Koda Camps!

Okay, so it wasn't the perfect, dog/handler evening of bonding that I imagined.  It wasn't super restful with Koda snuggling up against me as we slept in my tent.  There were no "good morning" kisses from the pooch.

Not even close.

But it was a great learning experience for both of us.

Let's take it from the top:

About 9 months ago, Koda was going on a walk with a friend and got bit in the face by another dog.  Since then, he has been responding moderately negatively to other dogs.  Not the malicious "I'm going to eat your face off because you are also a canine" type of aggression, but more so the "I'm really scared your going to bite me so I'm going to try to get you to run away" type of aggression.

The morning before we went camping (ie: yesterday), he and I went to an appointment with a dog behaviorist (Nancy Tanner of Paws and People).  Her recommendation for right now while Koda and I establish a better human/animal trust system is to avoid all dogs, especially while he is on leash.

Bozeman is filled to the brim with dogs.  Some well behaved and others not so much.  The campground was the same way.  I felt constantly on edge trying to divert Koda's attention or our route of travel around the 5-7 other dogs that were in the area.

Folks, seriously, if you know your dog isn't friendly, keep him away from other folk's dogs so that they don't get bit in the face.  Koda and I wouldn't even be having this issue to begin with if that one incident hadn't happened.  It has completely changed the way we do things and the level of security Koda feels.  It really, really sucks.

Okay, so after walking around the GORGEOUS lake and laughing as my camping amigos (Jake and Nathan) tried their hand at fishing.  We went up and ended up switching camping spots (we car camped) because of the folks in the camping spot next to us. (See: 7 adults + 7 kids + 2 dogs = noisy and sleepless nights)

After that, we started a fire, had a beer and hung out.  Koda was already getting nervous.  New area, new situation, not sure what the deuce is going on.  After we finished our prime beverages (thanks, Jake!) we went to bed.

1. Get Koda in the tent.

My tent is a Kelty "Grand Mesa" 2 person.  I love it!

2. Get Koda off of my sleeping bag and on to his blanket. (There's no way I'm giving up my sleeping bag!)
3. Calm Koda down so at least one of us can sleep.


4. Fall asleep. (Only to wake up a million times.  Folks, don't drink beer before bed if you don't like getting up and out of a tent to pee 4 times in the middle of the night. ESPECIALLY if you have a small-ish bladder.  Too much information? Sorry.)

The night passed uneventfully, really.  It was pretty clear that Koda didn't sleep much though.  There was probably only one time that I woke up that he was sleeping next to me.

Waking up and getting out of the tent was like releasing Koda into the world's best doggy play area filled with all things good.  He was so happy that morning, his tail wouldn't stop wagging.  That was good to see.

Now he is (hopefully) resting peacefully at home.  When I left, he was already curled up and ready to sleep.

Anyone out there have any suggestions to make this less traumatic next time?  I think familiarity and more exercise before bed will help next time.

Best,

A

Skijoring - Attempt One

There comes a time in every girl's and dog's life when the snow flies and it's just not much fun to trudge waist deep in snow.

It's at these points in time when the girl has to toughen up and say "It's time to try something new."  Luckily, this girl had a boyfriend that was willing to help her and not laugh at her too hard.

That's right, my friends, last Saturday I learned how to cross-country ski.  Simultaneously, Koda continued to learn how to skijor.

"Wait." You may be thinking "What the heck is skijoring and how on Earth do you say it."

Skee-yor-ing (if you're a Norsky) or Skee-jor-ing (generally how most folks Stateside pronounce it) is when a dog, horse, or snowmobile pulls a human who is wearing cross-country skis.  The biggest trick in skijoring (as far as I can tell) is ensuring that your dog will pull you on the trails and not take off after wildlife.  There are a few common commands that folks like to use when skijoring:

"Hike" - Let's Go
"Easy" - Slow Down
"Gee" - Right
"Haw" - Left
"On By" - Pass without slowing (or a "leave it" command for those who have dogs that may want to stop and smell everything).

The key, as far as I'm learning, in this activity is to maintain patience and consistency.  Really, in this way it's not much different from teaching elementary music.

So, off we went! I wish I could tell you the trail that we went on, but I forgot to look at the name. It's north of Bohart Ranch in the Bridgers (which is north of Bridger Bowl).  There are a lot of off-shoot trails that you can go on, we went to the very top of the road and took the left trail.  Side Note: You'll need 4-wheel drive to get up to the top.

Koda did really well for being scared stiff of the skis and ski poles.  At first, we started with Nathan and Koda in front and my following (I mean, c'mon, it was my first time).  It was entirely uphill and the snow was deep.  Koda was a champ though and kept going, even though the snow was above his chest.  Nathan was a champ for being patient with Koda and his wanderings.

And you know what, the entire way going uphill I didn't fall. I didn't biff even once.

However, the time came to turn around and go home, and that was an entirely different story. Yes, I fell. And, yes, it seemed like a lot to me.  But, that's part of learning. I'm starting to appreciate the struggle and I think that's important.

Besides, if we all didn't struggle with something, how dull would life be?  It's the constant pursuit of something and the struggle that comes with the pursuit that teaches us more about ourselves and our environment.

Best,

 A

PS: Check out Nathan's Blog to read about his summer travel experience! And Happy Holiday Season from both of us.

Middle Cottonwood Trail

This post is brought to you by Middle Cottonwood Trail in the Bridgers near Bozeman, MT.

Here's the stats:

Directions:  Head north on 19th off of Main. Continue to Springhill Rd and take a right (you'll only have the option of taking a right or left turn).  Continue along Springhill Rd until Toohey (gravel), which will also be on your right.  Follow Toohey until you, once again, have to take a Right or a Left onto Walker.  Take a Right.  Walker will curve around and you'll take a gradual left onto Saddle Mt Rd.  This will also take a gradual left and you will see a Mdl Ctnwd Trl Forest Service sign.  Take a right at the sign and take the service road up to the trail entrance (a dead end).

Length: Middle Cottonwood Trail splits about a mile up and you can choose to go to Fairy Lake on a 16 mile trek, or go to the "M" on a 6 mile hike.  Either way, it's advisable to give yourself the majority of the day to complete the hikes.

Allows: Hikers, Dogs and Mountain Bikes (no motorized vehicles)

Here's my personal opinion:
While I haven't completed the hike up to Fairy Lake or to the "M" - I have gone about 3-4 miles in and enjoyed it the entire time.  The hike allows you to ascend to multiple beautiful lookouts and to go into valleys where you feel completely engulfed by the nature around you.

It's also a great hike for the pooch as it follows a stream/creek for the first portion of the hike, which all dogs seem to enjoy.  There is minimal wildlife on the first portion of the hike, so if you dog is the run-away-at-anything-that-might-move sort, you needn't worry too much for a short day hike.

The trail itself goes from being very smooth to very rocky.  I'm told that, later on, the hike turns to a slight scramble, but I cannot vouch for this myself.

This trail is exceptionally popular on weekends, so I might wait until the week to attempt it.  It's also more popular in the afternoon than in the morning (as are most trails around here) - so if you are going to try it on the weekend, get out there by 9am and you'll find a peaceful xanadu awaiting you.

Also, this hike is completely Koda approved.