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<title>The Adventures of Smiley</title>
<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley</link>
<description>Dogster diary for the dog Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel</description>
<language>en</language>
<copyright>Copyright 2013 by Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel &amp; Dogster</copyright>
<pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 10:37:42 PDT</pubDate>
<generator>Dogster Pet-o-matic Gennie - http://www.dogster.com</generator>
<ttl>360</ttl>

	<item>
		<title>A warm welcome for our dear pal,Wesley!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/820742</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 24 Mar 2013 06:51:53 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/820742</guid>
		<description>Our dear pal,Wesley,from Donner Lake,CA,recently made the journey across Rainbow Bridge. This journe ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Our dear pal,Wesley,from Donner Lake,CA,recently made the journey across Rainbow Bridge. This journey can be a bit disconcerting for a pup as they are leaving their beloved person or persons behind. At the same time,the Rainbow Bridge is a wonderful place and with the help of other angels here,the new pup soon feels at home. My Bridge family,Butch,Lady and myself are glad to welcome Wesley. We will be showing him around this beautiful place! WELCOME WESLEY!

                                      From across Rainbow Bridge,
                                             Smiley
PS The welcome photo is currently #2 on my page.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Geocaching with Dad from across the Bridge</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/812402</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 14 Jan 2013 09:10:39 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/812402</guid>
		<description>Before I crossed over the Rainbow Bridge,I enjoyed many adventures with my Dad. Late in my life,Dad  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Before I crossed over the Rainbow Bridge,I enjoyed many adventures with my Dad. Late in my life,Dad and I took up the hobby of Geocaching. For the uninformed,this involves finding a hidden container using your GPS. Yesterday,Dad visited one of the first geocaches that we found together way back in 2007. Dad just wanted to hunt it down again since he was exploring the area with my brother,Wesley. Dad used his GPS to find the cache but my spirit helped to guide him along as well! I`ve posted some pix of this geocaching event here on my page.
                                          Love from across the Bridge,
                                                Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Eagle,Alaska---Amundsen---and the South Pole</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/754357</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:25:50 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/754357</guid>
		<description>In 2002,Dad and I took a trip to Alaska. It was my 2nd trip there with him and we hiked the Chilkoot ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ In 2002,Dad and I took a trip to Alaska. It was my 2nd trip there with him and we hiked the Chilkoot Trail---used by gold seekers in the Klondike Gold Rush---as well as the Kesugi Ridge trail in Denali Park. As we were leaving the state,we drove the Taylor Highway from Tok to Eagle Alaska. Eagle is a small town on the Yukon River and most of the buildings there are log cabins! Dad came upon a statue of Roald Amundsen here and a plaque which read that he had stopped here on his discovery of the Northwest Passage. This was a few years before his famous polar journey of 1911. I thought it appropriate to post this as well as a photo of me in Eagle on this day which is the 100th anniversary of the South Pole journey. I am still having many grand adventures here across the Bridge!
                                    Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Remembering  September 11,2001</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/738027</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 11 Sep 2011 12:51:05 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/738027</guid>
		<description>On this 10th anniversary of the tragic events of Sept 11,2001 I thought that I would share my story  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ On this 10th anniversary of the tragic events of Sept 11,2001 I thought that I would share my story on where I was on that fateful day.

   Dad and I were on our first Alaska trip together---he had adopted me the year before as a result of my brother Butch`s accident as they were headed home from Alaska in the fall of 2000. We had left home on the night of Sept 6 and after a few days traveling,had just reached the Alaska Highway on Sept 10. We camped that night at the Charlie Lake campground about 60 miles from the start of the Alaska Hwy in Dawson Creek,British Columbia. Dad and I awoke early the next morning and he took me on a walk along the trail that leads from the campground down to Charlie Lake. We returned to the tent,broke camp,and backtracked a short distance to the town of Fort St John where Dad wanted to stop for breakfast at a McDonalds. We were listening to a tape casette and didn`t have live radio on thus we were ignorant of the unfolding events of Sept 11,01. He left me in the car (promising to bring me back a hash brown) and went inside. As he was sitting down,he overheard a woman at a nearby table comment that a plane had crashed in Pennsylvania. Dad didn`t think too much of it at the time,as planes do after all crash now and then. He went out to his car and turned on the radio just as the 2nd tower was collapsing. Dad was in shock as he couldn`t visualize something that massive coming down! Then we learned that the US/Canada border was closed. Dad was wondering just how long we might be stuck in Canada. For the next few days,we followed the news whenever we could as radio reception can be sporadic along the remote towns of the Alaska Hwy. Fortunately the border was quickly reopened. As we were crossing into Skagway,Alaska a few days after Sept 11,Dad observed that the poor lady at the customs booth seemed rather nervous! Probably as a US government official,she felt herself to be somewhat of a target. Dad gave me my first hike along the Chilkoot Trail in Skagway(this trail was used during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898)then we returned back into Canada and journeyed up to the Alaska mainland. Traveling throughout Canada Dad was heartened by commentators on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)who professed their solidarity with the US at this difficult time. In the small town of Dawson City in Canada`s remote Yukon Territory a local resident even had an American flag in the window of their log cabin! As we neared the border of the lower 48 on the way home,we passed a fuel truck in Alberta that had a US flag on the back!
  We were thus not in the US when the events of Sept 11,2001 unfolded,but this is how we experienced them. Dad and I were to travel to Alaska again in 02,05,and 07 but this trip remains special to us both.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Memorial at Best Friends</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/698872</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 9 Nov 2010 06:00:39 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/698872</guid>
		<description>I am living life to the fullest here across the Rainbow Bridge. There are many new adventures to be  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I am living life to the fullest here across the Rainbow Bridge. There are many new adventures to be had,good food,warm sunshine---what`s not a pup to like about this place? Still in spite of everything,I do miss my Dad very much. Recently he took a trip out West with my brother Wesley and visited Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab Utah. There is a lovely memorial garden here known as ANGEL`S REST and Dad had a wind chime placed in it in my memory. It reads "I Love you Smiley,you were a good trail dog. Love John" It will make a melodious tinkling sound along with the hundreds of other chimes here. In this way,we Bridge Angels can sing a song to our loved ones left behind. Thanks Dad for remembering me in this special way! I will NEVER forget you!
      
                           ♥ Smiley ♥

  P.S. There is a photo of the wind chime on my page!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>At the Bridge for 1 year</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/685478</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 7 Aug 2010 20:03:53 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/685478</guid>
		<description>Well I`ve been here for a year as of today. Life across the Rainbow Bridge has been rich and rewardi ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Well I`ve been here for a year as of today. Life across the Rainbow Bridge has been rich and rewarding. I`ve explored numerous exciting places,setting paw in realms unimaginable back on earth. To quote a line from an old song "What a long strange trip it`s been"! Yes,it has been a wonderful new adventure here,but still things aren`t quite the same without my Dad here to share the adventure with me! I`ll always cherish the times we spent together back on earth,Dad---the many hikes along the Appalacian Trail,trips to Alaska and the Grand Canyon,and just the ordinary times together walking thru the park,chewing on a meaty bone that you bought me from Petsmart,or snuggling up beside you as a scary thunderstorm raged outside. The day will come when we`re reunited and our grandest Bridge adventures will begin! Watching over you,Dad!
                                   &hearts; Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Rainbow Bridge</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/684613</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 2 Aug 2010 05:48:24 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/684613</guid>
		<description>Thanks for the special gifts Riley and Petey! On Sunday,August 8,it will be 1 year since I crossed R ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thanks for the special gifts Riley and Petey! On Sunday,August 8,it will be 1 year since I crossed Rainbow Bridge. My bridge pals and I will be having a special party on that day!
                                      Love &hearts;
                                         Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>My first Rainbow Bridge adventure</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/618414</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 1 Sep 2009 21:19:48 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/618414</guid>
		<description>Paws to all,
    I`ve been across the Bridge for a bit over 3 weeks now and am finally getting the  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Paws to all,
    I`ve been across the Bridge for a bit over 3 weeks now and am finally getting the "hang" of things up here.  I took my first trip as a doggie angel today to the Grand Canyon. On earth,dogs are not allowed below the rim at Grand Canyon,and on Dad`s last visit there in 2006,he had to board me at the canyon kennels while he backpacked down inside the Canyon for a week. Now as an invisible dog angel,I am free to hike some of the canyon trails that my Dad explored. I`ve posted a photo on my page of myself on the Clear Creek trail which Dad plans to hike in a few weeks. He is going to travel to Grand Canyon by way of Florida so that he can visit his sister down there and retrieve my ashes. He plans to carry the urn in his backpack as he hikes the Canyon trails and my spirit will be with him!
                                                                                               Paws,
                                                                                                 Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Adjusting to life across Rainbow Bridge</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/615611</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:01:27 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/615611</guid>
		<description>Woofs to all,
     I have been here across Rainbow Bridge for almost 2 weeks now and am learning my ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs to all,
     I have been here across Rainbow Bridge for almost 2 weeks now and am learning my way around with the help of good Bridge pals like Stryker who threw me that wonderful party! I am going to post some photos from key dates in my past life as my primary photo on Dogster and will rotate them periodically. The current one is from the first backpacking trip that Dad and I took together in Nov 2000 about 1 1/2 months after I was adopted. We hiked for 3 days in the Delaware Water Gap in NJ.
                                                                                           Paws,
                                                                                         Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Rainbow Bridge</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/613721</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:36:40 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/613721</guid>
		<description>Thanks so much to all the wonderful pups who have just sent me stars and rosettes. It was hard for D ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thanks so much to all the wonderful pups who have just sent me stars and rosettes. It was hard for Dad to lose me and those messages of support mean a lot to us both!
                                                                                    from the Bridge,
                                                                                           Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Rainbow Bridge</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/612592</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 9 Aug 2009 14:50:52 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/612592</guid>
		<description>Paws to all,
        I crossed the Rainbow Bridge at 11:25 yesterday morning,Aug 8. I am much happi ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Paws to all,
        I crossed the Rainbow Bridge at 11:25 yesterday morning,Aug 8. I am much happier here finally free of the ailments that plagued me in my last days on earth. In the end,I could barely eat or drink and walking was even impossible. Here across the Bridge,I can run free just like on the long hikes my Dad and I used to take back home. Alaska,the Grand Canyon,Appalacian Trail,and summer rafting were all great fun,but I hope to have even more exciting adventures here! I will also watch over my earthly brother,Wesley, and try and keep him and Dad safe on their adventures together. Stay tuned,you haven`t heard the last from me!
                                                                                           Love,
                                                                                             Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Goodbye to my friends on Dogster</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/612176</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 7 Aug 2009 19:27:30 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/612176</guid>
		<description>Paws to all,
     To all my dear friends here,I sadly must say a fond goodbye as my time to cross t ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Paws to all,
     To all my dear friends here,I sadly must say a fond goodbye as my time to cross the Bridge appears imminent. I recently began having trouble eating and drinking and my aunt,Maryann,took me to the vet for a checkup. My liver enzymes  are thru the roof, ALP = 2224 ALT 1070, GGT 172, BA > 140, TBIL 3.0 and the vet says it is liver failure. I am also having trouble walking and have lost much weight. I have always been an active dog throughout my life,hiking with my Dad in many places. I`ve been to Alaska 4 times and 3 times to the Grand Canyon as well as numerous shorter hikes on the Appalacian Trail and numerous summer rafting trips. My Dad and Aunt Maryann do not want to see me suffer in such a diminished capacity. I will probably be crossing the Bridge in a few days at most and look forward to an active life there with my brother Butch and sister Lady. Be happy for me as my life has not ended but merely changed. I thank Dad for adopting me from that shelter in Montana and giving me over 7 wonderful years together. We`ll meet again someday!!!

                                                                                      Love to all,
                                                                                         Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Retired life in Florida</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/609119</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:00:08 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/609119</guid>
		<description>Paws to all,
     My new arthritus meds are working nicely and I have been really feeling much bett ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Paws to all,
     My new arthritus meds are working nicely and I have been really feeling much better of late. My aunt,Maryann,bought me this nice new bandana and I enjoy showing it off to my pup pals down here. There are lots of nice shady places for me to rest here from the warm Florida sun and being out here in the country,there are plenty of refreshing cool breezes. Dad and brother Wesley are stopping down to see me in late sept. Can`t wait to show them my new bandana!
                                                                                                  Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>4th of July!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/602693</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 4 Jul 2009 17:24:10 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/602693</guid>
		<description>Hi everypups,
    I`m feeling a tad more chipper of late and had lots of fun celebrating the  4th w ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Hi everypups,
    I`m feeling a tad more chipper of late and had lots of fun celebrating the  4th with my doggie pals down here in sunny Florida. We got all dressed up for the festivities and enjoyed some hot dogs afterward! I`m not real fond of fireworks,so I`ll pass on them!
                                                                                                     Paws,
                                                                                                      Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Old Dog troubles</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/600437</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 26 Jun 2009 19:02:45 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/600437</guid>
		<description>Woofs to all my pals on Dogster,
       I am now back on Denamarin to see if that helps to lower my ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs to all my pals on Dogster,
       I am now back on Denamarin to see if that helps to lower my elevated liver enzymes. Dad decided to put me back on it for 3 or 4 months just to see if a prolonged use of it would reverse the climb in my enzyme count. Both of us are hoping that it will do the trick. I`m still getting around fairly well,just stiff at times from the darn arthritus.
                                                                             Keeping my paws crossed,
                                                                                          Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Old Dog Troubles</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/598902</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 21 Jun 2009 15:30:54 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/598902</guid>
		<description>Hi to all my Dogster pals!,
               I`m nearly 13 yrs old now and my age is finally catching ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Hi to all my Dogster pals!,
               I`m nearly 13 yrs old now and my age is finally catching up with me. I recently started to experience liver problems and had to be taken off my Rimidyl. This caused my arthritus to worsen and unfortunately my liver enzymes continue to climb. I feel pretty tired much of the time now and feel that my time to cross the Bridge is not far off. When that day arrives,I`ll certainly be glad to see my brother Butch and sister Lady again but will certainly miss my dad. I thank him for letting me spend my remaining days down at his sister`s place in Florida where I can relax in the country. God Bless all my Dogster pals. I`ll try to hang in here as long as I can!
                                                                                                 Love,
                                                                                                  Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>A visit from my Dad!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/592336</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 29 May 2009 19:52:24 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/592336</guid>
		<description>Hi Everypups,
    As some of you may know,I`ve been living down in Florida for the past year with D ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Hi Everypups,
    As some of you may know,I`ve been living down in Florida for the past year with Dad`s sister. The weather here is better for my arthritus and I can walk around the farm at my own comfortable pace since I regrettably can no longer do long hikes. Dad and my brother,Wesley,took a trip down to Virginia for some backpacking in Shenandoah National Park,then drove down to Florida to spend a few days with me. I was sure glad to see them both,especially Dad! They`ll be back for another visit in early fall as they head out west to the Grand Canyon. Can`t wait to see them both again!
                                                                                            Paws,
                                                                                              Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Happy Birthday!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/513646</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 7 Oct 2008 15:16:39 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/513646</guid>
		<description>Woofs to all!
    Yesterday was my 13th Birthday and I celebrated it with all my doggie friends dow ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs to all!
    Yesterday was my 13th Birthday and I celebrated it with all my doggie friends down here in Florida. We all enjoyed some frosty paws and frolicked in the warm sunshine. I am having a great time down here as I can roam about the farm at my own pace and not stress my arthritic joints. I miss my dad and brother,Wes. They will be stopping down in the spring and I sure will be glad to see them both!
                                                                                           Love,
                                                                                            Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Retirement</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/463876</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 26 May 2008 13:38:16 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/463876</guid>
		<description>Woofs to all my Dogster pals!   I am now retired and taking it easy in sunny Florida. In recent mont ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs to all my Dogster pals!   I am now retired and taking it easy in sunny Florida. In recent months, my arthritus has gotten worse and I can regretfully no longer hike long distances. Dad had to have his brother dogsit me when Wesley and he did the latest hike down in Virginia. Dad plans another trip to Alaska in August and I know that an old guy like me is no longer up to long hikes in the mountains. My cousin,Julie,and her Mom recently stopped up to visit for a few days and when they left,I went back down to Florida with them. I`ll be taking it easy on a horse farm down here and can wander around on short walks that will not stress my tired old joints. I`ll be with Dad and brother Wesley in spirit as they take their Alaska trip and will rejoin them in the fall after it is all over. In the meantime,I`ll soon have some photos and videos of sunny Florida posted on my page. 

                                                                                  Still strong in spirit,
                                                                                          Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska   2008</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/403501</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:10:46 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/403501</guid>
		<description>Woofs!  It`s official! Dad formally selected his vacation today and picked 5 weeks starting in Augus ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs!  It`s official! Dad formally selected his vacation today and picked 5 weeks starting in August 2008. All his previous Alaska visits have been in Sept save for one in Aug 1995 with his old dog,Butch. On that trip with Butch,my dad and Butch made it all the way to the Arctic Ocean at Prudhoe Bay. Sept is a nice month for travelling to Alaska as campgrounds are much less crowded,but often Dad has had to endure cold rain and even snow. There is too much snow along the upper sections of the Dalton Highway which parallels the Alaska Pipeline to reach the Arctic Ocean in Sept. By doing his next trip this comming August, Dad and I hope to return to the Arctic Ocean! We`re eagerly awaiting the trip!
                                                                                     Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Conclusion of 2007 Alaska Trip</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/402557</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:39:50 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/402557</guid>
		<description>Day  27   Friday  Oct  5

             Early in the morning, dad and I awoke to the sound of crash ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Day  27   Friday  Oct  5

             Early in the morning, dad and I awoke to the sound of crashing waves. Fox Lake, which had been calm and placid the night before was now being blown into a frenzy by strong winds! Waves were crashing onto the shore with powerful force and we were fortunate that the campsite sat at a good elevation above the beach or our tent would`ve been inundated with water!  Light snow was also falling and this continued as we broke camp and headed on back down the Alaska Highway. The snow lasted till early afternoon and while the road was mostly clear,grassy areas and parking areas had an inch or 2 of new snow.  We stayed tonight again at the Liard Hotsprings.


                      Conclusion  of trip


       Dad and I travelled the remaing distance back down the Alaska Highway encountering dense fog after leaving the Buckinghorse River campground on the morning of sun Oct 7. There were few vehicles out and about on the Alaska Hwy and it was eerie driving in the silent dense fog.

           We stayed in motels for the remainder of the trip as a bit of a treat from all the nights of camping out.  In Lethbridge,Alberta near the Montana border, we stopped for the night at a Super 8 motel. This motel had a 2 story high waterslide and Dad enjoyed his first ever experience with one. Once you enter the waterslide, the smooth plastic walls of the tube coupled with the stream of water running down it eliminate all friction and you shoot thru the dark twisty tube at lightning speed! Then a circle of light appears in the distance and rapidly grows larger and in a split second you shoot out of the tube and splash down in the pool! It`s just like an olympic luge run!

        In South Dakota,as we travelled home, Dad and I did some hiking in the Badlands walking past folded hills and twisting fractured canyons in the ground.

      It was a great trip and Dad plans his next trip for August 2008. We shouldn`t encounter any snow then and Dad hopes to reach the Arctic Ocean as well as try a new route thru Canada`s Northwest Territories.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2007     Days   25---26</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/399808</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 10 Dec 2007 07:43:14 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/399808</guid>
		<description>Day  25   Wed  Oct  3

       We left the Glenallen campsite this morning and began our drive up t ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Day  25   Wed  Oct  3

       We left the Glenallen campsite this morning and began our drive up the Glenn Hwy towards the small town of Tok.  The road was icy in spots which made the drive a bit scary,but the mountain scenery was awesome! There were snowcapped peaks set against a brooding dark cloudy sky that was spitting snow from time to time.

       Travelling south from Tok towards the Canadian border, we encountered quite a bit more snow. The Alaska Highway was covered with an inch or 2 of snow and this continued for about 100 miles on into Canada.

      The winds really picked up late in the day and were quite gusty as we neared Kluane Lake,the snow however was mostly gone by this time. It was really windy and cold as night was comming on and rather than struggle to erect the tent in the howling winds, Dad decided to just camp in our car. We  found a nice gravel spot to park in by the shore of Kluane Lake. Dad had to crouch behind the car using it as a wind block in order to open my can of dog food and prepare my supper. It was a super neat campsite. We were snug inside the car and the powerful winds were sending  waves crashing onto the beach below us!  



                                   Day  26   Thurs   Oct  4

                 We explored the King`s Throne and Cottonwood trails today in Kluane National Park near the town of Haines Junction.   The Kings Throne trail began in the forest surrounding Kathleen Lake and after a following an old logging road for a few miles,began to switchback up into the mountains. Once the trail emerged above treeline we encountered snow which got deeper as we climbed upward. The King`s Throne trail followed rocky switchbacks across a bare boulder field as we climbed upward. There were stunning views of Kathleen Lake far below us. Finally the snow got deep enough that following the trail became difficult. Also it was becomming increasingly slippery so we didn`t hike all the way up to the King`s Throne. We hiked back down below the treeline and set off on the Cottonwood trail which branches off from the lower sections of King`s Throne and circles Kathleen Lake high up in the forested mountains. We came upon a bare rock clearing on this trail and had our lunch while viewing Kathleen Lake far below. The weather was partly sunny today,but cool and Dad used his small campstove to warm us as we had lunch.

     Late in the day we drove up the North Klondike Highway near the town of Whitehorse and came upon the scene of a wildfire several years past. The land was covered with blackened trees as far as we could see. We hiked a trail here and stood atop a cliff. A small stream flowed thru this area hundreds of feet below the cliff and the fire blackened forest continued on the other side. It was eerie!

       We stayed tonite at Fox Lake campground near Whitehorse.  Fox lake is huge as are many lakes here in Canada`s Yukon Territory.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska 2007        Days 23---24</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/398972</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 7 Dec 2007 20:45:23 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/398972</guid>
		<description>Day 23  Monday  Oct 1

         Dad and I hiked in the Skilak  Lakes area today which is not too f ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Day 23  Monday  Oct 1

         Dad and I hiked in the Skilak  Lakes area today which is not too far from the town of Sterling. We set out along the 7 Lakes Trail which starts at Engineer Lake. This is a wonderfully secluded trail that passes by remote backcountry lakes and in between the lakes traverses long stretches of spruce and aspen forest. As Dad and I hiked thru the utterly silent forest we observed a few mossy flat areas here and there which would make ideal backcountry campsites! After a few hours of hiking, we had lunch beside a large lake. This lake was set in remote wilderness and all was utterly quiet save for a flock of ducks skimming the water. We hiked this trail for almost 4 hours. At the end of the hike, we visited  a brand new cabin on the shore of Engineer Lake. There was a small woodstove inside the cabin and a boat was turned upside down on the shoreline outside for use of whoever rents the cabin. The cabin belongs to the US Fish and Wildlife Service which manages this part of the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.


                          Day 24   Tues  Oct  2

      Dad and I left our friend`s Sterling homestead this morning. We had a pleasant few nights there inside the cozy cabin on the property. It was quite cozy inside the cabin at night with the fire in the woodstove!

     It was bright and sunny as we drove back around Cook Inlet and as always the mountain scenery was grand! Dad and I had lunch inside the car parked at a scenic spot overlooking Cook Inlet. The winds were gusting outside and we could see the waves crashing on the beach below our overlook!

    We travelled as far as Glenallen tonight and since the campground here was closed for the season,Dad parked at the closed gate and carried our things in. We had the entire campground to ourselves!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2007  Days  21--22</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/397517</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 4 Dec 2007 07:53:08 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/397517</guid>
		<description>Sat  Sept  29   Day 21

              Dad searched for me again this morning,checking some roads a ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Sat  Sept  29   Day 21

              Dad searched for me again this morning,checking some roads and houses near the Johnson Lake campground then having done all he could for the moment,took a drive down to Homer at the terminus of the Sterling Highway. He walked a few of the beaches along Cook inlet observing Mt Redoubt which was draped in snow. Augustine volcano was also emitting a plume of pale smoke! The scenery in Homer was stunning, but dad was quite lonely without me along. 


