We ended our week up here in winter paradise with a hike we have been saying we will do for the last 5 years. Well, today we conquered it!
We started early this morning with the Crack of Dawn. We hiked through to the Mountain View turn-off and wound our way down the trail. And winding and down it was! But then, about halfway down to the bottom, the trail turns and CLIMBS! Like, seriously climbs steeply for a ways.
Riley hoofed it up the big hills like a champ.
When we finally climbed part way back up the mountainside, we broke through the trees to the Mountain View cabin. Now, in our heads, we thought Mountain View trail would be views of the Monashee Mountains or the valley down to Vernon. Well, we were in for a surprise! It’s actually a view of the Silver Star Mountain face. You can see the mountain waaaaay off in the distance. We were staying pretty close to the village at the base, so it was quite the realization to look back at the ground we covered.
We hiked about 3 km of up and down hills today in the snow. Riley did most of it but needed some help coming home. When we left the cabin, he hiked up to Chaton, and then about a hundred meters in it was Kurgo time.
Riley has definitely learned that this backpack is a good thing. He was a tired pup and went right into the pack for a rest. Up on my back, he went, and we set off again! We hiked up to where Chaton meets the reservoirs and water treatment plant…that’s where our tale gets a bit interesting.
You see, we didn’t know that there were roads and one-way ski zones. Well, we learned! We expected Chaton to open up to the Meadow Trail, which is a multi use trail for snowshoes, fat bikes, hikers, and cross country skiers. Except we actually ended up at the Night Loop, but not really.
We got very confused by the crossing trails and roads. They all looked the same! We decided we were just going to hike up in the general direction we are supposed to be going in until we found a sign. And about 200 metes ahead, we met the Meadow Trail!
Now that we found Meadow Trail, it was an easy walk for a bit, all flat, before we met up with Bobcat trail. Bobcat is a short trail that goes up through the trees from Meadow Trail to Crack of Dawn (the trail we started on). Well, they have done some remodeling within the tree line around Bobcat, and we were dodging skiers for the first few meters. There were quite a few trees cleared out which the skiers have taken advantage of to go through moguls and mounds in the trees. Lots of fun, I’m sure! But, it has made the trail difficult to navigate. About 100m in, we brought Riley out of the Kurgo, and he hustled his little but up the mountain with us! If it weren’t for spotting the little trail indicator, we probably wouldn’t have found Crack of Dawn for a while.
But we did it! A total trek of 4.4km today! Riley completed about 3.4km on his own. I packed him in the Kurgo for about 1km, and we did carry him a few feet over some really steep sections. But the rest, he did himself! I am so proud of him!
Now, this pretty boy is all tuckered out and sleeping for the night! I didn’t think he would be able to do a trip like this 8 months ago. I thought for sure we would be packing him in the Kurgo for the majority of our hikes. I figured the arthritis in his leg would be the biggest hindrance to these hikes. But Riley has proven us wrong. He picks himself up and motors through the woods! We watch him closely for any signs of pain or discomfort (a limp, a raised paw, a slowing down, etc.) and stop to rest when they appear. If a 5- to 15-minute rest is all he needs, then we rest and keep going. If he needs more, into the Kurgo, he goes!
It was a wonderful end to our vacation. And one that we hope will open new doors for more adventures!
ASR Adventures 
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