I haven't been able to do any hiking for the last month because my dog, Bella has been having some painful episodes, possibly connected to her vertebral discs. So, she has been on limited exercise and lots of medications while she recovers. I wasn't even supposed to leave her alone during that period. But the vet has released her to start to resume normal activities. It was very cold today, 8 degrees Fahrenheit at my house and about the same everywhere. I met my friend, Alice at Eklutna Lake for Bella's first hike after her month of rest. At first, Bella refused to walk. I decided she just wasn't happy wearing her heavy snowsuit, so I removed that. She was much more active after that. But I did notice after our 3.5-mile hike, she was starting to shiver. She did seem happy to wear her bright red booties though. I even let her off her leash since there wasn't much activity on the icy cold trail today. I did worry a little every time she plunged into the deep snow off the trail, if her booties would still be on her feet. Happily, they stayed on the whole way. Alice had to be back to her car by 2:30 so we had to keep that time limit in mind. I didn't want to push Bella too far on her first hike after such a long rest, anyway. Plus, we were all getting a little chilly. My feet were pretty numb. There was enough snow on the trail to make for excellent skiing conditions, if we had chosen to ski. But we were only hiking this time. The lake is open, with no ice yet. There was a layer of very interesting fog rolling along the lake, occasionally obscuring the view of Bold Peak. Fortunately, on our return, it lifted enough to get some nice pictures. The fog made the view very mysterious and picturesque. It was just a short hike, but I think all 3 of us really enjoyed it. We are now ready to start indulging in the full Alaska winter experience.
