Adventure Pack Mamacita was back to wiggling in the tall grass during our hike this morning, rather than just wading though it. However, once she was done with her wiggle, she kept up a pretty good pace along the trail. Sputnik, Rucksack, and Roger Roger were happy to tackle the mountain trail without holdups, aside from our breaks at the stream on our way up and back down. Variety Pack Today was a grass-wiggling day! Griff and Isaac both enjoyed indulging in Mamacita's favorite pasttime, while packmates Zoey and Rey looked on at the goofy boys. Zoey was unimpressed, but Rey hovered around Isaac with cautious curiosity, trying to decide whether to join him or to try pouncing on him. She

Adventure Pack The stream was running very low, up the Gregory Canyon Trail, but the pack still made the most of it when we reached it. Isaac again lay down to get his belly wet, while Griff, Racer, and Sputnik all splashed around a bit and got a drink. The pack were all good about stepping to the side to make room for other hikers when we passed them along narrow stretches of the trail. Variety Pack It was hot when Rey, Zoey, and Griff headed out for their walk around Wonderland Lake this afternoon. We took a break along the way to lie in the shade, and everyone was happy to hang out for a while.

Adventure Pack Everyone was taking their time on our hike today - not only Mamacita. Rucksack found an interesting bush to sniff, and everyone gathered around to give it a thorough examination. The stream at Gregory Canyon is running lower than it had been. Everyone was still happy to get in and get their paws wet. Of course, Isaac lay down in the stream to make sure to soak his belly. Variety Pack We didn't see any rabbits on our outing today, so there were no thrilling pursuits. Zoey, Milo, Rey, Griff, and Roger Roger instead enjoyed a pretty peaceful walk along the Bear Creek Path. One dog who was walking along a path up at street level barked at us, and Rey got a little worked up,

Adventure Pack Griff and Yoda found a small pond down in a ditch beside the trail at CU South this morning. Yoda came back well-soaked from diving in. Griff's leg's were wet, but he didn't appear to have gone in as deep as his hiking buddy. Meanwhile, Mamacita, Sputnik, and Racer stayed dry on the trail with me. Racer was pulling at the leash a bit more than usual today, and it reminded me of how far we've come since she first started hiking with the pack. Mamacita didn't find any grass worth wiggling in today. We passed several dogs along the trail and when one came up to greet the pack, Sputnik kept his cool. Variety Pack The formerly fenced-off planting beds by the grassy, north end

Adventure Pack Mamacita really took her time along the Baseline Trail at the outset of our hike this morning. She insisted on wading through the tall grass at a snail's pace, and one passing hiker observed, "You're not going to get very far at that rate!" Eventually, Mamacita came back to the trail and adopted a more moderate pace. When we reached the stream near the Gregory Canyon Trail Head, all the dogs enjoyed hanging out in the water for a bit, before making the ascent on the Saddle Rock Trail. During the last stretch of our hike, after we stopped by the Chautauqua Trail Head to drop off some compost bags, we had a surprise encounter with Sputnik's dad, Nils, who was out for a run!

Adventure Pack It started raining on us as we made our way back along the Saddle Rock Trail a little after noon. Rucksack and Roger Roger continued roaming around, totally unperturbed. Sputnik also took the rain in stride. Mamacita, on the other hand, took on a very sad and droopy demeanor as soon as she started getting wet. Whereas she had taken her time on our way up, she was rather in a hurry to make her way back. Variety Pack The rain subsided later in the afternoon, and Mamacita was excited to go back out along with Griff, Isaac, Zoey, and Zoe. We stayed dry as we made our way to Wonderland Lake and back. Little Zoe jumped up to get the attention of some people we passed, who had

Adventure Pack Griff enjoyed exploring around the trails as he wandered off-leash this morning. Sputnik joined him for a brief stretch when there were no other dogs around. They didn't wander that far from the trail and were pretty mellow. Meanwhile, Racer and Mamacita stuck on-leash at my side. Racer pulled a bit to sniff along the side of the trail. Mamacita took her time navigating over the larger boulders that made up parts of the trail. Variety Pack Zoe, Avo, Isaac, and Zoey had a nice walk along the Boulder Creek Path this afternoon. We stopped in the shade of a tree at one point to chill out. Avo and Isaac both lay down in the grass, while Zoey and Zoe only sat briefly and then