                    Sun  Sept  30  Day 22

         I spent my second night in the shed on this homestead near Johnson Lake. Early this morning I was awakened by the sound of another dog growling at me! I assumed the submissive posture since I was on his property and soon his owner called him away. He approached me and gently petted me while reading my dog tag. This nice man then fed me and made a few phone calls. In a few hours I was overjoyed to see my dad walk into the house! He thanked the man whose name was Tom. Dad tried to offer him a reward but he wouldn`t take it. We were re-united at last!

         Dad and I drove the Kenai spur road to Captain Cook state park this afternoon and walked several miles along the beach there. This is a tidal area, and it was currently at low tide. The waters of Cook Inlet were receeded a good ways from the shoreline and many large and small rock formations were exposed. High cliffs topped with grasses and trees rose from this beach and every so often small streams of fresh water cascaded down flowing across the beach to the sea. I had a few refreshing drinks from them and Dad and I had a pleasant lunch on the beach. Later as we were hiking along, we came upon a small cove in which sat a few shacks. Thinking that they were owned by the state park, dad proceeded to use an outhouse there.  As he was leaving, a man said a friendly hello. Dad asked him about the tides and the man invited us into his cabin. The snug little cabin was warmed by a woodstove and jugs of fresh water gathered from a nearby  stream sat on the wooden table. The window afforded a fine sweeping view of Cook Inlet. Dad remarked that it would be delightful to be in such a cozy cabin while a storm raged outside! Turns out that these are private fishing cabins,not public use at all! Dad apologized and the man said all was ok. He nicely showed us the tide charts and explained how he used a nearby landmark to gauge the rising tides. It turned out that we  had plenty of time before high tide would cut off the beach, so we said our goodbyes and hiked along the beach some more. From time to time ATV`s would pass us. Fishermen in the area used them to haul water from the streams and other supplies. Cook state park was an interesting place to hike! Late in the afternoon, dad waded out a short ways into Cook  Inlet finding the water cool and brisk.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2007  days  19--20</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/396458</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 1 Dec 2007 14:28:44 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/396458</guid>
		<description>Thursday  Sept 27

          We left Tok this morning and headed down the Glenn Highway. The road  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thursday  Sept 27

          We left Tok this morning and headed down the Glenn Highway. The road was a bit icy in spots but really wasn`t all that slippery and Dad and I continued our trip without any trouble.

            Much of today was sunny and the scenery all along the Glenn Highway was spectacular!  Snowcapped peaks rose above the golden aspen trees,there was the dazzling white icefield of the Matanuska glacer and swiftly flowing glacial rivers under dazzling blue skies. Dad and I stopped ad mid day and hiked by the Matanuska Glacier. There is a nice trail here and we got many good glacier views.

     Late in the day, we passed thru Anchorage and drove around Cook Inlet. The scenery here is also spectacular with mountains rising in sheer vertical relief from the sea. We stayed at a nice campground tonite in the Chugach National Forest.


                        Friday   Sept  28

      Cold rain this morning,Yuck!!  Dad and I turned off of the Seward Highway and continued on down the Sterling Highway en route to a friend`s homestead in the area. The rain had ended by the time we arrived at her place near Sterling. We spent a few hours here then dad and I set off to drive to the end of the Sterling Highway in Homer. We stopped for lunch at the Johnson Lake campground and mishap befell us. After lunch as Dad and I were walking around the lake, I saw what looked like a squirrel or maybe a spruce hen and took off in hot pursuit of it. In my zeal chasing after this critter, I swam across a small corner of the lake and reached the road on the other side. Whatever I was chasing had by this time vanished and I discovered that I was now LOST! My hearing isn`t as good as it once was and thus I couldn`t hear my dad calling to me. I had sense enough to remain in the area though and as darkness was comming on, I took shelter in an open shed. Dad later told me that he spent the night at that campground looking for me. As things turned out, I was destined to be lost for 2 nights. It was a bit scary!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2007    Day 18</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/393207</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 23 Nov 2007 15:10:48 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/393207</guid>
		<description>Wed  Sept  26

        After another morning swim at the Chena Hot Springs, Dad toured the Ice Mus ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Wed  Sept  26

        After another morning swim at the Chena Hot Springs, Dad toured the Ice Museum on the resorts property.  This is a large refrigerated Igloo type building which is super cooled to about 15 degrees farenheit. Inside, an ice artist was at work chiseling from a massive block of ice. She had done many carvings and they were all displayed inside this building. There were ice chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. An ice bar complete with martini glasses,liquor bottles,an ornate railing---all made of ice! There were such items as a jousting knight on horseback and a chess set. There were even 2 "hotel" rooms with ice beds. It was truly an amazing sight!

     We left the Fairbanks area at mid day and travelled south back down the Alaska highway towards the town of Tok where we stayed in a nice motel room for a change! I was glad to lounge on the soft bed!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Alaska 2007   Days  16---17</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/392803</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 22 Nov 2007 13:09:05 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/392803</guid>
		<description>Day 16  Monday  Sept  24

        Today dawned sunny and fairly mild.  Dad enjoyed another morning ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Day 16  Monday  Sept  24

        Today dawned sunny and fairly mild.  Dad enjoyed another morning swim at the Chena Hot Springs, then we set off down the Chena Hot Springs road to the Tors Trailhead.

      We began the hike under partly sunny skies and temps in the mid 40`s---not bad for late sept in Alaska!  We hiked over a marshy area on a boardwalk then the trail began to ascend thru birch and spruce forest. As we got a late start, Dad and I paused to have lunch at this point. The trail soon emerged into a vast open area covered with fireweed. This area used to be forested, but a wildfire in the summer of 2004 burned away most of the trees. Dad could observe signs however that the forest was gradually regenerating!

     We hiked upwards for a few more miles on a gradually ascending trail finally emerging above treeline at a large boulder field. This field of boulders went on for quite a distance and dad had trouble finding the trail at times since the rock cairns marking the trail were difficult to spot in some areas. Dad relied heavily on my "trail sense" here as I was good at sniffing out the trail!  Dad found water at a small spring early on in this boulder field and resupplied for the rest of the ascent. We were high up on the mountain at this point and there were impressive views behind us of the mountains surrounding Fairbanks.It was tough going over the boulder field but we  finally reached the top of the mountain a bit past 6 pm. We hiked thru a small copse of dwarf spruce trees and then emerged onto the tundra. A short distance ahead was a small cabin. It was by now late in the day so dad decided to spend the night in the cabin. He got a nice fire going in the small woodstove and we had a pleasant supper by the flickering firelight. Outside the moon was rising above spruce trees in the distance.


                                   Day  17   Tues Sept 25

          Dad exited the cabin about 2 am to heed the call of nature an observed that the sky had clouded up and light snow was beginning to fall. By daybreak there was considerable fog and about an inch of new snow on the ground. (The day before, the ground had been bare.) We hiked away from the cabin shortly past 8 am. There was ice in spots where the small tundra pools had frozen.It was foggy and light snow was still comming down. The massive rock outcroppings of the tors emerged from the ghostly fog as we hiked past them. We were following wooden tripods and flourescent green signs on metal poles which marked the trail. It reminded dad of pictures he had seen of dogs crossing Eagle summit on the Yukon Quest sled dog race! The trail wound past several massive rock tors and went thru a dense stand of spruce. We ascended a few steep hills and slid down some others as the trail was a bit slippery with the coating of new snow. Dad had the location of the last Tor,known as the "Lizard`s Eye",marked as a waypoint on his GPS. He knew that the trail would soon re-enter the forest at this point. Once back amongst the trees there was less wind than out on the exposed tundra. It had been rather peaceful hiking across the tundra in the enveloping fog and light snow. All was quiet and serene. No other hikers were around.

    The trail descended VERY steeply at times and dad had to slide down some of the steeper sections on  his but!  Finally it leveled off and we spent almost 2 miles hiking across boggy tundra on a long boardwalk before reaching the end stage of the trail. The sun was beginning to peek thru at this point and we arrived back at our car in time for lunch. Dad remarked that Mountain Dew never tasted so good!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Alaska 2007   Days  14--15</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/390905</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 18 Nov 2007 12:43:04 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/390905</guid>
		<description>Saturday Sept 22  Day 14

            Hooray!! After waiting half the morning in Whitehorse,the be ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Saturday Sept 22  Day 14

            Hooray!! After waiting half the morning in Whitehorse,the bearings on Dad`s car were finally replaced (as geo parts are becomming increasingly rare,he had to settle on used bearings from a junkyard) and we were back enroute to Alaska. In late afternoon as we were driving up the Alaska highway, we saw some wooden totem poles beside the road. They were sitting in a field. We got out to have a look and take some pix. They were a memorial to a local Tlingit man who lived in the area. 

   Late september is the off season for travel to Alaska thus when we arrived at the Lake Creek Yukon Government campground, the gate was chained shut. Dad parked our car outside the gate and carried our stuff into the campground where he erected the tent in the first camping spot. Here we met a bicyclist who was peddaling south on the Alaska Highway. He was from Indianapolis and had started at Prudhoe Bay on Sept 10th. He camped near us for the night.


                                        Sunday Sept  23  Day 15

             It was in the upper 20`s at dawn but the mountains ringing the campground were ablaze in the rays of the rising sun.  Dad broke camp and videod  the cyclist peddaling south down the Alaska highway. We headed north and reached the mainland of Alaska mid morning. It was sunny but chilly---mid 40`s.  We headed north towards Fairbanks and turned off down the road leading to the Chena Hot Springs. Dad enjoyed a hot swim in the springs which doubled as a shower for him since he hadn`t had one for several days! We camped at the Tors campground tonight intending to hike the Tors trail into the Tanana mountains tommorrow.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Geocaching</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/390766</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 18 Nov 2007 07:09:21 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/390766</guid>
		<description>Woofs to all,
         Just taking a break in entries for the Alaska trip to write a little bit abo ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs to all,
         Just taking a break in entries for the Alaska trip to write a little bit about our most recent adventure of geocaching.  Dad recently went to the website geocaching.com which lists the coordinates for hidden geocaches. A geocache is a container that someone hides in a particular spot---usually in the woods or other outdoor location. The person then marks the coordinates with their GPS and posts them on the website. You then go to that website,plug the coordinates into your GPS,and use it to guide you to the spot where the container is hidden. Dad recently did this for a day hike that we took in the pocono mts. We drove about 105 miles from our home in Philadelphia to Big Pocono State Park near Tannersville,PA. After hiking a few miles on this brisk fall day ( many of the leaves were still in color but a strong chilly wind was blowing) Dad turned on his GPS and bushwacked back into the woods at the spot where the GPS indicated the geocache container was hidden. When we got to within 12 feet or so of where the container was suppossed to be, Dad had to start searching about for it. GPS units are accurate to only about 20 feet or so, thus when you get near the spot a visual search is necessary. After about 15 minutes of searching, Dad spotted what looked to be an artificial placement of rocks near a fallen log. He cleared the rocks away and sure enough, there was the hidden geocache! Dad signed the enclosed logbook and left a few pictures of me inside. He took nothing from the cache as for him the real thrill is just finding it. We then reburied the container under the rocks and resumed our hike. For any other geocaching dogsters out there, the coordinates of this cache are   N41 03.388  W 75 22.214. There`s a new geocaching video on my page as well as a geocaching pix. We may start leaving Dogster buttons in future geocaches!
                                                                                                          Smiley]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Alaska   2007    Days  12---13</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/387294</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 9 Nov 2007 20:48:53 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/387294</guid>
		<description>Day 12 Thurs  Sept  20

                     Dad broke camp early this morning, and we hiked out a ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Day 12 Thurs  Sept  20

                     Dad broke camp early this morning, and we hiked out across the tundra high above Skagway. The trail climbs steeply once you pass Upper Dewey Lake and comes close to the edge of the high plateau. Fog had rolled in in spots but there were some breaks in the clouds and we could see parts of the city of Skagway far below us. The buildings of Skagway were the size of small toys. Above us, jagged mountain peaks poked their way above the low clouds. It was truly a majestic sight!  We hiked as far as a smaller lake known as the Devil`s Punchbowl before returning to Upper Dewey Lake and a small cabin that sits on its shoreline. Dad and I relaxed in the warmth of the cabin for a bit,lighting a fire in the small woodstove and enjoying the cozy warmth. At mid day the sun poked thru the clouds and we had our lunch by scenic Upper Dewey Lake.

      The descent from Upper Dewey Lake was long and ardous. Sections of the trail were quite muddy and poor dad slipped several times, the weight of his pack causing him to over balance and fall backward. At length we reached the mostly level trail that heads away from Skagway following the coastline of Taiya Inlet. We hiked this section of trail for about 3 miles to reach Sturgil`s Landing and set up camp for night 2 of this hike on the shoreline of Alaska`s Inside Passage. It was a bit misty and windy here this evening but the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks below us was rather soothing.  After dark, a cruise ship sailed past our campsite headed away from Skagway. All the windows were lit up, it reminded Dad and me of the Titanic!


                                  Day  13   Fri  Sept  21

        Dad exited the tent early this morning and saw a few seals in the waters of Taiya Inlet below us .  Their small black heads were protruding above the water.  As Dad was taking down the tent, 2 whales swam by. They were arching their bodies out of the water and blowing through their spouts. It sounded like a powerful water jet when the whales spouted off!  

   We hiked the trail back to Skagway stopping by the shores of Lower Dewey Lake to relax a bit. It was again partly sunny and Dad even took a BRIEF dip in Lower Dewey Lake. We reached Skagway and Dad and I spent a few hours exploring the small town. We walked down to the cruise ship docks and saw a cruise ship up close. They are quite massive,floating cities really! Even the lifeboats are the size of small yachts! We drove the Klondike Hwy back up to Whitehorse,Canada  and stopped again at Wolf Creek campground for the night. The wheel bearings held and the wheels thankfully didn`t fall off of the car! We plan to stop at Canadian Tire in Whitehorse tommorrow and have new bearings installed.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2007    Day 11</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/386569</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 7 Nov 2007 20:13:19 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/386569</guid>
		<description>Day  11  Wed Sept  19

               After breakfast at the Whitehorse Mcdonalds, Dad and I spent ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Day  11  Wed Sept  19

               After breakfast at the Whitehorse Mcdonalds, Dad and I spent almost 2 hrs hiking trails along the Yukon River. The Yukon river flows thru Miles Canyon just outside of Whitehorse and is framed by steep banks. As we hiked high above the river, we could observe its swift current below. There has been a lot of rain this past summer in the North and most rivers and streams are flowing at a good clip.  We hiked the Yukon river trails back to Canyon City---a ghost town from the 1897 klondike gold rush.  After scaling the Chilkoot Pass, miners rested here before continuing on down the Yukon river to the Klondike gold fields. All that`s left today are a few stone mounds and piles of rusted tin cans and other rusted tools.  Dad picked up a few of these cans. As he held one he remarked " Neat to think that I`m holding a can that a Klondike miner ate out of in 1897!".

        After the Yukon River hiking, we drove on down the Klondike highway to Skagway,thereby arriving in Alaska for Dad`s 10th time and my 4th. Dad`s Geo Metro has also been to Alaska 10 times and has racked up over 250,000 miles to prove it!

      The morning rains had ended as we began our hike along the Dewey Lakes trail system in Skagway. The sun was actually out for a bit as we stopped by a pretty emerald lake for our lunch. We then hiked onward and the trail began to ascend above Skagway via steep switchbacks. As we climbed, we could see a few cruise ships docked below.  Dad and I ascended the steep trail for almost 3 hrs and 3 miles finally emerging above the treeline onto an alpine tundra. Here sits Upper Dewey Lake surrounded by towering mountains. Stands of spruce climb partway up these mountains before giving way to moss and lichens and finally bare rock crags that thrust themselves towards the sky. It was very windy up here as we hiked around Upper Dewey Lake. We found a spot on a gravel patch by the lake to pitch the tent partially sheltered from the wind. Dad guyed the tent down securely and we setteled in for a relaxing night amidst this stunning mountain grandeur!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2007  Day  10</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/385512</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 5 Nov 2007 08:23:42 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/385512</guid>
		<description>Tues  Sept  18

          Dad was relieved that the wheel bearings arrived safely from Whitehorse  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Tues  Sept  18

          Dad was relieved that the wheel bearings arrived safely from Whitehorse overnite. The mechanic in Watson Lake installed them this morning, then took the car for a test drive. All was ok with the rear wheel, but he said that more bearing noise was comming from the front wheels. This did not inspire confidence in my Dad to say the least. We decided to drive on to Whitehorse ourselves trusting that the front wheel bearings would hold up and get them serviced in Whitehorse if at all possible.

     It was a pleasant enough drive up to Whitehorse and we stopped in Teslin at mid day for a pleasant lunch at Teslin Lake. It was cool and partly sunny,so Dad and I enjoyed a walk at the campground here. We arrived in Whitehorse around 3 pm and Dad went around to a few garages there to inquire about bearing replacements but everybody was booked up. He decided to make an appointment for next Saturday and drive on down to Skagway,Alaska the next day for a 3 day hike,just hoping that the front wheels wouldn`t part company from the rest of our car! Yikes!!  This is what happens when you drive a 94 Metro for 250,000 miles. I`ve been passing some subtle hints to Dad that it`s time for a new car. He`s had his eyes on the Subaru Outback.

      We stopped at Wolf Lake campground for the day,arriving there early so that we could hike the trail system there. There is a nice trail that winds its way on out to the Yukon River and we spent over an hour hiking it. Dad then set our tent up and packed up for the comming hike in Skagway.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2007  Day 9</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/384622</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 2 Nov 2007 20:55:07 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/384622</guid>
		<description>Monday  Sept   17

       Early this morning, Dad drove SLOWLY down the side of the Alaska Highway ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Monday  Sept   17

       Early this morning, Dad drove SLOWLY down the side of the Alaska Highway to the local garage to have his wheel looked at. The wheel was still making its sickening grinding noise and Dad was afraid to take the car much over 15 mph.  We arrived at BJ`s services in Watson Lake and the mechanic there looked at the wheel. He confirmed that the bearings were shot and that to continue to drive the car would result in the loss of the wheel! Needless to say, if that happened at a high rate of speed, you`d have a slight problem to say the least! Not to mention that my bag of kibble would be spilled all over the road!  

  Alas,nobody in the tiny town of Watson Lake had the type of bearings Dad`s 94 Geo Metro needed. They had to be ordered from Whitehorse over 100 miles away. That meant that we were stranded in the town for the day. Dad walked me along a nice trail that circled Wye Lake. There was a nice log cabin on the shore of this lake as well as neat sections of boardwalk over boggy sections of trail. I met a few really nice dogs here. The Mom of a nice malemute told Dad that winters in Watson Lake frequently reach 40 below and there is LOTS of snow as well. The snow banks are sometimes so high that they obscure the houses surrounding the lake.  She also told Dad that most residents of Watson Lake don`t even lock their doors. Ahh the joys of living in a small community!

     In the middle of the day, Dad walked to the Northern lights theater in town---a short distance from the motel where we were temporarily staying. Dad had watched a show about the universe and the northern lights in the planetarium here the night before and he just stopped in for the internet access this time. There are interesting displays here of Canadian astronauts in their space suits wearing the Canadian Space Agency patch.

   Awaiting the arrival of those new bearings tommorrow,my paws are crossed!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2007   Day  8</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/383635</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:15:09 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/383635</guid>
		<description>Sun  Sept  16

         There was some light rain on the tent early this morning as Dad and I were ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Sun  Sept  16

         There was some light rain on the tent early this morning as Dad and I were having our breakfast. It`s quite cozy to be inside a tent with rain pattering down outside!  The rain ended as we were breaking camp and we again enjoyed the views of the mountains of bare granite rising above the colorful autumn tundra. We hiked back to our car at the Summit Lake campground traversing some slippery scree slopes on the way and re climb ing that small cliff.  

    Just as we reached our car, the cold rain returned and was with us for a time as we drove on up the Alaska Hwy to the Liard Hotsprings. It ended as we reached the hotsprings and Dad spent about 3 hrs here enjoying the warm soothing waters of the hotsprings.

    We left the hotsprings around 3 pm and headed on up the  Alaska Hwy towards the town of Watson Lake. A herd of bison was grazing beside the hwy about 20 miles past the hotsprings.

      We pulled off of the highway at the whirlpool canyon area. At this point, the Liard River makes a sharp bend flowing over jagged rocks and creating an impressive set of rapids!

    Shortly after leaving whirlpool rapids, trouble struck!  A loud banging could be heard comming from our left rear wheel. By the time we reached Watson Lake, it had morphed into a sickening grinding sound. Dad knew that the bearings were shot and the wheel was about to fall off!  We decided to stay in Watson Lake tonite and have the wheel repaired in the morning. If we lost a wheel on a remote stretch of the Alaska Hwy, we would be in BIG trouble!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2007  Day  7</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/382825</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:12:52 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/382825</guid>
		<description>Day  7  Saturday Sept  15
   
      We left Kiskitinaw Provincial Park early this morning and head ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Day  7  Saturday Sept  15
   
      We left Kiskitinaw Provincial Park early this morning and headed on up the Alaska Highway towards Ft Nelson. It was partly sunny and cool. We stopped for a relaxing lunch in a small clearing just off of the Alaska Highway about 40 miles south of Ft Nelson.  We purchased some supplies in Ft Nelson then headed on over the Canadian Rockies to Stone Mt Provincial Park,arriving there late in the afternoon. We parked at Summit Lake which is the highest point the Alaska Highway traverses going thru the Canadian Rockies. Summit Lake is a beautiful alpine lake surrounded by majestic mountains. Dad loaded up his backpack here and also packed some supplies into my dogpack. We then set off hiking a trail that ascends Stone Mountain. The trail crosses a small creek then ascends on a steep grade thru spruce forest emerging in about 3/4 mile onto alpine tundra. Dad marked the trail location with his GPS so that we could relocate it in the morning in the event fog rolled in overnite. We then set off across the tundra headed for a small copse of trees that we could see in the distance. It appeared to be a nice spot to set up camp for the night.  This turned out to be a challenging hike---not as easy as it first appeared. We had to descend a steep hill which ended at a small cliff. The cliff was composed of loose rocks and descending it without falling down was rather tricky. Dad had to help me down it after he got down. We then had to ascend another steep slope composed of more loose rocks before reaching  the copse of trees on the tundra. We hiked across the tundra and found a level spot behind some small trees to pitch the tent. It was quite windy so Dad had to stake the tent down really well!

     The tent safely erected, we settled back to enjoy the magnificent view! Bare stone mountains towered over the tundra behind us. It made Dad feel as if he were camping on the surface of the moon! As darkness came on, we both had dinner inside the tent. We were both snug and warm as strong winds buffetted the tent outside!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2007    Days 5---6</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/381684</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 26 Oct 2007 20:15:57 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/381684</guid>
		<description>Day 5   Thurs Sept 13

        This morning began with a cold rain as we left Yorkton,Saskatchewan ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Day 5   Thurs Sept 13

        This morning began with a cold rain as we left Yorkton,Saskatchewan.  There were even a few snow flurries thrown in for good measure.  The rain soon lessened to a few showers but it remained overcast till mid afternoon when at last the sun made an appearance.  We travelled about 500 miles today to reach Elk Island National Park in Alberta.  This is a very nice park only about 25 miles east of Edmonton.  There is a large lake here with a few tree covered islands in it---- Lake Astotin.  Dad and I camped by this lake tonight and enjoyed a glorious sunset here. The swish of loons  could be heard over the lake. Overnite, the howls of coyotes could be heard.


               Day  6  Fri sept 14

      We began the day with some hiking around Astotin Lake. Buffalo were grazing on the shore but they paid us no mind. The waters of the lake were utterly placid and reflected the islands within the lake beautifully.  If one were to come here in summer, it would be possible to canoe or kayak on Lake Astotin out to these islands.  As our next trip is planned for next August, we may do just that!

