Whiskey models her new fashion

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.

Two pieces

cabling detail

One of the views from Eagle Ridge

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.

until next time!

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.

At the peak with my Vizsla girl!