Adventure Pack Mamacita was feeling lazy today. Her second wiggle in the grass turned into a lounge in the grass, and she made it last for as long as she could. Griff, Rucksack, and Sputnik didn't mind hanging out while Mamacita soaked up every bit of sunshine and relaxation she could get. Sputnik spent the time sniffing around and leaving scent marks. Griff kicked up grass a couple times, as if he had just left a scent mark himself, even when I didn't see him actually mark anything. Variety Pack Rey, Roger Roger, Zoe, Isaac, and Zoey were all great walkers as we made our way along the Boulder Creek Path this afternoon. Our youngest pack members, Rey and little Zoe, got a bit excited an

Adventure Pack Racer, Griff, and Sputnik all wanted to do a lot of sniffing around in the tall, wet grass beside the trail today. When we crossed the stream on the Saddle Rock Trail, everybody wanted to stay and enjoy the water. Racer could have spent all day dipping her open mouth into the stream to catch water. On our way back, Mamacita couldn't resist the opportunity to wiggle in the wet grass. Variety Pack Isaac, Zoey, Zoe, Avo, and Rey all chased tennis balls at one point or another during our visit to the Valmont Dog Park this afternoon. Isaac was, of course, the most dedicated ball fetcher. Avo played rabbit for a few chases with Isaac, Rey, and others in pursuit. Avo and Rey fo

Adventure Pack Since Mamacita seemed to be having a hard time with all the rocky mountain hikes, the pack headed to CU South for a lighter jaunt this morning. Sputnik didn't request as many stops along the way, and Mamacita didn't wiggle in any grass. Along with Rucksack and Roger Roger, we all just made our way through the intersecting trails and then around the big loop. We passed a few other dogs along the way, but none of them lingered to say hello. Variety Pack It started raining just about as soon as we headed our for our walk at the Bear Creek Path this afternoon, and before long it was a downpour with lots of lightning. We took refuge back at the packmobile and tried waiting the

Adventure Pack Mamacita seemed to be feeling a little sore from her back-to-back days of mountain hiking. After she wiggled in the grass, she just lay there and waited to see how long she could stall before getting back up. Sputnik, Rucksack, and Roger Roger were all as excited to hop into the stream as Mamacita, but Mamacita wanted to linger as long as possible, while her packmates had already hopped out and were ready to move along. Rucksack and Roger Roger kept themselves moving by exploring off-trail together. Sputnik stuck on the leash with me and Mamacita, and he minded his manners with all of the dogs we passed along the way. Variety Pack Zoe, Zoey, Isaac, and Ruby walked the Boul

Adventure Pack Racer joined Mamacita in the tall grass this morning, but only Mamacita wiggled around in it. The pack were all very happy to spend some time in the stream at Gregory Canyon. Racer hopped around, lapping up water as it rushed over rocks. Griff, Mamacita, and Sputnik were less animated than Racer, but all wanted to linger in the water for as long as they could. Variety Pack Zoey, Zoe, and Ruby wandered around the dog park, sniffing along the fence and greeting the other dogs there. Avo and Isaac were more interested in tennis balls than in smells. Isaac chased them down and brought them back. Avo often went a short way, realized Isaac was going to beat her to it, then cam

Adventure Pack Griff was struck with an intense desire to run, as we made our way down the Saddle Rock Trail this morning. He raced up and down the trail - past Rucksack, then back to me, Mamacita, and Sputnik and beyond, then up past Rucksack again, back and forth numerous times. Sputnik pounced a couple times when Griff ran by him. Rucksack and Mamacita took Griff's energetic outburst in stride, and made no attempts to chase after him. Everyone enjoyed splashing through the water at the creek. Mamacita capped off the hike with a good, long wiggle in the grass, after having started it the same way. Variety Pack Rey, Ruby, Roger Roger, and Zoey enjoyed a peaceful walk around Wonderland

