Pan's First Hike!

My heart is all full up! It has been over a year since I have been on a hike, but Saturday brought an end to that drought.

My sweet little Two Socks loved to go hiking, but sadly she wasn't up to that in her last few years. As such I just didn't go, I felt terrible taking Pan and leaving her behind, so we all sat it out.

Since it is now just Pan, and the weather is being cooperative, it is time to put my Coleman's back on!

I wasn't sure how the little guy was going to do, he is small of body and sometimes of spirit. He can't help it of course, I'd have some fear and such if I weighed seven pounds too! That said, I had planned on taking him out to Red Rock Canyon, but opted not since that is an hour away and I didn't know how long he would last. So we settled on a lake trail in Arcadia about 20 minutes away.

He did great! He stayed with me the entire time, never going more than fifteen feet away at any given time, always making sure we were in eye sight of each other, and was a pretty great little trail dog. He did bark at and try to run after some mountain bikers, but he came back when I called him and didn't chase after them once they rode past. We walked for about an hour, maybe around four miles, up and down, over rocks and through water. Pan was a trooper!

The walk itself was interesting. Being so close to the city I could hear highway traffic which was distracting, but there were also the sounds of birds! The trees were still bare and brown, but I found some patches of green and even some little wildflowers. It was an odd juxtaposition throughout.

It was so nice being outside. It made me long for the days of my childhood when I knew I had a week at summer camp, and then in high school and college when I had the opportunity to spend my entire summer at camp. As that is no longer an option I'll settle for day trips right now, until I can recruit my buddy into some camping, filling up my insides with the glory and wonder that is the great outdoors.