Fluffy Dog Rescue benefit!

We adopted Sprocket from a rescue called Fluffy Dog Rescue based in Hartland, WI. They were having a benefit walk, so Erland and I decided it would be fun to attend & support the awesome place that helped us get Sprocket!

We had planned to wake up early and arrive at the event as it started, but we ended up oversleeping and got a late start. After a quick breakfast and & walk around the block we headed out to Waukesha & Minooka Park. After about an hour long drive we arrived at the park and first ended up parking at the dog park section. I then realized that wasn't the correct spot so we got back in the car and drove down the road some more. That's when we spotted the sign. Sprocket was really excited to get out of the car!

We walked up to the table, payed our entry fee, and I got to pick out a bandanna for Sprocket to wear. I had Erland enter our raffle tickets into 2 of the prize selection boxes. We met a lot of other dogs and a lot of nice people. We had  lunch and Sprocket had some treats from the goody bag that we got. We didn't end up winning any prizes, but we had a really god time! As we were leaving the park we decided to go on a hike on one of the trails, so we parked again and took a look at a map of trails. We kinda lost track of what path we were on, but managed to eventually find our path and head back to the car. It was a gorgeous day and the fall colors were awesome. Minooka Park is a really, really nice and I wish there was something just like it in Madison. We had a really fun day!

More pictures of the event can be found here.

My 30th Birthday!

Holy crap I'm 30!

For my birthday, I got the day off from work and decided to have a fun filled day with Erland and Sprocket! I decided that I wanted to do a nice easy hike.  We headed out to Governor Nelson State Park around 9AM and hiked the Morningside Trail. It was a little warm, but nothing that was unbearable.

(The pictures that I took from the day can be found here)

This place has a pet swimming area so I decided to let Sprocket get his paws wet in the very shallow part. I didn't want him to go all the way in because he would get all gross and we had to go the vet right after the hike to get his final Lyme vaccine. The water seems to interest him and I have noticed at day camp, when I put him in the pool, that he swims well but gets out very quickly.

Pet friendly trails!

When we finished with our hike we took Sprocket to the vet, got his vaccine and then headed home. I opened presents and cards and had a great helper in Sprocket. He gently tugged on the wrapping paper to get it off the gifts.

We then left Sprocket at home in his crate, with his kong full of treats, while we went out. For lunch, we went to an "all you can eat" Indian food buffet. The food there is so good! Then we went to hang out at the bookstore where I saw a few books that I would like to read and wrote them down. We then headed to a store that sold Table Top games and such. They have so many cool things there & I want to start getting into playing table tops and such this winter. (Look for that to be added as another hobby on this blog!) Then to end our outing we went and saw a movie called "Premium Rush" It's about bicycles and has action. It was entertaining even if it was really silly.

Overall I had a fantastic birthday & I look forward to what life will bring on next!

Devils Lake Hike

Erland and I decided to go to Devils Lake State Park for a nice hike and to train for some major hiking coming up in May. We had lunch at the Pinecone Restaurant and before we left, we bought some huge rice krispie treat blocks as a snack for the hike. I got regular and Erland got peanut butter. The drive down was really nice even though it was very overcast. Saw a lot of neat little towns and a lot of cows.

We arrive at the park and pull up to the pay station manned by a very old lady. She had tubes going into her nose so I assume she had an oxygen tank with her, anyways we bought an annual pass to the place. I would like to come back and hike some more and possibly camp here if my work schedule allows. There are tons of trails to hike.

Overall Erland and I had a blast! It was really fun and I wished we could have stayed longer, but I had to be at work later in the day, so we had to call it a day. More photos of our hike, as usual, can be found here.

Antelope Valley - California Poppy Reserve

Springtime is a time for flowers bloom and warm sunny weather! We got just that on April 20th when  Erland, Erica and I decided to take a drive down to the poppy reserve to take in the view of the blooming state flower! We Filled the car with gas, got some sandwiches and drinks, picked Erica up and off we went! The drive down was nice took us about an1-2 hours to  reach the reserve. It was a tiny bit overcast but it all went away by the time we reached the poppy reserve.