     We travelled thru Edmonton and reached Alberta 43, the approach route for the Alaska Highway. The weather remained sunny and pleasant as we journeyed up  route 43 to the Alaska Highway.  We reached the town of Dawson Creek late in the afternoon thus arriving at the official start of the Alaska Highway.  We stopped for the day at Kiskitinaw Provincial Park,British Columbia on the Alaska Highway. Here a wooden trestle bridge spans a deep rocky gorge.  The Kiskitinaw  River flows thru the deep gorge. It`s a really pretty spot and Dad and I took a long walk here. The Kiskitinaw Bridge is nearly 100 ft above the river.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska 2007   Days  3 and 4</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/380506</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 24 Oct 2007 07:30:18 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/380506</guid>
		<description>Tues Sept 11

       It was partly sunny this morning as Dad and I left Sault St Marie and drove p ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Tues Sept 11

       It was partly sunny this morning as Dad and I left Sault St Marie and drove past Lake Superior. We spent over an hour hiking the shoreline of Lake Superior at a provincial park here. Being at Lake Superior is just like being at the ocean! Waves roll ashore and water extends all the way to the horizon. It`s truly an inland sea!  Dad and I hiked the Superior shoreline back to a rocky bluff, then climbed the bluff for some exciting views of Lake Superior. We even waded in the water for a bit, but it was rather cloudy and too cool for any real swimming. On our last trip here in 2005, it was actually warm enough for some swimming!  There were some small rocky islands not too far from the beach.

   Rain soon began and lasted till mid afternoon. It was VERY windy after the rain ended and Dad had trouble just keeping his small Geo Metro steady on the road.  We stopped for the night at a campground near Thunder Bay,Ontario.


                               Wed Sept  12

    Nice trail system surrounding the Thunder Bay campground. Dad gave me a nice walk before we got started this morning.
   We drove provincial Hwy 17 thru the lake country of western Ontario this morning, passing many small lakes some with small rocky islands in them.
   We reached the Manitoba border in early afternoon. It was sunny and pleasantly warm  and Dad gave me a walk and we both had our lunch here.
   It was quite windy as we drove across the plains of Manitoba this afternoon and once again Dad had his work cut out for him as he fought to keep the small car steady on the highway.
  Moderate to heavy rains returned late in the day as we neared the Saskatchewan border. The rains caused ponding on the road and our car would  "fishtail" from time to time. This was especially scary as darkness was comming on and there were frequent large trucks approaching us on the road.
   We were nearing the small town of Yorkton,Saskatchewan and Dad remembered a nice campsite here that he had used on our 2005 trip. Alas we couldn`t find it in the dark and rain and thus wound up pulling off  Hwy 16 and driving down an old dirt farm road. We found an isolated spot in a field and parked there for the night. Dad used our car as a small RV and we slept in it for the night. It was surprisingly cozy inside the car. We were in the middle of dark farmland,rain was pelting down on the roof,and the lights of the highway were visible in the distance.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2007  Days  1 and 2</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/378379</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 19 Oct 2007 19:50:37 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/378379</guid>
		<description>Sat Sept 8--Sun Sept 9  Day 1

     It was quite warm and muggy as we left Philadelphia around 10  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Sat Sept 8--Sun Sept 9  Day 1

     It was quite warm and muggy as we left Philadelphia around 10 pm tonite. Clouds rolled in as we were driving up the northeast extension of the Pennsylvania turnpike and soon thereafter vivid lightning flashes lit the night sky. The lightning continued periodically throughout the night, and whenever it occurred,night was briefly transformed into day and the entire highway was visible as well as the surrounding countryside!

       There was light rain as we crossed the Peace bridge from New York into Ontario,Canada but Dad had his rain gear and we were able to enjoy a 5-6 mile hike along the Niagara Parkway. We hiked along the Niagara River on down towards the Falls, and the rapids along the way were quite impressive! As Dad and I hiked past Niagara Falls, there was a fine spray in the air from the Falls.  Later in the afternoon, we hiked the lower Niagara gorge below the Falls,descending a steep muddy trail and hiking among rocks and boulders as the lower Niagara river flowed swiftly by.

    We spent our first night at the Niagara Falls KOA campground.


                                  Monday Sept 10   Day 2

        Dad drove our little Geo Metro over 500 miles today from Niagara Falls,Ontario to Sault St Marie,Ontario.  Dad recently obtained a GPS unit for his car and it accurately guided him through the maze of highways surrounding Toronto (where we`ve gotten lost on past trips). We were soon past the metropolis of Toronto and headed down provincal highway 69 into the scenic Great Lakes area.  There are numerous small to medium sized lakes here and jagged rock outcroppings thru which the highway passes.

    Dad and I discovered a very nice hiking trail just off of highway 69 near the small town of Falding. It was really intended as an ATV trail but it connected several provincial parks and we hiked a few miles of it at mid-day. We hiked past a few small lakes and if we had had more time, a really long hike would have been possible.

  It was partly sunny today with just a few light showers from time to time. Much cooler at days end though.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2007</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/377391</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:29:29 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/377391</guid>
		<description>Hi everybody,
             Dad and I just got back from our Alaska trip a few days ago and I`m goin ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Hi everybody,
             Dad and I just got back from our Alaska trip a few days ago and I`m going to blog some of the details in my diary over the next few weeks.  We hiked the Dewey Lakes trail system in Skagway,Alaska almost 2 weeks into our trip. This trail system took us to a campsite by the Taiya Inlet which is an offshoot of the Pacific Ocean and is part of the Inside Passage of Alaska. Cruise ships sail into Alaskan ports via this route. Anyway, we were camped here inside our tent on the 3rd day of the hike when 2 whales swam by our campsite!  I`ve posted the videos on my page.
                                                                             Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Home from Alaska!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/376288</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 15 Oct 2007 15:52:21 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/376288</guid>
		<description>Dad and I just arrived home yesterday. We have a ton of chores to catch up on and I will soon be upd ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Dad and I just arrived home yesterday. We have a ton of chores to catch up on and I will soon be updating my page and dairy.
                                                                                           Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>FOUND!!!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/371092</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 1 Oct 2007 23:41:17 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/371092</guid>
		<description>FIRST OFF, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS TO ALL THE WONDERFUL DOGSTERS OUT THERE WHO GAVE ME ROSETTES AN ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ FIRST OFF, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS TO ALL THE WONDERFUL DOGSTERS OUT THERE WHO GAVE ME ROSETTES AND STARS. I READ EACH OF THEM AND AM TRULY GRATEFUL!

      Dad was really worried when I ran off. I was exploring in a strange place and caught the scent of a spruce hen and just took off after that bird. He promptly flew away but I had no idea where I was. I understand that Dad was calling me but I`m hard of hearing as I am a senior dog and thus I couldn`t hear him calling me.  I am a smart dog however and I decided to stay put in the area.  It was getting dark and the Alaskan chill was getting to my old bones so I decided to seek shelter.  I found a house just across the road from the campground and crawled into an open woodshed there.  I basically holed up here for 2 nights, emerging only to take a drink from the nearby lake. The morning after my 2nd night being lost, the owner of the house returned and found me in his shed. He was very kind and gave me some food and fresh water,then called the number on my tag. He got Dad`s voice mail which had a message on it telling him to call the number of his friend in Alaska. This he did and Dad soon showed up to reclaim me! WOOFS, was I ever so happy. I`m sticking close to Dad for the rest of this trip no matter how interesting any scents are!
                                                                         Smiley

  P.S.  Dad and I will still be on the road for 2 more weeks as we wind up our Alaska trip. We still have to journey back down thru Canada to reach the lower 48. We`re using our friend`s computer in Sterling, Alaska but this may be our last computer access for a while. I`ll  update as soon as possible.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Lost!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/370297</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 29 Sep 2007 23:43:11 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/370297</guid>
		<description>I`m writing here as Smiley`s Dad. This seems to be the year of the Alaska trip that was destined not ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I`m writing here as Smiley`s Dad. This seems to be the year of the Alaska trip that was destined not to be. First were the car problems,then yesterday, Smiley became lost as he took off in pursuit of some animal or other. This happened at a campground at Johnson Lake on the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska. I had stopped here for lunch on our way to visit the scenic town of Homer in Cook Inlet. Smiley caught the scent of some animal and took off along a lakeside trail. He soon disappeaared into the bushes and was ought of sight. I searched for several hours for him repeatedly calling his name and even spent the night at the campground hoping that he would follow his scent trail back there. He was still missing as of this morning, and today`s searching produced only one individual on a nearby homestead who had briefly seen him yesterday. He is an older dog with arthritus and is not getting his meds while he is lost. Also there are moose in the area. Please keep him in your prayers as I desprately hope for his safe return. Tonite will be his second night  lost in the wilds of Alaska. He does have tags on,so there is still some hope for his return.
                                                                              John (Smiley`s Dad)]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska trip update</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/367448</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 22 Sep 2007 08:46:05 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/367448</guid>
		<description>Woofs,
    Dad is currently having our car serviced in Whitehorse, Yukon,Canada.  Hopefully the bea ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs,
    Dad is currently having our car serviced in Whitehorse, Yukon,Canada.  Hopefully the bearings will be replaced today and all will be ok. We`ve already been to Skagway,Alaska and Dad and I did a 3 day hike there. We hiked up into the mountains above Skagway and camped by an alpine lake. On day 2 of the hike, we camped by the inside passage of Alaska and watched cruise ships sail by at night.  Their lights were all ablaze sort of like the Titanic! Yesterday morning 2 whales swam by our campsite and they were spouting water thru their blowholes! Dad will post the video when we return home. Will bark more when we have another opportunity at computer access.
                                                                                                               Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Waiting for repairs</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/365756</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:13:04 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/365756</guid>
		<description>Hi everybody,
        Yesterday, while approaching the town of Watson Lake in Canada`s Yukon, Dad s ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Hi everybody,
        Yesterday, while approaching the town of Watson Lake in Canada`s Yukon, Dad suddenly heard grinding noises comming from the left rear wheel. He new that meant that the bearings were shot and so decided to stay in the town of Watson Lake for the nite. Upon visiting a mechanic this morning, he was told that he would have to wait a day for the new bearings to arrive. Hopefully, we`ll be on our way tommorrow and will arrive in Skagway, Alaska on Wed. To continue driving without the repair would have meant the loss of a wheel and being stranded in the wilderness with help many hours away. We`re hoping for the best at this point.
                                                                                            Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>One week into our trip</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/365467</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 16 Sep 2007 19:34:27 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/365467</guid>
		<description>Woofs to all,
  We found a computer access terminal in Watson Lake in the Yukon Territory of Canada ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs to all,
  We found a computer access terminal in Watson Lake in the Yukon Territory of Canada. We`ve been on the road for a week now and have already seen Niagara Falls,Hiked the shoreline of Lake Superior,and backpacked overnite in Stone Mountain Provincial Park in northern British Columbia. We expect to reach Alaska on Tuesday. Will bark more in a bit.
                                                                         Smiley

   P.S.   There are wierd noises comming from the rear left wheel of Dad`s car. We fear that a wheel may fall off on the road as happened back in 2002. Hoping for the best or we may be stranded in the middle of vast wilderness or WORSE!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Off to Alaska!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/362324</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 8 Sep 2007 15:27:39 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/362324</guid>
		<description>Woofs!  Dad has our car all packed and ready for our trip to Alaska starting tonight. We`re driving  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs!  Dad has our car all packed and ready for our trip to Alaska starting tonight. We`re driving up to Niagara Falls and will spend tommorrow {Sun} hiking at the Falls.  This is Dad`s 10th Alaska trip and my 4th.  We`ll be driving the Trans-Canada highway across Canada starting Mon morning. Wish us well! I`ll bark more details about  the trip when we get back.
                                                                                                             Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Some new pix</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/352962</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 17 Aug 2007 20:48:07 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/352962</guid>
		<description>Dad just added 6 new pix to my page.  They were taken in the fall of 2005 in the Badlands of South D ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Dad just added 6 new pix to my page.  They were taken in the fall of 2005 in the Badlands of South Dakota as we were returning from Alaska. These are the next 6 photos following my primary photo. Enjoy!
                                                                                                               Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>River tubing</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/340115</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 20 Jul 2007 21:42:06 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/340115</guid>
		<description>Dad has added a new exciting aspect to our river trips. He has purchased an inflateable river tube a ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Dad has added a new exciting aspect to our river trips. He has purchased an inflateable river tube and attaches it to the raft using my 26 ft long retractable leash. Dad says that the feeling of running river rapids is more intense in a tube. I like to stretch out in the safety of the raft when we run a rapid. Dad is posting this rapid video on my page.
                                                                                                            Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>June Appalacian Trail hike</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/329247</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 26 Jun 2007 16:11:44 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/329247</guid>
		<description>June Appalacian Trail hiking 
Category: Travel and Places 


Woofs! Dad and I just returned from ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ June Appalacian Trail hiking 
Category: Travel and Places 


Woofs! Dad and I just returned from a 3 day hike along the Appalacian Trail in central Pennsylvania. We hiked the section of the trail that passes thru the St Anthony Wilderness otherwise known as the Stony Valley natural area. It`s the largest roadless area in PA and adjoins the Ft Indiantown Gap Army Base near Harrisburg.

   The weather was sunny and pleasantly warm all 3 days. Friday June 22 was the first day of our hike and a cool refreshing breeze made carrying my dogpack seem effortless!  As we hiked the trail this day, we came upon a "Thru Hiker"---someone who is hiking the entire trail from GA to ME! Dad hopes to do this someday when he`s able to retire although it will be with a younger dog as I`m getting a bit on in years.  On Fri afternoon, we hiked a side trail along Stony Creek and both of us enjoyed a refreshing swim in a secluded swimming hole here. On Fri nite, we pitched our tent in a secluded area of forest covered with ferns.

       Sat June 23 was another sunny warm day and both of us enjoyed more swimming in Clark`s creek. Late in the afternoon, we explored the old mining ruins at Yellow Springs along a blue blazed side trail from the Appalacian Trail. This whole area was a thriving coal mining region in the mid 1800`s and old stone ruins are everywhere! Dad and I camped beside 2 old pit mines late in the day. The ground here was caved in and 2 huge pits extended down into the earth. Dad climbed down into one using an old pipe for support,but he only got so far before the pit was pinched off completely. As darkness came on, there was much birdsong thus making for a pleasant campsite!

      Sunday June 24 was the final day of our little adventure, and we swam in the chilly waters of Rausch Creek at mid day.  Earlier this morning, 2 horses passed us on the trail and one of them was apparently "spooked" by the sight of a dog carrying a red pack. The horse reared into the air and  charged off the trail taking his poor rider thru some tree branches! Fortunately, the rider soon regained control and all was ok.

  At Rausch Gap village---another set of ruins from the mid 1800`s--- Dad met a man who was geocaching. This is a sport where you use a GPS to find hidden containers containing various goodies. Dad had a GPS along so the man gave him the coordinates of a cache and after some searching, Dad located it! His first geocache!  It was a fun 3 days in the mountains!

                                                                                Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Tagged</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/315058</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 25 May 2007 16:19:23 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/315058</guid>
		<description>I`ve been tagged by Morgan and Blossom and Wrigley
 
 The rules:

Each player starts with seven  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I`ve been tagged by Morgan and Blossom and Wrigley
 
 The rules:

Each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. Dogs who are tagged, need to post in their diary the rules and their 7 pawsome facts. Then choose 7 dogs to tag and list their names. Don’t forget to bark them a pmail that they have been tagged and to read your diary, or, send them a fun Rosette announcing they've been Tagged!
             
                       7 fun facts about me:

 1  I am terrified of thunderstorms and will dig up carpets to relieve thunderstorm anxiety.

  2  My nickname is Mr Snapper because in my younger days, I would snap my jaws in play.

  3  Dad has taken me to Alaska 3 times in sept 2001,2002,and 2005.

   4 We`ve also been to the Grand Canyon 3 times also in sept 2003,2004,and 2006.

   5 I love rafting and Dad takes me out on the Delaware river as often as possible each summer

    6  I carry my dogpack on hikes along the Appalacian Trail

    7  My cousin is a sweet German Shepherd named Julie who lives in Lake City,FL. I`ve been down several times to visit her.

            The dogs I`ve tagged are:

                        Julie
                        Jack
                        Jammin  Lady
                        Tucker
                        Baby Red Snapper
                        Sunny
                        Wesley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>May hike in Shenandoah National Park,Virginia</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/308266</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 13 May 2007 13:15:25 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/308266</guid>
		<description>Dad and I just completed a week long hike in the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The weather w ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Dad and I just completed a week long hike in the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. The weather was quite agreeable, being sunny and pleasantly warm all week. A brief description of the hike follows:

                              Sunday May 6

     Dad and I arrived in Shenandoah Park around 10:30 am after almost a 6 hr drive from Phila. The weather today was cool and rather windy,but the sun was shining brightly----GLORIOUS conditions for hiking!
      We hiked the Appalacian Trail north from Thornton Gap,following the old fire road to Pass Mt Hut. We saw evidence of a recent fire in this area,as some trees were blackened and there was the smell of smoke in the air. Upon reaching the Pass Mt Hut (a small wooden shelter for hikers) we followed a side trail which lead us to the Appalacian Trail. A few miles of hiking on the Appalacian Trail---or the "AT"--- lead us to the Neighbor Mt Trail.
      We hiked the Neighbor Mt trail over the summit of Neighbor Mt and down into the wooded valley which is home to Jeremy`s Run---- a lovely mountain stream!  There were fine views of the Shenandoah Valley as we descended the Neighbor Mt trail. The mountains were draped with rich green foliage and they seemed to rise majestically from the valley floor!
      We reached Jeremy`s Run late in the afternoon and saw some bear scat or droppings along the trail---- a few days later, Dad would see a bear on this same trail!  We hiked north for about a mile on the Jeremy`s Run trail and set up camp beside a thundering waterfall.

                                      Monday May 7

               We hiked approximately 4 miles along the Jeremy`s Run trail this morning,crossing Jeremy`s Run several times and passing some lovely small pools and waterfalls along the way. We merged with the Appalacian Trail after passing the Elkwallow wayside where dad stopped to pick up some cold drinks!  Hiking the AT north, we turned off on the Piney Branch trail---a lovely side trail that passed thru isolated sections of forest and small streams. Dad and I had our lunch here and relaxed beside Piney stream,both of us enjoying a dip in its cool waters.
    We hiked the Piney Branch trail out to the Keyser Run Fire Road. There was a profusion of wildflowers along this road. Rejoining the Appalacian Trail, we hiked north in the late afternoon to the Gravel Springs Hut----another wooden trail shelter. Dad filled up at the spring here and we hiked on out the Bluff Trail. The Bluff Trail cuts off of the Appalacian Trail and follows along the slopes of Mt Marshall. It`s a rather secluded trail,affording fine views of the mountains and valleys of northern Virginia.  Following this trail, we reached the Big Devil Stairs trail late in the afternoon.
      The Big Devil Stairs canyon is one of the most impressive features of Shenandoah National Park. The trail lead to a rock cliff with a view down into the valley about 100 ft below!  Dad   up the tent near this spot for night 2 of our trip.   Dad snapped a few pix of me standing on this cliff being careful not to get too close to the edge and take a GIANT leap for mankind! A small waterfall poured off the cliff far below.

                                        Tues May 8

                  We enjoyed some morning views of the Virginia countryside from the heights of Big Devil Stairs canyon then proceeded back out along the Bluff trail to rejoin the AT and hike south along it. We ascended Hogback Mt via switchbacks and came upon a hang glider launch site at the top of the mountain!  The weather continued sunny and warm----a contrast to previous years in this Park when we`ve endured cold rains and even sleet and snow!
        We left the AT at the Tuscarora Trail and hiked along it for about 2.8 miles descending into a valley which opened up to afford sweeping views of the Massanutten Valley. Dad and I sat on some rock ledges here soaking up the warm afternoon sunlight and gazing at Overall Run Falls which has a 93 ft drop---the highest waterfall in Shenandoah Park.
      We circled back around to the Jeremy`s Run trail late in the day and as the last of the daylight was fading, began our descent into the valley of Jeremy`s run. Dad spotted movement and looked up to see a black bear ambling away into the woods beside the trail. He sat down to wait for me to catch up ( I was having problems with my arthritus and was lagging a bit behind) lest the bear attack a lone dog!  We camped for night 3 in a small clearing overlooking Jeremy`s run.  The stream gurgling outside the tent in the dark lulled us to sleep!

                                         Wed  May 9

         We hiked the Knob Mt trail up from Jeremy`s run this morning. There were several spots along the trail where trees had fallen thus blocking the trail. There were paths beaten down in the dirt around these downed trees indicating where other hikers had passed around them. This indicated to Dad that the trail was indeed hikeable, so we proceeded on to the summit of Knob Mt.  The weather was rather hot today and Dad and I stopped for lunch at the summit of Knob Mt. The 2 beers that Dad had purchased earlier in the day at the Elkwallow wayside were still cool. After the long hike to the summit, Dad remarked that they were 2 darn good tasting beers!!!  
   After the 3.5 mile descent of Knob Mt via switchbacks, we came to the cool waters of Jeremy`s run. I "smelled" the water as we switchbacked down the last few sections of trail and charged ahead to plunge right in! AHHH!!!  Dad enjoyed a dip here as well. An idyllic spot!
      We filled up with water here and ascended the Neighbor Mt trail camping along it a few miles up in a grassy clearing that afforded fine views of the mountains.  After the tent was set up and we were safely inside, the winds became quite gusty.  Later in the evening, Dad noticed that there were a number of tiny ants crawling all over the tent floor! He did his best to squash them. Some were even crawling on his bottle of Mt Dew! He may have inadvertantly drank some ants down,but I told him that ants are a fine source of protein!


                               Thurs  May  10

         Dad and I reached our car at mid day to resupply for 3 more days of hiking. We drove south along Skyline Drive to Milam Gap. Here we set out along the Mill Prong trail which lead us down to Camp Hoover----a former presidential retreat of----you guessed it---- Herbert Hoover!  We explored the wooden cabins here then ascended the Fork Mt trail to the Jones Mt trail where we set up camp for the night. Overnight it rained and it was soothing to hear the patter of raindrops on the tent as we were warm and safe inside!


                             Fri    May  11

         We hiked the Jones Mt trail out to the Jones cabin. The final section of trail descending the mountain to the cabin is rather steep,reminding dad of Happy River Steps or Dalzell Gorge on the Iditarod trail.  The Jones Cabin sits in an isolated mountain valley surrounded by the immense forest. No roads are nearby. We relaxed here on the porch in the warm sunshine,enjoying the birdsong and had our lunch here. Dad gained access to Jones cabin through an open window and explored around inside. The cabin has a nice fireplace and even a loft lit by 2 large skylights! Video of this cabin will soon be posted on my page.
      We returned from the cabin via the Staunton River trail and enjoyed some dips in icy mountain pools here!  We camped once again along the Jones Mt trail for night 6 of the trip.


                          Sat May 12

               Ended the hike this morning by hiking out to the Appalacian Trail. The weather was cloudy and cool,a bit refreshing after the warmth of previous days. We enjoyed some fine mountain views from the Laurel Prong trail as we hiked toward the AT.   It was a wonderful week in the mountains of northern Virginia,but my arthritus really wore me down at times. Rimidyl only helps so much and Dad and I are thinking that maybe it`s time for my "retirement"  from long distance hiking.  Dad may adopt a younger dog soon for long journeys and let me take it easy at home with his brother when he`s off on long hikes.

                                                                     Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>First Backpacking Trip of Spring!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/292294</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 2 Apr 2007 20:09:20 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/292294</guid>
		<description>Woofs!  Dad and I just returned from our first backpacking trip of the spring. It was only a short 3 ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs!  Dad and I just returned from our first backpacking trip of the spring. It was only a short 3 day affair, but we had some really nice weather and it was a lot of fun!

