy in summer, log crossings, Black Bears, paid parking, limited parking

Triconi is a real scramble

Experienced only

Brandywine
Black bears, busy in summer, closed during snowmobile season, awd to lower parking, 4wd to higher parking, No reception, no trail past meadows

Triconi Peak
Scrambling and boulder fields, 4wd with clearance, wasps, black and grizzly bears,

Lake Lovely Water
Fast water crossing (need boat), wasps, bears, busy in the summer, no reception, no water, no dogs allowed in hut

Seed peak
AWD, routefinding, steep sections with rope, no reception

Brandywine is beautiful, but it’s true wilderness

Last warnings!

Be aware of human feces that might be laced with drugs on trails. This is a common problem especially around where people camp, on bike trails, and busy trails. If you notice excessive panting, dilated eyes, excessive drooling, disorientation, turn back immediately and seek help. Another common issue are dogs chasing (or being chased) by bears. In both cases you should be in control of your dogs as there is very little help out of reception. Wasps can sting out of seemingly nowhere (when you pass through a ground nest) and dogs may bolt or be allergic so it’s good to have anti allergy drugs. Lastly, water loving dogs need to be leashed near fast moving water especially Lake Lovely Water, Crooked Falls, High Falls, and Sea to Sky Gondola hike. Dogs have died on these rivers that turn into waterfalls.

Crooked Falls, slippery and a deadly fall

Not Dog Friendly

These places dogs are absolutely not allowed!

Garibaldi Park (Garibaldi Lake, Wedgemount Lake, Elfin Lakes, Black Tusk), both sides of Whistler due to watershed/park rules (Blackcomb, Whistler peak, Rainbow Lake, Cheakamus Lake, Iceberg Lake, Mount Sproatt) as well as Joffre Lakes and Tenquille Lakes further north.

Check out more on a list of beaches and lakes to take your dog paddling! And here’s a post on how to each your dog to recall off leash as well as a recall challenge to try before heading out into bear country! Support my page by checking out my shop redbarkshop.com

February 8, 2023

Callaghan Skiing Off Leash

Cross country skiing off leash

Now for a fun post: I cannot believe we haven’t been to Callaghan Valley’s Olympic Nordic center (close to Whistler) before! We are super lucky because they have a cross country skiing area that allows off leash dogs (isn’t that the best idea?) and Whiskey ran her little pants off.

Nordic Callaghan site

Everyone, their dogs, and even disabled skiing here

I’ve never tried cross country before, but it didn’t take too long to get the hang of things and I only fell twice going down some steeper sections. Thankfully, we didn’t need to worry about a dog on leash this first time (there are on-leash trails as well) because I still don’t have a clear idea of how to stop!

Beautiful backgrounds and fresh snow on the ground

Whiskey loved running and for once we weren’t super slow

Ears flying like wings

It looked like there were loads of locals out with their pups and lots of kids having fun. Whiskey loved zooming around the groomed trails and she spent most of her time trying to get us to throw snowballs (she even fetches them too). Her speed is just insane going up and down the runs, I think next time we need to bring some Vizsla friends!

Chasing snowballs

Checking out some larger snowballs

The off leash section is large enough that it’s not too boring and it wasn’t very busy for such a beautiful day. We brought booties and a jacket for Whiskey but didn’t need to bother with them and she spent the rest of the day sleeping…success!!!

Bombing down the slopes

What a playday!

Too bad it’s not the cheapest activity (helps if you own your own skis) but I will be back for sure! I just wish our local hills would allow dogs too.

bye until our next adventure

March 15, 2016

Limping episode resolved!

At Whistler for her treatment

Awhile back, we had a scary episode where Whiskey was suddenly limping and wouldn’t use her left hind leg. We had taken to her to emergency and had no answers after a rather large bill (xrays were fine). It strangely only lasted a day and she seemed 95% back to normal by the next day.

her first limping episode

However, this happened again a couple months later in late November and while we didn’t go to ER again, we did keep a very close eye on her and like before, it resolved within 24 hours. At this point, I really wanted to get to the source of the issue. We’ve had two tentative diagnosis as a back stress injury (reason why the recovery was so fast, from our vet), and/or soft tissue trauma (ER vet). A friend had a recommendation to a well known vet/surgeon that specialized in lameness assessments as well as chiropractic therapies and orthopedic surgeries, so we called him up to make an appointment. Let me tell you, this is a very rare find indeed!

all is well now!

We made the date to head to Whistler (about 2 hours away) and took Whiskey for her first appointment with Dr. Lane. My goal was to pinpoint the underlying issue that was causing her periodic lameness and hopefully treat it without any drugs. I know many people might think that this issue “isn’t so bad” since she doesn’t consistently show symptoms; two days of limping isn’t the end of the world, especially with active dogs. However, I would much rather solve this now then wait 5 years and have this become a chronic issue. Also, we are covered by insurance (80%) with Pets Plus Us, which I highly recommend since we’ve tested their claims very very thoroughly.

