Bear and I went on a hike last weekend.

[intheflow]

We started the hike at sunrise, but the trail was on the west side of the mountain so it seemed pretty dusky until the sun rose high enough to touch us. The trail we were on was steep and I had to rest often. Bear, otoh, could barely contain his joy and stayed way ahead of me much of the way up. Here he is patiently waiting at the next trail bend as I rest and fiddle with my camera:



The sun broke above the cloudline right around the time we reached an area with a view. I just want to note that this is pretty much the color as I remember it. Bear looks green, but I swear he looked green on this part of the trail. I kept calling him my little leprechan puppy. :)



A little higher up and it's a beautiful view north up the Front Range.



Bear's color changed to reddish brown in the early morning sun.



We had planned to hike to the top of this mountain but a sign about half way up prohibited dogs from going further. Contrary to what the "dog-friendly hikes" book said! :mad: (They also didn't mention the parking fee!) But at that point, we did have this great view of the Indian Peaks.



This was my favorite shot of the day. It's the back of one of the Flatirons. :)

[JeffR]

1. That's a lucky dog, whatever color he is.

And I can see why the last one is your favorite. That's a really forceful silhouette. Wonderful stuff!

[intheflow]

2. He is a lucky dog!

And I'm a lucky human for living in a place that has off leash dog parks like this! :)

[JeffR]

8. And how!

Beats heck out of a muddy stretch of grass surrounded by chainlink fence.

[Tindalos]

3. Bear certainly looks like he's enjoying it.

I love the views. They remind me of some places I've hiked and I know what you mean about the light changing colour. It makes me wonder if I'm seeing things.

That silhouetted mountain is a cool shot. Visually very interesting.

[Blue_In_AK]

4. Bear is such a cool dog.

I'm glad I've had the pleasure of meeting him. These are beautiful shots, ITF. I can almost smell the pine trees. :)

[intheflow]

5. The pines smelled divine!

Very rich and woody. Just saw on the news last night that there's a mountain lion that's been spotted in this very park, and they think she has cubs. Scary to think Bear and I were hiking alone up there with a mountain lion so close!

[Blue_In_AK]

6. Be careful.

That's kind of scary. A wild mother of any kind - even our sweet-dispositioned moose - can be a serious threat, and my guess is mountain lions may be as unpredictable as our grizzlies. :scared:

[intheflow]

7. That park is an hour form my house.

So I don't get out that way much. Actually, with gas prices and my small paycheck, I usually try to stay within a 10 mile radius. But the foothills beckoned on the first day of spring!

[CC]

9. Bear looks like a very

happy pup in every picture I have ever seen of him. His pure joy and energy shine through all your photos of him.

Love the shots and reminds me it has been way to long since I have visited CO. Unfortunately will be longer before I get back that way. Not sure I could pick a favorite, they are all beautiful and full of life.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

10. Beautiful. Thanks for posting them. n/t