Dogs, scenic views and fitness... we had a great time at the DogFit kickoff event!

Although the forecast called for hot weather, we were blessed as the temps were very mild and fur-friendly.

Starting at Garrod Farms, we hiked about 2.5 miles though Fremont Older Open Space Preserve, stopping at three workout stations along the way. 

The stations included a mix of cardio, resistance, and stability exercises, along with some yoga/stretching... all while enjoying some beautiful views!

At our first station, we were paid a visit by the owner of the property, Mr. Garrod, who was interested when he saw us working out and all the dogs with us. He told us that the structure that we were working out on used to be a water tower and is called the "magic circle" because of the echo inside... we tested it and it's true.

The dogs enjoyed getting their exercise in on the trails and were very curious (and maybe a little anxious) about the horses we saw at Garrod and also along the trails.

All in all, everyone enjoyed the event and had positive feedback about the workout.. Thanks to everyone who came out! 

Want to try this unique workout experience? Please contact us for schedule & details!

Almaden Quicksilver County Park is an expansive park located in South San Jose. At over 4,000 acres, Almaden Quicksilver provides plenty of great dog friendly hiking trails. 


There is some great history here as this area was the location of mercury (a.k.a. "quicksilver") mines which produced mercury used in processing gold & silver ore during the gold rush. 

There are remnants of structures scattered throughout the park, making this a unique and interesting hiking spot. 

Check out the museum located in New Almaden when you come here!

Pulgas Ridge OSP is somewhat unique in that it is the only open space park in the South Bay area that allows dogs off-leash. Although the trails are on-leash, there is an area in the center of the park where you can let your dog run crazy. 

There are a few nice options for hiking trails here. Today's hike began at the short connector to the trail along Hassler Rd which leads into the park. We took Polly Geraci Trail to Dick Bishop Trail and then briefly connected to the paved Hassler Trail, leading into the off-leash area. 

After some good off-leash fun, we backtracked on Hassler Trail to connect to Dick Bishop Trail and then made a right on Blue Oak Trail, for about a 3mi. hike. For a longer hike, take Dusky-footed Woodrat Trail. 

If you have not been to Pulgas yet, definitely check it out!

Lexington Reservoir County Park boarders St. Joseph's Hill Open Space Preserve, both offering some great trails for a hike with your dog. Lexington's easy access and location make it a popular spot for bikers, trail runners and casual hikers. 


The trails here provide some nice climbs, making this spot a good choice if you want to burn some calories!

Happy 2014! 

2013 ended on a busy note for us as the holidays were coupled with a move. 

We have been on some great winter hikes since our last post. See our facebook page for pictures.

Two new members recently joined the adventures - welcome Emma and Walter!  You can read more about Emma and Walter on our dog profiles page. 

Emma pairs well with Dash, a great combo of youthful Vizsla energy, making for fun, fast paced hikes. 

Walter hikes with our honorary member, John on our Tuesday adventures along with Dewy. 

John and Walter are good workout partners as they cruise along in stride... and Dewey is a versatile hiker, enjoying the new faces. 

Tuesday hikes have taken on an a somewhat urban-esq feel, traveling via the paved trail along Vasona Lake... a change of pace from our typical hiking locations like Fremont Older, Steven's Creek and Arastradero.

The dogs seem to enjoy the scenic park, including the local duck, geese and other waterfowl that inhabit the area. 

Here's to many new adventures in 2014...

Larry Lane Trail is a hidden gem in the town of Portola Valley. Very secluded, low traffic and well marked trails...similar to Coal Mine Ridge and perfect for a dog hiking adventure! 

Starting out on Larry Lane Trail, we connected to Hayforks Trail which looped us back. 

This hike has a little bit of everything in one place: an open meadow, redwoods, benches throughout, even a couple of picnic tables.

We will definitely be back here!

We saw three deer as soon as we hit the trail at Windy Hill. One was a buck with a nice sized rack - maybe six or eight points (hard to see from pic)... very cool! Once again, Leika was the first to spot the deer. :)

The trails were pretty quiet as we hiked, although we did come across a ranger patrolling the trail. Dash loves to sneak in some lizard hunting during the hike here.

We still have much more to explore at Windy Hill...

Arastradero offers some nice hiking trails in a convenient, accessible location, just off of 280 in Palo Alto.

We took Juan Bautista de Anza Trail, which runs along Arastradero Creek. Not far along, we saw two deer that were very close to the trail (unfortunately, no pic this time). We also saw a quail along the way as well as some other waterfowl at Arastradero Lake; although we mainly could hear them as the lake is secluded in vegetation. 


We turned right onto on Acorn Trail, then right on Meadowlark... nice views looking east, including the preserve's expansive rolling hills, as we looped back.

Stulsaft is located in Redwood City and is one of the few parks in the area with off-leash trails, although the park area itself is on-leash. 

Nice park for a short hike... there is a small creek that runs through the park and several trail options. There are also picnic tables, barbecue pits, a playground and a nice little soccer field located here.

The dogs enjoyed the hike, especially the brief off-leash time!

Water Dog Lake was even better the second time as we trekked a bit further around the park. There is a nice loop that takes you back to the lake where you are not far from the exit. 

We ran into some bikers along the way who zipped by us, but in a courteous way. We chatted with a lady walking her dog who informed us that you can hike all the way to San Carlos from here.

We discovered an alternate entrance to Windy Hill just across the street from Coal MIne Ridge. We hiked Meadow Trail to Spring Ridge Trail. We found a mix of forest and exposed open spaces here as well as several trail options. The Dashter had a great time hunting lizards and Leika was quite tired from our brief run up the hill. 

We will be back here soon to explore further... 

New location: Water Dog Lake Park in Belmont. Although the meaning of the name seems apparent, Water Dog Lake does not refer to a dog... it is actually named after salamanders. "Water Dog" is a slang term for salamander, which apparently used to live at this location in abundance. Nonetheless, this is a great place for a dog hike.

This is an active park with runners, bikers and dog walkers. The trails offer some nice views and the town of Belmont is definitely worth exploring. They have a Chocolate Fest on October 4 & 5... what's not to love about that?!

Great Coal Mine Ridge hike... we hiked Alpine Trail to Deer Path Trail and then continued to Black Oak Trail before heading back. 

We came across another hiker with a Golden... it was an interesting conversation as we briefly chatted about her interest in the PAWS program at Stanford Hospital. Those interested can find information here. 

We saw this deer who was curious about us until Leika got excited and scared it off with some barks!

Our second hike at Pulgas and the return of Leika who was on vacation for the past few weeks... 

Leika was excited to see her friends & hit the trails and she let me know with a big happy Great Dane greeting. I think her friends were happy to see her too.

We took an alternate route, starting at Blue Oak Trail, we connected to Dick Bishop Trail and proceeded to the off-leash area. Dash continued his butterfly hunting and also added lizards to the target list. 

We tried some off-leash adventures which was a nice treat for the dogs. Camille chased her buddy, Dash down the trail with Leika joining in on the fun as well. 

All were well behaved and easily recalled... they even posed for a picture inside one of the Tipis. See our facebook page for more pictures...