Adventure Pack Cooper had his last outing as a regular member of the pack today, as he is moving to Broomfield this week. The pack will miss him! The ice and snow were melting from the treetops as we hiked the Chautauqua this morning. Whenever we passed through forested areas, there was so much melt dripping down that it seemed like it was raining. Griff took note of a herd of deer as we made our way up the mountain. He stared at them with intense focus and kept making low grumbles. The rest of the pack didn't mind the deer. Sputnik started staring off intensely at one point while Griff was still focused on the deer, but Sputnik was looking in a different direction. I'm not sure what

Adventure Pack The cold and moisture turned the tall grass into a field of icy stalagmites. Rucksack thought it looked like fun, so he flopped down and wiggled all around in it. He and Sputnik had some fun racing through the grass, too. Cooper and Mamacita got all worked up watching their packmates run. Cooper barked a bit and leapt out at them whenever they passed by us. Mamacita leapt around in place. Everyone was feeling pretty lively in the cold today. Variety Pack Colby had her nose glued to the ground as soon as we started walking the Bear Creek Path this afternoon. Coco also showed a lot of interest in sniffing around. Thompson and Stella just sniffed when they were looking fo

Adventure Pack The trails remained dry and firm despite the snowfall of the past 24 hours. There wasn't enough snow on the ground for the dogs to really take notice. Rucksack didn't leap to trees with falling globs of melting snow, and nobody chomped on any. We just hiked along our route with occasional sniff & pee breaks. Happily, Mamacita didn't react to any of the hikers in their winter coats - a condition that has often earned her mistrust in the past. Cooper whined a bit whenever we passed by other dogs, and Sputnik thankfully refrained from adding his own two cents; rather, he opted just to walk on the far side of the trail from passing dogs and let them merrily on their way. Vari

Adventure Pack The trails were pretty empty today so Sputnik got to spend some time off leash. He and Griff had a fun time racing around with each other. I tried getting some photos but they all ended up coming out blurry. Coco, Cooper, and Sputnik all found an interesting spot beside the trail to sniff. Griff came over for a moment and then went off to find his own points of interest. Shortly after that, Sputnik found a stick and chewed on it for a bit, then ran by the rest of us and got Cooper barking at him with apparent jealousy over his prize. Variety Pack The snow was really starting to come down while Zoey, Ruffers, Isaac, Mamacita, and Thompson walked the Bear Creek Path this af

Adventure Pack I got flu and tetanus shots yesterday and have been feeling pretty sore and achy today, so I brought the pack for a lighter hike at CU South Campus this morning instead of our usual Chautauqua mountain hike. Colby, Sputnik, and Ruffers all took turns giving each other kisses in the packmobile on the way there. Mamacita and Sputnik got pretty growly at the first dog they saw after we parked, while we were still in the car, but once we were out on the trails they were calmer and more pleasant as other dogs passed by. Colby was very interested in the bikers. She wasn't jumpy, just curious. We often stopped when they passed us and waited while Colby watched them ride off into

Adventure Pack Mamacita joined the pack this morning and got to see her pal Griff. She was very excited to greet him when he hopped in the car with her. I was surprised to see Sputnik sniff out several spots along the trail today without leaving a scent mark. Coco seemed a bit grumpy today as she snorted and grunted when other dogs passed by us. Her mild fuss was enough to push Sputnik over the edge once and he started to bark at one dog. They both settled down in a couple seconds, and then Sputnik laid down on command and flopped over onto his side. At the end of our hike, we came across a little Golden Retriever puppy who was very wiggly and excited about greeting the pack. I watche

Adventure Pack Coco joined the pack in place of Cooper this morning. Pack veterans Coco and Rucksack haven't seen each other for a while since they have been on different schedules, and they were happy to be out together again. Rucksack gave his old friend the ear-cleaning treatment which has become his signature move. Sputnik and Mamacita hiked right along at my side, calmly and pleasantly throughout. Variety Pack Coco and Mamacita were feeling playful when we stopped at Martin Park at the end of our walk along the Bear Creek Path. They danced and dodged around each other for a bit while the others watched. Colby joined in for a few moves and then backed off and hung out with Thompson

