August 30th, 2009 by admin

This is a new record for me. Two hikes in two weeks. People who live here often hike every possible day, but it’s taken me a while to overcome the following things:

1) No bathrooms on the trail
2) No instant way to stop and go home
3) Intermittent feelings of breathlessness, heart pounding, dizziness, and muscle failure

Am I the only person willing to admit that even on a beautiful hike I sometimes don’t want to keep going, I think I’m going to pass out or I wonder why I agreed to go?

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The amazing thing is that so far I have enjoyed hiking in Colorado and have not once regretted going when all was said and done.

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The Ptarmigan Lake hike is both easy and gorgeous. So far it is the most beautiful hike I’ve done in Colorado, though I am hardly a veteran hiker.

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For me, hiking in the Rockies or the Southwest can’t be beat because I like the dry air and distinct lack of mosquitoes. You just have to carry a lot more water. You will rarely be drenched in sweat or humid air, and if you do get wet, you dry out in minutes. Also, there is no mud to speak of.

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Here are the photos:

The trailhead is quite fancy compared to some of the others. It has a small paved parking lot and an outhouse, both of which are in excellent condition. It is also not hard to find. Buena Vista is a one-stoplight town as of today. When you at the cross-section of Highway 24 and Main Street (aka County Road 306 on the west side of Hwy 24), the trailhead is clearly marked by a brown and tan Forest Service sign 13.3 miles on the left side of the road.

The first section of the trail is mostly wooded. The Spruce pines are fragrant and the ascent is gradual for the most part.

Along the way, there are areas where you can see out over a valley.

Fellow hikers and dog-lovers stopped to chat with us or pet the dogs. Our small dogs  are always a curiosity because toy breeds are an anomaly on the trails. The typical Colorado hiking dog is a Lab, Retriever, Heeler, Border Collie or some mix thereof.

Although Willie is the skittish one, she is a sucker for attention, as you can see with this hiker we met on the trail.

Once you come out of the wooded part of the hike, the landscape opens up into meadows with small lakes and ponds.

Before I go on, I should say that Ptarmigan is pronounced with a silent “p”, so it sounds like “tarmigan”. This is one of those hikes that is considered a delight to photographers. It is known for its wildflowers and colorful ground foliage, as well as the stunning lake and mountain views.

The open meadows dotted with spruce, ground firs and low lying foliage smelled and looked amazing. The photos can only convey some visual sense of the experience.

In a few areas the trail led us through thickets of bright meadow bushes.

Just when we were starting to wonder where the lake was, we met a couple ladies coming down the trail who informed us the lake was just beyond the two knolls ahead of us.

Sure enough we went from the meadow scene to a full-on alpine lake. The water was clear and pristine. I was fully enjoying myself. Although I still stopped for breaks, I only whined once to Ron near the top when I was getting winded: “Do I like to hike?” He ignored me.

We decided to sit on the rocks by the lake. As soon as Ron pulled out the bag of beef jerky, Willie and Halle were waiting. Russell was off chasing alpine prey.

Willie rarely stands still or isn’t pulling on her lead so I quickly snapped this photo of her. We were above treeline, but not to the point where the ground was barren of plant matter.

Russell came back from one of her romps when I started to crack open the pistachios.

I got this picture by baiting them with the nuts.

We continued to walk around the lake. The dogs were in heaven.

It was a happy moment for us too.

A few more photos of the lake:

Finally we gathered our four-footed troop and headed down the mountain. Here a view of one of the little lakes on the way down.

Willie and Russell ran through this little brook both times.

I had to carry Halle over the water on the way up, but she too ran through it going down.

Even Halle couldn’t resist this view.

I took more notice of details as we descended, especially the flora.

Ron took this photo because I gave up trying to get the right angle. It was also Ron who alerted me to the tree below so that I would take note of its character.

I’ve mentioned our dogs chasing pikas before. I never knew what a pika was until I started hiking in Colorado, which is understandable since the rock-dwelling American pika (Ochotona princeps) is primarily found at high elevations throughout the western mountains of  North America.

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The one in the photo below looks like a big fat mouse to me, but in fact, they are not rodents at all. They are lagomorphs. The order “Lagomorpha” also includes rabbits, hares, and guinea pigs.