Peak season 2008  : )

Driving this far out of the city, one can see some really interesting things. We passed a home along the road with a lot of metal work sculptures. I wish I had taken a picture of it. It was a hanging metal angel/skeleton thing with huge wings and it was holding a skull. I turned around so we could see it better. It took me by surprise the first time we passed it. There was another house with a beat up/ripped teddy bear tied up to a pole in front of a house. It looked like we were driving through a place ripe for a horror movie. The boonies can be really scary haha.

We reach the reserve and we are all hungry, so we walk up to the picnic area with tables and dig in to our sandwiches. We had some chocolate bars for dessert! We then cleaned up and headed out onto the trail. It was super super windy out! We didn't have any specific trail that we wanted to do so we just picked  one randomly and started walking. Unfortunately, this year the poppies didn't bloom as much as they have in prior seasons. We came at a time where they usually are at their peak (March, April is peak month, May) and everything is covered in orange but this year they just didn't bloom very well. The state park website says it was probably due to the heavy rains that we had been having recently.

  

"Peak season" 2011 : ( 

 We saw a lot of lizards on the trail and luckily no rattlesnakes. At the top of the trail we came across a park ranger who was with a bunch of little kids and their parents. They pretended to be birds since it was so windy. After enjoying the view we started back down to the car. I had an awesome time. I had really been wanting to come out here and I'm glad I did.

More pictures can be found here as usual!
Short Video



I so was planning to take a video of me doing this but there weren't enough poppies to pull it off.

Joshua Tree camping trip 1/13/11-1/15/11

 When I told a coworker that I was going camping in the desert they responded with "Well it should be hot right?" Oh hell no, desert camping in California during the winter is still cold. Yeah, we don't have much snow here but the wind makes it really chilly. It is very beautiful though. I had been camping here before when I was much younger. Wide open landscapes with very large boulder formations, which makes it a hot spot for rock climbers, and the signature Joshua trees make this a great camping destination year round in my opinion.

We loaded up my car with gear and food and headed out towards Joshua Tree National Park. We arrived at the campsite at dark so we had to set up camp using our lamp and flashlights. Erland made a fire and cooked us a dinner of beef stew. It was delicious but we had to eat quickly because the strong winds made our food get cold. We made sure to store most of the food in the car so that coyotes would't try to get to it. We saw one earlier as we drove through the park.



The next morning we had some breakfast and decided to relax a bit at our campsite. Later that day we went on a short hike that was right at our campsite of White Tank. It was still very windy and I was very cold but the hike was a lot of fun. We climbed all over a bunch of boulders and even climbed up to arch rock. An older couple followed us to it and explored it as well.



I would have taken video of our camp at night but I was too busy trying to stay warm. Erland is a great camp cook! We also had the traditional camping food of marshmallows! I like to have mine catch on fire then blow it out for that crispy shell and gooey inside. Yum!!(we brought graham crackers and chocolate but too cold to make them so we just roasted marshmallows)

We also went on two other hikes. Skull rock and one at Hidden Valley. Pictures of the hikes as well as our campsite are located HERE! This was a really fun trip. I may want to come back here when it's a tad bit warmer.

Monrovia Canyon Falls

Place: Monrovia Canyon Falls  Monrovia, Ca  11/7/10
Hiking Distance: 1.5 miles nature center to waterfall

Trail map.

It was a overcast cool day for this hike which I love! The trail I wanted to do the Bill Cull trail, but it was still closed due to a fire that went through in late August. The area needs to to regrow and heal before people can go hiking on it again. I payed the $5 fee and we parked the car near the nature center so we could start the hike there.

