Fitz Roy and the Whale

Whale Rocks, Durant Nature Preserve We have blogged before about the excellent Durant Nature Preserve near our home in North Raleigh. Shortly before our trip to Colorado, we finally completed our exploration of its trail system. We brought Fitz Roy along with us, since he can never seem to get enough walking in. You could say that this time out, […]

And Still More Walks With Humans!

More Walks With Humans: Falls Lake Dam When somebody tells us to go take a hike or jump in the lake, we don’t get offended. In fact, we get going. There’s just no shortage of places to visit in the Raleigh area to do either. One of our favorites happens to be right near our house…The Falls Lake Dam and […]

More Walks with Humans!

More Walks with Humans: Blue Jay Park We never get tired of Blue Jay County Park in North Raleigh. It may be our favorite place locally to hike or just walk around. Fitz Roy however had never set paw in Blue Jay Park. We decided to correct this. BJCP has easy access to the Falls Lake Trail. This is also […]

More Hikes With Humans

Dog-Human Hike II: Forest Ridge Nature Park Trying to beat the heat is no easy thing in the summer, especially south of the Mason-Dixon line. Temps in Raleigh soared over 95 degrees Fahrenheit both Saturday and Sunday. Not the most ideal weather for hiking, especially when you are locked in a fur coat. Fitz has been hanging out by the […]

Return to Durant Nature Preserve

Dog-Human Hike I: Durant Nature Preserve via North entrance   A couple weeks ago we had what might be termed a ‘walkabout’ in Durant Nature Preserve near our home in North Raleigh. We expected to go for a short evening walk; but the park impressed us so much that the operation turned into a much longer than anticipated hike and […]

How to Spend Summer In the South

What To Do When It’s Too Hot To Hike: Part I We hope you had a happy Independence Day! The Fourth of July is the day Americans celebrate the simple joy of being an American, which is certainly something celebrate.But it has other meanings as well. For some, it’s also a day when we reflect upon the enormous sacrifices made […]

Jefferson Mountain: A Hike Fit For All (Dogs Included)

Mount Jefferson by the Mountain Ridge Trail *We have added Mount Jefferson to the list of best places to hike in the Southern Appalachians and Carolinas. Though there are several nearby places which are superior…Elk Knob for example…and many of the best views are reachable by car, it’s still well worth checking out.* After a successful dog-human team hike of […]

The Education of Mr. Fitz Roy

The Life and Training of a Hiking Dog Some updates from the life and training of a hiking dog… Sylvia and Brian continue to work molding expedition sled dog/surf dog Fitz Roy into a companion suitable for hiking. Fitz is intelligent, energetic and eager to please. But he is also very excitable (that’s the sled dog in him) and sometimes […]