Valley Adventures and Spring Meltdowns

A few weeks ago I enjoyed a great tromp through the woods with the pups in the early afternoon sunshine.

It was a beautiful Winter day and the pups relished in the early March sunshine and snow. The sun was just right and hitting their golden fur to make highlights that even Bliss couldn't achieve.

Chaos dreams of summer swimming while Mayhem eats a bit of snow.

And I enjoyed my new pink hat that I had knitted out of a fat ball of Rasta by Malabrigo.

It's true knitting has trumped blogging this year... by a lot. At some point I'll have to do a project rundown of the hats, sweaters, socks and other worsted goodies that have flown off my needles but today's all about meltdowns...
This weekend temps crept higher and the snow softened...

we enjoyed some time on the hill with this guy...

and this gal...

in the warm spring sunshine. Then a funny thing happened- temperatures didn't drop back to normal but kept creeping higher.  We pulled out a few pairs of shorts and sported them with our mud boots for an afternoon walk in the sunshine.

And realized that we could have worn chacos.

The pups didn't mind and went for a swim in the river.

Today I wore my chacos everywhere.... I walked in the woods and through a melting iceberg.

The water that skimmed the iceberg on the trail was almost warm and the air felt like an afternoon in June. At no point did I regret my shoe choice as I skimmed along the trail over dry ground, mud, ice and hardpack snow. I should have- this is March in New England. Water on top of melting ice should be COLD. The air temperature should have turned my toes bright red and shot pain through them. But it didn't. I was warm in my shorts, t-shirt and Chacos on a shady trail at 5:30pm in March. 

Another great day for playing ball and enjoying golden hues dancing in the sunshine. It's bittersweet, winter was short as was the snowfall and while we're enjoying this odd weather it's not ideal for a ski resort.

Anyone wanna go play in the river soon? I hear the boating is great and the bike trails are gonna be drying like spilled water in the Sahara.

Adventures in winter wonderland

I'm happy to report that winter is in full swing here in Carrabassett Valley. While that means I now also have to shovel the driveway again I consider it a fair trade to be able to play in the snow.
This morning I dropped Dave off at work while temperatures hovered around the 10 degree mark. It's not really that cold but I wasn't feeling the need to rip at 35mph downhill so I headed north on 27 to Flagstaff Lake with my little furry buddies. 

We ventured out to Myer's Beach and enjoyed a great walk through the woods to the frozen lake. It was a good Chaos sized walk to the beach- about 15 minutes and we then enjoyed some time enjoying the sunshine that streamed over the backside of the Bigelow Mountain Range.

Mayhem even took a quick moment to enjoy the stillness of the morning at the lake. But just one moment... little dog doesn't stay still for long.

I bribed him with the promise of the tennis ball to capture another view on the frozen tundra. The lake was beautiful and we did see a few snowmobiles enjoying some playtime too. The lake had a false stillness, if I waited long enough and if the pups were quiet enough then we could hear the movements of the ice forming below us.

through the eyes of Chaos...

I've often wondered what Chaos and Mayhem see and how they think about it. Today, I got a glimpse of Chaos's point of view. I wish I could say it was enlightening but honestly it terrifies me.

In 2007 on a routine visit to the vet, Dr Taylor told us about Chaos's juvenile cataracts. We've kept an eye on them and watched them slowly grow over the years. Today, I took the boys on a walk on the Narrow Gauge trail today during low light and some soft falling snow.

The trails were soft and we followed a snowshoe trail along the river. The boys took full advantage of the leash free escapade and played hard. I'm pretty sure Mayhem even tried to climb a tree...

but he could have just gotten a little too much into sniffing it. Chaos had a nice break and ate some snow...

his brother joined him and it became a big rolling party...