               Friday  March 30 2007

    We left today for a section of the Appalacian Trail near Harrisburg,PA. This is a favourite hiking spot for me and Dad as it is the second largest roadless area in Pennsylvania and has many acres of state game lands surrounding the Appalacian Trail itself ,so that multi-day loop hikes are possible.

       We hiked away from Swatara Gap along the Appalacian Trail and began the steep ascent of Second Mountain. The sun was out and the day was quickly warming up. In fact,Dad had to remove his jacket and change into shorts upon reaching the crest of Second Mountain. About this time, a loud rumbling could be heard in the skies above us and fearing the onset of a thunderstorm (I`m TERRIFIED of T-storms!) I began to panic and tug on the leash. The situation resolved itself,however,when a large Army helicopter buzzed by above us at scarcely more than treetop height. This happend a few more times as we hiked the Appalacian Trail across Second Mountain. Dad reassured me and said " Relax and enjoy the free air show,Smiley".  Fort Indiantown Gap Army base is near this area hence the Army choppers buzzing by overhead.
   
      The day progressed onward and we eventually stopped for lunch along the trail by a large area of strip mines. Towering piles of coal slag mark the area here---it was an active coal mining area in the mid-1800`s. The green spruce trees here contrasted sharply with the black piles of coal slag.

        We hiked a side trail down to Stony Creek. This is an emerald green creek that flows thru a secluded forest. Small islands covered with moss abound in Stony Creek.  It makes Dad and I think of the Louisiana Bayou country!  Dad used his GPS to locate a deep pool in Stony Creek that he had marked as a waypoint on an earlier trip. He and I did a brief swim here---very brief,as the water was quite chilly! We then hiked onward,losing the primitive trail at times,but eventually re -finding it after some bushwacking.  We regained the abandoned railroad bed at length and hiked onward a few more miles before hiking back into the forest to camp for the night.

        Stepping outside of the tent, dad noticed a strange light in the sky. It was way too bright for a star and seemed to circle in place over the same area, it was above the approximate area of the Army base so Dad thinks that maybe it was an unmanned drone of sorts. Maybe the Army troops were practicing night manouevers with it.  Lots of troop traing was underway here as all throughout our hike , we would periodically hear machine gun fire in the distance!

                             Sat  March 31

      Today dawned cloudy and chilly,but after a few hours of hiking,the sun broke through and temps quickly soared towards 60 degrees!  Hiking up the Rattling Run trail, dad and I observed numerous piles of coyote droppings.  We had heard their barks in the dark the night before.  Nice to know that my wild brethern are out and about!

      We hiked the Rattling Run trail several miles to its junction with the Water Tank trail. This trail descends the side of Third Mountain quite steeply,making Dad and I think of the Happy River steps or Dalzell Gorge on the Iditarod Trail. We used the Water Tank trail to loop back around to the Appalacian Trail and ascend Stony Mountain. Nice views were had through the still bare trees of the De Hart resevoir as we ascended Stony Mountain. Had our lunch in warm sunshine part way up the mountain.

       Late in the afternoon, as we neared the abandoned village of Yellow Springs on the Appalacian Trail,we came upon the blue blazed Stone Tower trail. This is a rock  and dirt inclined ramp that was built to serve the mining village of Yellow Springs in the 1800`s and carry coal down to the railroad upon whose abandonded bed we were recently hiking. The Stone Tower trail leads about half a mile uphill to reach an old stone tower. The top portion of the tower has collapsed. It was perhaps part of a mining structure in this area in the 19th century.  2  LARGE  open pits are present here along with piles of coal slag. They are probably the remnants of old mines.  This is quite an interesting area!  

      We camped for night 2 about a mile past the abandoned village of Yellow Springs.  Overnite we could hear some rain on the tent fly. Nice to be in a warm tent and listen to rain outside!


                                           Sun April 1

       Cloudy and cool today with a touch of rain now and then ,as we hiked the Appalacian Trail back towards Rausch Gap village---also a ghost town of the bygone mining era.  We explored the strip mines near Rausch Gap briefly,noticing a large rocky canyon here betwen the piles of coal slag. Had to be careful with the footing as one wrong step and down quite a ways you would go!     Steep descent of Second Mountain on our way back. I became "spooked" at the sound of machine gun fire in the distance and began to run. Dad put me on leash, but this meant that I was pulling him down the steep trail!  Quite a thrilling descent of the mountain!   Rain began to fall more steadily, but we soon reached our car and the end of our 3 day adventure.

                                                                                   Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Another Winter Trip!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/266848</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 2 Feb 2007 20:22:12 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/266848</guid>
		<description>Dad managed to get 3 days off unexpectedly, so I got to go on another backpacking trip along the App ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Dad managed to get 3 days off unexpectedly, so I got to go on another backpacking trip along the Appalacian Trail.

                        Tues  Jan 30

          We left this morning for a section of the Appalacian Trail that runs near Harrisburg,PA.  There was a light covering of snow on the ground and the day was mostly sunny as we began our hike. Today was a pleasant winter day of hiking up over Second Mountain then down to the village of Rausch Gap---abandoned village actually as it was in its heyday in the 1850`s when coal mines and a railroad operated here.  Small ice floes were present in Rausch Creek and frozen water from the diversion well here created pretty ice sculptures.  Dad and I hiked the Appalacian Trail as far as the Cold Springs trail. As we approached Cold Springs, 2 fighter jets from nearby Ft Indiantown Gap roared overhead providing us with a free air show!!  We hiked the Cold Springs trail down to the abandoned railroad bed then on towards Yellow Springs. Darkness soon came on and with it a light snow began to fall. The snow soon grew more intense and the snow crystals reflected back in Dad`s headlamp thus creating a sort of "snow fog".  We made camp in a clearing off of the railroad bed not too far from Rattling Run. Dad tried to erect the tent as fast as possible as the snow was really comming down heavily but by the time he got it up, the inside of the tent had a fair amount of snow in it! He brushed it out and lit the small camp stove and soon we were snug and warm!  The snow soon stopped and the moon came out illuminating the forest. Feathery snow adorned the little branches---quite pretty!  Winds gusted overnite and by morning the pretty snow "feathers" were gone from the branches.

                              Wed  Jan  31

               Bright sunshine greeted us this morning and we began our hike in good spirits!  The day was pleasantly brisk---mid 20`s--- and the winds were fairly light.  As we hiked the railroad trail back towards Rattling Run trail,we noticed dog like tracks in the snow. Dad suspects these were coyote tracks. They went on for quite a ways. Good scents here for me!We hiked some miles up the Rattling Run trail to its junction with the Water Tank trail. In this area Army helicopters from nearby Ft Indiantown Gap would occasionally fly low overhead and Dad managed to whip out his digital camera and video one chopper as it made a low pass!  We then began the descent of the Water Tank trail.  This was a real adventure!  Dad and I have never hiked this section of the trail before which leads STEEPLY down to the  Railroad Bed trail. The trail is perhaps a mile long and descends very steeply in the first two thirds of its length. We could see the trail dropping  far below us,the trees in the distance like small matchsticks. It was rather like hiking down a ski slope for advanced skiers! The snowy surface made for slow hiking so as to avoid a slip.  We arrived safely at the junction with the Railroad bed and had our lunch here. The sun was out and the forest was still and calm. No one else was here. Stony Creek flowed along beside us thru towering spruce trees. It brought to mind Jack London`s  story "The White Silence".  We hiked the railroad bed several miles back to Yellow Springs Village---also a ghost town--- and camped for night 2 under a bright moon beside a small stream.  The railroad bed parallels Stony Creek and afforded lovely views of the creek winding thru the snowy forest.


                                 Thurs  Feb  1

            Light snow was falling in the early morning darkness as Dad exited the tent. We had breakfast and by the time we were ready to break camp, the sun was out!  Pleasant hiking back along the Railroad Bed to Rausch Gap. More coyote tracks just like yesterday.  Dad photographed the interesting ice sculptures at the Rausch Gap diversion well which seemed to have grown a bit in the past 2 days. It`s been cold enough on this hike---20`s by day and teens at night so no wonder they`ve grown!  We then proceeded over Second Mountain and back to our car ending a pleasant 3 days of winter hiking. Some pictures from this trip will be in Webshots under Smiley`s Travels--hotlink on my page.
                                                                                             Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>First trip of the new year!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/262463</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 23 Jan 2007 20:23:17 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/262463</guid>
		<description>Woofs, 
         I`m sooo excited! Dad and I just returned from our first backpacking trip of 2007. ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs, 
         I`m sooo excited! Dad and I just returned from our first backpacking trip of 2007. We spent 4 lovely days hiking in the Pocono mts in the Delaware Water Gap area in NJ.  It was seasonably cold and there was some snow---which has been a rarity for us so far this winter---so it was a really nice trip.

           Dad and I left on Friday Jan 19 as light snow was falling. The snow made the roads really icy and we were at times driving really slowly so as not to skid off the road! Fortunately we arrived at the Delaware Water Gap safely and began our hike under mostly sunny skies. Light snow dusted the ground as we hiked to the top of Mt Tammany and back along the fire road. The wind was gusty at times but the bright sun made for a cheerful hike! Dad found a spot sheltered from the wind to have our lunch and we continued our hike. Passing Sunfish Pond---a large glacial lake---we found it partially frozen. Late in the day as darkness was comming on, light snow began to fall. It was neat the way the snowflakes glistened in the light from Dad`s headlamp!  We set up our tent in a small clearing off of the Appalacian Trail,and as the tent was being dusted with a light coating of snow,dad went to fetch some water for our supper. I immediately dove into the warm tent for a quick snooze!

          Saturday Jan 20 was really windy. Winds gusted past 30 mph at times and the temp stayed mostly in the 20`s , so the wind chill was a bit extreme today. Still, it was sunny most of the day as we hiked the Appalacian Trail back to the Blue Mt lakes area. There was  a brief snow shower at mid-day, but that was about it.  The solitude of this hike was remarkable,as we encountered NO other hikers yesterday or today. Usually,Dad  will meet a few day hikers at least. The wind and cold apparently kept everyone away!  Late in the day, we witnessed a glorious sunset as we were nearing  the Hemlock Pond trail.  Descending the Hemlock Pond trail, darkness overtook us and we made our way to the shores of Hemlock Pond by Dad`s headlamp and my red flashing doglite (a small bike light that Dad clips to my dogpack). Dad set up the tent on the shores of  Hemlock Pond---actually the size of a small lake. There was a cold wind blowing and the ice on frozen Hemlock Pond made loud groaning noises from time to time. Dad carefully walked out onto the ice of the pond to find a small hole from which to scoop cupfulls of water for the night.

          Sunday Jan 21 was much less windy thus it felt warm even though it was only in the 20`s much of the day.  We hiked various wood roads in the area which afford nice loop hikes back to the Appalacian Trail. On one of these woods roads---the Hamilton Trail, we discovered an old cemetary. The Depew Cemetary had family members buried in it who had died as long ago as 1846. Dad found it amazing that these people never even saw the Civil War! The grave stones were old and weathered and a few were broken in half. It was an eerie place!   We hiked the Old Mine Road along the Delaware River for about 2 miles to reach the coppermines trail. At the Ponoxo boat launch on Old Mine Road we observed ice floes in the river as well as some lovely small islands. Dad and I would like to return  here in summer and swim out to one of those islands. If we  both wore our life jackets, we could do it safely.
   Upon reaching the coppermines trail, we proceeded to the Kaiser trail which led us back to the Appalacian Trail and our campsite for night 3. This campsite overlooked the Delaware River from the high appalacian ridgetop and the town lights in the distance twinkled like stars!
              Under cloudy skies and light snow flurries on Monday Jan 22, we hiked the Appalacian Trail back to the Delaware Water Gap. It was a nice hike back to the trailhead thru a silent forest dusted lightly with snow.
         Hoping for another winter trip soon!   Dad will post a video from this trip on my page along with a picture or 2. Others will be posted in Webshots under "Smiley`s Travels".
                                                                                  Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Conclusion of Grand Canyon/West trip  2006</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/244216</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 13 Dec 2006 06:49:33 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/244216</guid>
		<description>Thursday  Oct  12

              Woofs!  Dad and I both felt that the exciting parts of the trip w ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thursday  Oct  12

              Woofs!  Dad and I both felt that the exciting parts of the trip were pretty much over by this point but we still had a few more events to look forward to before the trip`s end.

            Today we drove into Kansas from Colorado. Instead of using Interstate 70, we decided to do a bit of exploring on some back roads. Dad drove south from Burlington,Colorado on US 385 to the small town of Cheyene Wells. We were in Kit Carson county---made us think of the Old West,cowboys,and gunslingers!!! From there, we proceeded east on US 40 on into Kansas. This backroads route traversed desolate rolling grasslands punctuated here and there with small windmills to pump water for livestock. Dad always gets off the Interstate on long road trips from time to time and uses parallel backroads. There`s usually not much traffic on them and we get to see interesting things or enjoy solitude. Us 40 eventually rejoined Interstate 70 at Oakley,Kansas. Western Kansas is kinda pretty with its rolling ,empty grasslands. These grasslands are dotted with small buttes here and there and some rugged gullies as well." Civilization"  begins to return as you travel on into eastern Kansas and the land flattens out into plain farmland. We travelled on into Missouri,stopping at the town of  Concordia for the night. Concordia was settled by German immigrants and the streets have German names such as Bismark.


                                        Friday  October 13

            This morning we made a stop to hike the Katy trail near Rocheport,Missouri. The Katy trail is an old railroad bed that has been converted into a hiking/bike trail. It`s 225 miles long and parallels the Missouri River. Dad and I hiked about 6 miles of it this morning enjoying  the fall colors and views of the Missouri River. Perhaps on our next Grand Canyon/California trip we`ll devote an entire day to hiking this scenic trail!

          We continued on past St Louis and glimpsed the famous Arch. Then came Illinois and Indiana late in the day. We stopped for the final night of our trip in Plainfield,IN.


                                Sat  Oct  14

    We arrived home late in the day today after traversing Ohio and the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania. It was a wonderful trip with my Dad,although any place is fine with me as long as Dad is along! Next year we`re heading back to Alaska---Sept  2007. Dad plans to try a remote route that traverses northern Alberta and the Northwest Territories of Canada. This route bypasses the first 300 miles of the Alaska Highway before rejoining it at Fort Nelson,British Columbia. This will be Dad`s 10th trip to Alaska and the 4th one for me! I`ll bark all the details regarding it next fall!

                                                                                      Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Grand Canyon  Days  24--25</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/243646</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 11 Dec 2006 19:42:44 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/243646</guid>
		<description>Tues  Oct  10

         We stopped back at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary for a final visit to Butc ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Tues  Oct  10

         We stopped back at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary for a final visit to Butch`s memorial this morning. Then Dad and I did some hiking on the trails at the sanctuary. We hiked this one trail that led to a small cave inside of which was an underground lake! Dad thought about swimming in the lake, but after wading into the chilly waters,decided against it. We took some photos then left the sanctuary and proceeded up US 89 to Interstate 70. 

         Interstate 70 has to be one of the more scenic Interstates in the country as it traverses colorful desert with interesting rock arches and spires. We admired the views from several rest areas along the way. Eventually we crossed into Colorado and stopped for the night in the small town of New Castle in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.


                       Wed  Oct  11

        Today we crossed the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass. The elevation here is about 11,900 ft. Dad parked his car at the side of US highway 6 here and both of us proceeded to hike some trails in the Colorado Rockies. There was a strong wind blowing and the temperature was only in the low 30`s so Dad donned his parka and gloves and we set off. It had snowed recently and although the road itself was clear, there were several inches of snow in the mountains. Sections of ground were swept entirely clear of snow by the fierce winds while in other areas there were windblown drifts. Dad and I hiked to the summit of a mountain where he took some pictures of me and a short video clip as well. It will be posted soon in my video book!  We spent about 2 hours hiking here but eventually the strong winds blowing above 30 mph and cold forced us back down to the trailhead. Dad was getting a bit dizzy from the altitude as well and felt that hiking too much longer would render it difficult to make it back safely to our car! We ended the day in the town of Burlington near the Kansas border.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Grand  Canyon  Days 22 and 23</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/241789</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 7 Dec 2006 13:15:18 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/241789</guid>
		<description>Sun  Oct  8

               Dad and I left Cedar City,Utah today and travelled winding Utah route  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Sun  Oct  8

               Dad and I left Cedar City,Utah today and travelled winding Utah route 14 over Midway summit in the Dixie National Forest. The road had recieved a dusting of snow the night before,but the morning sunshine had warmed the ground and the only snow was on the grass bordering the road. The views from the summit were superb. We saw a blue mountain lake surrounded by a vast forest and mountain peaks in the distance. Route 14 took us to US 89 and the town of Kanab,home of Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Dad and I paid a quick visit here to visit the memorial he had placed there for Butch then we headed off to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  Dad and I spent the afternoon hiking the rim trails here. The North Rim is higher than the South Rim by about 1000 ft and you can actually see over the South Rim all the way back to the San Francisco Mts near Flagstaff,AZ.  We hiked the Transept trail then worked our way back to the Ken Patrick and Uncle Jim trails for several more miles of hiking. All 3 trails afforded views deep into the Canyon. We were on the Uncle Jim trail longer than planned and Dad and I barely made it back to our car before dark. Dad was concerned because he didn`t bring along his headlamp.


                                          Mon  Oct  9

                  Today, we drove back to the North Rim after a morning visit to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.  We drove out to Point Imperial and proceeded to hike the Ken Patrick trail from the other end. We had our lunch in pleasant sunshine on the trail while gazing at the tall rock spire of Mt Hayden. Mt Hayden is a tall column of rock which rises from the Canyon floor far below. We continued to hike the Ken Patrick trail but clouds soon rolled in and before long there was the loud crash of thunder and hail soon began to fall. The hailstones continued to pummel us as Dad quickly donned raingear. My dogpack shielded me somewhat from the hail. Needless to say, we were both quite scared of a lightning strike as we were out along the exposed Canyon rim. We turned around and hurried back to the car as fast as we could. Fortunately there was no lightning to contend with but the ground was soon covered with hailstones sort of like a wierd type of snow.

                         The storm passed as we were driving away from Point Imperial and there was actually some sun at the end of the day as Dad and I enjoyed the  stunning views from Bright Angel Point. Driving back to Kanab,UT late in the afternoon we were treated to a double rainbow in the sky!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Grand  Canyon  Day 21</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/240911</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 5 Dec 2006 12:37:27 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/240911</guid>
		<description>Sat  Oct  7

           Today Dad and I explored the Nevada desert. We left Fallon and headed sout ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Sat  Oct  7

           Today Dad and I explored the Nevada desert. We left Fallon and headed south on US 95 to Walker Lake. This is a large lake sitting in the middle of the arid desert rather like a pretty jewel! Dad and I both walked for a bit around the lake but it was much too chilly to do any swimming. We continued on down US 95 passing thru the small town of Hawthorne. There is an Army base here and the orderly rows of Army buildings contrasted with the brown desert mountains rising behind them. We saw raised mounds of dirt here also with cement  doors. I thought that this was where the Army dogs stored their biscuits, but Dad said that there was probably ordinance stored inside.

     At Tonopah, we headed east on US 6 to Warm Springs. There`s not too much to the town of Warm Springs save a deserted gas station. There was a small stream here and when Dad stuck his hand in it sure enough it was warm! No surprise as to the town`s name. There is a sign across US 6 from the abandoned gas station which reads "Extraterrestrial Highway".  Nevada route 375 starts here and traverses the empty desert crossing a rugged mountain  and passing the " Little Aleinn" where there is a model of a UFO outside.  The whole stretch of highway is so remote that Dad and I felt as if we were traversing the Iraqi desert! It`s easy to imagine a UFO setting down here! There was a brisk wind all day today and the desert was refreshingly cool. We ended the night in Cedar City, Utah planning to visit Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and the North Rim of Grand Canyon the next day.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Grand Canyon Day  20</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/239049</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 30 Nov 2006 19:28:46 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/239049</guid>
		<description>Friday  October 6

          Dad and I crossed the Sierra Nevada Mts today at Donner Pass and stop ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Friday  October 6

          Dad and I crossed the Sierra Nevada Mts today at Donner Pass and stopped at Donner Lake. Our Dogster friend Wesley`s mom has a cabin on Donner Lake and we had recieved permission from her to visit,so Dad and I stopped by to check the cabin out. Nobody was home but we took some pictures here and had lunch on the roofed portch. A good thing there was  a roof here as a thunderstorm came along as we were having lunch complete with hail!  Dad has posted a video clip of the Donner Lake cabin on my page. We hiked some trails around Donner Lake in the afternoon before getting back on Interstate 80. Another fierce thunderstorm came along as we were nearing the Nevada border with much larger hailstones. Dad was afraid that the hail would crack our windshield but the storm soon passed without any damage. We stopped for the night in Fallon,NV and Dad bought me a hamburger for my supper as today is the 6th anniversary of my adoption!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Grand Canyon  Day  19</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/236055</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 23 Nov 2006 14:11:25 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/236055</guid>
		<description>Thursday  October  5

        Today dawned rainy as Dad walked me along the streets of Petaluma,Ca ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thursday  October  5

        Today dawned rainy as Dad walked me along the streets of Petaluma,California.  Dad and I really wanted to see more of the California coast so despite the rain we headed towards SR 1 and the Pacific coast. We reached the coast at the small town of Jenner and proceeded to explore several beaches. The sun broke thru at mid-morning and we had a great day walking these beaches and wading in the chilly ocean.  We visited the  Point Arena Lighthouse and I got to climb the circular steps ---all 6 stories--to the top. There was an excellent view out over the rocky shoreline from atop the lighthouse. We could see the waves crashing violently on the rocks far below! A few of the beaches we explored today had jagged spires of rock that rose from  the Pacific Ocean. At one such beach, we saw a sea kayaker paddling along.  We travelled the coastal highway as far as Ft Bragg where we turned inland back to US 101 stopping for the night in the town of Ukiah.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Grand Canyon   Days  17 and 18</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/235232</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 21 Nov 2006 14:47:46 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/235232</guid>
		<description>Tuesday  October  3

               Today Dad and I drove thru the Mojave desert on our way out to ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Tuesday  October  3

               Today Dad and I drove thru the Mojave desert on our way out to the coast of California.  The desert is kinda neat with its vast empty spaces.  While driving up Interstate 5 we saw an aqueduct that supplies water to Los Angeles. Later in the afternoon, we stopped at the San Luis resevoir which is about 100 miles or so south of San Francisco. This is a state recreation  area and there is a large artificial lake here. Dad decided to use the raft again and so he inflated it and we paddled out onto the waters of the resevoir. Unfortunately, it was a rather windy day and the water was very choppy as well as a bit cold. Large waves continually splashed into the raft and it was a real battle for Dad to paddle back to shore against the wind. We finally made it safely ashore and drove on to Sunnyvale where we spent the night.


                                Wednesday   October 4

                Dad walked me along the streets of Sunnyvale early this morning. We actually saw the headquarters of Yahoo!  That certainly told Dad and I that we were in silicon valley.   

                  Arrived in San Francisco about 9:30 and proceeded to locate 555 De Haro street which is the home of Dogster. We visited Dogster HQ and the nice folks there gave me lots of treats. Dad had to put his little Geo in first gear to make it up some of those hilly streets of San Francisco. THANKYOU Dogster HQ for a pleasant visit.

