I didn't walk the dogs ar sunrise today because I wanted to save my energy for the walk up Carr Canyon Road at 7an, my first time walking that road this season. It was a cool morning, 60F, and again very hazy. I saw the orange-red sun rise from my back yard.
I only wanted to take the pups when I drove off to Carr Canyon, but Zeke darted out the front door. I'm a push-over and can"t say no to him since he's a proven hiker with good etiquette and stays by my side. Sweetie's etiquette is not as good but today I didn't have to pull her back inside because the pups and I left via the front door.
I got to the parking area with 15 minutes to spare. I was the first one there. Then SteveT drove up, then Holly and then no one else. A new gal that Holly said would show up never did. The three of us took off on time.
I like Holly but she is a talker. She latched on to me as we started our walk. Steve quickly fell behind and I had no means to escape Holly's constant chatter. She's an uninterrupted stream of consciousness when she talks. If she's not talking about herself, she's talking about her daughter Kara, her son Sean, her husband Craig. I learned all their bad habits in the 4.6 mile walk! I kept the dogs onleash the entire time as they pulled and lunged. When Trace came near, they whimpered even more to get near him. There weren't any other walkers along the road for the dogs to get exposed to.
The waterfall was barely trickling when we got to the top, but there was enough there for the dogs to drink out of. This is so sad, as August is usually a good month for running water. I made them walk the 2.3 miles up the road without a water break and I knew they needed refreshment. When I took them offleash, though, they ran all over the place instead of take a break. I called them back to me and we both met Steve at the overlook. He was already sitting there with his dog Trace.
We sat on a large boulder and talked for a bit while the pups ran around and sniffed everything. This is their first time on Carr Canyon Road. Where we stopped is a popular spot for walkers to sit and rest. I policed the area of beer cans and bottles, barely able to fit all the trash in my backpack. I'll never understand why people can carry full bottles and cans up a mountain, drink the contents, and then throw the empties in the shrubbery?
Holly clung to me on the walk down as well. The pups were still onleash and noticeably more relaxed, not pulling on the leashes as badly. Traffic was minimal coming down. I stopped a few times to let Steve catch up with us. Once we got back to the cars we all departed, as it was only 9:43am and no fast-food place was open yet. There were no other cars parked along the road. Where was everyone?
The sky was bright hazy now with the late morning sun above.
I have to admit that I was glad to be back to a quiet home with no one to listen to. The pups napped and the other dogs were laying about.
Susan's friend and neighbor Denise had a bad fall off her horse and was rushed to the ER late in the morning. Susan didn't walk her dog along the river and was on call for her friend, who ended up having a fractured hip but can walk on her own. She is a lucky woman! I didn't feel like driving the 13 miles to the river to walk the other dogs later in the day. What I did do instead was take Zeke and Sweetie on a 1.5 mile walk around the hood. The sky is still smoky hazy, but it was cooler tonight and we walked at a good pace.
The news is now all about the wildfires in California, Oregon and Washington, bringing back memories of the 2011 fire here when we had to evacuate and feared losing our home.
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