We crossed a small foot bridge and Chaos struggled. This isn't a new path for us, this fall he zoomed over the little bridge and chased Mayhem. It appeared that he wasn't sure of his footing. This bridge crosses a small stream; it isn't high off the ground and the slats are less then an inch apart.  We emerged from the woods and Mayhem zoomed across the large bridge that crosses the Carrabassett River. I followed but stopped when I realized Chaos was still on the other side of the river. The bridge that crosses the Carrabassett River has a few slits in it where the snow has melted and created an optical illusion that stopped Chaos in his tracks. I went to the middle of the bridge and called him over. He started across then hesitated... it became clear to me that my pup was struggling to see. I walked to him and guided him back to the car with the realization that his life as we know it has changed.

We've joked about Mayhem becoming Chaos's seeing eye dog... we just didn't think it would happen so soon after Chaos's 7th birthday.

Rock of Ages Trail to Wilson Peak

Last Monday, Dave, Dave and Charlie headed up over 4,000 feet to Wilson Peak at 14,017. The newly opened trail is a mere 4.5 miles each way but it's still not to be taken lightly. The top is crazy loose rocks and the boys were sure to pack helmets for the trek as the local newspaper has revealed a number of accidents on this iconic Telluride Peak. They also had purchased their search and rescue cards in case of emergency as there's been a few very expensive helicopter evacuations this year.

Hope Lake with a touch of camping in the rain

Saturday morning we were up early and packing for a day hike to Hope Lake then camping that night. We stopped on the way to the trail head to claim our favorite spot. We had last camped here in 2008 and had a couple of great nights with friends. We were dismayed to find a few large trees had fallen but hit the spot anyhow.
I had hiked Hope Lake last year with the pups but it was a first for Dave. The day began with sunshine but clouded in as we ascended to the high alpine lake. The pups didn't care and were in the water before Dave and I crested the top.  The sun broke for a bit as we were leaving the lake and descended the 2.5 miles back to the 4Runner.

Big Dave skipped out on the hike due to a leg injury but came up for the camping... sans tent. He's got a Tacoma now and is discovering the joy of truck camping in the back bed under the camper shell.
We finished setting up camp and the sunshade rainshade just in time before the first drops hit. Eventually the rain let up a bit and fueled by a bit of beer and a chill we couldn't shake, we got to work on the campsite. (Click here for photos...) We had two Gerber hatchets and a fold-able saw and hacked the smaller of the two trees. The boys made benches for the firepit and while I debranched the larger tree that won't be moved without a chainsaw.  Yup, that's what happens when you give a bunch of Mainer's some hand tools, time and beer in the woods.

Mill Creek Hike

This spring while searching for non-muddy places to walk the pups we ended up on the Mill Creek Road just outside of Telluride. We returned last weekend to hike on the trail and had a great walk in the woods (despite my tweaky ankle from a climbing mishap the week before) with the dogs. Photos are here...

mayhaos snowshoe hike

Dave headed in for his final day of snowmaking today (he starts grooming tomorrow) while I had a rare day off from work and the sun was out with fresh snow on the ground. It's been frigid and around -10 degrees with the windchill so I was happy to have sunshine, little wind and 20 degrees. The sun here makes it feel 10 to 20 degrees warmer as well.  I geared up with the camera and a few layers and took the boys out to Lizard Head Pass around 20 minutes south of our house and went for a snowshoe hike on some dog-friendly groomed trails. I took almost 400 photos and played with the continuous shots to capture some of the best moments for the monsters.


They wore their packs and Mayhem's might have had a bit more weight then Chaos's but you can't tell as Mayhem was pretty excited even as the hike ended. I made them break trail a bit off to the side and by the end of the hike they figured out that they could just stick to the groomer's and work less. The snow was light, fluffy and deep which made for an easy snowshoe but a big walk for the boys.

Both dogs are now passed out and I'm set for a quiet night of knitting.

Ajax Peak and 94 hours....

Saturday we ignored the to do lists, packing lists and travel plans in favor of getting up at sunrise and hiking Ajax Peak.  Four years ago we moved from Sugarloaf to Telluride and in that time we've had a few things happen like Mayhem.

Who happens to like his new life in Telluride and all the area hikes. He even likes wearing his backpack. These days Chaos carries a pack with a tennis ball and some treats while Mayhem carries a few pints of water for them to share. Chaos's leg still plagues him while Mayhem has energy enough for all of us.