Adventure Pack Zoey joined Rucksack, Mamacita, and Sputnik on the hike this morning. She received the initiation of having her ears licked thoroughly by Rucksack during the latter part of our hike; however, her own affections were directed at Sputnik. Zoey and Sputnik licked each other's faces every so often, whenever Zoey returned to the group to check in after sniffing around in the brush with Rucksack. Mamacita went without having her own ears attended by Rucksack yet again. Variety Pack My wife and father-in-law joined the pack for our afternoon walk around the loop at CU South Campus this afternoon. Everyone was entertained by Zoey and Coco's antics as they raced in and out of the d

Adventure Pack At one point early on in the hike when the dogs were all sniffing around a lot, Cooper and Sputnik found a particularly interesting spot. Coco came around the other side to get a whiff. Since the spot was surrounded on the far side by dense brush and on the near side by me and the other dogs, Griff slipped in between my legs from behind to access the patch and find out what all of his packmates had found. As we made our way up the trails, several hikers commented on how well-behaved the pack were. Coco and Griff enjoyed exploring off leash together. Griff frequently lingered at spots as the rest of us continued along the trail, and then raced back to join us with his tong

Adventure Pack Mamacita was feeling tired today after having gotten loose to run around in the mountains by her house earlier this morning. On our way up the Chautauqua Trail, she stopped in place a couple times to insist that we take a break. Ruffers was first off the leash this morning and she was joined by Sputnik when we reached an empty stretch of trail so I was sure Sputnik wouldn't get into trouble with any passing dogs. The pair of them enjoyed sniffing at old, fallen logs in the brush and chasing each other around. Colby was pretty relaxed for most of the hike until we came across a busy trail intersection. At that point, she started spinning all around to keep tabs on everyone

Adventure Pack Coco and Griff went off leash early on during today's hike and they both stuck close by throughout. After taking a break for a while, Coco was back to her habit of wiggling around in the grass. Sputnik kept great composure even when young, excited dogs came up to say hello to us a couple times today. Griff and Coco had bounces in their steps but didn't get into and big chases or wrestling matches, so Cooper found no reason to bark at his packmates. He hiked right alongside Sputnik. The two of them always start off the hike by making stops to sniff and mark about every 10 feet; but the more we progress along the trail, the less frequent their pit-stops become. Variety Pack

Adventure Pack Cooper did a better job of containing himself this morning when dogs passed by the car. He whimpered a bit bit didn't go on a barking spree like he has been doing lately. In turn, Sputnik and Mamacita kept their cool as well. And Rucksack is always quiet. Even when excited young dogs passed by us on the trails - and one particularly anxious one growled at us - everybody walked on by without getting upset. Rucksack and Sputnik couldn't get enough water from the Camelbak when we made a rest stop, while Mamacita and Cooper each enjoyed a short drink and then were done with it. Variety Pack Thompson, Coco, Colby, and Stella enjoyed a walk along the Bear Creek Path this after

Adventure Pack I wonder whether Mamacita is relieved or disappointed now that Rucksack has laid off cleaning her ears every time they are out together. The pack just hiked along the trails calmly and pleasantly today. Sputnik got some attention from a little boy who asked to say hello to the dogs. Rucksack and Mamacita were distracted by the smells alongside the trail and Colby warily stepped back to the far side of me, so Sputnik happily stepped forward and took all the attention for himself. Variety Pack There were a trio of Brittany Spaniels that set out on the trails at CU South Campus a short distance behind us, and Colby spent most of our hike checking over her shoulder to assess th

