Lacamas Lake Heritage Trail: 6K Volksmarch for Cinnamon

You might have noticed that Francesca is racking up all the kilometers this year. I haven't been on a volksmarch since last year! So today, the Lacamas Lake walk was my first of the year. And, it was a whole six kilometers. I'm rather proud of myself.

Lacamas Lake and the trail are pretty all year long.
But today we saw wildflowers, ducks and lots of people with dogs.

 The walk started out like all others... people gathered, dogs annoyed me and I said hi to everyone. But when that was done. I was excited to get on the trail. Our selected trail of the day was the Lackamas Lake Heritage Trail, a volksmarch put on by the All Weather Walkers.

Here I am at the boat ramp. There were some great smells there.

The first thing I did was check on the boat ramp on the way. There were ducks and fishing boats. I thought I'd stay there awhile but noooo, we had to get on the trail.

Fortunately the trail was shaded and there were plenty of opportunities to wade, drink water and eat grass along the shore of Lacamas Lake. I didn't get tired until about the turnaround point. It was about 3 kilometers at that point.

I was glad that most of the trail was shaded.

We walked along checking out the water and saying hi to the people. As usual, I got annoyed when dogs wanted to come up to me so my owner kept me off the trail when a dog passed. At about the two mile mark, I started to get tired and wondered what I had gotten myself into. But my owner kept urging me on and said it wasn't all that far to the car.

I stopped and checked out the lake a couple of times. But, unlike Francesca, I'm not into swimming so I barely put my paws in. I was more interested in the grass.

Something in the lake made a noise.

Soon, we actually did reach our car. I had a fresh bowl of water when I got in, lapped that up and we were home in no time. Thank you Wednesday Walkers, for letting me go with you on the trail.

I'm Cinnamon, the 9 year old Volkssmarching dog. I'm proud of myself today!

On Volksmarching in Warm Weather

I haven't gone on a volksmarch yet this year. I used to be a great little volksmarcher and had a long list of walks on my volksmarch log. But I didn't go to walks in the winter because it was raining. Now that the sun is out, I'd rather sunbathe in the back yard then get all hot on a volksmarch.

The river was beautiful.

So Francesca goes. This week she went to La Center where she annoyed the people with little dogs who were waiting for the guided walk to start. Once the walk started, she wanted to be the leader and Joe let her do it! But all too soon, after emerging from the shaded woods, she slowed down and started complaining about the heat.

This is the 5K group at La Center, WA

On the up side, Francesca made a friend on the volksmarch... a little dog. Sometimes they walked together and sometimes they ignored each other.

Here's Francesca on the trail with her little walking friend.

Love, Lazy Cinnamon

Our Post Thanksgiving #Optoutside Adventure

Hi, it's me Francesca. Cinnamon is busy redesigning our room so I'm tasked with posting this update.

Well, Thanksgiving was really rainy. We didn't get any turkey until this morning. It was better last year when our owner cooked and had turkey to give us during the day. It seemed like a special day that way. Oh well.

So what am I thankful for? I am thankful for food in my tummy, A Dog's Best Friend Day Care, my Clark DogPaw Dog Parks, Running Pond Acres Boarding Country Club, toys (few as they are), Nylabones, Cinnamon and our owner who sometimes lets me on her bed. I won't go into what I am NOT thankful here. I'll save that rant for another time.

So what did we do today. Well, we certainly didn't go shopping even though I have a long list of things I would like for Christmas. We joined REI and our friends for #Optoutside, a day outside enjoying nature. We decided to go walking with the Columbia River Walking Club and the Vancouver Volkssporters Walking Club over at Hayden Island.

Here we are at the beginning of the walk.
I had my raincoat on because we expected rain.
It made me look like a service dog!

We registered at the Red Lion Hotel. I checked out the lobby and was pretty impressed. I saw some friends but wasn't allowed to jump up to greet them. I just don't understand that at all!

Best of all we got to walk with our friend Walking Wendy who took these pictures. That made my owner happy.

The walk was pretty good. We enjoyed views of the Mighty Columbia River (as Cinnamon calls it), found some excellent squirrel trees and walked through a park where we could see house boats. Then it was over, way too fast. I guess I was misbehaving for a good part of the walk because squirrels were taunting me. Why do I get in trouble when it's the squirrels that are bratty! I just don't understand.

