Trial run at Lake Perris
Lake Perris is a lake in Riverside County. Luckily, the lake has a 9 mile walking trail that loops the lake. We started off at about 7:30am in the morning. What a gorgeous day. Surprisingly, the temperature was in the low 70’s all morning until the noon hour. Subsequently, at about mile 7 we took a 2 mile detour on a dirt road. The Super Bloom was in full force. Piper who is no stranger to dirt roads, loves hiking where she can chase lizards and rabbits. Even though, she was always on leash, she could still run a bit and was having the time of her life.
Piper loving life on a dirt road, her favorite kind of road. Mt. San Gorgonio in the background.
Such beauty at Lake Perris.
The lake is looking pretty full at Perris.
Trail Magic!!!
Once we got off the dirt road we took a long break at a picnic table. While drinking water and refueling we met a family whose daughter was an artist. This amazing young artist started drawing a picture of my dog. All things considered, it was pretty darn accurate. It really looks like my dog. If you look at the picture it looks like my dog is baring her teeth, but if you look closely it’s her tongue. ( I remember thinking at the time why does she think my dog is so mean… Hahhahaha) Without hesitation she allowed me take a picture of her drawing. Pretty cool!!! Suffice it to say, this precise moment is what I am truly looking forward to on our hike. Meeting people/animals and enjoying the moment. I have heard it called, “Trail Magic!!!” Yes Please, to more “Trail Magic!!!”
Turn up the heat, Baby
Once it turned 1pm, it started to get a bit hotter and that’s when Piper started to get tired. I noticed at mile 11 her feet were beginning to get a little tender. We stopped again at a picnic bench and again met the sweetest family. They were hilarious. It was a couple with 3 kids and a dog they had in a basket on the mom’s bike. All the kids had stuffed animals on their bikes. One was a Sloth. Ya gotta love that….What a cool family.
The Big finish
We ended up going about 12 miles and it was a very successful hike. I learned a lot and have some new strategies that I will try with my dog to make sure she has a great experience hiking on our trip. I will do updates on new ideas I try. Any advice on how to thru-hike with a dog would be greatly appreciated. Also, as we were driving out I saw a couple with backpacks walking with their dog. I stopped to chat and they gave me some advice to try Mushers Secret on my dog’s paws. They said it was really helpful. I ordered it online right away…..This weekend we are going to go hiking and tent camping to check out our new gear!!! Stay tuned!!!
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