Great Hike with my dog Jackson this morning (photos)

[jc1234]

We are getting ready for work tomorrow <sigh>. Definitely going to one morning off this week and get another good hike in though!

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[jc1234]

Just a few more photos. Lighting isnt great. All the leaves and the early morning sun make for a darker more grainy photo.

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I also bought a mountaineering harness for him to distribute the force of the lead around his whole body if he slips, falls, or needs a tug to get his footing, rather than have the force be around his neck. He HATES it. Im hoping he gets used to it today and tomorrow during our hike, its for his own good.

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[Justin Case]

Those are GREAT Photos ! Thanks,,

[Winter]

Cool stuff. Nice looking critter.

[crashdive123]

So, where is Jackson taking you?

[rudyumans]

Nice pictures. Beautifull area and very nice pooch! Since he carries a lot of your stuff because of your "bad body parts" He might be tax deductable LOL

[Rick]

You've probably said and I just don't remember. What kind of dog is he? I had a Springer Spaniel that looks a LOT like him only mine was black.

[rudyumans]

Just a few more photos. Lighting isnt great. All the leaves and the early morning sun make for a darker more grainy photo.

Don't know what kind of camera you used, but with most cameras you can get a metering in these situations if you point your camera down at the main area, push the shutter button half way, hold, recompose and push all the way

[jc1234]

So, where is Jackson taking you?

Same places, we are just getting prepared for winter hiking, which is a whole different level of difficult.

Nice pictures. Beautifull area and very nice pooch! Since he carries a lot of your stuff because of your "bad body parts" He might be tax deductable LOL

He is a tax deduction, but luckily, I dont have enough medical bills per year (I think it has too be around 10% of gross income) to claim him.

You've probably said and I just don't remember. What kind of dog is he? I had a Springer Spaniel that looks a LOT like him only mine was black.

He is a great pyrenees / akbash mix aka mountain mutt.

[jc1234]

Took the wife and some friends and their dog hiking with us today. It was fun...it was slow lol. These photos probably look repetitive, this is because I took them to the nicest falls which I tend to use as backgrounds. When we get into the fall, the water level will rise giving the falls and our hikes a whole new look and feel. Winter is my favorite season by far, also the most challenging. Had to hike mostly on trail and off of the stream beds today to keep everyone company. I brought the point and shoot since the wife knows how to use that one and only snapped a few photos.

In the photos you might catch a glimpse of my latest idea. Its a 25 ft static rescue doubled over using a quad figure 8 knot on one side and a double figure 8 on the other. In between it has a few square knots. I can use it in all sorts of leash positions with the two carabiners attached (one on his collar loop and one on my end). The square knots allow for multiple hand holds and attachment points since the rope is doubled over. Its not too useful for great distances, but in a pinch it might come in handy.

I just realized that this is the 3rd hike in a row that I have had no joint pain after. I know it wont last, but it is a welcome change. Everything goes in cycles just like the seasons.

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I swam over to this fall. I hadnt swam under this fall before, so I figured why not.
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I stole our friends dog's stick, he was quite distraught over that.
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Somehow I managed to snap a photo without realizing it of both dogs making funny faces.
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[Rick]

Man!! That last pic has such a straight line. I could get you in sooooo much trouble but I'll let it go. Great pics, pretty ladies and nice looking canines. See? I did okay.

Thanks for sharing!!!!!!!

[crashdive123]

Nice restraint Rick.

Looks like a good day for all.

[hunter63]

Man!! That last pic has such a straight line. I could get you in sooooo much trouble but I'll let it go. Great pics, pretty ladies and nice looking canines. See? I did okay.

Thanks for sharing!!!!!!!

LOL, what he said.
Y'all just made my day!

[jc1234]

LOL. Thanks all. It was a good day. Looking forward to hiking again alone though. I like it when my wife comes, but its a different kind of hike. Im going to try going in the afternoon if I can get a cool day and get some better photos when the light is more in my favor.

I love the mornings though, not a soul around except for a few regulars. Jackson's harness didnt work out, its a bit too tight. I found a company in Australia that has something which should work. Looking forward to some more stream bed hikes once we have that before the water levels rise and the current gets too dangerous.

Im starting to get prepared for winter. Summer hiking is easy mentally. Its a whole other beast in winter. 50 feet off trail all visual landmarks are gone after the first good snow, the triangular shape of the waterfall trails make it damn near impossible for me to navigate by sound and near the trail everything is drop offs and ice. Going off trail can be almost as treacherous for other reasons. Of course the better views and more exquisite falls are in the harder to reach areas. The dog cant go on trail in the winter in many spots and navigating off trail has to be done completely by bearing and the trail maps they have arent exactly stellar. The trail maps are topographic, but dont have any grid or north south lines, just a compass rose. Its fine for general planning but for more detailed navigation when Im actually hiking, it isnt great, or maybe my skills need a lot of work?

[jc1234]

Didnt get to go hiking last week, work was hectic and school started again. We went today, but it was so packed with people that we hiked the stream beds to avoid the trails, although we did run into a few people here and there. Jackson had around 20 photo requests from random people. We are going to go again early tomorrow or Tuesday morning when it will hopefully be fairly empty.

On another note, the static line leash Im using has saved my butt a few times. If you have a larger dog whos neck wont be bothered by the weight of static line (I use the static rescue rope) I highly recommend it.

Here are the latest photos. I just figured out how to use the exposure setting today on the new camera (after the hike) so hopefully our future photos will start getting better lol.

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See what I mean when I say it was crowded today. These are just a few of Jackson's fans he met today:
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[crashdive123]

Looks like a fun day despite the crowds.

[jc1234]

Looks like a fun day despite the crowds.

Ya, it was fun. Cant wait for winter though, Im ready for ice and snow, plus it makes for better photos. Hiking along the streams fed by the waterfall are nice, they are slow but challenging, its also fun because the water level changes daily, which completely changes the path(s) you can take. Jackson seems to like it too.

[jc1234]

A few more. The falls have been slow lately, not much rain and the falling leaves and beavers are slowing the water down for the moment. We took the opportunity to take a few photos that didnt focus on waterfalls.
I edited this one a bit to really bring out the blue in the sky as the sun went down...which is why it looks a little weird.
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I am going to frame this one I think
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Long exposure setting brought out the colors in the trees and washed out the sky, but it was cloudy anyway, so it didnt really matter.
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I love this one.

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[crashdive123]

Awesome pictures. I really miss the changing colors of Autum down here. Thanks for letting us have a look.

[Rick]

Those truly are some fantastic pics. Great colors! Thanks for sharing.