Shirley and the Deschutes River (Jan. 2021).

Shirley with the boys (Jan. 2021).

A nice 4+ mile loop through some Oregon prairie lands at the east edge of the Columbia Gorge. First time there for us and it turned out to be ideal for some initial off-leash training for junior (Jan. 2021).

Feeding frenzy (Jan. 2021).

Columbia Hills (Jan. 2021).

Davey experiencing snow for the first time (Jan. 2021).

Davey annoying Benny on Silver Star (Jan. 2021).

Davey on Silver Star (Jan. 2021).

Shirley and Benny on Silver Star (Jan. 2021).

Silver Star Mountain (April 2021).

Silver Star Mountain (April 2021).

Shirley and the boys on the way up Sutton Mountain. We’ve done this hike years ago with Blondie but we did it cross country via the ridge. This time we stuck to the dirt road which allowed some rolling fetch the stick games (April 2021).

Charging up!!

Nearing the summit of Sutton Mountain (April 2021).

Sutton Mountain (April 2021).

The boys starting our hike up the beautiful Ninemile Ridge an hour north of Pendleton (April 2021).

A refreshing sip (April 2021).

Posers (April 2021).

Very pretty hike especially for an early season one (April 2021).

Junior (April 2021).

What up fellas?

Snow patches on the right mark the endpoint of the hike (April 2021).

Sharing – Benny drinks, Junior waits (April 2021).

Shirley on the Ninemile Ridge (April 2021).

Benny posing (April 2021).

Post-hike cool-off (April 2021).

Shirley and Benny starting the hike up to Spring Basin in central Oregon (May 2021).

Boys playing with the ever important stick (May 2021).

Spring Basin (May 2021).

Shirley and Davey (May 2021).

The boys in Spring Basin (May 2021).

Spring Basin (May 2021).

Spring Basin (May 2021).

Spring Basin (May 2021).

Shirley and the boys (May 2021).

They’re not stressing wildlife; they are chasing a stick we’ve thrown (May 2021).

Spring Basin (May 2021).

Spring Basin (May 2021).

Spring Basin (May 2021).

Junior (May 2021).

Spring Basin (May 2021).

Spring Basin (May 2021).

Taking in the views (May 2021).

Cactuses in bloom. Not a common sight in Oregon but this place had an abundance (May 2021).

Beautiful (May 2021).

Mr. Senior posing (May 2021).

Sharing the water bowl like brothers…when the elder is done, the youth will drink (if there’s any left…probably not).

All smiles (May 2021).

Happy dogs (May 2021).

The unassuming start to the Pine Bench hike (May 2021).

Starting the hike up to Pine Bench (May 2021).

The boys on their way up to Pine Bench (May 2021).

Cooling off (May 2021).

Benny and his stick (May 2021).

Somewhere here we reapplied that we were not hiking but simply providing a ride to Portland to about 300 ticks (May 2021).

The boys on the Boulder Creek / Pine Bench hike (May 2021).

Grassy Knoll – views from the hike (May 2021).

Boys on the way up to the top of Grassy Knoll (May 2021).

Shirley on one of our go-to spring hikes (May 2021).

The boys eating up a patch of snow near the summit of Grassy Knoll (May 2021).

Shirley charging up to the summit (May 2021).

Grassy Knoll (May 2021).

Grassy Knoll (May 2021).

Grassy Knoll (May 2021).

Benny and Davey (May 2021).

Grassy Knoll (May 2021).

Airborne (May 2021).

Grassy Knoll (May 2021).

Grassy Knoll (May 2021).

Grassy Knoll (May 2021).

Grassy Knoll (May 2021).

Mom, Shirley and the boys at Cape Lookout (May 2021).

Benny and Davey (May 2021).

Benny and his stick (May 2021).

Mom spectating a game of fetch with the boys (May 20210).

The boys spooling up (May 2021).

Davey grabbing life by the balls at Cape Lookout (May 2021).

Cape Lookout (May 2021).

Paulina Falls (May 2021).

Family at Paulina Falls (May 2021).

Shirley, Mom, and they boys at the Airbnb rental place in Bend (May 2021).

Mom and her favorite grandson (May 2021).

Bend. OK, which hike?

Oregon Badlands hike with family and the boys (May 2021).

Family and Benny with stick (May 2021).

Bad boys in the Badlands (May 2021).

Shirley and the boys (May 2021).

Mount Adams (May 2021).

Davey dog (May 2021).

The boys charging up Grassy Knoll with Mount Hood in the background (May 2021).

Grassy Knoll (May 2021).

Shirley on the pretty summit with Mount Adams in the background (May 2021).

Grassy Knoll summit – a great lunch spot (May 2021).

The boys on the summit (May 2021).

And one more (May 2021).

Still snowy Junction Lake (June 2021).

The boys training for taking down tweakers (June 2021).

Davey’s second day (first weekend) of swimming (June 2021).

Air Davey (June 2021).

Benny and Davey in action (Junction 2021).

They’re not quiet (June 2021).

Junction Lake (June 2021).

A snow bridge over a wooden bridge (June 2021).

