With the speed of our road trip, we didn’t have much time for backcountry adventures but we did want to do at least one overnight trip in a beautiful location (especially since we had brought our backpacks and gear). Tombstone Territorial Park is one of the most accessible northern parks, and not only are the mountains and tundra jaw-droppingly beautiful, it’s also home to moose, caribou, bear, Dall sheep, marmots, ground squirrels, and loads of falcons and birds. Since it is located at the base of the Dempster road, we would be passing through the park twice and were a bit more flexible on camping dates. This was necessary because the Tombstone’s Grizzly lake site was almost booked out for a week (max 10 sites), and we were able to secure a spot a week later after on the return from the Dempster.
a really cute marmot
Amazing scenery on the way to the site
The mountains surrounding the campground behind us
some rocky bits to travel through
Carrying her share!
Just really beautiful!
When you overnight at Grizzly lake, you must pick up a pass from the Interpretive Center and also a bear container. Why they don’t just keep the containers in the camp site’s bear lock-ups (as they do in BC) is a bit beyond me as they are large and hard to pack and heavy. We had a little intro to the hike with a very friendly ranger, loaded with lots of warnings and were given estimated hiking times that were really quite extreme (8-12 hours one way). Just as a reference, we asked lots of hikers along the way and campers at the campsite, and got an average one-way time of about 5-7 hours (but we didn’t meet too many older hikers). Without a backpack I would estimate one could do a return trip in about 9-12 hours with lots of breaks and rests. We finished in about 7 hours one way with about 1.5 hours of total rest and photography time.
Starting in the subalpine
the first section is a climb and you get views quickly
up up and up!
saying hi to some rangers at the top of the first incline
having no issues with the “tough” terrain
lots of resting and photos
The highest point of the trail
The terrain is varied and beautiful with lots of changes but is not technical and the path is very easy to find and follow. A hiker from Vancouver wouldn’t have a problem at all, but I can see that anyone not used to mountainous inclines might find the hike difficult with a full pack. We kept Whiskey on a leash most of the time as we passed by lots of marmot territory but did have to let her off where being attached to a leashed dog is actually quite dangerous (jumping over large boulders and areas with exposed sides). In these cases, for us it’s safer to let her find her own path since one wrong pull from a larger dog could bring you tumbling (and also we are used to off leash hiking so Whiskey is also safer as well).
You can see the campground coming up! more than half done
Whiskey pulling her daddy along
You can see the lake clearly now
A tiny bit of snow left in July, with the most amazing views
At this point everyone is tired of me taking pictures
rocky sections separate a couple marmot meadows
The campsite was really muddy and had roped off trails to and from the eating shelters which was really the worst part about this entire trip, but at least the camp spots were raised off the ground (great for squirrels not to eat through your tent). Ground squirrels are famous for eating through everything since they are so salt-deprived and will even eat your shoelaces if left outside of the tent. It was not advised to use the lake water, rather the running water from the streams on the way to the campsite but we saw people using the lake water with filters. For Whiskey’s food we packed her dehydrated dog food which she of course, carried herself.
Walking through some meadows
ground squirrels are really chirpy!
marmots shrill as we walk by (keep dogs on leash!)
They blend in so well here!
Living in paradise
a pointer doing her thing
lots of breaks to look at the scenery
mom! enough pictures!
watching us set up camp
at the food shelter
waking dad up
the hardest part is getting up when it’s cold and rainy
Overall we were extremely lucky with the weather as we only had a sprinkling of rain on the trail, but once we set up the tent for the night and started cooking under the shelters, the rain started coming down in earnest. It rained the entire night, but in the morning it stopped just long enough for us to hike back (and started again when we got back to the car).
a mini waterfall for collecting water
massage stops along the way, of course
Heading back was much faster
I still couldn’t get enough of the scenery
looking back down at the rest of tombstone
We are tiny in a beautiful Earth
Just missing the proper rain, but we had a few sprinkles
the entire trail has views except for the first km
The trail was easy to follow with no chance of getting lost
Racing to the car before those pregnant clouds let loose!
There were many options for a 3rd and 4th night, unfortunately, we didn’t have time and headed back . Quick doggy cheat: Thierry attached Whiskey’s leash to his pack, and then to his belt so she would power him up the inclines. It’s a bit trickier heading down though! On the return trip we were an hour faster (and took fewer photos) and just arrived in time to drive back to the Interpretive Center to return the bear can before they closed. I’d love to come back again!
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.