Adventure Pack Racer, Yoda, Griff, and Sputnik had a fun time heading up the Gregory Canyon Trail from the Chautauqua this morning. Many passing hikers were very accommodating, as they stepped to the side of the trail to let us get through some of the narrower stretches. Sputnik thanked one woman by licking her hand as he passed, and she appreciated his gesture. Variety Pack Zoey, Avo, Rey, and Isaac had a light hike at CU South this afternoon. Rey enjoyed running free through the field beside the trail, now that her stitches are out. Zoey discovered a tennis ball in the brush. She carried it around for a little while, then brought it back for her packmates to inspect. Rey dove on in i

Adventure Pack Mamacita was all about wiggling today. She dove into the grass with purposeful abandon, and wiggled to her heart's content, twice on our way along the Baseline Trail. Rucksack and Roger Roger enjoyed weaving in and out of pockets in the thick brush beside the trail, as we made our way up the mountain. Sputnik made frequent stops to mark the way. Variety Pack Rey was happy to be out with her packmates after taking a break last week to recover from an injury she sustained while running through some hedges, which required stitches. She hopped into the packmobile with her front paws and hung out while everyone sniffed hello, then she climbed all the way in. The family of gees

Adventure Pack The pack headed up the Gregory Canyon Trail this morning. Sputnik, Roger Roger, Rucksack, and Mamacita were all excited to hop into the creek when we reached it. We spent a little while there, as all the dogs were enjoying getting their paws wet. Mamacita was the last to climb out, allowing us to hit the trail again. Variety Pack We were right under the tail end of storm clouds when we headed out for our walk this afternoon. Isaac was a bit nervous about the thunder that sounded in the distance, and little Zoe didn't look too thrilled about the light shower that the overhead clouds doled out. They sprinkled on us for the first half of our walk. Zoey and Griff didn't seem

Adventure Pack Racer wanted to be queen of the mountain today. She climbed up on top of the nearest boulder each time we stopped during our ascent. Griff, Sputnik, and Racer all stopped and sniffed hello with a cute little Dachshund who was working hard to make it up the Gregory Canyon Trail. Griff enjoyed exploring hidden pockets in the brush beside the trail while he was off-leash. Variety Pack Isaac, Avo, and Zoey were all about the tennis balls and kiddie pool again today. Milo played on and off with a white Husky throughout our visit. After running aound for a while, everyone decided it was time to lie in the shade and take a break. Avo chewed on a broken tennis ball that made a s

Adventure Pack Mamacita enjoyed a good, long wiggle in the grass at the Chautauqua this morning. Once that was out of the way, we headed over to the Saddle Rock Trail. Rucksack, Sputnik, Griff, and Mamacita were all agreed that they should spend a while wading through the creek before we continued on. The dogs were pretty mellow this morning and we had a very pleasant hike! Variety Pack Sputnik, Abo, Zoey, and Roger Roger headed to the Bear Creek Path for a walk this afternoon. The sky was full of grey clouds but we didn't get rained on. The path was busier than usual and we encountered several other dogs along the way. Avo barked as we went by the first dog. After that, we went by a

Adventure Pack Griff, Sputnik, Racer, and Mamacita were all very excited to hop into the creek near the base of the Saddle Rock Trail this morning. A dip in the water invigorated them. We headed up the mountain and clambered over boulders with only one break along along the way, to take a little water. No bear sightings, nor other notable fauna. Variety Pack Avo, Isaac, and Zoey were all on the same page at the Valmont Dog Park this afternoon: fetch, wiggle, splash. They each spent their park visit doing some combination of all three of these activities, and had a blast!

Adventure Pack Today was a day of interesting animal sightings! We didn't come across any bears, but we did see a lot of cows just off to the side of the trail at CU South. Griff and Rucksack didn't seem to care much about the bovine grazers. Sputnik perked up at the sight of them, but didn't go nuts. Avo, on the other hand, whimpered with excitement as she watched the nearest cows that we passed. Before coming to the cows, a large hawk flew low across the trail about 30 yards ahead of us. At one point as we were passing by the cows, we came upon a huge bull snake that was stretched across the middle of the trail. We waited some distance off, until the snake slithered off into the bru