Some lake we passed on the way home – couldn’t resist (June 2021).

The boys in action (June 2021).

Detroit Lake. Teamwork? No, wrestling match. Turns out that the hike we picked (Santiam Pass area) now requires a permit (even for day hikes). Fucking stoooooopid. This was the consolation prize on a Saturday (June 2021).

Starting the hike up to Junction Lake on a Sunday a week after our first visit of the season (June 2021).

Much less snow than the week prior but still pretty continuous for the last quarter mile before the lake. Portland is baking in a 115 degree heat but the boys are enjoying snow (June 2021).

On the way to Junction Lake (June 2021).

The race is on. Click pic for a quick video (June 2021).

Oh yeah – that hits the spot (June 2021).

Junior at Junction Lake (June 2021).

There’s no halfassing it – always balls to the wall (June 2021).

The race is on. Click pic for a quick video (June 2021).

Benny getting some love while Davey is getting some stick (June 2021).

Keeping cool with my home boys (June 2021).

The boys at Junction Lake (June 2021).

Davey dog!

Come on man – throw the goddamn stick already!!

Junction Lake (June 2021).

Still a wrestling match (June 2021).

The boys (June 2021).

This hike was custom designed for hot doggos with a cool off station every mile or so (June 2021).

Fucking Queensland hot (except we’re not imprisoned).

Davey the warrior princess (air conditioned car to air conditioned house).

Shirley and the boys (July 2021).

Cooling off at a stream (July 2021).

A hot valley (July 2021).

The splendor of the Wallowas (July 2021).

What up fellas?

A water break at a stream (July 2021).

The Wallowas (July 2021).

The Wallowas (July 2021).

Davey posing (July 2021).

The Wallowas (July 2021).

Very very warm (July 2021).

The boys (July 2021).

In camp. Why are they tied off? So that we can eat dinner in peace (July 2021).

The boys resting (July 2021).

Junior’s first time sleeping in the tent (July 2021).

The Wallowas (July 2021).

The Wallowas (July 2021).

Cooling off (July 2021).

The Wallowas (July 2021).

The Wallowas (July 2021).

The Wallowas (July 2021).

The Wallowas (July 2021).

On the way out (July 2021).

The boys in a sea of Indian paintbrush (July 2021).

The boys on the way to Bear Lake (August 2021).

Bear Lake (August 2021).

Bear Lake (August 2021).

Bear Lake (August 2021).

The water was absolutely perfect for all of us (August 2021).

Hiking back (August 2021).

The boys (August 2021).

Junction Lake (August 2021).

Junction Lake (August 2021).

Junction Lake (August 2021).

Junction Lake (August 2021).

Junction Lake (August 2021).

Junction Lake (August 2021).

The boys making the most out of an overcast August day in Junction Lake (August 2021).

Long range lap (August 2021).

Junction Lake on an overcast day (August 2021).

Setting out for the Blue Lake from the Thomas Lakes Trailhead (August 2021).

Privileges of age – i.e. no backpack (August 2021).

On the way to Blue Lake (August 2021).

Nearing Blue Lake (August 2021).

Look at that smile (August 2021).

Off to the races in Blue Lake (August 2021).

Blue Lake (August 2021).

Blue Lake (August 2021).

Blue Lake (August 2021).

Benny going to town (August 2021).

No drinking dude!!!

Charging up (August 2021).

Davey dog (August 2021).

Shirley on the hike up (August 2021).

Maxwell Lake (August 2021).

Benny dog (August 2021).

Gin clear (August 2021).

Maxwell Lake (August 2021).

Maxwell Lake (August 2021).

Maxwell Lake (August 2021).

Chilling in camp (August 2021).

In camp. Tied off because some cannot behave themselves while we’re cooking dinner…

Dinner prep (August 2021).

Maxwell Lake (August 2021).

We gonna need a bigger tent (August 2021).

Maxwell Lake in the morning (August 2021).

Maxwell Lake (August 2021).

Morning laps (August 2021).

The boys (August 2021).

Maxwell Lake (August 2021).

Teamwork (August 2021).

The boys practicing their tweaker zombie take down skills. Click for a quick video (August 2021).

The aftermath (August 2021).

The Cox Clan on the way to Bear Lake (September 2021).

One of the tarns on the stretch up to Junction Lake (September 2021).

One of the tarns on the way up to Junction Lake (September 2021).

The boys at Junction Lake (September 2021).

Cam and Jessi at Junction Lake (September 2021).

Junction Lake (September 2021).

The boys at Bear Lake (September 2021).

Going for it in Bear Lake (September 2021).

Even Shirley got in on the action – not as balmy as six weeks prior (September 2021).

Crystal clear Bear Lake (September 2021).

Shirley, Jessi, and Cam at our Bear Lake camp. Justin and Bolt (the pup) hiked out as they apparently prefer to sleep in their own beds at home (missed out dudes!).

The boys tied off at camp because we’re cooking (somehow the boundaries of what’s acceptable vanish outdoors; September 2021).

Shirley, Jessi, and Cam chilling in camp by Bear Lake (September 2021).

Hiking out in the morning (September 2021).