Memories of a Great Dog

1. Fifth Pick of the Litter
2. Growing Up
3. Competition
4. In the Mountains
5. On the Beach
6. Buffy
7. Old Age

4. In the Mountains

In 1994, we bought a small cabin in the Mt. Hood National Forest.

This became the jumping off point for many hikes.

In the winter, Chip joined us when we went cross-country skiing.

Chip loved the snow, and would roll in it even on cold days. One morning in Colorado the temperature was 7 degrees. The first thing Chip did when we stepped outside was roll around in the snow.

The worst blizzards didn't seem to discourage him.

Over the years, we hiked in many wilderness areas, including one memorable hike to the top of Mt. McLoughlin in the Southern Oregon Cascades. The static electricity at the top made our hair stand on end, so we took a couple of photos and got down fast!

Also in Southern Oregon, we hiked to the base of Mt. Thielson.

One year we did some hikes in far eastern Oregon, including to the top of Little Baldy in the Malheur National Forest.

We also hiked in California, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming. But some of our most unforgetable hikes were in Oregon's Mt. Jefferson Wilderness Area.

This is Forked Butte, seen from the Sugar Pine Ridge Trail in the Mt. Jeff Wilderness.

That same day we returned on the Jefferson Lake Trail, for a total loop of about 20 miles.

On another day, we hiked up Canyon Creek to the crater of Three-Finger Jack.

Though the crater is mostly flat, Chip managed to cool off in a pool of melted snow.

Brush Creek was another favorite trail into the Jefferson Wilderness. Here Chip is wearing booties to protect his feet from sharp lava rocks.

Next: On the Beach