Kurgo's Last Day

It's been too long. I am well aware.

Life has been hectic.  So hectic, in fact, that when I looked back through the photos to upload, I thought "HOLY CANNOLI"...because these photos are from a long time ago.

Scene:

The snow was easily past Koda's belly
when he jumped in.

We had just gotten some fresh snow in Hyalite Canyon and a good friend had given me their old pair of XC skis with a different binding!  I was eager to get out and about and give them a try.  We (Nathan, Koda, and I) headed out to Grotto Falls - the first hike I did when getting to Bozeman.

About 10 minutes into the hike, we ran into some other dogs and skiers.  Koda, being a friendly fellow, got super excited and jetted off.  Nathan, being rather large and cumbersome (kidding, Nathan) tried to hold Koda back with his body weight.  Then, BAM!  Koda's center strap snapped and he was free!

We got him back relatively easy (his listening is getting better every day) and tied a knot to hold the park in place, but the Kurgo was doomed.  Here are photos of the day.  It was a great ski trip!

Some highlights included watching some guys ice climb.  It's so interesting to watch these people strain their bodies and their minds....and enjoy it.  These guys were having an awesome time and we saw them in the parking lot later enjoying a celebratory beverage of choice.

We ended at the falls....frozen.  So beautiful!

Enjoy the winter, folks, spring is coming soon!

Best,

A

Bozeman

So, as I mentioned in my last post (a long time ago, sorry about that!) - I scored an awesome job teaching K-8 music in the Bozeman, MT area.  This. Is. Wonderful.....

....for so many reasons.  While I could talk extensively about how much I enjoy my job and the area in general, it is specifically wonderful for the purposes of training for a long distance hiking trip.  Bozeman is surrounded by mountain ranges, and all of them have extensive hiking trails throughout.

So, in staying with priorities, one of the first things I did upon arriving in Bozeman was purchasing a day-pack for Koda.  I took a quick trip to Dee-Oh-Gee and started looking at packs. A word about Dee-Oh-Gee - they're product may be on the pricier side, but they have a staff that seems to be knowledgeable and willing to help with any questions one might have.  The woman that was working, and I forget her name, showed me some packs made by RuffWear and one pack made by Kurgo.  While I do believe that, in many instances, it's best just to purchase the pricier option first (in this case, the RuffWear packs) and never look back, I opted for the Kurgo Wander Pack.

So far, I'm very pleased for a day-hike, light usage pack.  The pack comes with two pockets on either side which are secured by zippers.  The pack itself is black and bright orange, which is awesome for visibility purposes.  There is heavy-duty metal ring on the back, which you can use to clip to a leash without having to worry about the dog stumbling over the cord as is often the case with collars and Gentle Leaders.

A Hiking Dog is a Happy Dog

The pack also features three straps, all of which are adjustable.  Two that run around the dogs chest from under the pockets and one that connects up in front of the chest onto the collar that runs around the neck of the dog.

Too much text? Have a look.






I'll work on updating more frequently, now that things are finally (sort of) beginning to settle down.

Also, just to tease you with the hiking possibilities in Bozeman, here's a photo of an easy 6 mile (round trip) hike to a place called Lave Lake in Gallatin Canyon.

Nathan (the boyfriend's) hand holding a Clif Bar (classic) and Koda up at Lava Lake.

Next time, the discussion about which trail of the "Triple Crown" legacy to attack first, when to do it, and what I need to get and be able to do before that (sure to be) fateful summer.

Best,
A