I was running a hostel in China, so I couldn't get away on overnight trips as much as I'd liked. Usually I have to wait until we don't have a lot of guests, and that's usually between fall and winter. I did get a chance to take my then fiancee and Polar on an overnight camping trip during a full moon. It was the first camping trip both of them had done, my wife didn't like it so much and probably won't go again (her reason is, "I can't take a shower!" ), but Polar loved it.

Polar carried her own food, water, and whatever I can fit into her pack.



Starting out from the little village we were living in...



we soon had to climb close to 1000 feet on a very steep hill.



Peek-a-boo!



I generally don't use pack animals when camping, but my wife wasn't used to carry a pack climbing up steep terrain...



so we got ourselves a mule.



Me!



Finally! Some flat bits.











Close to sunset, we were about 9000 feet now.







Setting up camp, Polar wanted to help...







It got chilly rather quickly when the sun goes down.



Full moon rising! It wasn't exactly easy to shoot, with an ancient digital camera.



Polar slept in the tent with us, by our feet. In the morning, I let her go out and play.



























Breakfast...



and the view to go with it.















Packing up.























Taking a little break.



Portable pillow.







Heading back down to our village.

It looks like you just walked from your village to the campsite? If so, that makes me envious! I have to drive pretty far to get to do some decent camping. I took my first dog, Dakota, to Turkey Run in Indiana alot. That's about a 2 hour drive from my home. He was an excellant camping dog. I haven't camped since I got Willow as a pup and then Dakota started getting ill. I'm ready to take it up again. I don't know if Willow and Aspen will be good camping dogs but I sure do hope so. It something I really enjoy doing. Keep up with the pics. I think we are all enjoying yours and Polars adventures!

26nikita wrote:

It looks like you just walked from your village to the campsite? If so, that makes me envious! I have to drive pretty far to get to do some decent camping. I took my first dog, Dakota, to Turkey Run in Indiana alot. That's about a 2 hour drive from my home. He was an excellant camping dog. I haven't camped since I got Willow as a pup and then Dakota started getting ill. I'm ready to take it up again. I don't know if Willow and Aspen will be good camping dogs but I sure do hope so. It something I really enjoy doing. Keep up with the pics. I think we are all enjoying yours and Polars adventures!

Yes, the village we were living in was surrounded by mountains, so there were tons of hiking and exploring for me and Polar. It has its positives and negatives. I didn't have a car in China, so our hiking adventures were limited to places I can walk to, which is really limiting. I couldn't visit a lot of places I wanted to with Polar. But, it was nice living so close to the mountains!

Those are some awesome pictures! Polar seems like a great hiking and camping partner. We don't have much in the way of hiking around here, unless I want to go tangle with rattlesnakes (all over the place here). Our karate school is doing a little camp out at the end of the month, and I think we're going to go and bring the dogs. I need to see if my little backpacking tent is big enough for both of us and 2 dogs...

On a side note, Mindy, have you ever been to Fox Ridge State Park? It's right by Charleston, and it is an awesome place. I went there a couple times with girl scouts, and then again with my school in 8th grade. Google it, it's way closer than Turkey Run (which I agree, is awesome).

blueeyedghost wrote:

Those are some awesome pictures! Polar seems like a great hiking and camping partner. We don't have much in the way of hiking around here, unless I want to go tangle with rattlesnakes (all over the place here). Our karate school is doing a little camp out at the end of the month, and I think we're going to go and bring the dogs. I need to see if my little backpacking tent is big enough for both of us and 2 dogs...

I lived in Florida for 12 years, so I know about the hiking there... I've done my best to enjoy it, but if you hiked one trail in Florida, you've pretty much seen it all...

I do like all the water for canoeing, kayaking, diving, etc. However Polar isn't very much a water dog.

Ah such fun and great camping and hiking..

Polar really enjoys herself.

For an ancient digital camera, those are some wonderful pictures.

Polar wrote:

I lived in Florida for 12 years, so I know about the hiking there... I've done my best to enjoy it, but if you hiked one trail in Florida, you've pretty much seen it all...

I do like all the water for canoeing, kayaking, diving, etc. However Polar isn't very much a water dog.

Where were you in FL? We will probably take some weekend trips up into Alabama and Georgia just to get some better hiking. We're only like 5 hours from both Huntsville and Atlanta, and they at least have some terrain variation up there. I can't wait til I can move north again...

Did I catch in another post that you were in the Navy? I am, but the keep sticking me on Air Force bases. I'm finally back on a Navy base after 4 years

Love the mule pic! What a good husband! Love the pics

blueeyedghost wrote:

Where were you in FL? We will probably take some weekend trips up into Alabama and Georgia just to get some better hiking. We're only like 5 hours from both Huntsville and Atlanta, and they at least have some terrain variation up there. I can't wait til I can move north again...

Did I catch in another post that you were in the Navy? I am, but the keep sticking me on Air Force bases. I'm finally back on a Navy base after 4 years

I lived in Orlando, it's got one of the best parks I've ever seen, but mountains are better.

I worked as a computer engineer for the Navy, but I was never enlisted in the military. I worked for the station at Pax River for three years, before I quit my job and went traveling around the world.

Polar wrote:

I lived in Orlando, it's got one of the best parks I've ever seen, but mountains are better.

I worked as a computer engineer for the Navy, but I was never enlisted in the military. I worked for the station at Pax River for three years, before I quit my job and went traveling around the world.

Yeah I wish we had mountains. Maybe next tour...

That's cool you were a computer engineer, I'm a pilot. I went to the Academy, so I lived in Annapolis for 4 years and I've done some flying out of Pax River. I flew the E-6 if you're familiar with it. It is the big white 707 that flies alert out of Pax if you ever saw it. I'm just east of Pensacola now, at Whiting Field.

Not going to lie, I think if I could at this point I'd quit and travel as well.

Polar looks like possibly the most content dog I have EVER seen. And for good reason! Beautiful pictures.

blueeyedghost wrote:

Yeah I wish we had mountains. Maybe next tour...

That's cool you were a computer engineer, I'm a pilot. I went to the Academy, so I lived in Annapolis for 4 years and I've done some flying out of Pax River. I flew the E-6 if you're familiar with it. It is the big white 707 that flies alert out of Pax if you ever saw it. I'm just east of Pensacola now, at Whiting Field.

Not going to lie, I think if I could at this point I'd quit and travel as well.

The "quit my job and go traveling" thing was great, I went climbing in New Zealand and Australia, went diving at the Great Barrier Reefs, did some more climbing in China and Malaysia, and more diving in Malaysia... I think it's a great thing to do when you're young, I wouldn't trade the experience for anything else.

Now that I'm in my 30s with no savings left, I've got to settle down, start a family, start to make some money. But I figure I have the rest of my life to do it.

MyKeeonah wrote:

Polar looks like possibly the most content dog I have EVER seen. And for good reason! Beautiful pictures.

Thanks! She loves the outdoors, so I try to get her out as much as I can.