Adventure Pack Griff was in the mood to run around this morning but Coco just wanted to stick to the trail. A little while later, I let Sputnik off with Coco and he wanted to play, but Coco just dodged him and then came back over to me like a kid going to "home base" in a game of tag. Cooper kept his cool much better today, though he did let out a couple barks when Sputnik was dancing around Coco. I had the thought to let Griff off with Sputnik but we were nearing more traveled trails at that point so I didn't want to leave Sputnik off leash anymore. Variety Pack There were lots of playful dogs at the park this afternoon. Ruffers, Colby, and Zoey all made some friends straight away and r

Adventure Pack The pack was lavished with attention by a family who were hiking up the Chautauqua Trail this morning and who said Mamacita looks just like their dog, Pumpkin. They said Ruffers bore a strong resemblance to another dog they know, as well. Despite them being most interested in Mamacita and Ruffers, Sputnik wasn't shy about nosing his way in for attention. Colby kept a safe distance at first but she started creeping forward and sniffing at the hands that were scratching the ears, heads, and chins of her packmates. Variety Pack There were a trio of horseback riders at CU South Campus when we arrived so we hung out in the car for a few minutes to let them get on their way befor

Adventure Pack After sniffing around off-leash with Coco for a bit, Griff took off racing through the snow. Cooper and Sputnik leapt out at him whenever he passed by us. Coco made some half-hearted attempts at chasing him, but she knew she couldn't keep up with him so she let him zoom off ahead of her. Cooper held it together for a while today before he just started barking incessantly at Griff for enjoying himself. I got the fun police to settle down and then Coco and Griff went back on leash for the last stretch of the hike. Variety Pack There were a lot of playful pups at the park this afternoon and Ruffers wasted no time in making friends. Meanwhile, Zoey found a human who was happy

Adventure Pack The pack were all excited about romping in the snow this afternoon. Rucksack and Sputnik chased each other through it while Mamacita and Cooper looked on with excitement. Mamacita acted out sympathetic bows, hops, and dodges while watching the action. Cooper started barking jealously at his free-running packmates, but I was able to get him to eventually settle down to just excited whining. Whenever Sputnik raced back to us, Cooper and Mamacita met him with playful leaps. Variety Pack Stella wasted no time getting to business in the snow, as she flopped right down and started making a snow-angel. For once, Coco actually stayed on all fours for the duration of the walk rath

Adventure Pack Isaac and Rucksack had fun exploring off leash together this morning. They were both on the hunt for puddles of water that have collected on the tops of boulders. Isaac tried to haul a few big tree limbs, but he gave up on each of them before getting them off the ground. Rucksack hasn't partaken in any log hauling on our pack hikes in a long while. Sputnik and Mamacita behaved themselves well with the dogs we passed today. They didn't bark or stir up any trouble, and just hiked along nicely. Everyone was very interested in sniffing around again. It seems some seasonal change has triggered a marked increase in the pack's interest in olfactory investigations. Variety Pack

Adventure Pack Coco was very interested in investigating the smells along the trail today. Sputnik, Cooper, and Griff all made a lot of stops to sniff around, and then Coco would follow up after them and spend a lot longer making sure she got the whole story. When we returned to the car at the end of the hike, Cooper got very worked up about a dog who walked by and he started barking, which got Sputnik going as well. I got Cooper to lie down, and then I told Sputnik to settle down and he listened very well. A minute later, when I started pulling the car away, Cooper got worked up again. This time, however, Sputnik turned his attention to Cooper and barked at him, seemingly conveying the

Adventure Pack It was a perfect day for hiking! Mamacita, Ruffers, and Sputnik all put their noses to work as we took our time along the trails at the Chautauqua. Even though he didn't have Cooper to compete with, Sputnik left a lot of scent marks. Ruffers and Mamacita both sniffed out just as many spots as Sputnik but they kept their marking to a minimum. The pack were mostly calm and pleasant with the dogs we passed, save for one occasion when Mamacita and Sputnik both let out a single bark at an excited German Short-haired Pointer who stopped right after passing us and then whined at us in a plea for attention. Later on, some human hikers asked to say hello to the pack, and the dogs