Within the Lagomorpha order, pikas comprise the family “Ochotonidae”, pronounced ′äk·ə′tän·ə′dē. The little guy above was about 7 inches long, had the defining egg-shaped body, prominent thin round ears, small high-set eyes, and no visible tail. Pikas are herbivores, so they only eat plants, mostly hay, I believe.

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We’ve seen and heard pikas while hiking in mountain meadows, rock fields, and talus.

Definition of “talus” from ucjeps.berkeley.edu/interchange/JM_glossary.html: “Relatively stable, sloping accumulation of large rock fragments, often at a cliff base. (see scree).”

Elsewhere in North America, the collared pika (Ochotona collaris) can be found in the mountains of Alaska and the Yukon. I wonder if the pika in the picture is actually a “collared” pika as it seems to have a distinct collar.

Reference: Much of the info on pikas in this post is from: www.answers.com/topic/ochotonidae-vertebrate-zoology

And then there were the raspberries. I somehow missed them on the way up. On the way down, Ron and I picked only a few ripe ones and ate them. They were perfect, exactly as one would imagine God’s fruit to be.

Though they were tiny compared to the raspberries from the grocery store, each little wild berry was divine.

I thought it would be fun to get a picture of Halle in a hollow tree stump, but she hated it and I got yelled at because Ron said Halle cut herself escaping. He told me where the blood was on the jagged wood from where she leapt before I could grab her. I couldn’t believe it, but there it was: a crimson smear on the wood edges and a distinct droplet just below. I went from silly to upset in a second.

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I was sullen in my guilt and agitation while Ron examined the blood and announced that it wasn’t blood after all. It was sap that had hardened into a maroon resin that looked exactly like blood. Phew.

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So we went merrily on our way: Ron with Willie, and I with the two terriers.

Since Halle ended up being fine in the tree stump incident, I decided it would be even more entertaining to put Willie in the next hollow stump.

This was the shot I was looking for. Willie was a better subject than Halle, though not much more willing. I was laughing, but Ron didn’t think it was funny even though he later agreed the photo was pretty good.

No more shenanigans, just a few more photos of moss, flowers and foliage.

We ended where we began, at the bridge just yards from the trailhead parking lot.

The dogs waited for me while I got a shot of the creek from the bridge.

Finally we arrived at the Suburban, which I often refer to as “the mobile dog-palace”.

Another hike ended with the two terriers fast asleep and Willie alert by the window.

Her motto is: “It’s not over until it’s over”. Isn’t that the truth.

August 28th, 2009 by admin

The Buena Vista area where we live has seventeen (17) peaks over 14,000. They are called “fourteeners”. People from all over Colorado, the US and even the world, come here to climb, hike, and boulder. Some people come with a list and tick off the fourteeners as they summit each one.

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The well-known peaks that can be seen from our property are the “Collegiate Peaks”, which should really be called the “Ivy League” peaks. They are: Mt. Princeton, Mt. Harvard, Mt. Yale and Mt. Columbia.

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But there is no Mt. Dartmouth!

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My sister went to Dartmouth, where I also spent a substantial amount of time, and I am here to attest that Dartmouth is the most sporty-outdoorsy-nature-loving-mountain-climbing Ivy League of them all. Others were left out, but Dartmouth? Probably happened because some Yalie or Harvard guy did the naming.

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Anyway, a couple years ago Ron, Russell (Morkie), Willie (Min Pin) and I summitted Mt. Yale. I pretty much thought I was going to die. At the end of the 7.5 hour hike everyone was tired except Willie, who was pulling on the leash and ready for more action. I just stared hard at her while my mind screamed: “Are you serious? What does it take to calm a Min Pin down!?”

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This time I asked to do a shorter, easier hike, but I don’t think people in Colorado process the “shorter” or “easier” part when it comes to outdoor activity.

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Mount Huron is a more beautiful hike and more shaded (i.e., comfortable) until you reach the treeline, but easier and shorter? The only reason it was easier and shorter was because I refused to spend two additional hours hiking up the giant scree field to the summit, where I probably would have laid down until they took me out on a stretcher.

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Look, I’ve been laptop-jockeying for the last two years with no real physical preparation before hiking Mt. Huron. I asked Ron why we never work up to the big hike with progressively more challenging smaller ones. He said: “I don’t know”.

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Enough blather. Here are the photos from the hike:

The Suburban is a fine 4WD vehicle, but it’s mine and I decided that I would rather walk the extra 2.2 miles to the trailhead instead of subjecting my car to the rocky “road” that is really better suited to ATV’s, jacked-up trucks, dirt bikes, or people who don’t mind having to replace undercarriage parts of their vehicles.