   We hiked  some trails around San Francisco Bay by the Golden Gate Bridge in the afternoon.   It was cloudy, but the rain held off till we were crossing the Golden Gate bridge on our way back to our car. We took another hike of a few miles along Stinson Beach late in the afternoon before stopping in Petaluma for the night.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Grand Canyon Day 16</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/234338</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 19 Nov 2006 14:36:05 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/234338</guid>
		<description>Monday  Oct  2

               Dad and I left Flagstaff today and travelled to Lake Havasu City on ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Monday  Oct  2

               Dad and I left Flagstaff today and travelled to Lake Havasu City on the AZ--CA border.  There is a large man made lake here---Lake Havasu and Dad inflated the raft that he had brought  along and took me out rafting on the lake!  We paddled out quite a ways from the shore and could see Dad`s car as a tiny speck on the shoreline. Jet skis on the lake created waves as they went by and our raft was really bobbing along!  We spent a few hours rafting here and then drove across London Bridge. The original London Bridge was  moved stone by stone from England then reassembled here in the Arizona desert at Lake Havasu.  You have to drive over London Bridge to access the lake. There are even bullet marks in the London Bridge stones from the German blitz during WW 2!  We ended the day in Barstow, CA.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Grand  Canyon  Days 14--15</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/233398</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 16 Nov 2006 20:25:43 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/233398</guid>
		<description>Sat  Sept  30

            Dad and his buddies awoke early this morning at  the Bright Angel campg ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Sat  Sept  30

            Dad and his buddies awoke early this morning at  the Bright Angel campground and began the ascent out of the Canyon by headlamp. It was kinda neat hiking over the suspension bridge and hearing the roar of the Colorado River below in the darkness.  Dad,Allan and Linda reached the South Rim by lunchtime ending a spectacular week of backpacking in the  Grand Canyon!

                          Sun   Oct   1

           Woof!!   Finally I got to do some Grand Canyon hiking myself. After picking me up at the kennels yesterday, Dad gave me a nice 12 mile walk along the Rim trail today. We started about 8am and hiked out to Hermit`s Rest and back,enjoying many fine views down into the Canyon along the way. Dogs are allowed on the Rim trail and it`s really a great spot to hike with a dog as it`s much cooler than down inside the Canyon itself.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Grand  Canyon  Day  13</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/231436</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 12 Nov 2006 08:08:47 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/231436</guid>
		<description>Friday  Sept  29

          Dad and his 2 hiking companions got an early start to the day by risin ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Friday  Sept  29

          Dad and his 2 hiking companions got an early start to the day by rising at 3:30 in order to be on the trail by 4 am. This early start allowed them to complete the return hike of the Clear Creek trail before the heat of the day became too intense. Afternoon can be a very hot time on the Clear Creek trail where shade is scarce!
           
          It was really neat hiking by headlamp under a starry sky. The gurgle of Clear Creek could be heard below as Dad and his friends ascended the switchbacks out of Clear Creek canyon.  After about an hour of hiking, the sky began to brighten and a glorious sunrise was observed. The cliffs of the Grand Canyon glow in the early morning sunlight---quite a beautiful sight!

          Dad,Allan and Linda reached the Bright Angel campground about 10 am. This was to be their 6th and final camp for the hike.  Plenty of time was left for exploring, so after setting up his tent, Dad set off up the North Kaibab trail headed for Phantom Canyon.  Phantom Canyon is a narrow side canyon that branches off of the  North Kaibab trail a few miles above the Bright Angel campground.  Phantom Creek flows thru this canyon flanked on either side by walls that soar hundreds of feet high. Dad had to climb up a few small waterfalls and wade thru pools of water as he explored this canyon. Finally he was stopped after about a mile when he encountered a deep pool that required swimming. There was no way to safely do this without possibly dunking his camera. Not having a waterproof bag, he reluctantly had to turn back. Even so, Phantom Canyon was fun to explore. It`s a secret little world of its own within the Grand Canyon with small isolated beaches,soaring cliffs,and deep pools!  Dad had his lunch on one such beach here! He`ll post a video of Phantom Canyon on my page so any readers of my diary can see what it looks like.

         Late in the afternoon, Dad spent time relaxing by the Colorado river itself and even took a COLD swim in the river. A very brief swim! A glorious sunset was observed as the rays of the setting sun painted the Canyon`s walls a vivid gold color.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Grand  Canyon  Day  12</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/229942</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 8 Nov 2006 12:57:53 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/229942</guid>
		<description>Thursday  Sept  28

           Today Dad  and his friends reached Clear Creek itself. A steep desc ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thursday  Sept  28

           Today Dad  and his friends reached Clear Creek itself. A steep descent via rubbly switchbacks brought them to the deep canyon in which flows Clear Creek.  Clear Creek has a strong,reliable flow and it`s a soothing respite from the heat of the otherwise dry Grand Canyon. Dad spent much of the day exploring down the side canyon that Clear Creek flows through. As he hiked along, the creek passed through some narrow canyons with sheer rock walls that soared upward for several hundred feet! In other spots, he had to descend small waterfalls. There were also spots where trees grew in the sandy soil dappled with sunshine. Little oasies in the Canyon! Had he time to follow the creek far enough, Dad would`ve come to the Colorado River itself, but time was growing short, so he reluctantly had to turn around and hike several miles back to the base camp. Dad plans a layover day on a future hike here so he can hike all the way to the river. Still Clear Creek`s canyon was quite a spectacle to behold!]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Grand   Canyon  Day  11</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/228687</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 5 Nov 2006 13:46:14 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/228687</guid>
		<description>Wed  Sept  27

          Dad started his hike along the Clear Creek trail today in the company of  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Wed  Sept  27

          Dad started his hike along the Clear Creek trail today in the company of Linda and Allan. The Clear Creek trail begins with steep switchbacks as it ascends out of Bright Angel Canyon and spectacular views are had down onto the 2 footbridges that span the Colorado River as well as the entire Phantom Ranch area.  After a climb of almost 2 miles, the trail levels off and follows along a plateau on the North Rim side. Views here are expansive and take in the Colorado river as well as the towering buttes of Grand Canyon itself. Small rock overhangs scattered along the trail provided welcome patches of shade from the hot sun as the day`s hike progressed. Dad had lunch in one of these small shade patches.  There are some nice clear spots along the Clear Creek trail that would make scenic campsites if you hauled water along.  Late in the afternoon, Dad and his companions reached a small side canyon where they set up camp for the night. Dad hiked down this canyon for about a mile past the campsite and found a refreshing deep pool in which to soak his feet. This small side canyon was about 2 miles from the trail`s end at Clear Creek itself.]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Autumn hiking on the Appalacian Trail</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/228310</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 4 Nov 2006 14:38:52 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/228310</guid>
		<description>I`m interrupting my account of our recent Grand Canyon adventure to bark about our latest hike on th ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I`m interrupting my account of our recent Grand Canyon adventure to bark about our latest hike on the Appalacian Trail. Dad and I travelled to a nice section of the Appalacian Trail near Harrisburg,PA known as the St Anthony Wilderness.  We left last monday and just returned yesterday. It was a splendid 5 day hike! All the fall colors were out as we started the hike. Monday,Tues and Wed were sunny and mild then a cold front came through on wed nite with some heavy rain and wind. Dad and I were safely nestled inside our tent,though. We just LOVE being inside a dry tent when it`s raining outside---such a cozy feeling!  Thursday and especially Friday were still sunny but much cooler and wed nite`s rain and wind had stricken many of the leaves from the trees.  We explored a boulder field on tues under which runs a subterrainian  river. As we were hiking here, an Army helicopter from the nearby Ft Indiantown Gap base made a low buzz,almost like a strafing run. Dad and I almost ducked for cover! On the last day of the hike on friday, we visited the  "General"---a huge bulldozer type piece of machinery that dates from many decades ago that some enterprising people somehow managed to get way back in the remote woodlands off of the Appalacian Trail. Video clips from this latest adventure will soon appear on my page.

                                                                                           Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Grand Canyon Day 10</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/225652</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 29 Oct 2006 12:15:26 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/225652</guid>
		<description>Tues  Sept  26

               Today Dad and Allan hiked the Tonto trail from Monument Creek to th ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Tues  Sept  26

               Today Dad and Allan hiked the Tonto trail from Monument Creek to the Indian Gardens campground. Views from the Tonto were superb especially at the spot where dad stopped for lunch. This spot was atop a small hill  and it was quite pleasant to sit here,have lunch and enjoy the Grand Canyon scenery.  It did cloud up at times today but no rain. Dad and Allan arrived at the Indian Gardens campground late in the afternoon where they met the 3rd member of their party,Linda,who was going to hike the Clear Creek trail the next day with them. Linda works at the Grand Canyon kennels where I was boarded for the trip. Indian Gardens is a nice spot with large cottonwood trees and a nice swiftly flowing creek. Quite refreshing on a hot day in the Canyon. Off to explore the Clear Creek trail tommorrow!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Grand  Canyon Day 9</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/224585</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 26 Oct 2006 18:44:32 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/224585</guid>
		<description>Monday  Sept  25

               Today Dad and Allan hiked the Tonto trail eastward away from the  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Monday  Sept  25

               Today Dad and Allan hiked the Tonto trail eastward away from the Boucher Trail. The Tonto trail follows a gently rolling plateau about halfway down from the rim of the Grand Canyon.  A beautiful sunrise was observed along the Tonto this morning. ( It will be posted on Dad`s Webshots page--hotlink is on my Dogster page).   Dad caught glimpses of the Colorado river far below as he and Allan hiked the Tonto this morning. At one point they saw a party of rafters on a beach. It was a small cozy beach along the Colorado river where the rafting party had spent the night.

             The hike along the Tonto today was quite pleasant. The Tonto trail affords the hiker much solitude and Dad and Allan were alone much of the day. The temperature was in the 80`s and it was mostly sunny.  Lunch was had by Hermit creek under a shady rock overhang.  Hiking towards Monument creek late in the day, Dad and Allan met a group of hikers from England.  They were impressed by the vastness of Grand Canyon which was quite unlike anything back home. Campsite 2 of the hike was by Monument Creek tonight.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Grand Canyon  Day 8</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/224063</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 25 Oct 2006 12:44:42 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/224063</guid>
		<description>Sunday  Sept  24

               Dad began his week long hike down inside the Grand Canyon today.  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Sunday  Sept  24

               Dad began his week long hike down inside the Grand Canyon today. He had to drop me off at the kennels first and we both felt kind of sad about that but dogs aren`t allowed below the rim. It wasn`t all that bad at the kennel for the week though as the nice staff walked me twice a day and I had a nice sunny outside run to relax in.

                 Dad and his friend Allan from Flagstaff began by hiking down the Hermit trail. The day was sunny and warm--mid 80`s for the high temp. Allan pointed out some fossilized footprints from ancient creatures in the Canyon rocks in the trail`s early section. After a mile or so, the Hermit trail reaches Waldron Basin and the Boucher Trail cuts off here. Boucher affords fine views down into the Canyon and has many level places shaded by dwarf trees that make for nice resting/camping spots. After a few more miles, Boucher neared Yuma Point and there was a nice view down to White`s Butte. Shortly thereafter the trail descended via steep switchbacks down into Travertine canyon. The footing was tough here as there was much rocky scree and it was easy to slip on. Dad`s  friend,Allan tossed his pack over a rough spot in the switchbacks in order to facilitate an easier descent and the pack tumbled quite a ways down before comming to rest. Close call!  Boucher passed in front of White`s Butte here and then dropped down via more steep switchbacks to the camping area near Boucher creek where Dad and Allan camped for the first night. They reached the campground about half an hour before dark having started the hike around 8:30 am. Dad enjoyed a meal inside his tent and did a bit of stargazing before retiring for the evening.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Grand Canyon Day 7</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/222964</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 22 Oct 2006 21:04:44 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/222964</guid>
		<description>Sat  Sept  23

                     Today Dad and I hiked to the summit of Humphries Peak along wi ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Sat  Sept  23

                     Today Dad and I hiked to the summit of Humphries Peak along with Dad`s friend,Alan,from Flagstaff and his dog,Adrain. Humphries Peak is the highest in Arizona approximately 12,ooo ft high. The trail winds its way upward for several miles thru a forest of  aspens and spruce before emerging above treeline onto bare rocky tundra. Once above treeline, the winds were quite gusty and it was a bit on the chilly side. Dad also had developed a nasty cold and thus the hike proved more tiring than normal for him. After about 3 hours or so of hiking, we arrived at the summit. The views from atop Humphries were superb! One can see for many miles in all directions. The Sunset Crater volcano can be seen below and way off on the horizon,one can get a fuzzy view of the Grand Canyon itself. After enjoying the views from the summit and having lunch up there, we started back down arriving  at the trailhead about 4 pm. This was a good stretch of the legs for me as Dad has to board me at the Grand Canyon kennel for a week while he backpacks down inside the Canyon. Dogs aren`t allowed below the rim.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Grand Canyon Days 5--6</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/222228</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 20 Oct 2006 20:00:05 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/222228</guid>
		<description>Thurs Sept  21

       Today Dad and I traversed Oklahoma,picking up Interstate 40 at Oklahoma Cit ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thurs Sept  21

       Today Dad and I traversed Oklahoma,picking up Interstate 40 at Oklahoma City. We then headed west to Amirillo,Texas. The land in this section of the country is very flat and the wind was gusting across the plains with considerable force. The flat plains stretching to the horizon have their own stark beauty and dad and I enjoyed the ride. We finished the day at Santa Rosa, New Mexico. Dad checked into a dog friendly Motel 6 here and gave me a walk along historic Route 66 tonight. It was pleasantly cool and the stars shone brightly in the desert skies.


                                             Friday  Sept  22


       We crossed into Arizona today and arrived in Flagstaff late in the afternoon. Flagstaff is only about 100 miles from the Grand Canyon and dad and I stayed with some friends here in town. Dad is going to spend the next week backpacking down inside the Grand Canyon with 2 of these friends. They have a really nice home in Flagstaff and 2 dogs that I was happy to meet.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Grand Canyon  Days  3--4   Tues  Sept  19--Wed Sept 20</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/221443</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 18 Oct 2006 20:23:24 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/221443</guid>
		<description>Dad and I left Lake City this morning and headed west on Interstate 10. There was a strong but brief ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Dad and I left Lake City this morning and headed west on Interstate 10. There was a strong but brief thunderstorm as we neared Tallahassee. It was soon over much to my relief and the rest of the afternoon was sunny and warm. 

   Dad and I stopped at a Gulf coast beach near Pensacola late in the afternoon. The beach was Navarre Beach. The sand here was a dazzling white and the Gulf waters were an emerald green so it was a beautiful spot for both of us to enjoy. Dad body surfed the waves here and I mostly relaxed on the shore.

  We continued west along I-10 stopping for the night in Moss Point,Mississippi.



                                 Wed   Sept  20

      We continued west along I-10 today thru Louisiana.  West of Baton Rouge, Interstate 10 traversed an elevated stretch several miles long over a vast swampy area. This was no doubt one of the Louisiana bayous. It projected an eerie feeling of remoteness!

      At Lafayette, we took interstate 49 up to Interstate 20 and on into Texas.
     We stopped for the night just outside Dallas.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>My 2006 trip to the Grand Canyon and California</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/220853</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:32:55 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/220853</guid>
		<description>Dad and I recently arrived home from our month long trip to the Grand Canyon and California. It was  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Dad and I recently arrived home from our month long trip to the Grand Canyon and California. It was a really fun trip that lasted about a month. We began by driving down to Florida to visit with Dad`s sister and my cousin Julie in Lake City. Then we headed west via interstates 10 and 40 to reach the Grand Canyon. Dad spent a week backpacking down inside the Canyon with 2 friends from Flagstaff,AZ. I had to stay in the Grand Canyon kennels for that week as dogs are not allowed below the rim. Dad did give me a nice day hike to the summit of 12,000 ft Humphries Peak ( highest point in AZ located just outside Flagstaff) on Sept 23, the day before starting his week long Canyon hike. Thus I had a nice bit of exercise before being boarded. The nice kennel staff did walk  me a few times each day though. 

   Dad and I headed west from Flagstaff to San Francisco and we explored the beautiful pacific coast of California north of San Francisco. I even got to swim in the Pacific Ocean! While in San Francisco, Dad took me to visit Dogster Headquarters. The nice folks at Dogster were really glad to see me and even gave Dad and me some nice treats!

   We explored the Nevada desert on the way back home and even paid a visit to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon where Dad and I hiked some rim trails there.  

   We even had some snow and high winds as we hiked in the Colorado Rockies at Loveland Pass near Denver.

                             Day 1 Sat Sept 16--Sun Sept 17

     We left home around 10 pm and headed south on Interstate 95 enroute to Florida.  Dad`s sister lives in Lake City near jacksonville with her german shepherd,Julie. We intended to  visit with them for a few days and enjoy some Florida beaches before heading west to the Grand Canyon.

    As day broke on Sunday morning, we encountered some dense fog in North Carolina.  this soon cleared and we ahd a sunny,warm trip the rest of the day. In South Carolina, Dad stopped to give me a nine walk along  an abandoned section of US  301 that crosses Lake Marion.  This is a large lake and some boats  were sailing in the waters below us as we walked across the 301 bridge.

  We arrived in Floridat Lake city in late afternoon and I was overjoyed to see my cousin,julie!  We were treated to a nice sunset on the farm there where Julie lives with several cainine buddies and a few horses.


                            Day 2  Monday  Sept  18

       Today, Dad and I visited  Vilano Beach near St Augustine with Julie and her Mom. This is a really neat beach as the pebbly sand here is a vivid red in color. We hiked along the shoreline here as waves from the rough surf  crashed over the sand and wetted us from time to time.  I`ve posted a video taken at Vilano Beach on my page.  We also did another shore stroll at Fernandina Beach north of Jacksonville.  All in all, a nice day at some Florida beaches!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Trip Update</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/210409</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 22 Sep 2006 21:42:14 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/210409</guid>
		<description>Woofs,
    Dad and I have arrived in Flagstaff,AZ and are staying with some friends and their dogs. ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs,
    Dad and I have arrived in Flagstaff,AZ and are staying with some friends and their dogs. Dad`s  taking me on a day hike to Humphries Peak tommorrow before he starts his Canyon hike on Sunday. Humphries Peak is the tallest in the state of Arizona and you can actually see the Grand Canyon from atop this mountain even though it`s 70 miles away!! Scenic drive thru the Lousiana Bayou and it  was super windy crossing the plains of Oklahoma.

                                                                                                Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Graand Canyon---West trip   2006</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/208610</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 18 Sep 2006 19:32:55 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/208610</guid>
		<description>Woofs,

                          Day  1

                        Sun  Sept  17,2006

      I` ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs,

                          Day  1

                        Sun  Sept  17,2006

      I`m typing this entry from a friends computer down in Lake City, Florida. I`ll probably have to wait till Dad and I return home to type any more news of our trip. We arrived here late yesterday afternoon after Dad drove over 930 miles straight from Philadelphia. He was dog tired when we arrived! There was some fog in North Carolina on the way down but that soon cleared and it was sunny for the remainder of the way to Florida. We stopped around 11 am in South Carolina and Dad gave me a nice long walk on a deserted stretch of US 301 that crosses Lake Marion. This is a huge lake and the views were superb. People were out boating and watersking here. We arrived in Lake City,FL late in the day and had a well deserved rest after witnessing a georgous sunset at our friend`s farm.
                       

                          Day 2

                       Mon  Sept 18


      Today I went to 2 beaches with my cousin Julie,a sweet German Shepherd. The first beach was Vilano beach just below St Augustine. This is a really neat beach as it has reddish sand!! Julie and I as well as our humans walked the beach here for a bit and my Dad swam a bit in the ocean. The surf was  a bit on the rough side but Dad had a fun time riding the waves!
   We next visited Fernandina beach which is just north of Jacksonville and I had a nice long walk here while dad enjoyed some exhilariting swims in the rough surf.

    I`ll bark more news of our trip upon my return unless I somehow get computer access before then.
                                                                                      Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Off to the Grand Canyon!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/207632</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 16 Sep 2006 14:20:21 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/207632</guid>
		<description>Woofs,
    In just a few short hours, Dad and I will be off to the Grand Canyon. We`re driving down ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs,
    In just a few short hours, Dad and I will be off to the Grand Canyon. We`re driving down to FL to visit with my cousin,Julie,a sweet german shepherd girl as well as Dad`s sister. After a day or so in Florida, we`re heading west on Interstates 10 and 40 on out to the Grand Canyon for some hiking. Dad then intends to take me to California for some hiking around the San Fransisco Bay area. We`ll swing home by way of Colorado and hopefully squeeze in a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. Returning home in mid-October. I`ll bark back at all my dogster friends then.
                                                                                      Bon Voyage,
                                                                                          Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Rafting</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/195651</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 19 Aug 2006 07:46:57 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/195651</guid>
		<description>Woofs,
    We`ve been  out rafting quite a bit this summer along the Delaware River. Dad takes me o ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs,
    We`ve been  out rafting quite a bit this summer along the Delaware River. Dad takes me out at least once and sometimes twice a week. Not only do I enjoy the rafting down the river,but I also get a nice walk in the bargain. Dad carries the raft upstream in a backpack. We park at Bulls Island,NJ and hike up the canal towpath about 7 miles to a spot near Frenchtown. Along the way I get to sniff all the nice scents and mark our route. I also check my P-mail. When we reach our destination upriver, Dad unrolls the raft,removes the air pump from inside the backpack,and inflates the raft. He puts my booties on so that I don`t hole the raft with my claws and bothof us climb aboard and shove off down the river. Along the way we visit a few islands,stopping on one to have lunch. Doggie biscuits are sooo much tastier out on the river! We also shoot a few rapids here and there. Near the trips end, Dad portages the raft over into the adjoining canal and we row about 1/2 mile to our takeout spot. Dad deflates the raft,stows everything away in the backpack,and we enjoy a shorter walk back to our car. It all makes for a super fun day! The summer is sadly winding down now, but we`re going to try and raft as many times as possible before leaving for the Grand Canyon and San Fransisco in mid-Sept.

                                                                                          First Mate,
                                                                                            Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>A fun rafting trip!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/179674</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 14 Jul 2006 22:00:11 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/179674</guid>
		<description>Woofs!
    Last Monday, July 10,Dad took me rafting on the Delaware River. The river was running hi ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs!
    Last Monday, July 10,Dad took me rafting on the Delaware River. The river was running high due to the recent flood and our raft really zipped down the river. The normally clear water was a muddy brown and a bit colder than normal. We pulled ashore on an island to have our lunch and observed how large trees were felled by the flood waters. Sand dunes were present on this island as well also left by the flood. It was really exciting to fly thru a set of rapids made even rougher by the additional volume of water. Dad posted a new video of the trip titled " Rafting the flood swollen Delaware" on my page. Can`t wait till our next trip!

                                                                                       First Mate and Ship`s Lookout,
                                                                                                   Smiley

    P.S.  I did a better job than the Titanic`s lookouts as our raft didn`t hit a single iceberg!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>A  rainy weekend on the Appalacian Trail Jun 24---26  2006</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/173202</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 30 Jun 2006 20:16:03 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/173202</guid>
		<description>Dad and I recently arrived home from some unplanned excitement and adventure on the Appalacian Trail ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Dad and I recently arrived home from some unplanned excitement and adventure on the Appalacian Trail.

     Last Saturday,June 24, we departed for the section of the Trail that runs thru the state game lands near Ft Indiantown Gap near Harrisburg. The forecast called for rain but Dad and I both assumed that  there would be a few rainy periods with gaps of dry weather in between. We never expected the RAIN that we got!

      Sat Jun 24 started out with a little light rain but it wasn`t much and it actually cooled us off a bit as we ascended second mountain from Rausch Gap. The sun even peeked out a bit and Dad and I were actually able to enjoy a brisk swim in a deep pool of Stony Creek on Sat afternoon. Setting up our tent along the Rattling Run trail on Sat nite just as twilight was comming on we enjoyed partly cloudy skies and a calm,peaceful night.

      Sun Jun 25 dawned foggy and misty. We hiked for a few hours in the morning along the Rattling Run trail as it ascended to  its junction with the Water Tank trail that would lead us back to the Appalcaian Trail. ( Dad and I were doing a long 3 day loop hike.) It was warm--near 70-- and the fog and mist actually felt rather nice!