Ready, set, GO!

Anyway, I got another 5K volksmarch for my list for 2016!

Love, Francesca

Francesca Racks up 8K on the Washougal Volksmarch

Hi, it’s me, Francesca, Staff Writer for Coonhound Tales.

I have another volksmarch story for you today. The All Weather Walkers held a walk in Washougal, Washington. That’s usually where we do the walk along the Columbia River on the dike. But today they surprised us with a brand new route.

When we pulled in to the parking lot, I got all excited. I was barking and the people could hear me! As soon as I got out of the car, I ran over to the registration tent so we could sign up and GET GOING!

So what do you think about my new harness?
It's kind of like a tracking harness... really strong, like me!

Between you and me, I have to share that we started about 5 minutes before the walk opened. I was that wound up!

The first interesting thing we encountered was a dog. A big dog. But this one didn’t move. I went up to sniff him and check him out. He still didn’t move. I found out that this was a statue of Seaman, the dog that accompanied Lewis and Clark on their expedition, including a stop in Washougal. So I got my picture taken with a famous, historic dog.

Here I am checking out Seaman. I couldn't understand
why he didn't move. Then I read the plaque

This was a town walk but there were some parks and schools and a little bit along the Washougal River. So I kept my eyes peeled for wildlife. Mostly we saw gardens filled with flowers. Then we walked past my old dog park. I wanted to go in but we were following the pink arrows so we kept going.

We saw lots of homes and gardens on this walk.

I was pretty good and kept up the pace. I only stopped for water once. I looked longingly down at the Washougal River but the route didn’t take us to the banks. We were just out of the park walking down a street when the excitement happened. I smelled a cat! I put my head in the bushes and there he was. A dratted cat! I barked and pulled but my owner didn’t let me chase him.

Just down the block there was a REAL REASON FOR EXCITEMENT. I saw a squirrel cross the road. I went bananas. I barked, I pulled and I wouldn’t stop. My owner had to get a friend of hers to stop and divert my attention… which worked. We walked with them for a little while and I was behaving myself. Yep!

After I calmed down, we could stop and smell the roses.

Just about then the walk was finished. I lapped up some water that the All Weather Walkers had left out for dogs and looked forward to the ride home in my crate and some sleep.

We had walked 8K and I was tired!

Love, Francesca

Francesca's First 10K Volkssport Event - Complete with Terrifying Things

Hi, it's me, Francesca. I suppose it's only fitting that my first 10K distance volksmarch should be at the location where I did my first volksmarch ever... North Bonneville, WA.

It was a drizzly day when we packed up and headed east on Hwy 14. I settled in, sensing I'd be in the car awhile. We went past the Doggie Day Care, past the dog park and past the turnoff for the Doggie Country Club in Washougal.

Here's the dam gushing away.
I hear the fish can get upstream by using a fish ladder.

So after awhile we pulled up to park within view of a massive dam... it was the Bonneville Dam and it was gushing water. I was very excited to finally get out of the car. I spied some pink and green ribbons in the distance. We were on a volksmarch! Usually we follow the green 5K distance markers but today... I had my pink leash and harness on. Today was a 10K kinda day, all misty and cool. I was up for it! So we chose to follow the pink markers.

At this point I decided to follow the pink markers.
After all, they matched my leash and harness!

What I didn't realize was that this 10K wouldn't be all squirrels and kitty cats. It was going to be a terrifying foray into an unknown zone.

So we followed a path into the woods and took a brochure on the history and remains of Fort Cascades. We went through a place with mossy rocks and then I spied a petroglyph on a mossy rock. The ancient eyes peered out at me. But I didn't get scared because it was only a replica. Soon we were out of the woods and I spied a cat in a field. I stared at it and it stared back. But when it ran away, I couldn't take chase. I was on a leash. Drat!

Here's the petroglyph. A little scary but
nothing like what was to come!

As we walked through town I saw a sign pointing out all the trails that you can choose from in North Bonneville. But there weren't any dogs out on the trails. They seemed to be in fenced yards. I soon found out why.