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So even though I didn’t really want to add a total of 4.4 more miles to our hike, it was the better choice.

Dogs are supposed to be on leash in the “Wilderness” as the signs state. The photo above shows us getting ready to hike after parking the car at the beginning of the four-wheel drive road leading to the trailhead.

The dogs were so excited and raring to go. Willie is saying: “Mom! C’mon, what are you waiting for!” And Halle is saying: “Yeah, Mom.”

The road is decent here, but you should have seen some of the sketchy parts.

This is the first stop on the trail, which I documented with a photo of the view.

Willie is such a funny dog. Unlike other dogs I’ve hiked with who turn their attentions to their immediate surroundings, Willie would stop all along the trail to take in scenic views in the distance. Actually, my parents’ Min Pin Bumper is like that too. We took her on the architectural boat ride in Chicago and she literally looked up to view the buildings just like the people. Min Pins are both visual and cerebral. I personally consider them to be “sight hounds”.

Look at the chompers on Russell! This photo was the result of me having taken a dozen photos of her trying to get a good shot because she refused to look into the camera. I think she’s trying to tell me I need to stop so we can resume hiking.

Here’s another photo of  Willie stopping on the trail and turning to take in the view. Meanwhile the terriers romped along the trail looking at stuff within pouncing distance.

Only Halle and I had to stop to catch our breath. I took this photo of Halle during a break we took, but she wouldn’t move, so I had to pick her up and set her on her feet.

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Ron and the other two were like hiking  MACHINES. Ron and Willie would stop to take in the view or drink some water. Russell didn’t stop per se, but would go off the trail to tree a squirrel or chipmunk. It’s pretty funny to see Russell run to he base of a tree and bark up at it like a real hunting dog. We heard a lot of screaming marmots, pikas, chipmunks and squirrels as Russell was in hot pursuit.

I didn’t count the switchbacks because there were so many and I was trying to take my mind off of imminent muscle failure. This would not be considered a difficult hike by the hiking crowd but I kept wondering why I would allow myself to go from virtually no exercise to an 8.4 mile hike up a fourteener. Everyone kept saying this was an easy one and I believed them.

Willie jumped up on this log to get a better view.

Thank goodnes for official “water breaks”, because those don’t count as “wait for Ming to catch her breath” breaks. I made sure we drank a lot of water, because, you know, it’s dehydrating to hike, especially in dry climates like Colorado.

Ron was really nice about waiting for me and not once gave me a hard time or heckled me. He was patient and even nurturing, giving me nuts and berries at just the right times to replenish my energy.

Mount Huron is a much prettier hike than Mt. Yale, but Mt. Yale is one of the popular “Collegiate Peaks” and a household name in these parts. I actually fully enjoyed hiking Mt. Huron and plan to summit it when I am better prepared.

“Hey look Mom, we’re above the treeline! The air is so crisp and clean up here and there are lots of pikas to chase.”

I made it farther than I thought I would. Earlier I told Ron I would wait for him in the treed section of the hike.

I often reflect on how odd it is that I married a rafting-kayaking-downhill-skiing-snowboarding-COWBOY. Thank goodness he has adapted to my love of tiny dogs. Poor Ron, all he ever wanted was an Akita. Now he has three ankle-biters. Russell is actually the only one who bites ankles. She thinks by turns that she is either in the hunting class or the working dog class. I guess no one told her she is part of the toy group.

There is no way to tell from this photo the scale of the peak. It’s actually another 1.75 hours up a giant field of scree with no shade. And it’s steep, very steep. We are well above treeline here so from here on up it’s mostly rock and gravel.

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Of course three seniors stopped during their decent from the summit. The kind lady with pure white hair assured me that it was steep and she had to stop a couple of times. A couple of times! Hahahaha. This is what makes me smile in Colorado. I’m probably less than half her age and was laughing inside because she had no idea how many times I already stopped. Plus I had no intention of summiting that day.

I turned to Ron and said: “No – not this time, unless you and the dogs want to carry me down.”

Russell and Halle ran after some pikas. Willie was on high alert, but was tethered, so she could only look on while the terriers gave chase.

After hanging out for a while, we began our decent.

Ron and Willie take in the view before heading back into the trees.