The day started early and we drove to the top of Bridal Veil Falls and hit the trail by 8:15am. There was one other group that started hiking around the same time which was perfect as we forgot the map and it was our first time on the trail. We had read through the hike and had a good idea of where to go but it was nice to ensure that we turned off at the right time.

The trail starts at the top of Bridal Veil Falls and follows Black Bear Pass for .8 of a mile.

Yes, This is a 4x4 road and I wouldn't take the 4Runner on it or even the old Tacoma. It's one way from Ouray and one of the hardest passes in Colorado.

The trail turned off the road and became a single track that had switchbacks up the mountain for a few miles. Chaos and Mayhem followed the trail well and it was a moderate hike up. The road was harder as the rocks were looser and it made for sketchy footing. Hiking in the West is much different from the East with loose gravelly trails instead of soft forest floors.

From the ridge we could look over to Tomboy Road and Imogene Pass. We had gone up that pass a few summers ago with Kendra in the Tacoma.

You can see a bit of the Tomboy Mining area from the Ajax Ridge line.

The view from Ajax Peak (12,785') also showcases the town of Telluride and the Ski Resort. The Blues and Brews Festival was going on last Saturday and during our time at the Peak we saw the field fill with hippies and their tarps. (beer festivals kinda suck when you can't have gluten and there isn't a gluten free beer to be found in the park)

The next day we were back to packing.... only two of these pairs of skis are mine... the rest belong to Dave and Big Dave.... I think I need to catch up.

In less then 94 hours the packing project will be complete and campchaos will hit the road for the east coast. We're watching the leaves change here and should hit New England for Peak foliage in the east.

hiking with Chaos and Mayhem

chaos and mayhem make great hiking buddies, after phish left town dave had to work on a Saturday so I hit the trail with the monsters. Hope Lake is above Trout Lake and around 5 miles round trip.

so we loaded up into the 4runner

and let the wind rip through our fur.

Chaos knows that as soon as we hit a dirt road that's there is fun to be had....

Mayhem knows enough to be excited if Chaos is...

now if only mayhem can teach chaos how to drink from a camelback too...

but they both look adorable in their backpacks. Chaos carries the light treats and toys while Mayhem carries the puppy water to help tire him out... as if 5 miles wasn't enough...

Chaos and Mayhem enjoying the views

Chaos loved the swim in Hope Lake while Mayhem would rather cruise the shoreline.

And the wet pups hike back to the car after a fun few hours...

Chaos is such a poser... mayhem needs a bit more work... otherwise this would have been a great shot.

Mayhem went to play with his friends for the rest of the weekend while Chaos, Dave and I had a mellow Sunday. We're once again having a very busy August and trying to get a lot of things done with the dogs, work and upcoming trip to Sugarloaf. We did manage to get a good night out with our friends and watch one of my favorite Colorado finds, singer Rob Drabkin.

We first saw him when he opened for Tim Reynolds in 2007 at the Sheridan Opera House and I've love his music ever since. If you like Jack or DMB then I suggest you check him out.

the return of the river dogs and climbing adventures

It's still on the chilly side here in telluride but the boys are enjoying the San Miguel River with their friend Stella. Chaos loves swimming more then Mayhem but they both enjoy the time outside.

Dave's been scouting out new places to climb and we went up to a wall overlooking town this weekend. The weather turned south but it was good to go for a hike with the monsters and get back on the rock.

We put a pack on Mayhem with a small amount of weight in hopes of tiring the little man out. Chaos also has a pack but we're giving him a break since he's the big guy.

We even caught sight of this little guy in the tree... thankfully the boys didn't see or meet up with any of these quills.

The boys had fun and learned to stay off our climbing rope. It's important to not let it get too dirty since little rocks or grains of sand can break a rope down.

Also new on the homefront this week is the grumpy kitty's attitude towards Mayhem. She still yells at him for no reason but has been sighted hanging out near him.