Well we survived February…the second coldest February on record here, with most hiking days requiring boots and parkas on the dogs. They are SO SICK of wearing booties, and we are SO SICK of putting them on. Alas, March has arrived, and with it, the anticipation that we have for an upcoming return trip to Rangeley Maine.
But let’s not put February away so easily…we had great snow all month, and even some bluebird sunny days. We were able to hike every day except one, and even got in some additional skijoring during the second half of the month. No one was injured or got sick, and we explored some new local areas.

WIndchill well below zero…but with the right gear, even tender-footed Griff can enjoy the snow!

One of the rare days when the temperature hit 20 (f)…perfect for skijoring before the snowstorm arrived.

Back to back weekend days with temperatures around 20 (f)…what a delight. The day after skijoring, we headed our for a long snowshoe excursion in some fresh snow. It was a good thing we had our compass and map with us, as we ended up negotiating some spur trails that are not clearly marked on the map….we kept our orientation, and only had to retrace our steps once ( after 15 minutes of thigh-deep snow bushwacking…we decided that the more used trail was a better option!)

Griff and I made a 3 day trip to New London NH, for a family visit….the bitter cold had returned, so we only did some short hikes, but it was nice to get a change of scenery. We got out for a sunset hike, overlooking Lake Sunapee, which was very nice.

On the way back from NH, we stopped off at Millstone trails, for a sunny, but cold, jaunt on the trails around the old granite quarries. Beautiful views, and we had the trails to ourselves!

We are looking forward to our responsibilities as Backcountry K-9 Gear reviewers….we are fair, and honest reviewers, and feel our varied activities provide a good platform to assess outdoor gear for dogs. Reviews and gear comments should be starting in late March.

March…bringing us closer to canoeing season! Do you think Edgar is ready for paddling?

Well, I know that Gryphon is ready…we hiked out to Elephant Rock, and I think he is starting to wonder when we will be canoeing there again…I know that I am!

Our involvement with Friends of Waterbury Reservoir has continued…we are working on planning logistics for the April meeting, and we are so fortunate that Willem Lange has agreed to be our keynote speaker ( https://www.eventbrite.com/e/willem-lange-the-best-worst-canoe-trip-i-ever-was-on-tickets-15864254412)  We have contributed some of our doggie goodies towards the fundraising raffle, as we feel this organization, still in its infancy, deserves all the support we can offer.

So onward we tread, into March. and all the weather inconsistencies that it is sure to bring…as the days get longer, and the sun shines brighter, we are definitely feeling ready for Spring. Thanks for reading!

Yes, the weather continues to reinforce the notion of “hardy Vermonters”…though we have had frequent, moderate, accumulating snows, it is the cold which has put some limitations on our activities. We do have the capacity and gear to dress appropriately for the weather, but we have to consider 1. our safety, 2. the dogs’ safety, and 3. the fun factor ( will it really be fun to be battling dangerous conditions?). We have lots of snowy days ahead, and lots of time to play before real spring arrives… The steady influx of snow has made for some awesome snowshoeing conditions…so deep, that the dogs have each actually lost a bootie, which may or may not ever be found when the snow melts. No worries, though, as I carry extra booties in my pack, and we use the inexpensive mushers fleece booties. I also keep paw wax in my pack, which can help protect those paws from the cold.

Edgar, the snow submarine, at Sunset Rock

Gryphon, breaking trail at Cady Hill Forest

I was keeping an eye on the full moon calendar, and hoping that the evening of Feb.3 would be clear, but not dangerously cold….it looked good, until flurries and clouds rolled in late afternoon. The temperature was near 10 (f), so that was not an issue, so determination kicked in, and Griff and I headed out for a full moon snowshoe. We were blessed with a glorious,golden moonrise over the reservoir…the snow was soft, and there was not a sound to be heard. My small camera actually was able to capture some of the beauty…. We also checked out the snowshoeing at Perry Hill, a spectacular mountain biking network ( that is closed to bikes until May). The heel lifts on my snowshoes came in very handy on some of the steeper climbs, and the trails we found were soft,very snowy, and beautifully meandering through birch stands, and piney woods. A light snow was falling, and with temperatures around 20(f), conditions were perfect for snowshoeing.

