This Christmas holidays my mom visited and we took a little trip into Washington state to get away from the rain and into some snow. What we hadn’t anticipated was the amount of snow! Our first stop was Mt. Baker and with a fresh snowstorm, most of the trails we had wanted to try had vanished into hip-deep fresh powder hidden by 7 feet of snow banks. We did try our hardest to visit Picture Lake but this is about what we saw (assuming we were looking at the lake and not on top of it!)
This is Picture Lake (we are probably on top of it)
Even with snowshoes we were sinking
Mom wasn’t too amused by our attempt to hike
Whiskey was quite happy for her jacket!
We eventually found a really nice and easy mom-friendly snowshoe trail to try at the Salmon Ridge Sno-Park. The trail was called Elk Snowshoe trail and crossed a couple cross country trails.
Elk Snowshoe trail had much less snowfall
the trail wasn’t very well maintained but it was easy to follow
the little balls of snow are covered pebbles
on leash while the drone flies!
There was only one other car in the parking lot and we met no one on the snowshoe trail.
The river is so beautiful
A very nice easy trail
The road to Glacier town
The trail itself was very flat and easy with a couple obstacles and was easily done in crampons or snowshoes. The part along the river was fantastic and we even got a little drone footage.
I’ve been wanting to do this hike for years now and have been finding multiple excuses not to (the distance drive from Vancouver, the crowds, the rain). Finally, I got lucky with a break in the rainy weather and a free day with nothing planned. We woke up rather early as our sun sets now at 4:30 and drove the 3 hours up to the start of the hike (including a coffee stop). There were already cars up and down the stretch of highway that led to the parking lot, but the parking lot wasn’t full of cars because instead it was full of snow! We parked right next to the trail and Whiskey jumped out super excited about the white stuff, amusing all the day hikers while we got geared up.
the parking lot and start
kisses on the way to the camp ground
The first lake is a tiny walk from the parking lot, but even then I would suggest well soled boots if there is snow. Assuming you are planing on the hike past the first lake, I would highly recommend crampons because although the trail is very packed, it’s extremely slippery and you will spend most of the time back on your butt if you don’t have spikes. Although my sweet Vizsla was initially excited about snow and was fine while moving on the trails, she did get chilly if we stood still too long (like while waiting for a drone flight).
first lake
just really beautiful everywhere
the trail is very easy to follow
catching snowballs (sort of)
I really couldn’t believe how fast winter had hit here and everywhere I looked I was smiling at a winter wonderland. We took the drone for a couple spins but otherwise hiked up to the 3rd lake in a much faster pace than websites have you think. Because of the weather and season, the hike was less populated than normal but on weekends I hear it is a line-up and you must get here very early to find a camp spot. In the winter or shoulder season though, you may still find some moments to yourself and we were so happy we came despite the long drive time.
This post is a long time coming as I’ve been working on a sweater for Whiskey for a couple months now in between other projects. I’ve started knitting a year ago and mostly use Youtube to learn as well as Raverly for patterns. When I first started, I noticed someone had posted a pattern for a dog sweater with a Vizsla modelling it so of course I needed to make it! We live in Canada, it can pretty chilly in the winter, and Whiskey is a bit skinny (no matter how much she eats) so it’s great to have a nice warm merino to throw on.
Good for male or female
This was my first experiment into joining parts together and picking up stitches for a sleeve. The only other things I’ve made before are lots of hats, scarves, snoods, and blankets. This was so much fun and much quicker than a human sweater.
She’s so warm in it!
The pattern isn’t highly detailed but for $2.00 it was very helpful for a starting place. I choose two skeins of superwash merino wool from TOSH VINTAGE (Laurel and Jade) but needed to buy a third skein for the arm sleeves (not needed but I just wanted a nicer finish). For a more interesting knit, I started some cabling down the spine of the sweater as well as a gradient from dark to light green. Also, I knitted the neck in the round rather than flat since I thought it would make the joining easier and cleaner. I finished the bottom with ribbing and added more ribbing on the “sleeves”. I had to adjust the arm holes a couple times to find the right fit for Whiskey.