The Totem Pole of Doom
I walked by a grassy field and was sniffing around when all of a sudden I looked up and saw this strange pole with big black things on top. I got scared! It must have been the Totem Pole of Doom... just looking down at me menacingly. My owner said it was a tower with sirens on top, in case of a flood. But I didn't believe her. I wanted to get outta there fast!

The Sasquatch on the Links
So then we walked across the bridge. I looked up at the light posts because I was still a bit scared. And then I saw it. On the edge of the golf course was a figure.. a scary figure. Now I had read about the Sasquatch Trail but never thought we would encounter one... but we did. I pulled hard to get away. The Sasquatch had some golfers in mind for his next meal. Not me. So we got away from there fast!

Here's the Sasquatch.
This really scared me. This is as close as I would go!

The Bear of Strawberry Island
After encountering yet another Sasquatch, this one near the ball field, I was ready to go home. But, no... we had to walk out on Strawberry Island first. We were walking along the grassy trail when we spied... Bear scat! I held my nose high to see if I could sniff a bear. My owner decided to turn around and go another way to avoid the bears. Good move, I thought!

Is that a bear over there?

I was happier as we left Strawberry Island and returned to the trail through the woods. It was farewell to the Totem Pole of Doom, farewell to the Sasquatch and good riddance to any bears that inhabited Strawberry Island!

When I hopped into the car I realized how tired I was. I was used to doing 5K volksmarches and today, I completed a very terrifying 10K volksmarch.

I couldn't wait to tell Cinnamon about my adventure. I slept all the way home. I was bushed!

One tired coonhound.

Francesca's Squirrel and Rabbit Volksmarch

Today, I Francesca, went on a volksmarch put on by the Vancouver USA Volkssporters right here in Vancouver where I live. I got excited as we drove across town. We pulled up in front of Clark College. That's a place with lots of trees and grass... ripe hunting grounds for rabbits and squirrels.

Here's where the bunnies live. They are probably educated bunnies!

My owner made me stay in the car while she registered. This was a special event with four 5K loops. I requested the one with the most bunnies and squirrels on it... that was the green route. They had marked it with arrows and ribbons.

Finally I got out of the car and we were off.... The first thing I saw was a bunny in the grass, right behind the start/finish point. Woah! This was a GOOD volksmarch! But, since it was 5K, we had to keep walking.

Here's the old cemetery where the disrespectful squirrels live

Soon we arrived at an interesting old cemetery. It was a the old City Cemetery that was established in 1867. Now cemeteries are supposed to be quiet but this one had some very lively squirrels in it. I pulled and wanted to go chase them. But my owner kept me behind a fence so I couldn't go hunting. I suppose it would be disrespectful to the people who were buried there. So we kept walking.

Here I am trying to get into the cemetery to
chase the squirrels.

We walked to a park with several squirrels. I barked and pulled and howled my head off. I have to say, I was really annoying. So we kept walking.

Here's where I want to go eat sometime.

We saw an ice cream place called Igloo. I loved the retro look and thought, perhaps, we could stop for an ice cream! But it was closed. I noticed there was a patio in front where, hopefully, dogs can sit with their owners for a burger and shake. Sometime....

Here's that retro bowling sign.

And, we saw a retro bowling alley sign too. Vancouver has some interesting history, both old and not so old. I liked the Igloo restaurant the best and told Cinnamon all about it.

There were overgrown yards with flowers.
I knew interesting things lived in the weeds and grass there.

But then it was off to finish the walk. We were on Mill Plain Blvd. which was lined with huge trees. And you know what lives in trees, right? SQUIRRELS! I made a fool of myself once again barking at a squirrel and pulling on my leash. I was getting tired. It felt like a 10K by then!

I spy yet ANOTHER SQUIRREL!

So I didn't get to go chase ANYTHING and we were finished with the walk. I was so tired... mostly from pulling on my harness and barking at the wildlife. But I did get credit on my volksmarch list! Thank you Vancouver, USA Volkssporters!

When I got home Cinnamon was all full of energy and wanted to play. I felt sorry for her so played with her a little bit and told her about the ice cream place. But now... I just want to take a nap.

