Let the Summer Adventures Begin

Photo Courtesty Depositphotos/_fla

The next few months are going to be big for “us”. I admit that some of the excitement won’t include Chester and Gretel, but it will be affecting them.

In 12 days, I leave to spend 4 days in Las Vegas at Superzoo, one of the biggest pet-product retail shoes in the country. I went two years ago and it was pretty awesome. Those who attend Superzoo get the first peek at some of the newest products and trends. Most pet companies plan the release of their new stuff around Supezoo and reveal them first there.

While Chester and Gretel will have to sit home with Doggy Daddy for this one, I”ll come back with some new treats and toys they get to try out. I’ll be sharing some of my greatest finds with you too so stay tuned.

The first big adventure for Chester and Gretel comes at the end of this month. We’re taking a 10-day road trip that will pass through 6 states and focus on hiking to the highest point in Colorado – a 14er called Mount Elbert. Our sea-level-dwelling pack has never hiked at that elevation, and rarely hike in areas notorious for afternoon lightening storms, so this will be a true adventure. We’re going to spend a few days hiking at elevation before we attempt it and will have a plan B if it proves to be too much for us.

We’ll be sharing the trip as we go in pictures on Facebook and Instagram. Be sure to follow us both places to get the whole picture (yep, pun intended) because we are not going to be posting the same photos to each.

So you think setting our sights on a peak 30 feet higher than the highest point in Washington State – the infamous Mt. Rainier – is crazy? It will certainly be a challenge that takes preparation. We’re not exactly newbies at this whole thing though. The hike itself is typical of a more difficult hike around here – 8.5 miles round trip with around 1,000 feet of elevation gain per mile. Chester and Gretel climbed Mailbox Peak, which was harder. We just have to make sure to get some more good hikes in around here and do a little more research on hiking in Colorado weather.

Mailbox Peak Trail – Yes, it’s really this steep

On the way back from Colorado, we will pass through Salt Lake City where Doggy Daddy will drop me off to attend the Summer Outdoor Retailer Show on his way back to Seattle. This is like Superzoo for people stuff. Specifically, this is where outdoor-focused brands like North Face, Osprey Packs, and Ruffwear come to reveal their new products.

This will be my first year attending so I am super excited. I am going to get to meet some of the outdoor bloggers I met online for the first time in person. Again, Chester and Gretel won’t be with me for this one but I plan to come back with some cool adventure stuff for myself. When I score the dogs score because it means they will be going on more adventures with me while I try the new stuff out.

We’re going to be hitting the trails even harder when I get back from the Outdoor Retailer Show because Gretel and I have some training to do. In late August or early September Gretel and I are going go on a girls-only, long-distance hike by ourselves. I still have to decide which trail we are going to hike but it will be a 4 – 6 day backpacking trip to somewhere beautiful. This will be the second time I’ve ever backpacked and camped on the trail alone and the first time was only for one night. I’ve wanted to do a trip like this for years but you can thank the ticking clock of age and the movie Wild for finally giving me the guts to do it.

Before you worry about such a big undertaking for us, and the fact that we will be alone (well, except for strangers we run into on the trail), know that this is actually a scaled-down adventure. I originally planned for us to hike section J of the Pacific Crest Trail over 12 days. However, I realized that an undertaking of that size, with the little time we would have to prepare, would be on the verge of unsafe. This shorter trip is totally within our capability. Also, we will be bringing a device with us that will serve as an emergency locator just in case something bad happened. It will also allow Doggy Daddy and I to text messages to each other. If everything works out, there will be a place online you can watch our progress on a map too.

We hope you follow along with our adventures!

Do you have any big adventures of your own coming up?