     We arrived at the Water Tank trail junction about 11 am and then the rain started. It soon metamorphised into RAIN and continued pretty much unabated throughout the rest of the day sunday all the way till  approximately 7 am monday morning.  The sound of the rain hitting the trees in the forest was constant as we hiked along.  Dad was forced to set up our tent in the early afternoon just so we could have our lunch in a somewhat dry state. Dad and I took our time over lunch, hoping that the rain would come to an end. Alas , it continued unabated! Taking down the tent after lunch, we  resumed our hike. By this time, we were back on the Appalacian Trail and beginning the 3 mile ascent of  Stony mountain.  The normally dry trail was a small river itself! Dad and I waded along the trail even encountering some small waterfalls. We finally arrived at the summit of Stony mountain and soon had another surprise. Rattling Run crosses the Appalacian Trail about a half mile after the summit is reached. Normally this is a placid little stream. When Dad and I arrived here we found a raging torrent!  Both of us looked around searching  for a way across. Finally I spotted a tree sticking part way out into  the raging waters. I barked this to Dad`s attention and he was able to devise a plan for us to get across.  Dad removed my dogpack and leashed me to a tree. He then grabbed hold of the branches extending out from the fallen tree and used them to pull himself out into the swift current. Safely holding onto the tree branches with one hand, he then grabbed a sturdy trunk on the opposite side and pulled himself up onto the opposite bank. He dropped his pack and came back to take my pack and his camera bag across. Then he crossed a final time to get me. Dad and I crossed this final time with me attached to my long flexi leash. The current grabbed at me and my collar started to ride up over my head a bit.  "HURRY SMILEY",dad shouted and I managed to climb up safely onto the opposite bank before the collar pulled loose. 

    Late saturday we even had some lightning. As we were basically walking in a steady stream of water , Dad decided to stop and call it a day. It was almost 7 pm by this time and we were both afraid that if a lightning bolt hit nearby the water in which we were hiking would send a nasty jolt our way!  The rain pounded down on our tent all night long.

     Finally on Monday morning the rain stopped. The sun even re appeared as we hiked along an Appalacian Trail that was more a river than a trail in many places. Rausch Creek was a foaming torrent!  We had one more swift stream to ford and then we arrived safely back at our car.  Dad took some pix and video clips of our little adventure and will soon post them on my page.
     
      Can`t wait till the Delaware River recedes so that we can resume our rafting!

                                                              All dried out now,
                                                                      Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>A trip to Virginia and Florida</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/156482</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 19 May 2006 20:48:13 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/156482</guid>
		<description>Woofs!
   Dad and I recently returned from another little adventure. He took me for a 5 day backpac ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs!
   Dad and I recently returned from another little adventure. He took me for a 5 day backpacking trip in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia then we drove down to Florida for the weekend to visit with his sister and her german shepherd---my cousin--- Julie.

    We departed for Shenandoah Park early in the morning on Sun May 7. Arriving at the park in late morning, we found things a bit on the cool and cloudy side but it was still pleasant weather for a hike so dad and I set off, dad carrying his backpack and me with my dogpack. We enjoyed splendid views of the lush green Virginia mountains as we hiked along the Rapidan fire road. Later in the afternoon we hiked along the Rose River loop trail with its numerous waterfalls and icy mountain  pools. Light rain began as we hiked this trail and by the time we reached the Skyland Big Meadows horse trail,the rain was falling steadily. Dad put my orange rain jacket on me and we continued the hike undaunted by a little rain. We camped for the first night on the Skyland horse trail. It`s really soothing to be snug inside a dry tent with the sound of rain on the canvas!

   Monday morning May 8 dawned overcast and chilly. A cool wind was blowing as we hiked but all the spring foliage was out and dad enjoyed taking some pictures with his digital camera (he`ll post some soon on my page) and the cool weather seemed to bring out all the good scents for me to sniff!  Rain began again around mid day and dad popped the tent up so that we could have our lunch and stay dry. He let the stove simmer inside the tent as we ate to ward off the chill as it was only 42 degrees and fog and wind had moved in. We continued hiking in fog grew more dense as we climbed Stony Man mountain on the Appalacian Trail. Summitting Stony Man mountain, we were cloaked in fog and mist. This made for some interesting hiking. Dad and I think it`s kind of peaceful to hike in fog,plus we got some interesting photos and video. We camped for night 2 on the Nicholson Hollow trail. Dad found a pleasant campsite by the Hughes River and pitched our tent. It`s soothing to fall asleep to the sound of a gurgling mountain stream weather you`re a dog or a human!

      Tuesday May 9 dawned partly cloudy but by mid morning the sun finally returned and we enjoyed splendid hiking. Dad and I climbed the long steep trail from the Weakley Hollow fire road to the summit of Robertson mountain. The views up here were awesome, in fact dad took a photo of me at the summit and it`s now my primary photo on my page. we had lunch up here in the warm sunshine.

      Wednesday May 10 was sunny  and warm also. Dad and I hiked to the summit of Hawksbill mountain for more great views. Later in the afternoon,we once again hiked the Rose River loop trail and this time with the warm sunshine we were able to swim in some of the icy mountain pools. It was chilly but envigorating! Late in the day we hiked down to camp Hoover. This was a former presidential retreat established by President Herbert Hoover in the late 1920`s. At least that`s what my dad tells me, I`ll just take his word for it!  Dad thought that it was kind of neat to walk on the porch of the old Presidential cabin knowing that he and I were standing in the very spot once occupied by a US  president!

     We finished up our hike on Thursday May 11 once again in fog  and rain. The white blazes of the Appalacian Trail guided us on thru the enveloping fog. A mixed bag of weather for this hike,but variety keeps things interesting!

     Dad drove as far as Dillon ,South Carolina on thursday where we stayed in a motel for the night.

    On friday May 12 we continued our journey. Dad and I hiked along an abandoned stretch of US 301 over Lake Marion in South Carolina. This is a HUGE lake and the views from the old abandoned section of US 301 were great. We arrived at Dad`s sister`s place near Lake City on fri night.
    

  Dad left me with his sister for the day while he visited Canaveral National Seashore. I enjoyed the visit with Julie,my german shepherd cousin and had a chance to recuperate a bit from our 5 days of hiking in Virginia. Dad enjoyed Canaveral National Seashore. The water was warm for swimming and he could see Launch Complex 39 as well as NASA`s VAB from the beach.

    On Sunday May 14, all of us went to a beach near Jacksonville that is dog friendly. Julie and I had fun  frolicking in the ocean and then we visited a dog park later in the day that had its very own doggie swimming pool!

   It was a doggone great trip!

                                                                                        Smiley]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Dogpacking in VA</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/151414</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 6 May 2006 12:06:14 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/151414</guid>
		<description>Dad and I are leaving for Shenandoah Park in Virginia for a week of hiking starting tommorow. My art ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Dad and I are leaving for Shenandoah Park in Virginia for a week of hiking starting tommorow. My arthritus has been acting up a bit, so I`ll have to do the best I can on the hike. Dad hopes to post new pix of our trip upon our return.
                                                                                                 Smiley]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>High water along the Raritan Canal</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/148717</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 28 Apr 2006 21:09:29 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/148717</guid>
		<description>Dad and I took a day hike along the Raritan Canal in New Jersey last sunday, Apr 23. It was raining  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Dad and I took a day hike along the Raritan Canal in New Jersey last sunday, Apr 23. It was raining pretty steadily in the morning,but the forecast was for clearing and sunny skies in the afternoon,so we started the hike anyway.
   
  The rain ended around 10 am and we hiked up the canal towpath until we reached the 6 mile run resevoir trail system. This is a fun area to hike in as the trails wind thru scenic fields and wooded areas, crossing a few small creeks along the way. Small these creeks are normally, but with the recent heavy rains, today they were waist deep or higher on Dad. I had to dog paddle across them and it was a struggle not to get swept downstream. This made for a challenging hike for the both of us! 
    
   Hiking back along the towpath, we forded a few more chilly creeks as we explored the backwoods near the Millstone River. The sun was warm today so the chilly water actually felt refreshing!

     Dad and I arrived back at our car around 5 pm and found the parking area completely underwater! Dad`s car was in water up to its hubcaps! The police had a tow truck there and were about to tow it away. Fortunately Dad was able to stop them from doing this! The officer explained to Dad that this area frequently floods following heavy rains and in the past cars have floated away down the canal hence the reason for towing them. Fortunately Dad`s engine wasn`t flooded out and he was able to start the car and drive home. An exciting hike to say the least!
                                                                                                  Smiley]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>First rafting trip of 2006!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/145984</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 21 Apr 2006 20:26:30 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/145984</guid>
		<description>Ahoy there!
     Dad and I got in our first rafting trip of 2006 yesterday! It was a beautiful,sunn ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Ahoy there!
     Dad and I got in our first rafting trip of 2006 yesterday! It was a beautiful,sunny day with a high of about 82 degrees. We arrived at the parking area at the Bull`s Island state campground in New Jersey about 8:30 am and began the 7 mile hike upriver along the canal towpath. Dad let me take my time along the hike upriver to sniff all the good smells but we finally arrived at the Kingston boat launch around 11:30. Dad removed the air pump from inside the backpack and proceeded to inflate our raft. He then secured the backpack inside the raft and proceeded to put my booties on. I wear these little dog boots so that my claws won`t puncture the raft. We then launched out into the chilly waters of the Delaware river.
    We soon encountered our first set of small rapids and it was thrilling to go thru them! All throughout the trip, I kept an eye out for any icebergs which is my responsibility as the ship`s lookout! I must say that I did a better job than the Titanic`s lookouts, as we encountered no icebergs the entire way!
      We pulled ashore on Frenchtown Island to have lunch and Dad walked me around on the island for a bit. Flooding in 2005  had partially wrecked a house on this island belonging to the Frenchtown Island Club but new construction was in evidence here to repair it.
      The Delaware river was still too cold for swimming, so both of us stayed put in the raft for the 5 hour trip except for 2 visits to islands along the way. We blasted our way thru the set of rapids created by the wing dam at the Bulls Island campground and ended the trip on a thrilling note!
    It`s great to begin the new rafting season, can`t wait till our next trip!

                                                                                             First Mate and ship`s lookout,
                                                                                                          Smiley]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>An early spring  hike along the Appalacian Trail</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/142898</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 14 Apr 2006 13:23:48 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/142898</guid>
		<description>Dad took me on an early spring camping trip last weekend along the Appalacian Trail in central Penns ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Dad took me on an early spring camping trip last weekend along the Appalacian Trail in central Pennsylvania near Harrisburg.  We arrived at the trailhead at Swatara State Park on Sat morning Apr 8. There was a chilly rain coming down and Dad put my orange dog raincoat on me for warmth as we started out along the trail. The rain let up a bit as we crossed second mountain and by the time we reached Rausch Gap it had just about ended.

      We had our lunch here and just as I was eating my last biscuit, the sleet began. Brrr! The sleet stopped after a short while and the sun began to peep thru but it remained on the cool side for the rest of the afternoon as we hiked along the Appalacian Trail towards the abandoned mining village of Yellow Springs. We camped a few miles past Yellow Springs near where the trail crosses Rattling Run. It was in the mid 30`s and darkness was just coming on at 8 pm. The wind was gusting a bit outside of our tent, but with the small camp stove simmering inside, Dad and I were comfortable as we had our dinner.  From time to time as we were hiking this afternoon, we could hear bursts of machine gun fire from nearby Ft. Indiantown Gap Army Base. Occasionally in years past when we`ve hiked here jets from the base would streak by overhead. Dad loves this as it`s like getting a free air show!

     Sunday  Apr 9 dawned sunny and chilly.  We hiked onward along the Appalacian Trail  as it descended Stony Mt. Nice views of the De Hart resevoir were had thru the still bare trees.  At the base of Stony Mt, more vegetation was out and Dad got some nice pix of vibrant yellow wildflowers and green mosses.

    We  left the Appalacian Trail hiking along the blue blazed Water Tank trail for about a mile  where the steep ascent of Third Mountain begins. This led us to the Rattling Run Trail where we stopped for lunch in warm sunshine. It had warmed up to the mid 50`s and Dad donned the shorts after our lunch break. I couldn`t shed my fur coat, but the cool breeze was plenty refreshing! In the early afternoon an Army helicopter flew low over the trail and Dad captured it on video with his digital camera.

    After hiking a few miles along the Rattling Run trail, Dad and I dropped our packs and bushwacked a few hundred feet off of the trail to an interesting feature known as the Devil`s Race Course. This is a boulder field a few miles long and about a hundred feet wide siting in splendid isolation in the middle of the forest! It`s totally devoid of trees or any other vegetation and the soft gurgle of an underground stream rises up from the boulders. It`s a rather dramatic natural feature! Dad took some photos here and marked the spot with his GPS for future reference. Dad does tend to get a bit careless when taking pictures,however. He was composing a shot and lost his footing,falling over backwards and partly down into a gap between the boulders. Ouch! Fortunately he didn`t hurt his camera!

    We returned to the Rattling Run Trail and hiked it a few more miles  to its terminus on an abandoned railroad trail. This trail parallels Stony Creek and both of us took a brief chilly dip in the creek this afternoon!

     We reached the Yellow Springs Trail late in the afternoon. This trail branches off from the railroad trail and ascends along a stone ramp for nearly a mile before rejoining the Appalacian Trail at Yellow Springs village. Yellow Springs was actually an inhabited coal mining town in the mid- 1800`s and the  stone ramp on which the trail runs was constructed to carry coal from the mines down to the railroad.  About a year ago, heavy rains washed sections of the stone ramp away so this trail was a bit tough for Dad and me to climb late in the day as the light was fading. We reached the top of the trail just as it was getting dark, and Dad found a nice flat spot to pitch our tent. It was warmer tonite---mid 40`s.

        Monday April 10th, last day of our little hike ,dawned bright and sunny. After taking down the tent, Dad had only hiked a short distance when he came upon a HUGE hole in the earth. It is apparently the collapsed remains of an old mine shaft and goes down aways into the ground. The bottom doesn`t appear to have any further opening into the ground, but Dad marked it on his GPS for future exploration. If he finds an entrance to an old mine shaft on our next hike here, he can explore it on his own. No way am I going in there!

     We finished up the hike in sunny, warm weather---mid 60`s. We relaxed at Rausch Gap on the hike back and enjoyed the clear aquamarine waters of Rausch Creek. It`s nice and deep in spots here and on a summer hike we could enjoy a nice swim here!  Yum!

                                                                                     Smiley]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>A winter trip on the Appalacian Trail</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/125137</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 26 Feb 2006 14:01:11 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/125137</guid>
		<description>Woof,
        Dad and I just got home a few days ago from a winter hike along the Appalacian Trail. ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof,
        Dad and I just got home a few days ago from a winter hike along the Appalacian Trail.  We were out for 5 lovely days. The weather was sunny for the most part although cold which is after all to be expected in February.

                           Sat Feb  18
      We arrived at the Delaware Water Gap in New Jersey around 9 am. Skies were  mostly cloudy and shortly after we began our hike light snow began to fall. Dad and I hiked to the top of Mt Tammany and a light dusting of snow covered the ground by the time we arrived at the fire road atop the mountain.  The sun soon re-appeared as we hiked back  the fire road atop Mt Tammany but  the winds were really howling away!  The combination of high winds and bright sunshine soon cleared the trail of the light snow cover.  Dad and I hiked the fire road back around Sunfish Pond and then ascended  to the exposed ridgetop of the Appalacian Trail. Winds were really strong up here (gusts over 35 mph) and as the afternoon wore on the temps began to drop into the low 20`s.  I told Dad that I was a tad chilly, so he stopped and put on my warm velcro dog coat. Dad has a "thing" about taking pictures on our hikes  and between taking pictures and putting on my dog coat, he managed to freeze his hands up. "Dang Smiley, my hands are so frozen I can hardly get these gloves back on!" This paraphrases Dad`s sentiments--in the interest of a wholesome diary entry,I can`t report his exact words!  We hurried down a side trail as evening came on in order to pitch our tent out of the wind. It went down to 8 degrees ( Farenheit) tonite but Dad`s mountain tent kept both of us snug and warm.  The skies were pitch black in the clear cold weather and Dad  could actually see rays of starlight!  He said it reminded him of the line in the John Denver song ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH that goes " The shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullaby".

              Sun Feb 19

       The winds died down overnight and today was a sunny but cold day of hiking the Appalacian Trail. As Dad and I hiked towards the Millbrook-Blairstown road we were rewarded with sweeping views of farms in the valley below us as well as a few lakes.  Late in the afternoon, Dad and I hiked past partially frozen Long Pine Pond where we glimpsed ice flows on its surface. We camped tonight in a heavily wooded area located in a valley just south of Rattlesnake Mt. There was a pleasant gurgling stream nearby and it was soothing to hear it from inside our tent throughout the night!

                           Mon Feb  20

          Another sunny day, brisk and cold as we ascended Rattlesnake  Mt  and pressed on north along the Appalacian Trail. Views atop Rattlesnake were superb and we could see a swamp off in the distance. The best views of the day, however came from atop the bald area on Blue Mt. The Appalacian Trail  passes through an open grassy area here and there are 360 degree views  of the valley! The last photo in my dogster photos shows me in this area.  

    We rested a bit at the Brink trail shelter--a small wooden hut at the base of Blue Mt then looped back along an old woods road that parallels the Appalacian Trail. Dad and I soon came to the Buttermilk Falls trail and we descended it all the way to the falls . As  we were hiking down this trail, I met another golden retriever who was day hiking with his family. We exchanged sniffs then proceeded on. He was the first cainine hiker I encountered on this trip.  Buttermilk Falls is about 70 feet high and it was partially frozen. Huge icecicles were present here! Dad took a few photos before we hiked onward along an old woods road. Darkness came on and we camped in dense secluded woods near the Flatbrook  stream.


                                              Tues Feb  21

               Today, we hiked a series of woods roads that ultimately led us out to Old Mine Road which parallels the Delaware River. Just before reaching the coppermines hiking area, we came upon the Poxono boat ramp. The Delaware river was partially frozen in this area and Dad got some photos of me standing out on the river ice. To be honest, I was a bit nervous out on the ice, but trusted that Dad wouldn`t put me in harms way! If possible, Dad plans on returning to this spot in the summer as he thinks it would be interesting to swim out to Poxono Island!
          We camped for night 4 in a windy,grassy area along the Appalacian Trail near Raccoon Ridge. Once again, the stars shone magnificently here in the dark, cold sky.

                                                  Wed   Feb  22

       We finished up our hike today, passing frozen Sunfish Pond.  The ice was thin in the center of this glacial lake, so Dad took pictures of us close to the shore on the firmer ice.   The bright sunshine,cold brisk air, stunning views,and peaceful night campsites made for a memorable winter camping experience!

                                                                                            Woofs,
                                                                                         Smiley]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Alaska 2005   Days  32---37</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/105104</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 25 Dec 2005 14:27:54 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/105104</guid>
		<description>Tues Oct 11 

             Dad had our car repaired today at Chevrolet of Helena. Dad would just l ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Tues Oct 11 

             Dad had our car repaired today at Chevrolet of Helena. Dad would just like to say that this is a wonderful dealership with really nice people. They took us right away even though we had no appointment and had a new clutch in the car in a matter of hours.  One of their staff even drove Dad to a Mcdonalds for lunch!  WE SALUTE THEM FOR THEIR COURTESY!

              While waiting for the repairs to be done, Dad walked me over to the Lewis and Clark Humane society a few miles away. I was adopted from here in 2000 and the staff were  glad to see me again. 

              With our car now running normally again, we resumed our journey and stopped for the night in Big Timber,Montana.


  
                                           Wed   Oct  12

                 We travelled  over 500 miles today,leaving Montana and crossing Wyoming to stop for the night  in Wall, South Dakota. Dad booked a room at the Motel 6 here for 2 nights so that we could spend the next day hiking in the Badlands.



                                               Thurs  Oct  13


                Dad and I spent today hiking in Badlands National Park. There are many scenic rock formations here all in various hues. It`s sort of similar to the Painted Desert in Arizona.  We hiked amongst these scenic rock formations for about 10 miles on the Castle Trail. As evening came on,the setting sun cast a magical  glow over the spires here! We even saw the moon come up full and clear over the Badlands as we were leaving for the night. I`ll eventually post a few Badlands pix on my page as Dad edits them on his computer. He took hundreds of pix on the whole trip and is gradually working on them.


                                             Fri    Oct  14


                       Travelled to Clear Lake Iowa  and stopped for our last night on the road here.

                                     Sat  Oct  15---Sun  Oct  16


                     Dad drove one long stretch from Iowa to Philadelphia by driving thru the night  thru Indiana and Ohio. We arrived back home in Phila around noon on Sunday.

                     It was an exciting trip to Alaska--my 3rd and Dad`s 9th. We plan on a return visit in August of 2007 as Dad really wants to drive all the way to the Arctic Ocean, something he`s only done once before in Aug of 1995. The Dalton Highway which runs alongside the Alaska Pipeline to Prudhoe Bay and the Arctic Ocean should be clear of deep snows in August.

       Next fall, we`re going for another trip to the Grand Canyon and California!


                                                                  Smiley]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2005     Day   31</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/104523</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 22 Dec 2005 20:43:26 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/104523</guid>
		<description>Mon  Oct  10

                  We crossed back into the &quot;Lower 48&quot; today at the Montana border. T ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Mon  Oct  10

                  We crossed back into the "Lower 48" today at the Montana border. The customs agent asked Dad for a passport or Birth Certificate as proof of citizenship. A simple drivers liscense used to suffice, but things are apparently tightening up as a result of terrorism. Dad had trouble finding where he had put it( a car gets a bit messy after a month on the road) so the customs agent asked him to pull into a parking spot and bring it inside when he located it. Dad did find it eventually and went inside to comply with the request. Apparently the customs people thought this a good opportunity to do a spot check so they had a drug sniffing dog go thru our car. I was not expecting this and ran up to the dog to greet him when the customs agent brought him out. The officer holding the dog didn`t seem amused by this and Dad quickly reeled me in on the flexi leash. All they found were a few dog biscuits that had fallen down between the seats which I graciously allowed the K-9 customs dog to scarf down. We were soon on our way and continued along to the town of Helena, where Dad was going to stop to visit a friend for the night.  Just before Helena, we stopped at the I-15 rest area near Craig where the accident with Butch (Dad`s dog before he acquired me---Butch was hit by a car here in 2000 as Dad was comming home from Alaska that year) occurred. Dad payed his respects to Butch here. The marker that Dad put here in 2001 is still there although a little weather worn. We stayed at our friend`s place tonite. She has a nice horse farm in Helena.

                                                                                           Smiley]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2005  Days  29--30</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/102574</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 15 Dec 2005 13:40:50 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/102574</guid>
		<description>Sat  Oct  8

                             We exited the Alaska highway today at Dawson Creek and t ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Sat  Oct  8

                             We exited the Alaska highway today at Dawson Creek and travelled on thru the province of Alberta. Dad stopped for lunch in the small town of Beaverlodge,Alberta and gave me a short walk in a park here. When he tried to restart the car, the engine wouldn`t turn over. He managed to contact a mechanic in town who was nice enough to send a somebody out on a holiday weekend ( the Canadian thanksgiving was on Mon Oct 10). After examining the engine, the mechanic took the clutch assembly apart and removed some debris from the damaged clutch that had fouled the starter mechanism. We got the car started again. Dad was relieved as he thought for sure we would be spending a few unplanned days here! We drove as far as Fox Creek,Alberta where we got a motel room for the night.  OUR SINCERE THANKS TO THIS MECHANIC AND TO THE KIND RESIDENT OF BEAVERLODGE WHO OFFERED TO LET US STAY WITH HIM IF IT HAD PROVED NECESSARY!


                                Sun  Oct  9

                We travelled on thru Alberta today, passing  thru Edmonton and Calgary before stopping for the night at Lethbridge. Dad stayed in the Quality Inn here ( he always uses motels for the last few nights of our trip each year as a break from all the tent camping).   There is a nice park here--Indian Battle Park-- with lots of nice hiking trails as well as a scenic wooden railroad trestle that spans the Oldman River at well over 100 ft high!  We enjoyed some nice hiking here this evening.