Starting out I worked the neck in the round
splitting off into flat after the neck
So much fun changing into the second color
showing the split
In all, it was an easy knit, and now that I know her size, I can make the next one much quicker. Whiskey tolerates “clothing” quite well for a dog but I would make sure your pup is ok with sweaters before starting out. I would also suggest to knit in the round so you can constantly try the project on the dog as you go so there are no surprises. I think for the next one, I’ll extend the length of the inner belly section, make that section a bit more narrow, and maybe make the whole thing a bit longer.
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.
Photographing dogs is like photographing babies that can run faster than a bike… It’s just not easy. We recently hiked up Eagle Bluffs again in snowy, freezing rainy, and cloudy conditions. It was cold and dark and wet but I’m really happy I still got some decent shots in. I am no expert and have tons to learn, but if you do like my photographs, here are some tips from what I’ve learned along the way:
TRAINING the dog
Train a good Sit/Stay and Stand/Stay. Your job will be 20x easier if your dog can stay for 20seconds rather than 1 second
Whiskey automatically poses for us now. Her “stays” are great for photographs
You can train them to pose (reward only when you are happy), also train them to respond from afar (freeze from a distance, and walk a bit forward, stay again, go up on that log, look at me, etc). I use treats all the time and though I’m all for treat-less training, I find them really useful especially when you have more than one dog. You can also use them as a way to focus their attention from distractions and where to look (have an assistant hold the treats)
directing dogs for a photo is not always easy!
When taking photos of 2 or more dogs, it’s exponentially more difficult so have patience and keep your camera ready.
Getting both dogs to look at you and stay at the same time can be difficult, especially from a distance
TRAINING the human
Take lots of photos. This is the best advice I have! Also, LOOK at your photos, what should you do better next time? What should you repeat?
Try different angles, get down at their level, or put them up higher and take a shot from below
getting down to their level
Always take multiples (dogs blink and pull weird faces)
Look at amazing photos and get some inspiration. I’m also on Packdog and follow some great semi-pros for ideas:
Anticipate where they are going to go and set your shot up ahead of time, repeat the same photo several times if you can (get your dog to go back and forth the same path).
We saw a nice place for a photograph and set it up
Learn to multi-task: you will need to be able to walk while looking at a lens, holding treats, checking the light, and also ensuring your dog is behaving.
multitask taking photos while walking and directing dogs
CAMERAS
Understand your own camera- you don’t need an expensive one, though it helps but only if you have knowledge of how to use it. I would suggest to only bring one lens along because switching lenses while hiking is a hassle unless you have loads of time, and don’t mind the extra weight. We hike a lot under the forest canopy so it tends to be really dark. Mix that with the rainy days in Vancouver, plus a fast dog and most of our photos are blurry, even though we have a pretty good lens. A “sporty” camera is great – one that stands up to the elements, and especially if you are going out in the rain, the beach, and generally harsh conditions. Insurance is also great! I’m really hard with my cameras and they always need fixing. MY GEAR: Canon S110 (shoots RAW, great video, tiny and compact) Canon D90 (DSLR, old model but still works fine and I don’t feel bad when it gets sandy and muddy) Fuji X-T1 (mirrorless, newer, less heavy than D90, good in the dark, slower than D90)
I have a 35mm fixed and a general zoom lens for both cameras.
Use the light that you have. I never use flash because it ruins their eyes and I can’t imagine a dog that is ok with blinding light. If it’s very dark, I’ll make do with silhouettes. For running shots, set your camera to a fixed shutter speed (1/250 and quicker) and don’t attempt unless it’s bright enough. For shots in the rain, or dark locations, don’t shoot slower than 1/60 (for a still dog).
It’s a dark day but against snow, we get more light for faster shots
If you don’t have a seriously quick lens, try to manually focus ahead of time and take the shot when the dog runs past that focus area.
