Exploring the Back Forty With the Dogs

Pursuant to our goal of having a short mountain bike trail out back somewhere, I hooked Declan, Dora, and Sally up to the rig this afternoon and went for a ride.  It officially took us about an hour and a half to go 7.6 miles.  The reality was more like three hours, once the time without using Endomondo is taken into account. 

Muck!

We followed the forest road that leaves Colombe a couple miles north of home.  It took about half an hour to get to the end of the trail, or to go three miles.  The hope was to find a route back out to the road.  We didn't.  What we did find was a nice mud hole and a grassy clearing. 

Sally Grazing. Dora Waiting.  Declan Resigned.

On the way back, I marked the trails that appear to go in the direction of home on the GPS.  Failing a route to the road, it would be fun to find a route to the house.  The dogs were very patient, for the most part, though their patience did have a limit.  

Dogs Waiting for Me to Mark the Trail.

Trail to Adventure.

Back near the start of the forest road, there was a smallish grassy trail that I wanted to peak around the corner of.  I parked the dogs and told them to stay.  They aren't very obedient:  I hadn't gotten very far down the trail before I heard the rig tip over as they tried to follow me.  Being pretty easy to convince, I righted the rig and had them pull me down the trail.  Hmm.  I thought visible ruts were scary!  I had no idea what was under the grass as they went tearing down the trail in front of me.  We bent the bracket holding the flag, so that was tickling my head as the ruts, rocks, and rotting logs tried to bounce me off the platform. 

Someone drove down the forest road in a truck while we were off on that little jaunt.  They had gone back the other way by the time we got back on the forest road.  We found them parked in the middle of the trail and out in the trees taking down a tree stand.  They were pretty surprised to be passed by a little team of dogs.

There was a steady rain during most of our outing.  It was nice, as it kept us all cool until we got home, at which point it felt pretty darned chilly!  There was a LOT of scat out there.  I know I saw wolf, because it was huge.  Since being told there are cougars in the area, I nearly convinced myself that I saw some cat scat, but there was no associated litter box and kitty litter, so I'm not at all sure of that one.  I can only say this:  I sure hope that wasn't what I saw!  I saw something that could have been from a bear, but I was really moving to fast to accurately identify anything other than the wolf scat.  Birds were heard but not seen, and none of them were grouse.  I've seen very few grouse this spring.  Oh, well.

Happy Trails!

--Susan