This was a short trail but there was a good amount of elevation change to the waterfall and lots of uphill parts. So this was still a good hike! The trail would narrow at some points and be high above the ground so we would have to stop to let people pass first. The people on the trail were all very courteous and let us pass on the narrow trail before them as well. We passed things that looked like dams, but I'm unsure what they are really called or what their true purpose is.

Damns? I do not know for sure.

Overall was a very nice hike in a peaceful area. Hopefully when the Bill Cull trail opens up we can do the whole thing! More pictures of the hike can be found HERE

Billy Goat Trail Hike

Place: Great Falls Billy Goat Trail Potomac, MD    Section B     10/31/10
Hiking Distance: 1.6 Miles (I think)

Panoramic view

I went to Washington DC over the Halloween weekend to go to the Rally to Restore Sanity and or Fear. I also was able to get a great hike in! This was the first hike I have ever done outside of California so I was very excited! I brought my hiking clothes and boots but left the Camelbak at home and just used my smaller LL Bean Stowaway bag. Jamie Stone, Erland's mom, took us to this great trail and hiked with us!

Erland & Jamie at the Trailhead

Being used to my desert state of California where the weather is hot 99% of the time, it was a nice treat to have a cool, breezy day to hike. This trail I found was true to its name, due to rocks jutting out of it. We did a small bit of scrambling as well. Hiking along a real river instead of small creeks and streams like back home was amazing! Being fall the trees in the area were all sorts of colors and made for a beautiful view as we hiked along the path. We passed some people and a few dogs as well. Even saw a little black poodle enjoying the trail.

The Billy Goat Trail lined with rocks.

Vertical view of Falls

After hiking the Billy Goat Trail we came upon a nice flat open trail where runners, bicyclists and families were enjoying the day. This trail was next to a calm river that had Canadian geese enjoying it as well. We got back to the car and decided to drive to the C & O Canal nearby. The Chesapeake & Ohio canal was one of a network of American canals dug during the late 18th century and early 19th centuries to form water highways for commercial trade. these canals were part of the great Industrial Revolution. Lots of people were out and about. They had a very nice walkway setup so people could walk above the river. The river itself was awesome! It was very fast and very very loud! We even got to see the people on the other side of the river over on the Virginia side. I have never been so impressed by a river in all my life.


Throughout this whole hike the history nerd in me couldn't help think/imagine what it  must have been like for early settlers who made places like this home and explored so much of the forest, as well as the Native Americans who lived in this nature. I had a great time on this hike. Thank you Jamie for taking us here!


More pictures of the hike can be found here 




I have lots of Videos! Hopefully this will convey how great the hike is in person.

Placerita Canyon Trail

Place: Placerita Canyon State Park
Hiking Distance: 4 miles round trip.

Erland and I managed to get to bed at a decent hour and actually wake up at 7a.m! I also went to the supermarket the night before to get Clif bars and some beef jerky. Being well rested and stocked on snacks we had our 3 liter camelbaks full of water and ready to go. No being thirsty on this hike!

The drive out to Placerita Canyon was great. Open roads all the way there. We arrived at the park and as full as the lot was we had no trouble getting a parking spot. We walked to the trailhead and as we were about to start hiking on the trail two mountain bikers came charging out of the path. I know the trail is for everyone but, this was just the start of bikers not following trail etiquette.

After our delayed start at the trailhead, we hiked along the path. We came across a few people on the way to walker ranch. We even came across a man carrying his hiking boots and walking barefoot on the trail. It was a warm day but not inferno hot like it was for our Grotto hike. The trail had plenty of shade and made it a very comfortable hike. We stopped to take a picture at one point and another mountain biker came careening down the path. He did manage to slow down as I tried to get off the trail as fast as I could. I don't know what it is with the bikers on this trail but they really don't care for trail etiquette it seems.

Our new packs!

I got the ones with the largest water holding capacity. 

