9 May 2009

We woke up early in the motel this morning.  Mom and dad pulled on some clothes and took Daisy and I outside.  We found some nice grass to pee on.  It was a little colder than home, but not so bad like the Midland Dog show.  I looked across the street at the dog park, but it was too dark to see any dogs there. After a bit, mom and dad took Daisy and I back to our room.  We got in out beds, and then mom and dad got cleaned up and dressed, then cleaned up the room.  When they were finished, they loaded Daisy and I in the dog-show van, then they left us.  They went to breakfast, but what about US?  We are hungry too.  Sigh - puppies need to eat.  I am a sad sad puppy.

In a short while mom and dad came back.  They got in the dog-show van and started driving.  It wasn't too far to the dog show grounds.  We got there pretty fast.  Mom jumped out so dad could get the dog-show van parked.  Dad is so good at that, he always finds good places to park then slips the van right in.  Motor off, doors open, grab the gear, and shut the doors..  Oh - grab the puppies too?  Yes.. But this time dad didn't grab my training bag.  So I guess no more testing for me right now.  Daisy has a show-bag, and mom grabbed that. I guess it is Daisy's turn today.

When we got inside mom found her friend Mary-Lynn.  They talked while mom was working on Daisy.  Dad and I stood around.  I wanted to go play.  Mom needed something from the dog-show van, so dad and I took off to get it.  I didn't get to see Daisy in the show because dad put me in the dog show van and LEFT ME THERE.  Well - I was upset with dad.  But it was a nice morning, so I took a nap.  I don't know what Daisy did in the show - but it didn't take long.  Soon dad came to get me, and we walked around just a few minutes.  Then mom and Daisy were ready to leave, and we went back to the dog-show van, then back to the motel.  We got into our beds, and mom made us breakfast.  Yummy.  I hope we can go to the dog park after breakfast.

I was so busy eating I didn't watch what dad was doing.  But when I looked mom and dad were dressed in hiking clothes and dad was getting his hiking gear ready. Oh-boy. hiking. my favorite.  I'm a lucky dog - a lucky lucky dog... I am going hiking with my dad.  We loaded everything up in the dog-show van and we were on our way.  Mom drove about an hour.  Dad was running the GPS thing and telling mom where to turn.  The road went up up up with lots of turns.  When we stopped we were way high up, and it was cool and breezy.  Mom wanted to wear a jacket and pack another.  Dad helped mom get her gear on, then he got his own on.  A ranger came along, and dad gave the ranger some of that green paper like he did before.  Then it was puppies out, lock the doors, and away we go.

Dad carries GPS with him when he hikes too, so he got that one running.  Dad went to check in with the rangers.  Dad looked through the window.  There was no ranger there, and the sign said the trail was CLOSED!  I could sense dad was very disappointed.  Well - there was a short trail that dad could hike.  But I could tell he was looking forward to the longer trail.  Oh-well dad, we will have fun anyway.  So we hiked the short trail, it was only about 0.8 miles.  We took our time and sniffed at everything interesting.  When we got to the fork where the short trail looped back, dad was looking for a sign about the trail being closed.  There was no sign.  Mom wanted to go on, but dad said we would get in trouble.  So we followed the loop back.  Dad saw another ranger and asked about the trails.  The ranger said the trail was open, to look at the map closely.  So we went back and looked.  Sure enough, looking closely at the map, it was the La Luz trail running parallel to the trail dad wanted to hike that was closed.  So dad quickly downloaded his GPS track-log to the computer, then we were on the trail again.

Sandia Crest Trail 130 is about 2 miles one way, running from the Sandia parking lot to the Sandia Tram Platform.  It is over 10,000 feet above sea level.  I didn't know it, but that makes it hard to breathe.  So Daisy and I were running like the devil and getting all out of breathe.  Dad kept saying something about PACE-ING ourselves.  What the heck, we are puppies.  We don't need no stinking pace-ing.  Coming along the trail we met a loose pit-bull.  I stepped forward, but dad pulled me back.  As it approached dad poked it hard in the chest with a big stick, then raised the stick to smack it in the head.  That pit-bull ran off.  I sometimes get the feeling that dad could be a really mean fighter if he had to be.  But not this time.  You showed him dad!

Then we got into the tree line.  There was this white stuff on the ground around the trees.  Mom said it was SNOW.  Whatever.  I sniffed it, and it was cold.  So I took a bite.  It turned to cold water.  Ha ha ha - I don't need to ask dad for a drink now, just take a bite of that snow stuff.  Daisy and I were having great fun tearing around on the snow.  But after a while mom and dad made us walk nice.  We walked a while till we came to a rock house.  Mom was taking photos, but dad walked to the edge and stood there.  I could sense dad was getting sad really quick.  I went to dad, and he gave me a hug and said this was as far as Uncle Parker made it on the last great adventure he went on before he got sick. I think dad needed the time for that memory, so I just stood there next to him if he needed me.  Mom took more photos.  Then dad said it was time to hit the trail again. 

We walked and walked through the forest.  There was plenty of snow to romp on and chomp on, and the whole forest smelled so wonderful.  Mom and dad were shooting photos and talking.  We saw a few people along the trail, but only a few.  They were always friendly.  After about an hour, we arrived at the tram platform.  There were lots of people there and we got to socialize a lot.  And we did a lot of exploring too.  After a bit, mom and dad found a nice place in the shade where we could take a rest.  Dad shared an apple with me, and mom shared one with Daisy.  Dad got out a water dish for us, and Daisy and I had a good drink of cool water.

Dad had another trail he wanted to check out, and he asked me if I wanted to hike or wait with mom.  Wait - me?  So dad and I took off to do that trail while mom and daisy waited in the shade.  It was another 0.8 mile loop like the other.
We did it quickly, and then returned to mom and Daisy.  I slurped down some more water.  I was starting to get tired.  Just as soon as I was finished with the water, dad clipped the bowl to his pack and we were on the trail again back to the start.  Somehow the trail seemed much tougher on the way back.  Toward the end I was gulping down lots of snow and dragging slower and slower.  Dad said I should remember to pace myself next time.  We will see.

We got back to the dog-show van after a while.  Dad unlocked the dog-show van, I was never so happy to jump into my doggie-bed.  Dad helped mom take off her gear and put it up.  Mom got in the front of the dog-show van while dad downloaded his trail track-log into the computer.  Then dad put his gear on again.  Dad asked me if I wanted to go along.   Ahhhhhh - NO!  I think I will stay and watch over mom and Daisy dad, that pit -bull might still be around.  You go ahead dad.
Dad was alone with no people or dogs to slow him down, so he took off at a fast walk.  PACE YOURSELF DAD!  Dad was back in a few minutes.  He took his gear off and downloaded the last track-log into the computer.  Dad told mom we hiked 5 trails for him to post on localhikes.com. 

Dad was pretty happy as he got into the van, mom started the dog-show van, and we were on the move.  I do not remember any of the ride back; I was napping in the back of the van.

When we got to the motel mom made us our dinner.  We ate it, then I went to sleep some more.  I didn't care that we didn't go to the dog park, and I didn't smell mom making the human dinner either.  I was just too tired.  It was another good doggie day.  I wish we could have great adventures like this all the time. Heh heh heh - little did I know what was planned for tomorrow.