Perry Hill

On Valentine’s Day, we took Edgar and his dad to a trail close to our home, that is often too crowded for our taste…we thought, well, it is only 2 degrees, wind chill well below zero, we’ll have it to ourselves. Well, we were wrong…but we did have a nice hike, and the snow on the trail was packed firmly enough that we used our micro-spikes, without any possibility of creating the dreaded post-holes. I did have one “scary” moment which led to an expletive or two…I had not brought my flexible mini-tripod, because it is new, and I did not want to lose it the first day I tried it. So, for a group “selfie”, I used one of natures’ tripods ( which I have done hundreds of times), a nice, flat stump that rose above the 4 feet of snow off the trail. I still cannot fathom how ( the forest gremlins, maybe?), but the camera fell off the stump, and disappeared into the depths of snow! A few minutes of cussing, and careful sifting through deep champagne powder resulted in Eureka, I found it! Thankfully it is a waterproof camera….but the next time I try this, I will have the camera strap clipped to something for security!

Griff near the stump, off of which my camera jumped, all by itself!

The great snow conditions, and beautifully groomed trails, led me to Ryder Brook, where I gave Edgar a little skijor practice. He is quite a bit faster than Griff, but he was very patient with me, and we had a great day (even though the promised sun never appeared) Edgar is such a good boy! We entered his funny canoeing photo in a contest, but since we are not into “like fishing” on facebook, his prospects are not good….but we love that photo, and like to share it with others.

We have also been selected to be gear testers/reviewers for  Backcountry K9  (http://backcountryk9.com/), so we will actually be sharing reviews of some of the gear they sell, or may be deciding to sell…our active dogs are proud to have been selected.

Meanwhile, on the home front…great news! Our daughter has announced her engagement, to a wonderful man. We are so pleased for her and her fiance…in their honor, we share a photo of them in a canoe, when they came camping with us a few years ago….

And with eternal optimism, I say…only 12 weeks until Paddle Season!

The last day of January, 2015 … Our plans had been to head out to the Northeast Kingdom, for some skijoring and snowshoeing on some trails we have yet to try. However, the National Weather Service has issued the following Wind Chill warning “BITTERLY COLD WIND CHILLS TODAY. DANGEROUS WIND CHILL READINGS…AS LOW AS 25 BELOW DUE TO TEMPERATURES 4 BELOW TO 4 ABOVE ZERO…AND WINDS NORTHWEST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.” So, we are postponing this trip, and will instead work on indoor agility, obedience practice, and maybe some gear maintenance and re-organization!

We have been out quite a bit in January, and temperatures, though often cold, have not restricted our activity to any great degree. No “big” snowstorms have landed here, but frequent smaller storms have resulted in a nice surface of white stuff in the mountains, and on the trails. The cold temperatures have mandated frequent bootie use by the dogs, and on very cold or windy days, the parkas have come in handy.

The nice carpet of snow has also meant that we have been able to do some “joring”, both on skis and with the kicksled. The dogs have really evolved into a nicely coordinated team when in harness for kicksledding. Edgar is definitely the speed, but Gryphon has a nice steadiness to him, and improved smoothness has been the result.

Our volunteer work as members of the Poo Crew at Kirchner Woods has continued, though with the nice snow, we have been taking more excursions exploring other trail networks. It may be strictly wishful thinking (or the frequent covering of new snow), but our data shows that more folks are actually cleaning up after their dogs!

Edgar overlooking the water, during a very snowy winter storm….

Deep stuff in Kirchner Woods! Very Cold, but sunny and nice…..

Edgar on the Mill Trail…the frozen ice falls are beautiful shades of green and blue

The wind was really gusting, and the heavy snow was blowing…Griff’s ears make it look like he is ready to take flight!

Griff saw a tiny shrew run across the snow, and disappear into it’s subnivean world. Griff knew there was a critter under there, but just could not find it!

Tomorrow, February will be upon us. The forecast is for a few more days of very cold temperatures, so our trips will be short, and local…keeping safety for us and our dogs as the top priority. After all, this is Vermont, and we will be snowshoeing and skiing into April ( no matter what the groundhog/woodchuck sees on Monday) !

We have made reservations to return to Rangeley, Maine for some winter fun, and we hope that on this year’s trip it will not be -20 degrees (f). We plan on kicksledding and skiing across the frozen lake, while contemplating plans for our summer canoe trips! Reservations have already been made for some 2-3 day canoe camping trips at our favorite sites on Green River Reservoir…

                                         Only 15 weeks until we put the canoe in the water!

