Transitional season…or stick season…or shoulder season…Whatever you may call it, the month of November is marked by daylight ending at 4pm, temperatures fluctuations from well below freezing to near 7o degrees, and the sun’s deciding to make itself scarce for a while. Bright Orange becomes the color of choice for outings in or near the woods, for both humans and dogs. We are supportive of hunters and hunting, but do not want to end up the victim of an errant shot. The trail conditions can vary from wet heavy, slippery leaves, to enough snow to require snowshoes. This is November in Vermont, and we have survived it well this year, with lots of outdoor activity, and more hints of winter than we saw all of last year’s winter season!
We have been hiking, both on dry and wet leafy trails, and on untracked snow and ice. My new Tubbs Mountaineer snowshoes actually got tested within a few days of their arrival! We have also been joring…bike and kicksled only, since we have yet to get good skijoring conditions. I won a great Stormy Kromer hat from a twitter contest…those twitter chats, (such as #hikerchat and #trailtime) are a great source to make connections, learn about activities, and get advice for knowledgeable folks.
Here are some pics from our outings this month….given our attire,and the dogs’ vests and scarves, I think we are pretty visible!
Hiking!
Above: Burke Mountain, Waterbury Center State Park, Catamount Trail, and Cotton Brook canoe access
Above: Mill Trail, Stark Mt., Nebraska Notch Trail, and Waterbury Reservoir
Our snowy adventures have sometimes required us to hike up on the mountain,seeking man-made snow being stockpiled for the ski season. However, recent snowfalls have enabled us to take advantage of all-natural pure Vermont snow!
Above: Mt. Mansfield and Snake Mountain
Snowshoeing! Already I have a few entries in my 2016-17 snowshoe journal…maybe this year our winter trips will be highlighted by LOTS of snow….
Joring! Just a few photos, and a funny video to show Edgar in his training mode….
So to wrap up this month’s installment of the adventures of the Paddle Pups, we present our own Edgar the Wonder Dog! Enjoy your outings with your dogs, keep safe, and we will be back after the holidays!
Vermont Paddle Pups! 
oh! those puppies!! mine has wacky back legs/hips, so I never really took him adventuring with fear of injuring him. next puppy will hopefully be able to come with me more often.