a large tree with intricate branches set against a dark sky, and a dog sitting on a rocky surface in the foreground

two dogs standing in a leafy wooded area with bare trees and scattered green vegetation | Two large dogs walking together on a paved path next to a mossy stone wall and green grass on a cloudy day

21 March ~2012

On our last backpack trip little Hayley found a deer leg, and carried it with her for quite a ways, because Ben wanted it. Finally she buried it next to a rock, pushing dirt over it with her nose until nothing of the deer leg or hoof were visible. Ben stayed out of sight while Hayley was burying the leg, and then immediately dug it up when she left. The deer leg became his property now, for Hayley to want.

black and white dog holding a large deer leg bone in its mouth while standing on forest ground

Two dogs outdoors on forest floor, one holding a deer leg bone in its mouth

One dog holding a deer leg in its mouth standing on snow while another dog watches in the foreground

black and white dog digging in the dirt next to a rock and some dry sticks

Black and white dog digging dirt near the base of a large rock

close-up of a dog with striking blue eyes crouching low on dirt near a large rock

Black and white dog walking on snow between rocks carrying a large bone in its mouth

We hiked off trail a couple of miles this time, and camped in a grove of widely spaced Ponderosa Pines. It was a new area for me. After setting up the tent the dogs and I wandered around exploring and getting familiar with the surrounding landscape. A new campsite always feels a little strange until we look around some.

What we found is that just south of camp there was a nice rock outcropping which was a good higher ground,where we could watch sunrise and sunset from.

The shadows in the vast forests around our tent seemed a little mysterious as night approached, since undoubtedly in this new spot there was plenty of wildlife (lions/bears) that could check us out under cover of darkness

Sunlit trees and forest floor partially covered with snow on a gentle hillside

black dog standing in dry grass near trees with patches of snow in a forested area at sunset

The skies were clear and the stars were bright early in the evening. Jupiter and Venus appeared right next to each other. Above them was Orion's belt. Following the direction of the belt over to the right I could see the small Pleiade's start cluster.

I sat next to the campfire with my headlamp off. The dogs were nearby, looking out in the darkness, and along with me reaping the reward of quiet and mystery that we gain from being out in the wilderness alone.

A person standing next to a dog sitting on the ground near a small campfire at night

The moon came up around 10pm. By Four AM it was overhead. The weather was mild enough that instead of staying in the cozy warmth of my sleeping bag, me and the dogs got up and explored our ridge by moonlight.

Moonlight shining through tall pine trees in a dark nighttime forest