Love, Cinnamon

Sunny Day! Fisher's Landing 5K Walk

Here's the big hill we went up.
I was full of energy at this point.

Hi, it’s me, Francesca. I just got inside from doing some heavy duty sunbathing on the back deck. Cinnamon and I were getting so tired of all the rain!

So, since it was sunny today, I got to go on a volksmarch. It’s one of those map-guided walks just for my owner and me. We didn’t see any other walkers on the trail this morning… just us.

This walk started at the QFC grocery store on 192^nd in Vancouver. It is hosted by the Vancouver Volkssporters. I had to stay in the car while my owner registered. I was NOT happy! I was so tired of being inside and I was raring to go.

And off we went. The first thing we did was climb up a hill to an overlook. It was noisy as there are active quarries in the area. The quarry there began operations about 1881 and is still in operation today. But we walked up the hill to a little grassy park where we could look out over the quarries and to the Columbia River. 

 

Here I am looking around on the top of the hill.

 

There was information about Lewis & Clark
and the indigenous people. But I can't read so I don't know
much more than that.

I heard you could see Mt. Hood from there but it was too cloudy. I liked sniffing around up on the hill. Soon, it was time to go back down the hill and continue our walk.

We entered a neighborhood and heard some dogs in the fenced yards. I minded my business and didn’t bark. There was a nice wooded path that took us over Fisher’s Creek. It was too short for my liking because soon we were back walking through more neighborhoods.

 

Fisher's Creek was cool. There were two bridges and a short trail

I was getting kinda tired when, all of a sudden, we were back at QFC. I hopped in the car and went to sleep. Like Cinnamon, I’m a 5k kinda dog… well, unless I see a squirrel!

They measured it wrong!

Honestly. Wasn't it a 6K?

Hi everybody. It's me, Cinnamon. Today I went on a volksmarch in my home town of Vancouver, Washington. In fact it was very close to my house. But I went anyway. I love the people. They greet me and pet me and we walk as a group.

But today, even though things started out really good, I got tired. When we got to Fred Meyer to sign up for the walk, I saw my friend Ed. I looked around for Dick and Carolyn but they weren't there. So we signed up and then walked around sniffing the flowers and plants that were for sale. I saw my friend Louise in the herbs section so we had to go sniff around those plants too.

It seemed like forever that we had to wait. But then it was picture time and time to head out following Joe Titone. He leads us. I prefer to walk right behind him.

It was a nice walk through the neighborhoods filled with spring flowers and cherry blossoms. I was really well behaved (unlike Francesca) and walked straight ahead with the group. When we weren't all that far from the end, I got tired and wanted to leave the group and lounge around on the grass. But we kept walking. Finally, we got back to Fred Meyer and I headed to the car and a well-earned nap.

Now I like volksmarching but I am a 5K dog. I really think this was a 6 K. Anyone else agree with me?

Love, Tired Cinnamon

Francesca's First Volksmarch of 2016 - Frenchman's Bar in Vancouver

Here I am wondering what the huge ship
was doing in the middle of the river.
And, would it do anything to scare me?

Hi. It's me, Francesca, terror of the volksmarch trail! Well, I don't think I was all that bad because I didn't have near as much fun as I wanted to!

This morning started out really good. I got my harness and leash on and Cinnamon just stayed on the couch all rolled up in a coonie ball. It had rained all night and she predicted more rain. But I didn't care. I was up for adventure, any adventure.

We got in the car and traveled all the way through Vancouver out to a huge park on the east side. Soon I saw signs to a Volksmarch! I'd been on some of those and they were fun. It meant walking and jumping on people and maybe barking at a dog or two. I could handle that.

So we parked and walked over to the registration. Brrr... it was cold. The volunteers were all wrapped up and looked absolutely miserable. But they were kind to us and registered us anyway. We got our start card and looked around. I was looking at a huge ship anchored in the Columbia River wondering what it was doing there. It looked a bit scary.

Then I spied the beach. Now, I've been to the Oregon Coast and had a great time on the beach. I pulled toward the beach and was hoping to do some wading when our friend Nancy came along. I tried jumping on her to greet her but that was quickly stopped. Drat! So we were off on the trail even if I didn't want to be on the trail.

