Red Mountain

There are many cinder cones around Flagstaff, but not like this one. The eastern side has fallen away, making it great for exploring.

This hike was recommended in my "Hiking with Dogs" book, so after hiking a mile and a half to the mountain, I was surprised to find a seven foot high rock wall. I learned a couple things. First, Tahoe can climb up a ladder. Second, he cannot climb down one. In fact, he refused to even go near it. The only other option was climbing the steep cinder wall, and Tahoe was not interested in that either. Eventually, I ended up carrying an extremely reluctant 42 pound dog in my arms down the ladder.

The colorful volcanic rock walls had lots of cool juecos (or hoodoos as I call them).

Tahoe enjoyed walking around the fun, curvy footpaths.

Around Flagstaff

This is a Weidemeyer's Admiral butterfly.

Lockett Meadow.

I saw these Hopi petroglyphs at Keyhole Sink. There was supposed to be a small pool for swimming, but it was dry due to the drought.

A waxing moon kept things bright around our camp. It also kept the coyotes howling all night.

Black River

Josh and his friend, Wes, went fly fishing on the Black River near the San Carlos Indian Reservation.

They caught some bass.

Bear tracks.

Couch Potato

This is where Cowboy spends much of the day.

Big Meadow

This is where we started our trek on the Tahoe Rim Trail.

Corn lillies.

Tahoe loved romping around the meadow.

We camped here one night, and Tahoe declared himself the Meadow Guard and protected us by making a close investigation of anyone who approached.

Hiking the T.R.T.

Traci and Tahoe.

Tahoe was a great backpacking partner. We hiked a total of 56 miles during our 6 day trip. He got a few minor scratches and had to put up with me spraying insect repellent on him every day. Now, when he sees the bottle, he walks away from me.

Tahoe likes to check out the views - probably looking for marmots.

He loves to rub his face in the snow.

Lake Aloha

Traci and Tahoe hiking on the granite trail near the lake.

It was so windy that many of the trees looked like this.

The lake water was from the snowmelt, so the visibility was great.

The cold water felt so good after a long day of backpacking.

The High Sierra

This is the picturesque Susie Lake, one of the many small lakes we passed on the trail.

These little flowers dotted the mountains. They ranged in color from white to purple.

There was lots of wildlife: coyotes, lizards, birds, squirrels, and Tahoe's favorite - yellow bellied marmots.

Tahoe and Traci taking a break at Heather Lake.

Dick's Peak

We hiked To Dick's Pass, and at over 9,000 feet, the mountain was still covered in snow.

We lost the trail and searched for an hour, but couldn't locate it. We camped on top of the mountain, and that was our coldest night.

This was Tahoe's first experience in snow, and he loved it. He ran around, rolled in it, and ate it.

Dick's lake.

Lake of the Woods

This serene lake was a side trip from the Tahoe Rim Trail.

We hung our food in the trees, so the bears wouldn't eat it.

We watched the sunset over the lake and listened to the tree frogs croaking.

Since we didn't actually get to see much of Lake Tahoe while on the trail, we stopped at Emerald Bay for a glimpse.

Spectacular Sunset

Garden of Eden

This is an arbotetum and botanical garden on the road to Hana. Leaf on a banana tree.

This is the famous Keopuka Rock which was featured in Jurassic Park.

Panama Pacific Water Lily.

Tree lizard.

Torch ginger.

The Road to Hana

This Heavenly Highway is 52 miles long with 617 curves and 56 bridges. There are lots of waterfalls, nature trails, and scenic views along the way.

This is the rainy, tropical side of the mountain, so it was very lush.

One of the dozens of waterfalls along the way.

Yellow heliconia.

Haleakala National Park

A long road took us to the summit where we stood above the clouds at 10,023 feet.

The rare silversword is found nowhere else on earth. It's one of the few plant species endemic to Hawaii.

The Sliding Sands Trail led down into the volcano. The dots on the right of the trail are people.

The landscape was eerie and wonderful.

The land seems barren at first, but all the green is shrubbery.

There are about a dozen cinder cones.