If the Grouse Grind is not your cup of tea… because it’s too busy, too short, too easy, and the views aren’t very good, then this one is a splendid alternative. Just a warning though, this is not a good hike for beginners or those not inclined to climb 1250m over 3kms for fun (or as the graffiti on the sign says “hard as fucking hell and not for beginners”. Mt Unnecessary is one of those beautiful peaks on the Howe Sound trail between the Lions and St Marks. I’ve previously conquered it on the way to the Lions from St Marks years ago, but never from it’s own dedicated trail starting at Lions Bay.
The divide to Erin Moore Trail (dedicated to a 7 year old who died on the trail in 2014)
Happy in her element
mini breaks on the relentless climb
Steep! Steep!
kisses on a fallen log
This way!
We weren’t able to finish the beast (about 250m higher to go) because of snow but we still got some beautiful views, a wonderful lunch spot, and the perfect workout all the while having the entire trail to ourselves.
Views halfway up
Looking down you can’t even see the trail
beautiful and quiet here
Little ginger watchdog
Whiskey had no problems with the rocks
watch your steps up and down
Waiting for us slow humans
This hike is very to-the-point and unrelenting but also has enough variation and interesting scrambly sections to keep you interested going up. Because it’s so steep, you climb altitude really fast and start seeing promising views within an hour. I’d like to think I’ve done quite a few steep hikes and this one is pretty up there on the list, for a dog-friendly one.
More little breaks
Lots of fun!
A beautiful long-weekend hike
not a bad spot to eat
The view NorthWest of Lions Bay
Coming down was harder and longer than expected and I was really tired of falling on my butt. The steepness, loose ground, and my knee injuries were a bad mix but we still made it down in one piece (Whiskey was wondering what the big deal was and why we were so slow). In all we finished in less than 6 hours and were happily sore the next day!
Getting to need snowshoes/crampons
Whiskey loves running up and down with sticks
I slid on my bum down, while Whiskey ran her but off
We just came back from a trip to the Sunshine Coast and luckily it was a trip we could take both our cat Moo and of course, Whiskey. Moo is a rescue cat that came to us months before we got Whiskey from her breeder. Unbeknownst to us, Moo had bad experiences with dogs before and was likely bullied by larger dogs before being rescued. It took us a couple months before we were able to pet her with Whiskey’s scent still on our hands and lots of patience on all our parts. Of course Whiskey has always been super friendly to everyone, and overtime Moo is getting more comfortable sleeping next to Whiskey, although she’ll fright easily with any motion or noise.
the ferry ride over, Moo roams around
checking out our new home
she loves the new windows
alright, let me out now!
Moo is a very unique cat in that she’s obsessed with food and is therefore easily trained. She sits, lies down, rolls over, gives paw, and comes on command. Moo is also trained to use the human toilet (that took a good year to do) and she’s also fearless in new places. This makes her a very easy cat to travel with, since we don’t need to worry about litter or the normal cat relocation adjustment period. The only downside is Moo’s smart enough to take off her collar in record time (it’s a safe break-away collar) and she slips out of harnesses and abhors a leash. Luckily she has her guardian dog Whiskey to follow her around outside and both have amazing recall (for a 2 year old dog and a cat).
exploring the gardens 2 m away from the house
not scared at all!
everyone keeps an eye on Moo
Moo hasn’t been in grass for a long while
Normally, we live in an apartment in downtown so Moo is never let outside. We only let her outside when we are in the country-side, and only then supervised. After letting them both explore their new Sunshine Coast home, we let Moo out. She always retreats back home within 15 mins and if we all go back inside and call her name, she’ll come back in for treats, and also because she doesn’t like to be left alone outside.
The kids get called inside
venturing out slightly further
Whiskey keeps tabs on her sister
Moo doesn’t seem to mind the company
Exploring together
Super cute!
This was the first trip we’ve seen Whiskey’s protective side of Moo. I’ve heard of dogs being protective of their cat siblings and vice versa but it’s so endearing to see with my own two. Even though she’s the younger sister, Whiskey will stay close to Moo and even follow her under the patio (about a 1 foot crawl space). I feel pretty safe letting these two sisters explore together and of course, Whiskey has already learned the command “where’s Moo?”. We use the same command “where’s daddy?” and “where’s mommy?” when we play hide and seek with her so she’ll immediately go look for Moo. I just feel so lucky with these two.