If you look closely, you can make out the squirrel that Russell ran up this tree. She treed several small animals both on the way up and the way down. She would chase the chipmunk or squirrel up a tree, then stand at the bottom of the tree and bark until we acknowledged her accomplishment.

Wille and Russell ran across this log foot bridge without a problem. It’s hard to see, but there is a little brook here. Going up, Halle, the Yorkie, could not be convinced to walk across the log even though we were all on the other side calling to her. I finally had to go back across to retrieve her. However, right after I took this photo she surprised us by running across on the log by herself.

We’re off the “wilderness” trail and back on the 2.2 mile 4-wheel drive road that leads to the parking area where we left our car.

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At this point, Halle was on a split lead with Willie, which was a tough proposition for Halle because Willie was practically dragging her along.

This photo shows Halle deciding she is not going one more step hooked up to Willie. I thought she didn’t want to walk anymore because she was too tired, so I put her in a front-pack.

Halle is in the front pack now.

Putting Russell with Willie was a better match. Russell thinks she’s a Min-Pin because she was only 6-weeks old when we brought her home, and she was convinced that Willie was her mother. Willie wasn’t happy about the new puppy, but Russell never gave up on clinging desperately to Willie. Now they are pretty tight.

This is the last photo I took before we arrived back at the parking area.

Of the three dogs, Halle was the most wiped out. She did not move from this position until we got home.

Even Willie took a nap in the car. I didn’t get a good photo of Russell snoozing, but she had her one eye closed too.

On the drive down we drove past Clear Creek Reservoir.

Willie rarely misses a picturesque view, so she was up and taking in the sights. The two little terriers remained sacked out.

Willie stayed at the window until we pulled into our property. This photo was taken less than a mile from our place.

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All the dogs ate and went to sleep without much fuss that night.

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Ron and I were sore for a couple days afterward, but it was an enjoyable and beautiful hike. I would even be willing to do it again and climb the scree field to the summit next time.

August 25th, 2009 by admin

Here’s the “after” photo of Cec when he returned home a week after his triple-bypass surgery. He remarkably looks not that different to how he looked “before”. The hospital actually released him four days after the procedure, stating he didn’t need to be in the hospital anymore.

August 16th, 2009 by admin

She is a precious 8-month old, 5-pound Yorkie who currently lives with two lovely little girls.

Her family is traveling too much to give her the life they wish for her.

If you would like more details and are interested in Gucci, please contact me ASAP.

They are looking for immediate placement most importantly a loving and attentive home.

Asking $600 (paid $1200; she is spayed, has all shots and has PetSmart insurance; all medical and purchase documents available).

Gucci is in Parkland, Florida (Broward County), in the Tampa Bay area.

August 9th, 2009 by admin

Here are photos of Halle and my friend Cec in the car before the drive to the hospital in Colorado Springs. I was nervous because my dad had quad bypass surgery in 2000 and it was a traumatic experience for our family.

When I showed up to pick Cec up for the drive, he presented me with a box of chocolates and to my delight and surprise, they were frogs! Delicious caramel and pecan-filled frogs.

I emailed some of Cec’s friends yesterday and was relieved to read their description of him as “doing [..] cantankerously well” just two days after the surgery.

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Today his voice was strong and full of life. The hospital wants to release him tomorrow, which I personally feel is much too soon.

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During Cec’s absence, I have access to his piano, and after two decades of not playing the, I went to his house the other day and made it halfway though a Bach invention and a Chopin Waltz. Halle was curled up by my feet next to the bench.

August 6th, 2009 by admin

My girlfriend is having her first baby in about a week. I just drove another friend down to the city for his quad bypass two days ago. Halle and I completed another cross country trip to get back to Colorado two weeks ago. My little nephew Bo had a mishap with his feeding tube several days ago that was scary because those kinds of mishaps can be fatal, but the hospital rectified the situation where the tube was accidentally disconnected and he is back to his terrible-two’s like any normal terrorizing toddler.

I arrived home to find Willie and Russell partially emaciated. After a vet visit, ruling out worms and disease, then giving them daily fish oil, vitamin E, Vetri DMG, Hepato Support capsules and putting a couple drops of GSE (Grapefruit Seed Extract) in their water as well as feeding them more food, they are back to normal after two weeks.

I probably went a little overboard, but everything I gave them supports general well being and detoxification for good health.

LIFE has been demanding in other ways that preclude me from posting regularly, but I will still check in here and there.

Photos to come later.