                                                                    Smiley]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2005   Days  27--28</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/102141</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 13 Dec 2005 19:57:40 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/102141</guid>
		<description>Thurs  Oct  6

                    We awoke this morning at the Marsh Lake Campground in the Yukon ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thurs  Oct  6

                    We awoke this morning at the Marsh Lake Campground in the Yukon. As today is the 5th anniversary of my adoption, Dad wished me a happy birthday! We drove the Alaska Highway as far as the Liard Hotsprings where we camped for the night. Just before the Hotsprings,Dad and I observed a most amazing sight. Several moose were walking single file along the shoulder of the Alaska Highway. Dad asked me to stop barking at them so that he could get some nice shots with his camera. 

                Later at the hotsprings , Dad gave me a nice birthday treat and enjoyed a nice swim in the hotsprings.



                     Fri   Oct 7

            We left the hotsprings at mid morning after Dad did some more swimming and proceeded to cross the Canadian Rockies. The scenery here was stunning as the sun was out and all the fall colors were glorious. Rushing mountain streams added to the grandeur.

              Then without warning, a cloud eclipsed our little paradise. The clutch on Dad`s car "died". He couldn`t shift gears at all and had to grind the transmission from gear to gear. Dad said that it was really wierd to drive the car this way. He had to shove the transmission into neutral when comming to a stop. The only way to start the car again from a dead stop was to turn the engine off,put the transmission into 1st and turn the engine on whereupon the car would lurch to a start. As things turned out, we wound up driving all the way to Helena,Montana like this before getting the clutch replaced. Dad tried to be somewhat fatalistic about the experience. He told me that the clutch did last 212,ooo miles. It was the original clutch that came with our Geo Metro in 1994.

             We camped at the Buckinghorse River Provincial Park tonite for our last night on the Alaska Highway. There was a musher camping here with us with his small team of 2 dogs. His sled was atop his truck. He was moving back to Fairbanks from Colorado.

                                                                                   Smiley]]></content:encoded>
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	<item>
		<title>Alaska   2005    Days   25--26</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/100741</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 8 Dec 2005 21:25:55 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/100741</guid>
		<description>Tues   Oct   4

         Dad and I awoke about 5:45 and resumed our journey up the Glenn Highway t ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Tues   Oct   4

         Dad and I awoke about 5:45 and resumed our journey up the Glenn Highway towards Tok.  Alaska experienced a moderate earthquake in Nov 2002 (barely a month after Dad and I were there that year--close call!) and sections of the road were under repair. We had to drive over gravel breaks in the road surface.

          Dad and I had breakfast in Tok and he mailed some postcards here using my personalized stamp ( a picture of it is in my dogster photos). We took a chilly walk here also as the temperature was only in the teens despite sunshine.

   We drove the Alaska Highway to the Canadian Border thus leaving Alaska for the 2005 trip. We travelled as far as Haines Junction in the Yukon where we camped at Dzeadesh Lake in Kluane National Park. Dad and I had this campground all to ourselves tonite. It was a scenic camping spot with the snowcapped peaks of the St. Elias mountains rising over the windswept waters of the lake.

   
                                         Wed   Oct  5

                We drove the Haines Highway (an offshoot of the Alaska Highway) to the summit regions in the Chilkat Pass area and did a bit of exploring here this morning. Dad stopped at a small cabin sitting all by itself on the windswept tundra. It was REALLY windy up here today and a bit rainy at times as well. The cabin was open since it was a public use cabin and Dad and I went inside. It felt good to stop in this warm cabin for a short visit. Dad signed the guest book here and told anybody who might read it  about Dogster!. 

                  At mid-day, we hiked the rock glacier trail in Kluane National Park. A rock  glacier is like a traditional ice glacier in that the whole mass of rock slowly moves over the landscape.  We ascended  a good way up the rock glacier here via this trail and enjoyed spectacular views of Dzeadesh Lake and the St. Elias mountains.

                At days end, we explored a dam across the Yukon River near Whitehorse.  This dam was constructed by Yukon Energy and has tamed the once fearsome Whitehorse rapids although the waters of the Yukon were quite turbulent at the dam itself.

                     Dad and I stayed at the Marsh Lake Campground near Whitehorse tonite. The campground was closed, so Dad parked at the gate and backpacked our gear in to a site. Once again we had a campground all to ourselves!

                                                                  Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2005   Day 24</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/97824</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 29 Nov 2005 13:45:36 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/97824</guid>
		<description>Mon  Oct 3

               Dad and I left our friend`s homestead near Sterling this morning. We en ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Mon  Oct 3

               Dad and I left our friend`s homestead near Sterling this morning. We enjoyed the 3 nights that we stayed in that cozy cabin and would liked to have stayed longer, but Philadelphia is a LONG way from Alaska and Dad had to start the journey home lest he arrive back late for work ,get fired,and not be able to buy me any more biscuits. Perish the thought!

               We stopped in at the Alaska Wildlife Sanctuary located just off of the Seward Highway. Dad let me get out of the car to view the grizzly bear cubs that were here. The bear cubs came right up to the fence when they spotted me. ( No doubt they know a handsome golden retriever when they see one!) Dad got a few closeup photos of them. We viewed some of the other animals here also such as a wolf and a moose. Mr Wolf and I exchanged a few polite howls.

                Dad and I stopped for a short hike at Bird Point along the Cook Inlet. We enjoyed more superb views here of tall mountains rising over the choppy waters of Cook Inlet. It was very windy though and I was happy when we finally got back to the warm car.

                 We drove back thru Anchorage then up the Glenn Highway passing the Matanuska Glacier in late afternoon. Dad took me for another hike here and we enjoyed stunning views of this glacier at sunset.

                  Had to sleep in our car at a pullout on the Glenn Highway as it was 10 pm and Dad had yet to feed me and himself. The state campground near Glenallen was closed when we passed it earlier in the evening or we would have stayed there for the night. Dad and I wish that the state of Alaska would leave its campgrounds open year round as not all visitors tour the state in the summer months. It was kind of neat "camping" in a car though as the Glenn Highway was pretty much deserted  and in the pitch black of night,many stars were visible. We were snug inside the car as chilly winds gusted outside.

                                                         Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2005  Day  23</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/97459</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 28 Nov 2005 15:42:44 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/97459</guid>
		<description>Sun  Oct  2

                     Dad and I day hiked a few trails in the Skilak lakes area today. ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Sun  Oct  2

                     Dad and I day hiked a few trails in the Skilak lakes area today. This is a large wilderness area near Sterling,Alaska. There are many nice lakes here and we hiked past a few on the 7 lakes trail that starts near Engineer Lake. This trail was quite secluded and passed thru long stretches of silent woodland between the various lakes. I scented bear a few times and Dad saw a few bear prints, but the  bruins kept out of sight. On the return to our start point in late afternoon, we observed nice reflections of clouds and autumn foliage in Engineer Lake`s placid waters.

         In late afternoon, we hiked the Bear Mountain trail here and observed stunning views of snowcapped peaks above Skilak Lake.

      Dad and I stayed at our friend`s cabin for one last night tonite and we observed the planet Mars in the dark night skies here. Our friend lives adjacent to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, so the cabin sits in a secluded,quiet spot with dark night skies just great for stargazing.

                                                                Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2005  Days  21--22</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/97062</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 27 Nov 2005 14:22:16 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/97062</guid>
		<description>Friday Sept 30

               Dad and I started our hike on the Resurrection Pass trail today. We ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Friday Sept 30

               Dad and I started our hike on the Resurrection Pass trail today. We arrived at the trailhead about mid-morning and began the ascent on switchbacks. Partway up there were nice views of the swiftly flowing Russian River below us. 

             The switchbacks topped out near Juneau Creek falls where dad and I had our lunch. As we continued hiking,the trail gradually emerged from the forest into beautiful alpine country with many lovely mountain views. We noticed large grizzly tracks in many places on the trail and several droppings with berries in them so Dad and I knew that grizzlies were in the area. I even caught their scent a few times but we never actually saw any. Dad was keen on seeing at least 1 bear as he had his cameras along. We hiked as far as Juneau Lake and camped here for the night approximately 9 miles from the trailhead.


                                               Sat  Oct  1

         There was some light rain on our tent overnite, but as we hiked back to the trailhead, the sun broke thru and the scenery was magnificent! Cloud bands would mask the mountains at times and the effect was dramatic! We visited an interesting A- frame cabin on Trout Lake as we hiked back and saw several  swans take off from the lake.  We had lunch again at Juneau Creek falls and observed the turbulent waters of Juneau Creek drop hundreds of feet over the brink of the falls. We arrived safely back at the trailhead on the Sterling Highway in mid afternoon. On our next Alaska trip in 2007, Dad plans on going all the way to Resurrection Pass summit and back. We returned to the cozy cabin on our friend`s homestead tonite.

                                                                              Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2005  Day  20</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/96624</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 25 Nov 2005 20:44:29 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/96624</guid>
		<description>Thurs  Sept  29

                Dad and I drove the Sterling Highway all the way to its end in Ho ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thurs  Sept  29

                Dad and I drove the Sterling Highway all the way to its end in Homer,Alaska today.  Homer is a scenic little town nestled amongst the rugged mountains that tower over the choppy waters of the Cook Inlet. We drove out onto the Homer Spit. This is a 5 mile extension road that leads out of Homer into the Cook Inlet itself. It was very windy here and Dad and I walked the beach and marveled at the awesome scenery. It was neat to see snowcapped peaks rising sheer from the waters of Cook Inlet. We saw a tanker and a few other boats sailing in these rough waters. Dad took a photo of an unusual sign that he observed by the roadside here. It said TSUNAMI EVACUATION ROUTE. We both thought "there`s a sign you don`t see everyday!"

              Driving back to our friend`s homestead near Sterling, we walked along another beach near Anchor Point. The sun was out and it wasn`t very windy this time. It actually felt quite warm and Dad remarked that it felt like a beach in California!

           We`re staying in a cabin on our friend`s homestead tonite. It`s quite cozy here as the cabin is very quiet and lit only by a coleman lantern and candlelight. Dad and I plan a hike on the Resurrection Pass trail tommorrow.

                                                           Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska 2005  Days  17---19</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/96198</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 24 Nov 2005 14:14:06 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/96198</guid>
		<description>Monday  Sept  26

      Dad and I awoke today to foggy conditions on the Plain of Monuments.
We s ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Monday  Sept  26

      Dad and I awoke today to foggy conditions on the Plain of Monuments.
We soon broke camp and began the steep descent from the tundra on which the Tors are located.  We were partway down the trail when skies cleared and glorious sunshine broke thru. Dad remarked that had he known that it was going to clear, he`d have stayed longer on the tundra and explored more of the Tors.

        Dad took me on the Angel Rocks trail again this afternoon and this time it was sunny and pleasantly cool ,unlike a few days ago when we were first there. I enjoyed sniffing around the towering rock formations here.

       We returned to the Chena Hotsprings this evening and Dad enjoyed a few hours swimming here then he took me to see the sled dogs in Chena`s dogyard.  There must`ve been over 50 dogs here, each tethered outside his or her doghouse. I exchanged howls with a few of them! In winter, these dogs pull sleds  for visitors to the Hotsprings.

     We stayed in the Tors campground again tonite.


                                      Tues  Sept  27

           Dad and I drove down the Parks Highway to Talkeetna today. It was rainy and Dad decided to treat us to a motel room tonite, so we stayed in the Swiss Alaska Inn in Talkeetna. Dad enjoyed the luxury of watching a DVD tonite in the motel room. The DVD was "October Skies" a movie about  sputnik and its influence on some teens in a West Virginia coal town. Dad loves space exploration and he enjoyed the DVD.


                                      Wed  Sept  28

   
         Dad enjoyed a flight over the Alaska Range today in an Otter airplane. I`m not too crazy about flying, so I stayed in the car. The plane held about 6 passengers and was flown by Tony of K-2 avaition. Tony let my dad be the co-pilot and sit beside him in the small cockpit. Dad loved this experience because he could observe the pilot flying the plane, look out the front window and see the snowcapped peaks of the Alaska Range approach,and even gaze out the side window at the trees,lakes and scenery below.

      Tony flew the plane towards Denali,also known as Mt. Mckinley. At one point there was a cloud bank partially obscuring the mountains and the pilot remarked "I`m going to have to find my way around these clouds".  Dad`s adreneline shot up a notch as we were getting rather close to some rocky mountain walls! Tony was a good bush pilot ,though and found his way thru the cloud bank safely. My Dad returned to me in one piece!

      Dad said that he got lots of good views of Denali and other mountains of the Alaska Range on this flight. He enjoyed feeling the updrafts that would shake the plane from time to time as it flew amongst the mountains. Far below, on the Kahiltna glacier,Tony pointed out the tent of 2 Russian climbers. Dad could hear them talking thru his headphones as they were on the same frequency as his plane. These Russians had been tentbound for almost a month and were giving up their attempt to climb Mt Mckinley. They were in the process of requesting a pickup from another plane to fly them off the glacier.

     After the flight, Dad and I continued down the Parks Highway. We both saw a moose with a full rack of antlers as we toured the Nancy Lake recreation area near Wasilla. We then drove thru Anchorage and along the Seward Highway which runs alongside the Cook Inlet. The scenery was impressive in this area as mountains towered over the Gulf of Alaska. Dad and I hiked on some rocky outcrops here alongside Cook Inlet and enjoyed the scenery. We`re headed for the homestead of a friend who lives near Sterling. Dad plans to hike the Resurrection Pass trail near Sterling and visit with his friend here for a few days.

                                                                            Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2005  days 15--16</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/93261</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 14 Nov 2005 20:39:50 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/93261</guid>
		<description>Sat Sept 24

             Grrr!  Rainy and chilly when we awoke this morning. Dad decided to spend ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Sat Sept 24

             Grrr!  Rainy and chilly when we awoke this morning. Dad decided to spend the morning at the Chena Hot springs about 30 miles down the road from our campsite.  He swam in the various pools here and he told me that  the rain made swimming in the hot springs all that much more pleasant. Dad was even able to walk around in comfort in the rain and 40 degree temperature due to the fact that the hot springs eventually warm your entire body.

           Dad left the hot springs in early afternoon to give me a nice hike on the Angel Rocks trail. This is about a 3 mile loop trail that leads up to a group of rock formations similar to the tors. It was rainy but both of us wore rain gear and enjoyed the hike. Dad returned to the hot springs for the remainder of the day then we returned to the Tors campground for the night.


                              Sun  Sept  25

            We spent the morning at the hot springs then as we were leaving, skies cleared and the sun broke gloriously thru the clouds. Dad couldn`t resist another opportunity to hike and camp on the Tors trail so we set off again and reached the alpine plateau on which sit the Tors as evening was comming on. It was rather windy up here this evening and Dad pitched the tent right beside a huge rock Tor to partially shelter us from the wind. Yesterday`s rain had resulted in a light dusting of snow on the ground up here. It was a thrill to camp among these huge rock tors. We fell asleep to the pleasant sound of wind buffeting the tent.

                                                                                    Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2005  Days  13 and 14</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/92720</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 13 Nov 2005 12:50:42 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/92720</guid>
		<description>Thurs  Sept 22

                 We drove up to the Fairbanks area today and the weather being war ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thurs  Sept 22

                 We drove up to the Fairbanks area today and the weather being warm (50`s) and sunny,immediately began a hike on the Granite Tors trail located just off the Chena Hotsprings road.  We did get a late start--4pm--so we only got about 5 miles up this trail before stopping to camp for the night. The wildfires of 2004 have removed many of the trees from this area, but a side benefit of this is that there are more views and we could see the Chena River valley far below us as we hiked up this trail.


                                   Fri  Sept  23


               Clouds rolled in overnite and I could hear light rain falling on the tent .I reluctantly left the cozy tent when Dad was ready to break camp. We continued our uphill hike and in a few miles emerged from the treeline onto the bare rock of the mountain. The rain was comming down a bit stronger now and it was windy as well. Dad had my velcro rain coat on me and that plus my dogpack kept me snug!

                After about another hour, we reached the tundra area atop the mountain and proceeded to the small wooden trail cabin located here. Dad got the woodstove going and we warmed up in here for a bit. We stayed here to have lunch out of the rain and wind and just as we were preparing to leave, the rain let up and a few breaks of sun appeared. We then set out on the trail across the tundra. This trail is nicely marked with orange kilometerposts and wooden tripods.

                This area is called the Plain of Monuments due to the many rock tors located here. A tor is a pillar of rock that was formed by volcanic activity and then exposed by erosion. Some of these tors that we hiked by were quite tall. Dad took pictures of me beside some of them and these will eventually be shown here on my Dogster page.  From time to time light snow flurries fell, but for the most part the rest of the afternoon was sunny. We finally reached the last group of tors and began the steep descent back down the mountain to the Chena Hotsprings road and the Tors campground  where we stayed for the night. Hiking by those tall majestic Tors was a thrill for both of us!

                                                          Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska 2005  Days 11 and 12</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/92433</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 12 Nov 2005 13:29:13 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/92433</guid>
		<description>Tues  Sept  20
       
             Dad and I finished up our Upper Dewey Lake hike today, hiking  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Tues  Sept  20
       
             Dad and I finished up our Upper Dewey Lake hike today, hiking back from Sturgil`s Landing to Skagway.

              We toured Skagway for a bit and walked down to the cruise ship docks to view the ships that were in port. These things are really HUGE. They`re like floating cities in themselves. Even the lifeboats are the size of small pleasure boats.

             Travelled back up the Klondike Highway to camp again at Wolf Creek campground for the night.



                                      Wed   Sept  23


        Dad and I arrived in mainland Alaska today and travelled on to the small town of Tok. Enroute we hiked a nice trail in the Yukon(the spruce beetle trail) which afforded us splendid views of the snowcapped  St. Elias mountains. We also payed a short visit to the Tetlin Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

       I`m so glad to be staying in a real motel tonight---Young`s Motel in Tok.
It`s sooo nice to have a soft bed after all the camping out in a tent!

                                                                                     Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2005    Day   10</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/92264</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 11 Nov 2005 20:51:24 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/92264</guid>
		<description>Mon  Sept   19

            Dad and I could hear rain pelting against the tent overnite and strong ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Mon  Sept   19

            Dad and I could hear rain pelting against the tent overnite and strong wind gusts from time to time. How nice to be inside a snug,warm tent!

            The rain let up early today and the sun even peeked out a bit from time to time. Dad and I hiked to a nearby public use cabin that we overlooked  the night before due to the rain and approaching darkness. Inside the cabin, Dad got a fire going inside the woodstove and we dried our clothes---well his clothes anyway!

   We then hiked a trail that led up above Upper Dewey Lake and out to another small lake known as the Devil`s Punchbowl.  From this trail we could see Upper Dewey Lake below us  and far off on its shoreline sat the cabin. The town of Skagway was spread out below us as well and we could see the vast sweep of the waters of the inside passage. A plane took off from Skagway`s airstrip and it was strange to gaze DOWN on a plane flying in the air! Some boats were visible in the Tayia inlet below us.

    We hiked all the way out to the Devil`s Punchbowl which is a smaller lake that is surrounded by steep rocky cliffs.  A hiker that Dad met later in the day told him that if you were to climb these cliffs, you would see the Juneau icefield.  Dad and I plan to try this on our next trip  here hopefully in Aug 2007.

         We had lunch in the cabin where we met that other hiker then we began the long steep descent from the alpine regions of upper Dewey Lake.

         We then  hiked the mostly level trail that passes thru the Tongass National Forest out to Sturgill`s Camp.  This was about another 3 miles and we passed Lower Dewey Lake enroute.

       Sturgill`s camp sits by a small beach right on the Tayia Inlet. Dad and I camped here for our second night of this hike. It was very windy,but Dad got the tent staked out nicely and we were snug and warm for the night.

       After darkness fell, a cruise ship sailed by departing Skagway. All  its lights were ablaze and we could see a few people walking about on the decks. Reminded Dad of the Titanic!

                                                                             Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska  2005  Day  9</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/91434</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 9 Nov 2005 14:25:31 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/91434</guid>
		<description>Sun  Sept  18

         Dad and I left Wolf  Creek campground this morning and  explored the area  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Sun  Sept  18

         Dad and I left Wolf  Creek campground this morning and  explored the area around Miles Canyon.  Miles Canyon is a spot in the city of Whitehorse where the Yukon River flows thru a steep, rocky canyon. Back in the days of the Klondike Gold Rush there was a violent set of rapids here but a dam upriver has quieted them down today.  We hiked the  Yukon River loop trail here and enjoyed spectacular views of the famous Yukon River.

      Next we began our journey down the Klondike Highway (an offshoot of the Alaska Highway) towards the city of Skagway on Alaska`s Inside Passage. Near the city of  Carcross Dad and I stopped to hike amongst the sand dunes of the Carcross Desert.

   We crossed the White Pass (the Alaska border is atop White Pass) amidst fog and cold rain---YUCK!! then descended into  Skagway. We were both a bit depressed by the cold rain that was falling and I really wanted to stay in the warm car, but Dad insisted that having come all this way we should go ahead with our planned hike. Being a loyal dog, I donned my velcro raincoat and dogpack and set off after Dad up the long trail to Upper Dewey Lake.

     The rain let up to a lighter drizzle as we ascended the trail. There was one spot where Dad and I got a great view of a cruise ship docked in the bay below. As we ascended, we could see the blue-green waters of the Tayia Inlet and the Inside Passage below us. Despite the rain, it was a doggone good view!

  After 2 miles  of strenuous uphill climbing over rocks,tree roots,and slippery mud (I`m glad I have claws!) we reached Upper Dewey Lake. Dad and I were by this point exhausted  from the steep climb and chilled to the bone from the cold rain. Emerging from the treeline in the Upper Dewey Lake area, we were buffeted by cold winds.  BRRR!!  Dad and I both decided to pitch the tent in a hurry to warm up.

  Once inside, Dad fired up his campstove and the tent was gloriously warm. We were snug inside as rain and wind lashed the tent canvas.  We had supper then Dad crawled into his warm sleeping bag and I snuggled beside him. We fell asleep to the pleasant sound of wind and rain both hoping for better hiking weather tommorrow.

                                                                     Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska 2005   day 8</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/89961</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 4 Nov 2005 20:48:12 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/89961</guid>
		<description>Sat  Sept  17

   We arrived in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada today.  Enroute here, Dad and  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Sat  Sept  17

   We arrived in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada today.  Enroute here, Dad and I stopped at the Liard River hotsprings along the Alaska Highway to enjoy a swim. We had to walk back a long boardwalk over boggy tundra to reach these hotsprings. Once  there, Dad enjoyed a long swim while I lounged just outside of the pool conversing with a nice Newfoundland. Dad tells me that these hotsprings remain very warm all year. In past years, Dad has swum here even with snow on the boardwalk!!

    Upon arriving in Whitehorse, Dad and I stopped for the night at Wolf Creek campground just outside the city itself. From this campground, we hiked a trail that led back to a scenic cliff overlooking the Yukon River. Dad and I spent the night here before heading down the Klondike Highway to Skagway,Alaska the next day.

                                                                                 Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska 2005   Days 6 and 7</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/89522</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 3 Nov 2005 13:06:39 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/89522</guid>
		<description>Thurs  Sept  15

     After taking our tent down, Dad walked me along some trails at Elk Island Na ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Thurs  Sept  15

     After taking our tent down, Dad walked me along some trails at Elk Island National Park this morning. Last nite`s rain had ended and it was a brisk,partly sunny morning.

      I was sure surprised to see that Coyote sitting by the side of the road just off  the trail that Dad and I were on. My fur went up upon spotting him and he lifted his snout into the air and let loose with a long melodious  HOWLLL!!!.  I replied with a few barks of my own but I must confess that I lack Mr Coyote`s musical abilities!!      

   Dad and I travelled  over 400 miles today to reach the town of Dawson Creek which is the start of the Alaska Highway.  We camped at Charlie Lake tonight.


                                  Fri   Sept  16

       WOOF!!!    

