Adventure Pack Avo flopped down on her side in the shade a couple times during our hike at the CU South trails this morning, in very dramatic fashion. Rucksack, Roger Roger, and Sputnik were all handling the warm weather without issue, and Avo herself jumped up and dodged around when I went to prod her back into walking. Rucksack gave Avo's ears some attention, as he has often done with various of his packmates. Variety Pack Isaac, Blu, Zoey, and Cooper headed out together again this afternoon. This time, we headed to the shadier Bear Creek Path in south Boulder. Blu pulled at the leash for a while, but eventually settled into pace with the rest of us. We took a slow pace again, like ye

Adventure Pack We headed to CU South Campus again this morning, to avoid more bear encounters after the cub we saw yesterday. Instead of bear cubs, we saw cows in the fields beside the trail at CU South Campus. Racer was especially fascinated by them, and stared at them the whole time we walked by. We stopped for a couple water breaks along the way. Avo has mostly come to the park, where the dogs can drink out of bowls. She hasn't been on many hikes with the pack, especially in warm weather, so she was a bit unsure of the CamelBak spout. She watched with interest while both Racer and Sputnik lapped up the water. When I first offered it to her, she pulled back. Then, she watched inten

Adventure Pack Momentarily after parking by the Chautauqua, a bear cub ran by along the sidewalk. Sputnik and Mamacita raised the alert with some intense barking. Some moments later, the bear ran back the other way along the sidewalk. So... The pack enjoyed a nice walk at CU South Campus this morning. Sputnik and Rucksack ran around through a grassy field together. Sputnik did a lot more of the running, while Rucksack mostly stood in place and watched him, and only chased after Sputnik for short bursts when Sputnik passed by close to him. Isaac and Mamacita both got worked up watching their packmates romp. Variety Pack Avo and Rey lay in the bak of the packmobile with their paws crosse

Adventure Pack Isaac joined Sputnik, Griff, and Racer for our hike at the Chautauqua this morning. We kept a steady pace as we headed partway up the 1st Flatiron, with only a couple brief stops along the way. Sputnik and Racer were the ones who initiated those couple stops, so they could sniff in the grass. Griff and Isaac kept right in pace with me the whole way. Variety Pack Storm clouds were moving in over North Boulder as we set out for our afternoon pack activity. I brought the pack to CU South Campus, where skies were looking a bit clearer, in the hopes that we would avoid getting rained on. For the beginning of our outing, Milo, Yoda, Avo, Zoey, and Rey took their time on the tra

Adventure Pack Sputnik again only pulled over to mark the way a couple times early on. He also kept his cool with every dog we encountered, even when a couple of them were worked up and barked at us while pulling at their leashes. Roger Roger minded his manners while he was off leash with his big brother Rucksack. He didn't indulge in the fraternal harassment that he is wont to do. They were each happy to get some pets from passers-by. Surprisingly, Sputnik didn't rush over to insert himself whenever Rucksack and Roger Roger got pets. He stayed at my far side with Mamacita. I'm sure he would have been more forward if we had lingered just a bit longer. Variety Pack Zoe, Isaac, Racer, a

Adventure Pack Sputnik only made a couple stops to mark near the trail head. Racer was interested in sniffing around through the tall, wet grass while Sputnik did his thing. Griff awaited his packmates trail-side, for the most part, just sniffing along the edges of the greenery. The trails were traveled today, but far from busy. The way down Bluebell-Baird toward the Meadow & Baseline trails was still as muddy as could be, so the pack required a good wipe down after their hike. Variety Pack We had a ball-obsessed bunch at the park today, aside from Benny. Avo, Racer, Isaac, and Zoey all chased a lot of tennis balls during our visit. Most of the time, Isaac was the only one who actually

Adventure Pack Mamacita always gets up to greet Griff in the packmobile, on the rare occasions when they end up coming out together. She is content to lie in place and let her other packmates come to her, to sniff hello. But she never can wait to greet Griff! The trails were quite muddy, as the already-warming weather made quick work of the snowfall from Monday night. Rucksack and Griff enjoyed running through the fields and hills together. Rucksack was happy to greet a pair of Miniature Poodles along the way. Sputnik, on the other hand, gave a shrill, anxious growl as they passed by. He almost always shows some such anxiety towards the first dog (or group of dogs) that we see on the