There were all kinds of things to sniff. Garbage, goose poop, dirt and grass. But they made me keep walking straight ahead. All of a sudden I saw a dog ahead in a pink coat. Perhaps we could play? I pulled and barked and thought I should be let loose to go investigate the dog. But no.... we had to keep walking straight ahead. Then we saw our friend Walking Wendy and Lana. I wanted to jump up on Wendy but nooo, it wasn't allowed. I was getting rather bored by the time we got to the turnaround point. I was being subjected to TOO MANY RULES! No jumping, no pulling, no barking, no stopping to sniff. Grrrrr.

Despite my growing frustration with the rules, many people complimented me on my appearance. I guess I was pretty in my pink harness!

So we turned around and soon, thank goodness, we were back at the Start/Finish point. My owner got her book stamped and on the way to the parking lot, I got all wound up about a black and white dog. I barked and pulled and so did the dog. My owner was NOT PLEASED. After that I spied something on the beach. It was something I'd never seen before. I got all freaked out thinking some sort of animal was hiding inside it. But we walked on....

Once we got to the car, I was oh so good. I jumped right into my crate and slept all the way home. Volksmarches can be exhausting, especially if you don't follow the rules.

I told Cinnamon that I completed 6K and she was proud of me. I got this volksmarch listed in my "Francesca's Volksmarch Log." I didn't tell her about my behavior. And she didn't tell me what she had been doing while we were gone.

10 Tips for Taking Your Dog on a Group Walk or Hike

Here I am at the walk finish
with my owner.

Walking with your dog with a group is a lot different than walking solo. Whether you are on a guided volkssport walk, a group hike or group dog walk, there are some key things for owners to remember to make the walk enjoyable for all:

1. Read the walk or hike details: Find out about the terrain, the length of the walk and consider your dog's abilities. Make sure it is a good fit. You will be expected to stay with the group. I, Francesca, limit my volkswalking to 5K walks. I know that is about as much as I want to walk.

2. Are Dogs Allowed: Check and see if your dog is allowed on the walk or hike, on the trail or in the park where you will be visiting. Volkswalks state right on the event description whether or not pets are allowed.

3. Check the weather: Heat can be deadly to dogs. Walking on city streets or paved roads increases the heat. Here is an excellent article about the dangers of hiking in the heat. And, conversely (Cinnamon taught me some big words), a walk on a rainy day might not be all that fun.

4. Bring Water: Dogs get thirsty. If it is a warm day, bringing water is especially important. There are collapsable dog bowls and water bottles with attached bowls that you can carry for your dog. Amazon carries a variety of them.

5. Leashes: Even if your dog is good about coming back to you on command, a leash is important when you are walking with a group. It is important that the dog not interfere with others who are walking or get overly friendly with another dog on the walk or hike. Good leash manners are important. It is especially important that the leash not trip someone who is walking or hiking with you. If your dog goes from one side of the trail to the other, you might want to walk last so that you don't trip someone!

6. Other Dogs: If there are other dogs on the walk or hike, space them so they don't interfere with the group by playing, pulling toward each other or, heaven forbid, fighting! Talk to the other dog owners so you can work these things out.

7. Clean Up: It goes without saying that owners need to carry bags and pick up after their dogs. Usually that will be listed on the rules for the trail.

8. Registration Courtesy: When I was new to volkswalking, I trotted right up to the registration table and then saw a loose dog. I pulled and barked my head off. Lesson learned. Dogs should stay in the car while the owner registers for an event. But be mindful of heat... not in a hot or warm car.

9. Treats: I, Francesca, think this is a really good idea. Often people stop on the trail and enjoy a snack and so dogs should too. I think being rewarded for good behavior makes walking and hiking even more fun.

10. Backpacks: Dogs need to be tested and trained to wear a backpack. It should be the right size for their weight and height. If a dog can wear a backpack on a hike or walk, you can fill the pockets with water, treats and bags. Test out your dog's tolerance for a backpack at home before trying to use it in a group walk. If it doesn't work out, YOU, the owner may be carrying everything! You can buy dog backpacks on Amazon.com.