I have to say the Camelbaks are awesome. It's amazing not having to stop just to get a water bottle out of the pack. Just drink out of the tube while walking and you stay hydrated. The pack wasn't even that heavy with the 3L of water that we carried. We enjoyed one of the many benches at one point along our hike to just sit and enjoy our surroundings. It's so nice to get out in nature and enjoy the peace and tranquility that it brings. It is a nice change from the everyday stress of traffic, work, school and car troubles. All of that just goes away for the hour or two or three that we spend hiking.

Panoramic view of the mountains.

When we reached Walker ranch we debated if we should continue onto the waterfall trail but decided that since the stream was bone dry that the waterfall itself wouldn't have any water. I look forward to when we get a bit of rain so that there will be some water in the streams/creeks. After exploring the walker ranch area we started our hike back to the car and the nature center. We saw a lot more people along the trail on the way back. We even passed the man we saw before, the one walking without his boots on.

We reached the nature center and I wanted to go check it out. We left our packs in the car and headed over. They had a red tailed hawk and a horned owl on display in cages. Raptors have to be my favorite type of bird. They are all kinds of awesome. Erland saw that they had a museum so we stepped inside. They had a lot of information about the animals that lived in Placerita Canyon as well as a few animals on display. This was a fantastic hike and we will be coming back for sure to hike to the waterfall when it is in season. Photos of the hike found here.


Videos

Grotto Trail Hike

Place: Santa Monica Mountains Recreational Area
Hiking Distance: 3.5 miles round trip

I don't know what it is, but I can't seem to get out on the road very early to get to hiking spots. Set alarm for 6AM, woke up then went back to sleep. Ended up on the road around 10AM and then hit traffic for an hr and finally got to the trail around 12 noon. It was hot and I mean 103 degrees hot. A sign posted on the ranger station warned people not to bring their dogs because dogs have died on the trail in this kind of heat. So off we went towards the Trailhead!

Panoramic view of the Santa Monica Mtns.

Going down towards the grotto was relaxing and fun. There were great views and everything was so peaceful. Only bonus of going at this time is that the trails are never crowded. You feel like you are completely alone in the world out in the wild. Getting to the grotto was completely downhill. The trails were dusty and littered with loose rocks. Thanks to our hiking poles, we made it down safely and at a nice pace.

We reach the grotto. I knew that we would have to do some scrambling/rock climbing, so I bought a pair of gloves for each of us to protect our hands. We passed another couple who were coming up from the rock/boulder area so we figured it would be pretty easy.  As I looked over the edge to look for a path  my water bottle fell out of my packs side holder and down into the boulders and rocks. I figured I had lost the bottle for good. Erland having found a path climbed down first and found the water bottle in one of the crevices. He also saw a lot of other peoples water bottles in that exact same spot! The bottle had survived a long drop without a scratch. Nalgene bottles are tough as nails! It was important that we got the bottle back because it was all the water we had. I plan to buy another bottle from REI so that I can carry two water bottles and I'm going to get Erland a camelback. Running out of water was the worst thing to happen to us on this hike.

Boulder area. Right on top of grotto cave.

I should also note that Erland and I did a very unwise thing. Since we got a late start, we skipped breakfast and went hiking on empty stomachs. We also forgot to get Cliff bars from the market. On every hike we have done up to this point I have always carried  some Cliff bars and sometimes an apple or two. This lead to us being extremely tired and weak/sick feeling by the time we had to scramble on the rocks. Being hungry and then running out of water really made this hike, which I know would not have been a problem under normal circumstances, feel like murder on our bodies.

Since we couldn't figure out how to get to the actual grotto cave after climbing down through all the boulders, we climbed back up towards the trail. We sat for a few minuets on a huge boulder to rest. Now, the hike back to the car will be the worst thing I have ever experienced. Hunger and thirst was making us slow. The heat making us want to just die. We took a lot of breaks in the shade on the way back. Erland ended up falling and scratched his leg. We used the first aid kit to clean it up and then continued on our way. We finally reached the car and couldn't have been happier. I have to say the hiking poles helped out A LOT!  Next hike we will have lots of extra water and plenty of food/snacks. Lesson learned! More photos of hike here.