We’ve just gotten back from a trip to Kelowna for Whiskey’s spay. When we first got a dog, I didn’t realize there were several different options for spays (and for neuters), each with pros and cons. As I’m typing this, Whiskey is next to me sleeping and recovering.
fetching and swimming in Kelowna
Just looking at a health perspective (let’s assume you aren’t leaving your dog in heat running around with intact males), there is up to a 25% chance of uterine infection with older intact females (pyometra) so if you aren’t breeding, getting a spay in North America is probably going to be considered. Here are the types of spay I was looking at:
Ovariohysterectomy -traditional spay removing both the uterus and the ovaries -removes chance of pyometra -available anywhere –increase chance of joint disease and cancers since hormones are absent
Ovariectomy -removing only the ovaries -removes chance of pyometra -typically a key hole surgery requiring a smaller incision -quicker surgery and potentially safer -less painful with a smaller cut -quicker recovery time -less vets can do this –increase chance of joint disease and cancers since hormones are absent
Ovary sparing spay -removing only the uterus and cervix, leaving at least one ovary -removes chance of pyometra -still small chance of ovarian cancer -increased chance of mammary tumors over other spays -keeps heats but no bleeding -keeps all the hormones -difficult to find an experienced vet that does this
one last sunset picture
For larger breeds, because it’s healthier to keep the hormones, spays are usually delayed until the dog is “fully grown” although with an OSS, you could even do it earlier. I only really researched about spaying later because of this, and honestly I wanted to delay any kind of optional surgery as late as possible. Once I did look into it, I found the only vets near where we lived that offer this special spay were at least a 4-5 hour drive away. Poor Whiskey had no idea where we were going when we headed out on a roadtrip to Kelowna. She was so happy, hiking, exploring, and modelling the whole day before her spay.
she’s old enough to understand the vet is no fun place!
Whiskey’s suspicious face
a small pre-surgery checkup
waiting for her surgery time
Freaking out a bit once we got her on the surgery table
Because Whiskey had such little fat, she was more difficult to put under and struggled more than usual. Outside of that her spay went normal and we were there when she went to sleep and woke up. It was so heart-breaking to watch her struggling against the anesthesia as well as flailing around when she woke up (apparently certain breeds flail more than others). We didn’t leave her side until we drove home that evening.
right after she finished with heating pads
we made sure she could smell us before opening her eyes
forcing her to lay down and not run out!
stubbornly not laying down to recover at the office
That evening Whiskey was feeling so poorly it was very difficult to get her to pee and poop and she was walking like a very very elderly dog with her head hanging low. It was so sad to see! The next day however she was still walking slow but she had perked up and was already giving kisses. By lunch time she would let me spoon feed her (yes, she’s a princess when she feels sad) and by the evening she was 80% back to normal. Currently I walk her on leash only with a long line and work on new tricks, training, and lots of patience!
Since the weather’s turned a little drier, we took the opportunity to plan a couple higher-altitude hikes where we might have enough luck to catch a view these cloudy days. We tried to head towards St Marks but was turned away by avalanche warnings so then turned to our trusty Eagle Bluffs hike that I’ve blogged about several times already.
Dad! There are snowboarders to chase there!
lots of warnings
fetching over a mountain of snow
throw it! throw it!
my ginger girl
the steep start is a good workout
The ski slopes were surprising still open so we still had a get a “backcountry pass” for access and then we quickly headed up the snow-covered trails alongside the skiers. Crampons were very useful and Whiskey had more than her normal amount of energy chasing snowballs up and down the mountain. You would think 3 hours of running in snow would tire her…nope!
views come quickly as you climb
so excited to be out
following the boys
perfect temperature for a hike
footprints of a mysterious animal…
in some places the snow was still deep
best place for a dog!
the one soft spot in the forest
The clouds parted just as we got to the bluff where we had a nice lunch and rest before heading back. I love these shoulder seasons as the paths are not yet busy on the more popular local trails. When the crowds start coming up, we move to lesser-known trails but those are usually harder to get to.
really nice walk around the lake loop
melting snow is so beautiful and Whiskey explores
we finally get to the top!
Whiskey as usual, had no idea why her humans were so slow and awkward coming down the slippery trails, and would try to give us kisses as we sometimes slid down on our bottoms. The best part of snow covered steep trails is the quick slides coming down. We are just waiting for a little bit more melting before heading up towards higher altitudes soon!
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 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.
I’m so late in posting this but I’ve been working like crazy. Here are some photos and video of our latest Vizsla meetup in Vancouver. We met at Cypress Falls this time, and we were about 29 Vizslas!