Adventure Pack Racer suddenly seemed very excited. She started to pull at her leash and hop around in place. At first, I didn't know why she was so worked up. I followed her gaze and stared out into the trees and snow-covered brush. Then, I saw it. There was a big buck standing in the distance. Sputnik and Griff were a short way ahead of us on the trail, and they were seeking out the source of Racer's excitement as well. They both stood very still, staring in the direction of the buck. I called to them, turned back up the trail, and started jogging away with Racer and Yoda in tow. Sputnik and Griff broke into chase, and came up behind us a moment later. I was glad that they decided

Adventure Pack There was no need for the dogs to stop at the creek today, as they were already plenty damp from the misty rain that sprinkled on us throughout our hike at the Chautauqua. Roger Roger was sporting a fresh trim, which made the muddy water easier to wipe away, compared to Rucksack. Sputnik still wanted to veer off into the tall grass to pee repeatedly, which caused him to get well soaked pretty quickly. Mamacita was more excited to be out than I expected her to be, given her past distaste for cold and wet weather. Variety Pack Griff, Zoey, Rey, Monarch, and Clover all enjoyed a walk along the Bear Creek Path this afternoon. At one point, a couple ducks took to the air from t

Adventure Pack Mamacita lifted her left paw and tucked forward, resting her left shoulder on the ground amidst the tall grass. She hesitated for a moment, reconsidering her plan. And then she decided against the wiggle. She shifted her weight to stand upright, and continued hiking along with her packmates. Rucksack, Roger Roger, and Sputnik all took their time walking the trail, as they repeatedly paused to sniff around in the brush; however, none of them felt the temptation to flop down and wiggle around in it. Variety Pack Zoey and Mamacita walked around Wonderland Lake together this afternoon, just after the storm clouds passed over the area. Mamacita made no moves to flop down in the

Adventure Pack Griff, Sputnik, and Racer hiked the busy trails at the Chautauqua this morning. We passed a lot of dogs along the way. Sputnik minded his own business and didn't get worked up or try to intimidate any of the dogs we saw, aside from one brief, shrill grumble he made as a dog walked up from behind us at one point. Racer nibbled on grass several times along the way. Everyone panted quite a bit today, and Griff actually took some water from the Camelbak along with his packmates. Variety Pack Avo, Zoey, Isaac, and Benny had a good time at the CU South Campus trails this afternoon. It started off overcast as we set out. Zoey and Avo both initiated several stops along the way.

Adventure Pack Mamacita enjoyed a couple wiggles in the grass on our way up the mountain, getting a chuckle from some passing hikers. Rucksack and Sputnik both greeted other hikers who admired them and asked if they could say hello. Rucksack was the first to them each time, but Sputnik was the most enthusiastic about saying hello. We stopped by the creek at Gregory Canyon on our way back, where the dogs took a drink and got their paws wet. Variety Pack Zoey and Rey wrestled around at the house while I stopped there for a quick lunch. Then, we headed to Bear Creek along with Roger Roger, for a pack walk. Everyone was in a pleasant mood and walked along pretty nicely. Rey and Zoey only p

Adventure Pack Oliver joined the pack for our hike at the Chautauqua this morning. He gave Sputnik some competition for who could leave the most scent marks along the side of the trail. I didn't actually keep count, but it seemed like a toss-up to me. Griff and Racer were also interested in sniffing beside the trail, but they weren't as religious about marking their progress. Variety Pack Isaac and Avo headed straight to the kiddie pool when we entered Valmont Dog Park this afternoon. Rey, Zoey, and Benny headed off to see what other dogs were around. After their dip in the pool, Isaac and Avo both rolled around in the grass at the north end of the park and chased some tennis balls. Re

