Luna and I missed our hike last week and so we were happy to get out today with friends and dogs. Starting early at the Patterson Mountain trailhead we joined two other women and four other dogs for a very pleasant hike before it got too hot. The weather has been unseasonably warm (not that we are complaining mind you) these last few days – up into the high eighties, so it was good to start at 7:30 am and enjoy the morning air and beautiful light. Only one other party started up before us. After the trouble I’ve had with Luna recently I put her on the leash and kept her there all the way up and down, only letting her off when we came to a little creek where she could wet her whistle and at the top of the mountain. She was very well behaved and even when I let her off she returned when called. I was much relieved. Of course the other dogs were fine. Well Cassidy had some barking issues but he and Kathryn worked through them and he was fine. We were rewarded with fine mountain and valley views at the top, wonderful wildflowers and at the end, the dogs got to cool off in the lake. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Patterson Lake and Mount Gardner
Luna stops to smell the flowers
This sign always seems out of place to me
It’s really hard to get three people and five dogs in a photo all looking at the camera at the same time.
Really, really hard
Little Bear doesn’t like crowds so he is hanging out behind the bitterbrush
Luna likes to be in the middle of everything
Cassidy always has something to say. He is very opinionated and frustrated when we don’t understand him.
There’s Little Bear. He’s a sweet fella
Dexter and his person Amy and their friend Peter made the hike this morning too but they had to race off to get to work on time.
Pretty death camas
How pretty is that?
We love our big ponderosa pines
And our balsamroot
My first bitterroot flowers this year!
With wild onions growing in the background
Moose really relaxed in the cold water
And Luna was ready to play
My Everyday Photos 