Francesca

By Francesca the Coonhound, Blogger Intern

Editor's Note: Of course I, Cinnamon, worked on this with Francesca so she could elevate her writing. I also made sure she checked her facts before we published the article. 

Wednesday Walkers: Francesca Volkswalks

Actually I heard Francesca laid down just after this photo was taken!

I just wanted to show you proof that Francesca has joined the Wednesday Walkers volkswalk group. She does the 5K. I don't like the heat so don't go. I do think she spends more time recreating than learning how to blog, however!

See... there is Francesca on the right. If you click on the photo you can see the whole group.

My Visitors from Germany

Sometimes I get bored. No one visits. We don't go anywhere. My owner is busy.

But last week things were great! Because of the volksmarching convention (the self-paced walking I do), there were lots of friends in town. And two of them came all the way from Germany and STAYED WITH ME!

Here I am teaching Herr Pat and Frau Cheryl how to play ball.

So when I heard they were coming I thought they might bring me some German Wurst, Liebkuchen and German Bier for treats. So I waited patiently for them to come. Finally they were at my door! WITH A PRETTY FLOWER FOR MY OWNER. (No treats for Cinnamon).

They unloaded and we started getting to know each other. I found out they spoke English so any German I had learned wasn't necessary. We had a great time in the yard. I taught them how to play keep away with my ball. I'm really good at that. Herr Pat petted me and I was happy to have them visit.

I loved all the attention I got!

We didn't go volksmarching together. It was just too darn hot for me! They went to Mt. St. Helens and had a great hike. Someday I want to go there. I can see Mt. St. Helens from my favorite dog park.

All too soon it was time for them to leave. I was sad. Arf Wiedersehen, I said!

Love, Cinnamon

Cinnamon's Visitor

Yesterday was very exciting. I had a visitor who came all the way from Arkansas to see ME!

It seemed like I waited forever and forever for my visitor

It was early afternoon when we got word that she was on her way. She had done some volkswalking in Olympia and then was headed south. It's too hot for me to have fun volkswalking. I just do regular walking in the summer.

After I waited what seemed like forever, she drove up in her silver race car! I was impressed!

I tried to teach Ruth Anne how to play keep away with the ball.

We had fun outside playing. I love having visitors. Ruth Anne's mother made my beautiful dog quilt that I keep in my crate.

This is another keep away move I know.

I had so much fun! Notice I don't let loose of the ball, even while I'm rolling around looking silly.

We played and played. I got tired and my visitor and owner decided to go out for lunch. I didn't mind because it was getting pretty warm out. I heard they went to the Farmer's Market because McMenamin's on the Columbia was too crowded.

I sure hope Ruth Anne comes back soon because I love having visitors like her!!!

Here's a picture of the quilt that Ruth Anne sent to me.
(You can also see my green toy and toy basket in the picture.)

Thanks Ruth Anne for coming to visit. If I ever get to Arkansas, I'll come see you!

Love, Cinnamon

Cinnamon's Fitness Plan for 2015

Did you know that January is Get Fit With Your Pet Month?

I started off the New Year right. I walked a 5K event on New Year's Eve Day. And, I took a long walk with my neighbor and it was probably 5K. So I am off to a good start.

I am hoping to walk every day, whether it's at the Dog Park or on a trail. Chasing squirrels in the back yard just isn't quite enough exercise! So adding daily walking is my plan for 2015.

So the walk I took on New Year's Eve Day was a really good one. It was hosted by the Vancouver Volkssporters Club right here in Vancouver. It started at the local McMenamin's (I wasn't allowed inside) and took me through the Pacific Community Park. That's where one of the dog parks is located. We didn't do the dog park because we were on a marked 5K trail.

Here I am on the walk route which leads to the church

At one point the trail routed us through a neighborhood and up to a huge Catholic Church. I paid my respects to St. Francis, Patron Saint of Animals and felt grateful that Pope Francis cares about us animals and suggested that we will go to heaven too!

Here I am paying my respects to St. Francis

So as you can see, volkswalks are much more than a walk in the park. You get to see things too! And even say a few prayers for a happy and healthy new year!

Love, Cinnamon