Adventure Pack The trails were busy again, now that the weather is back to being beautiful. Many hikers commented on how well-behaved Mamacita, Rucksack, Sputnik, and Roger Roger all were. Mamacita enjoyed a good wiggle in the grass on our way up the mountain. Sputnik made a lot of stops to leave scent marks, though nowhere close to his record. Rucksack and Mamacita paused a few times along the way to sniff passing dogs, while Sputnik and Roger Roger hung out beside me. It was a very nice day for a pack hike. Variety Pack Milo was first to hop into Boulder Creek when we stopped along it during our walk this afternoon. Little Zoe, Zoey, and Rey were all interested, but hesitant after se

Adventure Pack Rucksack, Roger Roger, and Mamacita all munched on some snow during our hike at the Chautauqua this morning. Sputnik and Roger Roger explored off the trail together for a bit when there weren't any other dogs around. The Chautauqua was much busier today than the past few days, but not many hikers took the route we were on. Variety Pack Milo, Zoey, and Zoe enjoyed a jaunt to Wonderland Lake this afternoon. Zoe was so excited to head out that she whined and barked at nothing in particular for the first few minutes, just to express her enthusiasm. She pulled most of the way for the first half of the walk, then finally settled into pace with Milo and Zoey, who walked nicely wi

Adventure Pack Colby started a kiss-fest over my shoulder in the packmobile, among her, Sputnik, and Racer before our hike this morning. Griff observed the outpouring of affection from a safe distance at the far back. Sputnik and Racer finished what Colby started by being the last two still exchanging licks to the face. It was a sweet way for Colby to say goodbye to her friends, as she will be going on a hiatus from pack activities. The pack will miss her! During the hike itself, we came by a small herd of deer on our way up the Chautauqua Trail. Griff and Sputnik looked on curiously, Colby stared with more intent, and Racer whined and leapt around, desperately wanting to chase after t

Adventure Pack It was wet from the outset of our hike this morning. While the rainfall stayed light and misty, the pack's fur coats grew wetter and wetter, slowly and surely. Griff, Rucksack, and Sputnik didn't seem particularly bothered by their damp states, but by the end, Mamacita was clearly happy to get back to the packmobile and to get toweled off. There were more hikers out than yesterday, but the trails were still far from busy. We passed a couple other dogs along the way, but they didn't pay any attention to us, and the pack were more interested in sniffing at the wet ground than in greeting other dogs. Variety Pack Zoey, Roger Roger, Zoe, Rey, and Milo walked the Bear Creek Pat

Adventure Pack Cracks of thunder ushered in progressively heavier rounds of rainfall as we began our descent of the mountain. Colby and Griff had been enjoying their explorations of the fields and brush while Racer and Sputnik hiked along at my side. Colby had suspiciously eyed a few of the hikers we passed, but didn't make any dodgy moves around them. Sputnik tried to make frequent stops again during our ascent, but I kept him moving today. We only paused a handful of times. We took a slow, steady pace up the mountain, but we started moving with more purpose when the thunder started. It moved in on us quickly. When we got back to the packmobile, everyone got their own towel to help t

Adventure Pack Sputnik and Mamacita were all about sniffing in the grass as we made our way along the Baseline Trail at the outset of our hike this morning. Sputnik left a lot of scent marks, as usual; Mamacita abstained from wiggling in the grass, and just sniffed and nibbled instead. Rucksack and Roger Roger didn't seem to mind all the stops, but they only occasionally joined in the sniffing. Variety Pack Zoe, Griff, Rey, and Zoey walked around Wonderland Lake together on a beautiful afternoon. We only made a few stops along the way so the pack could sniff around. Each pack member was drawn to sniff beside the path for different stretches that rarely overlapped.

Adventure Pack Mamacita was all about wiggling in the grass this morning. Rucksack, Roger Roger, and Sputnik were happy to take the time to sniff around and leave scent marks while Mamacita had her fun. Some friendly hikers asked if they could say hello to the pack, and Sputnik was already mugging them for attention before I responded. Rucksack and Roger Roger quickly followed suit, and moved in for the love. Mamacita kept a conservative distance but stretched her neck out to welcome some head scratches. Variety Pack Griff, Zoey, and Zoe got to hop in Boulder Creek during our walk this afternoon. Griff was first in the water. Zoey dunked her face in to fish out a stick. After she was