I had to take this shot several times to get the eyes sharp enough
Take practice shots and set up your camera BEFORE trying to photograph the dog. Their attention span is not long enough for you to get them to stay and twiddle with your camera.
POST PROCESSING
Taking the picture is half the work. There’s so much more you can do on the computer (or if you’re old-school, in the darkroom). I use Adobe Lightroom for my post processing so I can process batches of photographs with a few clicks. Normally I only spend about 2 minutes per photograph because I never have enough time in the day. I always shoot in RAW and use what room I have to fix up problems and mistakes.
the shot I took straight from the camera
targeting the greens to be more saturated, and focused sharpening
I don’t take my photography very seriously and it’s just a side hobby for me. Overall I don’t spend much time or effort to take or edit my photos, but I do find them getting better over the years just because I take so many. Good luck with yours!
Last week we hit St Marks Summit again, but unfortunately this we were hit with crowds everywhere (our previous hikes up here had very little people)! So this weekend our goal was an uncrowded hike with breathtaking views. We decided to try a new hike that starts at Buntzen Lake -Eagle Ridge or Swan Falls Loop/Lindsay Lake Loop.
Having a hiking dog really keeps you outdoors
She always stays really close when we are on trails
Buntzen Lake from the North Beach
We went up (2) and down (1)
We got to the parking lot super early (8am for us) as we knew we would be fighting sunset times if we took breaks. Surprisingly, a large amount of people also start hiking at 8am on a Saturday morning in March so it was busy for the first section around Lake Buntzen. We knew most people would be doing the Diez Vista hike (a nice one, but we were going higher!) or trail around Buntzen Lake. By the way, I’ve never seen so many warnings around dogs (where to go, where not to go), as well as warnings about hiking in general. I can understand when Buntzen lake is very busy that dogs should be kept to the dog-beach (there were summer days when the lake was “full” and you get turned around) but everyone we saw had their dogs off-leash in this non-busy season
The trail around the lake is very flat and easy
A crazy amount of warnings awaits us.
The first section from south to north beach
early morning at the lake
Pose? ok I’ll pose
artifacts people have found and placed for other to see
evidence of logging in the past
At the turn off to the Halvor Lunden- Eagle Ridge Trail, we were finally alone and looking up a very very high mountain (are we really doing this?). The climb is neither difficult nor technical, just long and the markers are pretty easy to follow though there are some sections where you must climb over a fallen log. It should take 2-4 hours for the 3km, 1150m altitude climb and this is by far the longest section. Please be careful if there is bad weather as it seems there lots of people that need to be rescued here.
the turn off for the higher trails with lots of warnings
investigating
Up up up we go
The trails were easier than we thought
A couple optional rope sections
waiting for our group to catch up
it feels like we’ve been doing this awhile now!
snack time
starting to see some peeps
Fantastic trails here
We met no one on the way up
a cat-nap while we wait for the group
oh we are so close!
we pass a couple frozen ponds
very little snow this year, sometimes it looks like this in July
I can almost taste my upcoming sandwich…
the last hump, you see the peak there?
The peak is beautiful and a great place to eat, rest up, and soak in the sun. After an easy cruise along the ridges’ high forests, you have a choice between a walk around some lakes, or a panoramic view-point walk. We were advised by a friendly forestry hiker we met that the viewpoint walk was a little longer, but nicer compared to the muddier lake walk so we took in the views.
Mt Baker on this clear day
on top of Mt Beautiful
heading through the ridge
my dog glows!
sometimes we would get lost if we just followed Whiskey
what an amazing day
more panoramic views
You can see downtown,Richmond, the Island, etc
Whiskey always runs ahead to the cliff and looks down
I sort of think she appreciates the view too!
By the time we started the decent, the sun was sinking lower and we picked up our feet so we could get back to the car before they shut the gates at 6pm (gate times are posted as you enter). The decent down the south park is less steep and easier on the knees. The hike took us a total of 10 hours at a pretty leisurely pace.
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’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.
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!