January Journeys

https://vimeo.com/117020367

And for our community service….a brief article about our role as members of the local “Poo Crew”

http://www.stowetoday.com/stowe_reporter/news/poo-crew-tackles-a-messy-problem/article_ae8b4e10-9069-11e4-b8cf-1701df3a977a.html

Oh, yes..the wind was howling today! The past few weeks have seen temperatures fluctuate from 46 degrees (f), down to 10 below (f), and everything in between…living in Northern Vermont, we expect that bitter cold will greet us as the New Year arrives, and 2015 is living up to those expectations.  A forecast of extreme wind chills means our outdoor activities may be limited for the next few days, but as long as we do not have the extended “polar vortex” periods of arctic cold that we had  a year ago, we will be happy!

The last week of 2014 had us hiking in some rain, thawing temperatures and diminishing snow, and then a return to “parka and booties” conditions for the dogs.

It was a bit drizzly, but we had to get a Christmas photo at the one of our canoeing spots, to post on the Friends of Waterbury Reservoir facebook page!

We had a nice invigorating post-Christmas Day hike, up into Smugglers’ Notch…the temperatures were still mild, and though we had lost quite a bit of snow at lower elevations, up here there was still quite a bit…

It was a nice hike, though it nearly took a disastrous turn, through no fault of our own. While hiking back down the trail (actually, a closed road, so it is at least 25 -30 feet wide), on the right side of the trail, a back-country skier came flying past us, within arms reach to our right. No calling out “on your right”, or “coming through”…he just flew past us without any warning. Thankfully, none of us had taken a step to the right, or there may have been a terrible collision. It is probably a good thing he was long gone by the time we arrived back at the parking area, as my confronting him may not have been a peaceful event! There had been nearly no one else using the area, and I still have no idea why he elected to ski the narrow area between us and the trees on the right….crazy, and rude.

We took advantage of the warmer temperatures, and lack of snow, to hike out for morning coffee on Elephant Rock….very peaceful, and no dead gulls on the rock during this trip!

And of course, according to tradition, we took Gryphon for a nice hike on his 5th birthday….weather was again a bit sketchy, but we had a nice time at a local state park.

And yes, he got to eat his cake, too… a delicious concoction made with the dehydrated turkey food we won from the Honest Kitchen, cake mix, peanut butter, and topped with fancy cookies from a Bark Box that we also won! The two dogs shared it with delight!

And of course, we know enough not to get too enthralled with the mild temperatures….a little more snow, and a big drop in degrees, resulted in some cold , firm, and crusty hiking conditions. Our dogs’ booties protect them from cold, but also from crusty, uncomfortable snow.  Hiking conditions became tricky on some popular trails…folks who hiked in the deeper snow when it is soft (without snowshoes), left some nice, deep post-holes…those holes were now frozen, and created some hazardous conditions for both dog and human trekkers. We navigated our way around the holes without incident…but it will be nice when we get a good dump of snow to make the trails a bit more enjoyable.

Edgar in coat…but no booties. It has to be REALLY cold for him to need the boots!

Gryphon has the more sensitive paws…so at about 15 degrees, I’ll put them on him…easier than stopping to add paw wax or put them on mid-trail.

And with a whimper, ( and a very peaceful hike) 2014 enters into the annals of history….

Welcome 2015…and our First Day Hike!

It is cold, but we actually get out when there are a few breaks of sun…we have an entire trail network to ourselves, and it is a dandy! At Millstone Hill Trails, a system of trails meanders around abandoned quarry holes, hills, and relics of the famous Barre granite industry.  The snow was firm, and untracked…great for microspikes!

Best of all, we actually get some of that elusive sunlight when we reach the Grand Lookout….. 

So now we are back into the school, work, daily hike routine….I continue work as a volunteer “Poo Crew” member, monitoring dog waste issues at our nearby Land Trust trail network….and hoping to improve trail conditions for all users!

I luck out once more, and win a fancy-dancy pair of Leki 4-season poles…much more pole than I would ever purchase, but it is fun to have at least some of MY gear be top of the line ( usually the dogs’ gear gets priority, right?)

FINALLY, we get to take the new Tubbs Flex Alps snowshoes out for a test trek…we get 5-6 inches of sloppy snow, so we head out to Elephant Rock. A short hike, but it is actually raining a bit, so it seems appropriate. The snowshoes work admirably, on the twisting, narrow, obstacle laden trail. Since there are a few short, but steep climbs, we get to try out the heel-lift…Nice! Definitely a feature that is lacking on our old snowshoes. These were our Christmas presents to each other, and I think we are each quite happy with them!