No hike next week. We will probably be going to the L.A county fair.

Video

Ronald Reagan Ranch

Place: Malibu Creek State Park          Malibu, Ca  9/12/10
Hiking Distance: 3 miles round trip

For this hike we decided to head on over to the Reagan Ranch. This trail travels on the land where President Ronald Reagan lived prior to his election as governor of California.His old barn and house were also here but I somehow forgot to take pictures of them. They are now used by the rangers for storage. For this Sunday hike, the trail was devoid of all people. It was very peaceful when we didn't have to hear the cars on the road/highway nearby.

View of the meadow

The first part of the hike was a lot of meadow area. Then as we moved on, it became more woodsy with a lot more trees and shade. Shade was important on this hike since we got there around 4pm and it was pretty hot. Once we got to higher ground we had some great views of the mountain range behind the meadow. It was very beautiful. As we continued our hike, we came across some very awesome looking trails. The trails reminded me of the spooky trials you would see in scary movies or cartoons. Now that I think of it, it would have made a nice Halloween hike.


Towards the end of the hike we got a nice aerial view of the Malibu lake. I got to see some jackrabbits by the car as we headed home!  Overall very nice hike. Will be coming back to this area to try some of the other trails. More pictures of the hike, as usual, can be found here!



Video time!

Next Sundays hike is Grotto Trail. Volcanic rock walls, boulders & subterranean streams! 

Hike #3 Santa Monica Pier to Venice Beach 9/5/10

Proof that it counts as a hike!

This wasn't really a hike in my opinion but it's in the hiking book, and I did say we were going to do every hike in the book!  I am kinda glad that there was a super easy hike available. Due to getting my tattoo, I can't carry a pack very well. Forgive this very weak update but I want to chronicle all our Sunday hikes.


We headed out around 11AM. Labor Day weekend really brings out the crowds, even on really overcast mornings. I forgot my camera so we took a few pictures of the pier with Erland's camera phone. I didn't manage to get pictures of much else since we were just trying to make our way through the crowds in one piece.

We plan to do a real hike again next week. I will have more videos and photos for next weeks hiking post!

Hike # 2 Eaton Canyon Falls

Place: Eaton Canyon County Park and Natural Area   Altadena, Ca
Hiking Distance: 3 miles round trip

  Got a Bit of a late start for this hike, wanted to be out on the trail by 7 AM ended up getting there around 10AM. It still ended up being a decent start. The parking lot was very crowded as were the trails, but this is nothing new for the weekends.

It was a very nice hike past lots of dry brush (The fire danger for that day was high), small creeks, lots of rocks/boulders and a pretty decent waterfall considering its been so hot and dry lately.

We did end up having to do some scrambling up and down large rocky areas to stay on the trail. Erland made some sandwiches which we ate once we got to the waterfall. Nature provided us with some comfy seats to have our lunch on! There were also a good number of dogs on the trail. Young and old, large and small. Most were off leash trained. One dog came to visit us while we where eating our sandwiches. I think he wanted to partake but we did not have an extra sandwich to spare- sorry pooch! More Pictures of the hike can be found here.

Panorama View of Eaton Canyon Falls.

I happened to get a new camera for my birthday, so I made full use of it on this hike. A neat feature that I will play with as I continue this blog is to add some video. Below are some videos from our hike.

I'm not sure what our hike for next week will be. Since I got my tattoo, I wont be able to wear a pack, so we may need to go on a shorter hike!

Hobby #1: Hiking

The Mission: Hike all hikes listed in:

We are starting with easy trails and then working up to the longer, more difficult trails. Since school is starting soon the plan is to hike a trail each Sunday. Today we decided to hike one of the many trails at Griffith Park.
Photos of our first hike can be found here!