Vizslas are pretty active

Since Dr. Lane is extremely busy and was only working once a week, it took about 1.5 months for us to secure an appointment. He started the appointment by listening and recording our issues and watching our video of her which we had filmed to record the limping event. We then took Whiskey out for a walk to demonstrate her walk, her trot, and then went up and down some stairs. Dr. Lane noticed that going down stairs, she had less “wiggle” in her lower back which seemed tight. He started treating her by feeling with his fingers all over her as well as extending her legs. Whiskey wasn’t too sure of this strange man so we needed to bribe her with treats. Acupuncture as well as massage, lasers and chiropractic therapies were all used and we even ended the session with some IMS. At the end of it all, poor Whiskey was ready to leave, hugging the door with sad eyes 🙁

acupuncture and laser treatment

Dr. Lane narrowed down the problem to a hip misalignment that was causing her to put stress into her back that would eventually lead to a limping episode after too much explosive activity (ie jumping and sprint starts). The activities we toned down were jumping and continuous fetch although we never did too much to begin with. He thinks that perhaps there was an incident that caused her hips to move out of line and over time her body just got used to it. We were working to correct her hips and let her body ‘remember’ the new alignment by having less activity for awhile. This was pretty easy since she happened to have also started her heat, so it was on-leash walks away from other dogs for a month anyways.

her second heat has her very mellow

After the initial consultation, we went back twice more and were given the all clear (and to come back 6 months-1 year just to check up). After every consultation, I could see a difference in the way Whiskey was running (less so on the last one). She seemed a bit looser. We’ve not had any limping since, and hope this is all over. At the worst, we’ve got a clear explanation and someone that can help us out if anything happens again. I think the hardest part was not knowing the problem and throwing money at an ER vet that didn’t have a clue.

All better!

February 8, 2016

Stawamus-Chief Hike

This weekend we finally had beautiful weather and enough time to head to Squamish for “The Chief” hike. One of our old favorites it has become so popular that over the last 5 years it’s come to rival the “Grouse Grind” for the must-do hike in Vancouver (even though I don’t consider the grind a hike). I now only do the Chief when conditions are such that I can avoid crowds. In November when the trail is full of ice and snow, the peaks chilly with arctic winds, we met relatively few hikers and had a blast.

on top of the Squamish world

Ice and sun

Whereas 7 years ago when I first did this hike there were few stairs and it really did feel like a natural hike, nowadays the trail is mostly comprised of man-made wooden or rock stairs, especially to the first peak. There are 3 peaks in total and I normally climb the third, then second and call it done. Most people do the peaks in numerical order so you avoid any lineups going the opposite way. Also the trail down from 3rd peak is the most rugged and hardest on bad knees (we’ve got a few bad knees in our pack) so I prefer going up that way.

We start at the Shannon Falls parking

Just starting out

Seriously Mom? You want me to climb that?

I’m doing it! Whooop!

Whiskey was super stoked to get going, especially since she was shivering right out of the car. Of course as soon as we started the upward trail we were all shedding our layers and pretty soon down to one shirt.

Puppy on a mountain

On Third Peak

It’s an amazing view from here

Looking north to Whistler

In the summer I would lie down and nap here

Watch out for chipmunks and crows that like to lure the dogs to the edge

Looking south from 2nd peak

The peak on 3rd was happily wind-free, and as we crossed the quick section to 2nd peak the sun was threatening to set. Coming down from 2nd peak is a challenge with a dog (many people don’t attempt 2nd with a large dog) because there is a ladder and chain section. Whiskey was a little nervous but was carried down with no drama (except the Vizsla drama). Check out those sad sad eyes! She was gripping so hard, I sometimes wonder that she isn’t human.

Heading down from 2nd peak

It’s a good thing she’s so used to being carried

Oh that sad face

the drama! It was too icy to put her down

awwwww

Here I’m happy I don’t have a larger dog

We handed her down

For those that want to avoid crowds in the summer, a nice side trail off from Chief is the Upper Shannon Falls hike. I’m sure we’ll do that one with Whiskey soon! I’m just super stoked that she’s big enough now to do “proper” hikes.

Our hiking family

December 1, 2014

Whistler Weekend

We were off to Whistler last weekend and though forecast was bleak, we had really good luck with the timing of rain. Because we both work full time, sometimes our lives seem nothing more than walk the dog, eat, work, walk the dog, eat, laundry, sleep. On the weekends however, we try our best to roll out of bed at a decent time and go on an adventure. Sometimes we go alone in the rain (since it’s hard to find rainy hikers), but this time we were lucky enough to have a great group with us. Whistler is about 2 hours away and we had chill time eating, hot-tubbing and chatting along some nice walks.

On a side note, since we were staying in a new place, Whiskey has started to bark when she hears something different or sees people jogging past the house. It’s surprising us and we’re wondering if she picked it up from the Aussie Shepherd last week.

Just outside our accommodations

A Canadian scene

Whiskey loves to walk along logs and stand there for a photo

A little sun among the rain

We even found a local ghost town called Parkhurst that was initially a logging town abandoned in the 1930s and then again in the 1960s. There were remnants of a bed, stove, house, and even a logging tractor

Scrambling around rocks for fun

discovering an abandoned house

the logging tractor

A dog can go where no human can

a nice weekend out

Whiskey will see you next week!

October 21, 2014

Camping with a puppy

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.