We will see what the rest of January brings…hopefully, more snow suitable for skijoring and kick-sledding, and some longer back-country snowshoe excursions.

                                                        Peace, for 2015!

Yes, the forecast is good for a White Christmas ( despite some wet,warm rain coming in on Christmas Eve).  A 12-16 inch deep solid snowpack should suffer the indignity of rain on Christmas, and though it may continue to be Spikes over Snowshoes for a bit, there is no stopping us on our Winter Adventures.

The dogs have been out working this month…we tried out the new local rail trail with the kicksled…first time this season they had been harnessed as a team, and they were WONDERFUL! Our day of kicksledding was good practice for the next day, when we were off to get the Christmas Tree. It was some tough going getting out to the tree…some deep snow, packed snow, and some breakable semi-crusty stuff….The dogs love it, as there is lots of subniveal life in the snow near the trees. They did not catch any voles,mice,or moles ( thankfully), but got in a lot of strong sniffing before they went to work.

A large tree, being pulled by two dogs..what a sight! The dogs loved the chance to run, and would have kept going back to the car unsupervised, except that we were able to get in a loud “Whoa!”, and they actually responded!

We have continued winter hiking, though we have yet had a chance to try out our new Tubbs Alp Flex snowshoes…since they are from Santa, we thought we should use our old snowshoes ( if necessary), at least until the week of Christmas. The Paddle Pups are also getting involved in more Community Service…as leaders of the Poo Crew at one of our local trail networks. We will maintain the “doggie-bag” dispensers, collect data on the number of “landmines” we find on the trails, and encourage others to Leave No Trace. Our previous unofficial efforts have resulted in minimal effect, but perhaps with the backing of our local Land Trust, conditions may improve.

We have also continued to work with the Friends of Waterbury Reservoir group, to improve canoeing and canoeing conditions at one of our local lakes. We use that area year-round, but it is nice to attend meetings where the focus is on summer canoeing and camping. As much as we have fun in winter, it is nice to have warm summer days to look forward to.

Merry Christmas, from the Vermont Paddle Pups!

Well, not so bare anymore! A 3-day snow event has brought us deep, heavy snow…drooping, snow covered limb,s which we can see and hear as they snap off under the burden of the heavy snow. However, it is beautiful, and we enter the Christmas Season with a true sense of anticipation, for what the winter will bring!

A hike up Elmore Mountain…heavy and crusty snow…quite a slog!

December has been marked by some fluctuating temperatures, including the first morning we had low single digits on the thermometer. Edgar has a great new parka from Nooksack Racing Supply…handmade in Maine, and of exceptional quality!

Hiking to our canoeing spots and local trails…and on a very cool Sunday hike, a chance for Edgar to tryout his bright red parka!

We hike to Picnic Rock ( aka Elephant Rock) on a snowy, grey day…beautiful and peaceful, though footing on the rocks was a bit precarious. Thanks again,for our Kahtoola Microspikes!

Our dogs achieve a small moment of “celebrity”, as they are selected to be featured on the Boston Bruins Pucks N’ Pups Calendar…this calendar is a fundraising item for the Bruins’ charitable foundation, and our dogs are honored to be included in the same publication as Bruins favorites Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, and Tuukka Rask!

The dogs are, of course, a bit oblivious of their fame….they much prefer to be out and about, hiking, skiing, or just playing in the snow…

So now that we have a good solid base of snow, we should be able to get out for some skijoring and kicksledding….the dogs get a bit of pulling practice this upcoming weekend, as they use their pulling harnesses to help us drag out our Christmas tree, once we have found it and cut it down! That annual activity usually leads to some very interesting video….

Happy snow, all….keep busy, active, and safe!

November…it has teased us with warm sunny days, and brought us back to reality with single digit temperatures on some mornings….We had had snow, bright green grass, and the deep browns, russets,and greys of November woods. The cold of Winter is upon us, and we adjust to new activities, upgrade our gear, and seek to make our Vermont winter one which we can enjoy (though I am sure we will curse the weather more than once before May rolls around!). We present a short video notebook of the past month!  Just click on the following link…..

https://vimeo.com/113155861

We give thanks for all the blessings of the past year….

