Well, this past weekend was super busy for us, at Hiking with Fido. On Saturday, we did a 9+mile hike to South Fork Meadow in San Gorgonio. The choice was to hike the 5-mile round trip to Poopout Hill, or go longer into the San Gorgonio Wilderness. I had decided that if I felt strong at Poopout, I would continue on.
Other members of the hiking group decided to turn around at Poopout, so it was just the Pipsqueaks (Jake and Nan) and I that continued on.
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| Horse Meadow - halfway between trailhead and Poopout |
There is something about just being by yourself and hiking with your dogs. It's like a walking meditation. Hiking with my dogs, I didn't feel obligated to talk to anyone, and I didn't feel obligated to listen (the Pipsqueaks didn't feel obligated to talk back, but they were obligated to listen, LOL). Now, don't get me wrong, I am NOT a hermit. But after hiking with a group of people for so long, it was quite refreshing to just hike and listen to nature and the wind in the trees. It was very relaxing. I LOVE this hike because it's picturesque.
When we did run into people on the trail, of course I did take the time to talk to them. Usually when I am with a group, I say hi, and am friendly, but I don't stop and have an occasional conversation.
Actually, I think Jake is a more social butterfly than myself. He just seems to WANT to be friendly and give pibble kisses to everyone - though I have found him to be discriminating. I have found that he loves giving kisses to the ladies. When we would run into men on the trail, he is happy to say hi, but he would rather walk on by. Is it me? Am I more wary since I was hiking alone? It's hard to tell because I rarely go on a solo hike.
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| Me and the Pipsqueaks at Poopout Hill |
Because of the rockiness of the trail, you actually have to be more careful coming back downhill rather than going up. I had already sprained my ankle hiking at Icehouse Canyon a few months back, and I was with other people. I did not want to repeat that event while by myself in the San G. Wilderness.
All in all, it was a terrific day. The air was clear and the morning sun through the trees was absolutely glorious (I never say that, so it really was).
If you want to hike San G, things to remember are:1. You will need an adventure pass to park
2. You will need to get a permit from the ranger station (you can go in and get one, or, if they have any self-issue forms outside the station, complete a form and drop it in the box.
3. Your dog should be on-leash.
On Sunday, we had to attend the 1st Annual Dog Festival at Lake Arrowhead. The general theme of the festival was to provide attendees with options of what activities they could participate in with their pups. There was a disc dog demo, an agility demo and a K9 demo. What a great time! We met lots of new friends, and drummed up local interest in our hiking club. Can't wait to see everyone on the next hike. This is a picture of the booth.