3 Miles

There is a trail up a mountain along the coast of northern California that my son and I like to walk periodically. We have to drive about 10 miles to get there but it is inland enough so the coastal fog (high fog or low fog or both) during the summer is most of the time cleared by the early afternoon and if it is coming in that deep. Even though it is the least favorite of all the things about where I live (summer fog)( But without it everything wouldn't stay as green and there wouldn't be redwood trees here in northern California without it either. Because some trees and plants get as much or more moisture from the high and low fog and the fact that things don't dry out so much when there isn't that much direct sun on them. For example, many springs and small brooks are still running this late this year which is a little unusual considering we didn't get our normal amount of rain this year. But the last two years were way above average for rainfall so that is probably why.

Anyway, my older dog is about 70 pounds and a long hair German Shepard and Australian Shepard mix. His coloration looks a lot like a long hair German Shepard but his ears and tail and rear legs look a lot like an Australian Shepard and his coat is as smooth as silk (which means he blows coat year 'round around the house too) in addition to being incredibly soft. But now, in addition to being the nicest and smartest dog I've ever known. (Sometimes even smarter than some humans at times) he is now getting pretty old at 14. I took him with my son and my daughter's corgi who is now about 6 or 8 years old and she was fine last time on this hike but my German Shepard Aussie Shepard Mix was messed up for about 3 days last time he went on this hike.

So, I left him home and though he wasn't happy he knew whatever it was I was thinking of him by not taking him. So, even though he looked lonely I think he knew (because he is incredibly intelligent for a dog(Understands about 300 words and commands) what I was doing. So, my son and I took only my daughter's Corgi with us this time. And because of the heat in the 80s she was panting like I had never heard her before. Luckily at the top near the lake or pond there was a spring that the California Parks Service had put several faucets on for dogs and horses to drink from and higher up there was a place for humans to drink from and to refill their canteens or bottles of water they might be carrying. So, the Corgi Drank and I refilled my water bottle and my son did his as well.

However, the Corgi was panting like I had never heard her before because of the heat. I kept stopping in the shade for her because I didn't want her to collapse and have to carry her down the mountain. But we all made it home safely. As I was feeding both dogs tonight the Corgi I put in with my wife as she was doing business because she couldn't eat in front of my German Shepard Aussie Shepard mix because even though she is a love doggie, he is a food doggie (a lot like a guy) and will sneak her food if he can get away with it. So, I have to protect her food because she is such a finicky eater. So, when I looked a little later she was sleeping with all four feet straight in the air like she has since she was a puppy when she is really tired on her back.

So, even though she made it all the way up and back the very steep trail I'm really glad I didn't take my older dog because it might have killed him at this point.

Later, when my family and I went out to a restaurant after the meal I stood up and felt my legs might come off at first after this very steep hike up to the mountain lake with my son and my daughter's Corgi.