Calm Waters ( well, most of the time)

Well Behaved dogs ( well, most of the time)

Wonderful weather for all our trips ( well, except for hail in May, and a deluge in July)

Great skiing and sledding conditions ( well, not all the time)

Safe and enjoyable hiking and snowshoeing (well, a few minor injuries)

We look forward to spending the holidays with family and friends….We pray for safe travels for all, and peace and serenity, as we prepare for the long winter ahead. Happy Thanksgiving from the Vermont Paddle Pups!

October is done…the canoe is packed up, and decisions are being made regarding upgrading our fleet of snowshoes. We are minimalists when it comes to Halloween, but we did carve a pumpkin..the Vermont Paddle Pups Pumpkin!

With the arrival of November comes an increased awareness of when, and where we hike…always alert to the possibility of encountering hunters in the woods. Orange bandannas for dogs, orange hats and vests for us…and we avoid the more popular hunting areas. Darkness also comes early (yuk)…so we use reflective gear and illuminated flashers when the dogs go out with us in the dark. We were fortunate to win a reflective dog vest and scarf from Hurtta, so we look forward to putting those to good use!

A big,bright,orange scarf!

At Waterbury Reservoir…tress are brown, and grass will not be this green much longer!

The first weekend of November, we celebrated Edgar’s 3rd birthday… a yummy dog cake, made with beef bouillion, peanut butter,and Buddy Biscuits…YUMMY! For his birthday hike, we went to Picnic Rock, but this time, we did not paddle there, but rather took a short land-hike. Both dogs had a good time, and were impressed by a young black lab who was leaping off the rocks into the water.

Proud Birthday Boy!

I was very brave one day, and took Edgar for a pre-season bikejor jaunt. He did a great job! He remained (pretty much) on trail, and kept up a pretty good pace…Next time out, I’ll take some photos.

We also took a short day trip to Montreal; crossing the border was a non-issue, as we had both dogs’ medical files with us, and were only required to show proof  of rabies vaccination. Our country dogs played city dogs for a day, hiking on a city park high on Mont Royal…lots of other dogs, and over 80% were following the leash requirement. Yay!

Edgar Statue

Gryphon statue

On 11/03/14, the Notch Road closed, due to icy conditions at its highest point . This section of state highway is closed to traffic in the winter, as it is a steep, windy,and narrow road, that cannot be plowed in the winter months. Since the forecast was for warming temperatures later in the week, I decided to take advantage of this temporary closure, and head up there with Griff. There was some snow and ice, but still a few remnants of fall color, and even some purple along the roadside.

Sure enough, the road re-opened the next day…but alas, on 11/07 we received actual snow…now it looks as though this popular destination for skiers, hikers, ice climbers, and hammerhead sledders may remain closed to cars until May! Griff and I found blowing snow, biting wind, and easy hiking!

The next day, we took both dogs up into the Notch. Cold temps, but the sun was trying to peek through the clouds, and for the first hour or so, we saw only one other user, a die-hard X-C skier. There were 4-5 inches of snow, and ice on the roadway/trail…both dogs loved nosing into the snow, and running along the soft white ground.

Along a flowing, icy stream….

While sitting at the pull-out off the road where we took some photos,our dogs were rambunctiously approached by two 6-8 month old lab pups. I asked the owners to “call your dogs,please”,  and of course, what followed was multiple “here Rover, Rover come, No Rover, come Rover etc..” as the two interlopers ran all around our dogs, one even picking up Griff’s lead in it’s mouth…Griff did not take kindly to that! The owners seemed a bit miffed at us, when I suggested that they practice recall before taking the dogs off leash at a popular dog hiking area. Thankfully, our dogs are not aggressive, or these pups (and owners) might have learned a very tough lesson. On our hike out, we encountered quite a few dogs, on leash and off…no problems with those dogs!

We ended the weekend with a hike to a local state park, on the reservoir where we paddle. We checked out the camping spots, and took the dogs to the beach, where they are not allowed during operating season. It was in the 40’s, overcast, and not a bit of snow to be seen. Would have been a great day, if not for my losing my cell phone, somehow, somewhere….unfortunately, unlike my previous dog, a trained police K-9, neither of our dogs are accomplished trackers!

As much as the dogs enjoyed this hike, I think they really preferred the snow hike of the previous day. I think they like to just look out the window, and ask “where is our snow?”

And now we deal with the diminishing daylight, increasing cold, and unpredictable, and often gloomy mid-November weather. As always, keeping active with the dogs is a key to survival!