           Today was a lovely day travelling thru the Canadian rockies. It was partly sunny and refreshingly cool. All the autumn colors were out and it was just beautiful.

         In the Summit Lake area of the Alaska Highway, Dad and I stopped at Stone Mountain Provincial Park. Here we spent about 3 hours hiking a trail that led to the summit regions of Stone Mountain.  There were expansive views here of the  snowcapped peaks in the Canadian Rockies. Summit Lake glistened like a blue jewel amongst these majestic mountains. It was a tough hike up to the summit ,though. Dad and I had to traverse a few slippery scree slopes.  Ascending to the summit, we were buffeted by strong, chilly winds. Dad needed his hat and gloves  and I was grateful for my warm fur coat!!

    We camped at a nice spot beside Muncho Lake tonite.

                                                                Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska 2005--Day 5</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/87852</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 28 Oct 2005 21:35:35 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/87852</guid>
		<description>WED  SEPT  14

        Dad and I travelled Trans-Canada highway 16 today crossing Saskatchewan and ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ WED  SEPT  14

        Dad and I travelled Trans-Canada highway 16 today crossing Saskatchewan and on into Alberta.  There was rain much of today and it was rather chilly when the rain was falling.  This might have been a less than memorable part of our trip save for a discovery that Dad and I made at the end of the day.

      We were looking for a nice spot to camp for the night as we approached Edmonton on Hwy 16.  Dad decided to check out Elk Island National Park located just off of the highway.  We stayed at the  Astotin Lake campground here and Dad gave me a walk this evening along a trail here. We spotted a few bison. I growled at them, but Dad told me to keep quiet as he didn`t want to provoke an animal that probably weighs well over 1000 pounds!!

     Dad and I were awakened about 2 am inside our tent by a chorous of howls. A pack of coyotes was howling away. It was a melodious, beautiful sound! Dad walked me again in the morning, and we actually saw a coyote sitting alongside the road,snout in air, howling away!!  My fur went up upon seeing Mr Coyote but Dad told me that he meant us no harm and sure enough he soon ran off into the forest.

   Dad and I enjoyed our short visit to Elk Island National Park and would sure like to return on a future trip to Alaska!!

                                                                                                          Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska 2005  Day 4</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/86784</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 25 Oct 2005 12:58:22 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/86784</guid>
		<description>Tues Sept 13

    Dad and I journeyed westward thru Ontario today stopping for a short hike in Rus ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Tues Sept 13

    Dad and I journeyed westward thru Ontario today stopping for a short hike in Rushing River Provincial Park in western Ontario just before the Manitoba border. It was raining lightly, but we enjoyed a walk in this park on a trail that led back to a scenic lake. All the fall foliage was out which made it a lovely hike despite the rain.

    We travelled over 500 miles today to reach a very nice regional park just outside of Yorkton,Saskatchewan. This was a VERY nice place to camp for the night since it had a heated shower building and was totally free! Dad and I had the campground all to ourselves save for one other party in a motorhome. We camped in a pleasant spot beneath some evergreens.

  Dad and I would like to thank the town of Yorkton for providing this lovely campground!

                                                                             Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska 2005---Day 3 Mon Sept 12</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/86154</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 23 Oct 2005 14:04:51 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/86154</guid>
		<description>Dad and I continued our journey west across Ontario today on Hwy 17. This highway as well as highway ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Dad and I continued our journey west across Ontario today on Hwy 17. This highway as well as highway 69 before it and others are collectively labled the Trans-Canada Highway.

  Travelling highway 17, we stopped to hike in Lake Superior Provincial Park. It was lovely here! The sand felt pleasantly cool beneath my paws and Dad enjoyed some swimming in Lake Superior.  Dad has taken me to the Jersey shore before and this reminded me of Island Beach State Park in New Jersey. Lake Superior had waves that rolled ashore just like the ocean,and there were cliffs and trees right by the beach.

  Dad spotted a small rocky island a short way offshore and turning to me he says  " I think we could walk out to that island,Smiley".  I was thinking "You must be crazy,Dad"!  But being the polite,loyal dog that I am, I just wagged my tail and followed Dad out into Lake Superior.  Dad made it out to the island, the water being no more than waist deep on him, but I had to do a doggie paddle to make it.  The rocky slopes of the island were too slippery with moss for Dad to ascend barefoot,so I ventured onto the island first, gaining purchase with my claws on the slick rock. Dad hauled himself up using my long flexi lead. We explored the small rocky island which had a few trees growing on it then journeyed back to shore.

   Walking further along the shore, we came upon 3 teepees!  Large branches were arranged in conical shapes sticking up out of the sand.  Dad remarked that somebody could place tarps around them and have  a nice shelter.  He thinks the teepees may have been constructed by native First Nations people who reside in the area.

We resumed our hike back to the car and Dad took another swim in the cool waters of Lake Superior.

   Later in the day, we stopped for lunch and another short hike in Rainbow Falls Provincial Park. We camped tonite in the small community of Ignace,Ontario.   Dad walked me here this evening along a bike path and we observed a girl rollerblading with her siberian husky.

                                                                                                 Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska trip day 2</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/85738</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 21 Oct 2005 20:49:25 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/85738</guid>
		<description>Day 2  Sun Sept 11

    Dad and I left Niagra Falls this morning and began our journey west along  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Day 2  Sun Sept 11

    Dad and I left Niagra Falls this morning and began our journey west along the Trans-Canada highway thru Ontario.  We had to gas up this morning and it cost my Dad about $1.20/liter. That`s kind of like buying gas by the quart which makes gas in Canada the equivalent of over $4 per gallon! Dad`s sure glad he has a 3 cylinder Geo that gets 50 mpg.

   It was warm and sunny today, and after briefly getting lost in the maze of highways surrounding Toronto, we eventually found our way onto Ontario hwy 69.  In the middle of the day, Dad and I stopped for a hike in French River provincial park alongside hwy 69. Both of us took a dip in the brisk waters of the French River.

    We drove about 590 miles today to reach the Pancake Bay area along Lake Superior. We camped by a rocky beach of Lake Superior and could see a lighthouse in the distance.   There were many views of Lake Superior and smaller lakes and bays as we drove hwys 69 and 17. It was a scenic drive thru the rocky gorges of the Canadian Shield. I walked with Dad along the shoreline of  Pancake Bay tonite, then was glad to crawl into the cozy tent for the nite!

                                                                         Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska 2005 trip day 1</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/85166</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 19 Oct 2005 20:11:22 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/85166</guid>
		<description>Dad and I just got back from our Alaska trip last Sunday, Oct 16. I`m going to post diary entries fo ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Dad and I just got back from our Alaska trip last Sunday, Oct 16. I`m going to post diary entries for each day of the trip,so here`s our adventures for day 1.

                Sat Sept 10

    We left our house about 9:30 last night and drove all night long to reach Buffalo, NY by sunrise.  There was some dense fog as we travelled the NY thruway in the wee hours of the morning but I was a good co-pilot and helped Dad to navigate safely!

      We crossed into  Canada via the Peace Bridge. The customs lady must`ve been impressed by my handsome looks because she just waved us right thru without searching our car! I had brought my favourite dog food from home and was concerned that it might be confiscated as suppossedly the  Mad Cow scare has caused Canada to ban the import of dog food.

   Dad and I spent the day hiking in the Niagra Falls area. He made me pose atop a fence in front of the Falls for a dramatic photo.  I was a bit nervous doing this with the thunder of Niagra Falls in the background,but Dad reassured me that  he wouldn`t do anything REALLY extreme like making me ride over the Falls in a barrell!!!

       We hiked across the Rainbow Bridge and had dramatic views of the Falls and Niagra River several hundred feet below the bridge.

        We hiked some trails along the lower Niagra River well below the falls and Dad and I swam in  some sheltered coves in the river. We spent a cozy night at the Niagra Falls , Ontario KOA. I was glad to crawl into the cozy tent after a strenuous day!!

                                                                                                          Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Homeward Bound</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/80613</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 2 Oct 2005 22:52:30 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/80613</guid>
		<description>Woof,
   Dad and I will be leaving our friend`s homestead tommorrow and starting the long journey h ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof,
   Dad and I will be leaving our friend`s homestead tommorrow and starting the long journey home.  We enjoyed immensely our time here on Alaska`s Kenai Peninsula with it`s stunning landscape of mountains,sea and numerous lakes. Dad will post pix when we get home.  

   While staying on the homestead here, I could hear a neighbor`s sled dogs howling!  It stirs the wanderlust in me and makes me proud to be a northern adventurer. While carrying my dogpack  on hikes here, I felt a kinship with my sled dog brothers and sisters!!

                                                                                            Smiley

    P.S.   This is likely our last computer access for some time, but I`ll write more upon our return]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Travelling in Alaska</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/80347</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 1 Oct 2005 22:19:36 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/80347</guid>
		<description>Woof!!

   Dad and I are staying with a friend who lives near Homer, Alaska for a few days.  This  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof!!

   Dad and I are staying with a friend who lives near Homer, Alaska for a few days.  This is the first computer access that we`ve had since leaving home 3 weeks ago.  We`ve had a really nice trip  thusfar.  Nice hiking at Niagra Falls at the start.  Dad even swam in the lower Niagra River!
   Both of us swam in Lake Superior as we travelled across Ontario on the  Trans-Canada highway.

  In Elk Island National Park near Edmonton, we heard coyotes howling overnite as we camped inside our tent.  I even saw one the next morning!

   We hiked along the Yukon River near Whitehorse, then visited Skagway,Alaska and hiked the Dewey lakes trails. Nice views of Alaska`s inside passage from this trail!  A cruise ship went by  our campsite at nite and all the lights were lit. It reminded Dad of the Titanic!

    We visited the Fairbanks area and hiked a trail there that went past these really neat rock outcroppings called Tors. Dad and I camped beneath one of these huge rock Tors!

  We really like the Kenai Peninsla of Alaska. Nice views of mountains rising sheer out of the Gulf of Alaska!!  Today we finished up a hike on the Resurrection Pass trail.  This is a trail of stunning beauty that traverses a lovely alpine landscape.  Dad and I saw numerous bear prints in the mud and their droppings, but unfortunately we saw no actual grizzlies.  I was on guard in case any bears threatened Dad, but he was dissappointed that he didn`t get a photo of a bear!
   Will write more and post pictures when Dad and I return home in a few weeks.

                                                                                         Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Alaska 2005</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/74656</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 9 Sep 2005 15:01:16 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/74656</guid>
		<description>Woof,
    I think  I`ve got all  my biscuits packed up and my dogpack is ready to go.  Dad and I ar ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof,
    I think  I`ve got all  my biscuits packed up and my dogpack is ready to go.  Dad and I are leaving for Alaska tonight. We`re driving up to Niagra falls then across southern Canada till we reach the Alaska Highway at Dawson Creek, British Columbia. We plan on some hiking tommorrow at Niagra Falls then we`re hoping to enjoy a swim in Lake Superior at a provincial park there.
 Also anticipating lots of nice hikes in Alaska.  I`ll write about our adventures on my return in Oct.

                                                                                                Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>My own postage stamp!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/72438</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 31 Aug 2005 20:52:20 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/72438</guid>
		<description>WOOF,
  Dad recently learned of this neat website called stamps.com.  You can upload a personal pho ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ WOOF,
  Dad recently learned of this neat website called stamps.com.  You can upload a personal photo and have US postage stamps made up bearing that photo. They`re LEGAL postage!  Dad had some made up of me. This stamp is featured as photo 6 in my album.
                                                  
                                                                                                   Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Our Dogster License Plate</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/71568</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 28 Aug 2005 13:17:45 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/71568</guid>
		<description>Hi,
   Just had to bark about this. Dad found this COOL website that makes up authentic looking lic ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Hi,
   Just had to bark about this. Dad found this COOL website that makes up authentic looking license plates from all 50 states and Canadian provinces. He had Alaska plate made up which says "DOGSTER" and put it in the rear window of  OUR car.  Photos of this plate can be seen on page 3 of my Dogster Plus album.
      We`re leaving soon for another trip to Alaska.

                                                                                              Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>One year on Dogster</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/66188</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 8 Aug 2005 15:26:25 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/66188</guid>
		<description>Woof,

      Thanks Dogster for the birthday cake! I`m proud to have been on Dogster for a full ye ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof,

      Thanks Dogster for the birthday cake! I`m proud to have been on Dogster for a full year!  Dad and I love this site and hope to be on it for years to come.

                                                                                                   Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Hawaii or the Delaware?</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/64625</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 2 Aug 2005 20:54:13 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/64625</guid>
		<description>Woof,
    Dad took me rafting again yesterday.  It was a fun trip on a hot day but he made me wear  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof,
    Dad took me rafting again yesterday.  It was a fun trip on a hot day but he made me wear this silly string of flowers when we pulled ashore on an island. I was beginning to think that we had sailed all the way to Hawaii,but I couldn`t find the Luau!!   Dad said that the flowers were just for the photo. Darn!  No Luau!  Oh well, the Delaware is still a nice place to go rafting and Dad  IS taking me to Alaska next month.  Maybe  I`ll get to see Hawaii some day.

                                                                                                Smiley

       P.S.  These latest photos are the last 2 on pages 2 and 3 of my album.]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Thunderstorms</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/62924</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 27 Jul 2005 20:14:36 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/62924</guid>
		<description>woof,

       I`m sooo scared that I could only manage a small woof there!  We had a big thunderst ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ woof,

       I`m sooo scared that I could only manage a small woof there!  We had a big thunderstorm roll in as Dad and I were taking our usual evening walk thru Pennypack Park.  The winds were really gusty, making the trees bend and groan. Little branches were falling off and hitting the ground from time to time. I was hoping that a bigger branch or tree limb wouldn`t land on us. I`m REALLY  scared of thunderstorms!

                                                                                             Hiding in the bathroom,
                                                                                                   Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Rafting</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/57951</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 8 Jul 2005 20:59:18 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/57951</guid>
		<description>Dad takes me rafting quite often during the summer months. Our favourite spot to go rafting is the D ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Dad takes me rafting quite often during the summer months. Our favourite spot to go rafting is the Delaware River.  Dad gets there early in the morning and we hike up the canal towpath for about 8 miles. Dad then inflates the raft and our journey begins. We usually do the section between Frenchtown, NJ and Point Pleasant,Bucks County, PA. This section of the river has the most rapids and islands to visit, so it`s a lot of fun! Dad just added 2 more photos of recent rafting trips this summer on page 2 of my Dogster Plus photo album.

                                                                                  Woofs,
                                                                                 Smiley
                                                                            First Mate and Ship`s Lookout]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>2 New Photos</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/54824</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 26 Jun 2005 14:17:00 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/54824</guid>
		<description>Woof Woof,

     That`s 1 woof for each new photo that Dad just added to my page. These pictures w ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof Woof,

     That`s 1 woof for each new photo that Dad just added to my page. These pictures were taken on our recent June backpacking trip to the Delaware Water Gap. The first was taken on Thurs,June 16 2005 at campsite 1 on the Appalacian Trail. Skies had just cleared following a thunderstorm (I hate those things!) and a beautiful double rainbow appeared.

    Pix no. 2 was taken 2 days later on nite 3 of the trip. Dad hiked down the mountain a short ways and found a small flat spot to pitch our tent. We both had GREAT views of the Delaware river from this spot. Can`t wait for our next trip!! Dad`s going to sign me up for Dogster Plus so that he can post lots more pix to my page!

                                                                                     Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>A summer backpacking trip</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/53926</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 22 Jun 2005 20:51:14 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/53926</guid>
		<description>Woof,
   
       Dad and I recently got home from a 4 day backpacking trip to the Delaware Water G ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof,
   
       Dad and I recently got home from a 4 day backpacking trip to the Delaware Water Gap in NJ. It was the first time Dad was able to take me on a summer backpacking trip as he usually can`t get a string of days off in the summer months.  Dad remarked on the novelty of seeing the Appalacian Trail fully vegitated as opposed to viewing bare tree branches and even snow! I simply loved all the new summer smells!

         We arrived at the Delaware Water Gap on Thursday morning June 16 and almost immediately had a small adventure.  We hiked back the Dunnfield Creek trail and soon came upon a HUGE crater. Dad says that it was caused by washouts and erosion from recent floods in the area. I slid my way down to the bottom, at one point tumbling head over tail and finally landing on my back atop my dogpack! Dad also had to make his way down with care as his pack is just a tad bigger than mine!

       All worked out ok and we made our way back to Sunfish Pond for some swimming. Dad used a lifevest as a personal "boat" and swam out far into Sunfish Pond. I was happy just to relax on shore and catch the cool mountain breezes.

      Alas in the afternoon as we were hiking back towards Camp Mohican on the Appalacian Trail a thunderstorm rolled in. I find these things SCARY and can`t understand why they don`t seem to bother most humans, Dad included. Dad gave me plenty of comfort,though, and the dreadful storm soon passed.

      As Dad was pitching our tent on Thurs nite, a beautiful double rainbow appeared. Dad tried to tell me that the thunderstorm was worthwile after all,but I`ll reserve judgement on that!

           On Friday,we hiked thru Van Campen`s Glen and its interesting canyons and waterfalls. The smells here were superb.  Much nicer than the photos Dad was taking with his digital camera if I do say so myself!  We made our way down to the Delaware River and watched a party of canoeists go by.  (Hint Dad, take me canoeing sometime PLEEEESE!).  
         
        Our campsite on fri nite on the Buttermilk Falls trail was very nice. We camped beside a small stream and its gurgling waters lulled us both to sleep.

        On Saturday, after some swimming in both Hemlock Pond and Long Pine Pond, I met another K-9 hiker.  We had another small adventure while hiking back the Rattlesnake Swamp Trail. A large portion of the trail had somehow been flooded with murky swamp water and both of us had to bushwack around it. Dad said it reminded him of old Vietnam war movies where soldiers wade thru the rice paddies. (I don`t know about that, I`ll stick with Animal Planet reruns!}

       We had a great campsite on Sat nite just off of the Appalacian Trail with sweeping views of the Delaware River far below!

       It was a GREAT trip.  Woof Woof!

                                                                                           Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Big Meadows</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/48485</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 31 May 2005 14:38:06 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/48485</guid>
		<description>Woof,
       Dad added another photo to my page from our recent Shenendoah trip. It was taken on da ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof,
       Dad added another photo to my page from our recent Shenendoah trip. It was taken on day 4 as we hiked thru the Big Meadows area adjacent to Skyline Drive. It was quite warm that day,but refreshing breezes were blowing across the open meadow. From here, Dad and I hiked down the Mill Prong trail for a refreshing swim in Mill Prong which is near Camp Hoover. The Big Meadows photo appears just above this entry.  

              Got to run now as Dad is taking me for another rafting trip on the Delaware River tommorrow.

                                                                             Woofs,
                                                                         Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Wearing my Dogster button</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/46593</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 23 May 2005 07:18:59 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/46593</guid>
		<description>Woof,
     Dad just posted a new photo showing me wearing my Dogster button. I proudly displayed it ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof,
     Dad just posted a new photo showing me wearing my Dogster button. I proudly displayed it on my dogpack while hiking in Shenandoah National Park .  These are nice buttons and I urge all pet parents to buy their dogs some!

                                                                                                 Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Photos from Shenandoah</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/46317</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 21 May 2005 14:15:30 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/46317</guid>
		<description>Woofs,

         Dad and I got back from our Shenandoah hike about a week ago. Dad is reviewing th ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs,

         Dad and I got back from our Shenandoah hike about a week ago. Dad is reviewing the pix that he took while down there and will feature favorite ones from time to time as my primary Dogster photo. He just added the current one showing me atop Robertson Mt.  Robertson mt is 3,296 ft high and offered us spectacular views.  Like Leonardo in "TITANIC" ,I felt like  King of the World up here!

                                                                             Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Hiking in Virginia</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/45141</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 15 May 2005 13:33:26 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/45141</guid>
		<description>Woofs,

              Dad and I just got back from a week of backpacking (or in my case--dogpackin ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs,

              Dad and I just got back from a week of backpacking (or in my case--dogpacking) in Shenandoah National Park,Virginia.

              We started our hike on Sunday,May 8th.  We hiked down the Rapidan fire road to the Upper Dark Hollow trail. The weather was warm and sunny with a refreshing breeze.  On the Dark Hollow trail, we found a lovely area of tall trees.  Shafts of sunlight were shining thru the trees onto a carpet of ferns. It was a lovely area.  I caught the scent of a bear here but Dad didn`t see him, only heard the sound of a large animal crashing thru the brush. We camped nearby and I made sure to mark the trees around our campsite so Mr Bear would know that I was on guard and thus leave my Dad alone!

            Next day, on Monday afternoon, Dad and I hiked down the Cedar Run trail.  Midway down this trail, Dad found a sloping section of rock with a trickle of water running down it ending in a deep pool. Dad used this as a slide to plunge himself into the icy pool. He told me that it felt great, but I took one look at the steep slide  and the icy pool and said "NO WAY"!!  

         Tues May 10th, we summited Robertson Mountain. The views up here were great (according to Dad). Personally, I was more interested in the wonderful scents and smells all along the Roberston Mountain trail.  Dad marvelled at the stunning views of Old Rag mountain that were had as we descended this trail. I caught the sound of running water at the bottom of the trail and was thinking to myself  " Doggone the views, let`s get down there so I can plunge my snout into that cold water!"  Later in the afternoon, we hiked along the Nicholson Hollow trail and both of us enjoyed some swims in icy pools that were found along the stream here.

            On Wed May 11 Dad and I made our way back along the Appalacian Trail, passing by Big Meadows campground.  Dad was glad to be able to buy an icy cold pepsi here as the weather was quite warm--mid 80`s.  I found a nice spot in the shade of a cabin for us to have our lunch.  Dad bought me some fries from the camp store.  Yumm!  Much tastier than dog buscuits!

          Thurs May 12, we hiked along Big Run after Dad resupplied and drove us to the southern section of the Park.  Some of the crossings of Big Run were deep and I was upset at getting my dogpack wet, but dad told me not to worry about it.  We were ascending Brown Mountain at the close of the day. The trail seemed to take FOREVER to reach the summit.  Dad was hauling a gallon of water in his pack ( He tried to talk me into carrying the water, but I said " You`re the expedition leader--that`s your job!"  He was really looking forward to reaching the summit and a campsite as that water was HEAVY. Suddenly, I let out a joyous yip. A NICE LEVEL CAMPSITE!!  We made camp near the summit of Brown Mountain. Sweeping mountain views within walking distance from the tent.  The smells at this spot were good also.  A previous camper had apparently scattered ashes from a campfire here and the smell of woodsmoke was neat!!

            Fri the 13th was both good and bad luck for me. It was cloudy and cool for a change, which was a relief after the hot days previously but my arthritus was acting up a bit and I was feeling a tad footsore.   Dad let me go slow and we stopped early for the day on the Jones Run trail. A  nice campsite beside the stream (or Run---as southerners call them).  The gurgling stream lulled Dad to sleep---as for myself, I was so doggone tired that I didn`t need the aid of any stream to fall asleep!

              Dad carried my dogpack part of the way on Sat as we ended our hike. I was really footsore and sure appreaciated his carrying it.  Dad was going to try out this new medicine for doggie arthritus when we get back home, so I`ll probably be back to my old self in no time.  Hope so , as I really enjoy hiking with my Dad.  We`re a team, and Dad can`t imagine hiking without me!!

                                                                                   Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Our trip to Shehandoah</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/43666</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 7 May 2005 12:54:17 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/43666</guid>
		<description>Woof Woof Woooof!!!

                               This rates a lot of woofing! Dad is taking me  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof Woof Woooof!!!

                               This rates a lot of woofing! Dad is taking me down to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia for a week of hiking. Dad wants to use his GPS and new digital camera on the hike and I just want to enjoy all the new sights and smells.  My dogpack is packed and ready to go! I`ll have Dad post some pix from our trip when we return.

                                                                                  Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Another visit to the beach</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/42073</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 29 Apr 2005 20:02:19 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/42073</guid>
		<description>Woof,
      Dad and I took another trip to the Jersey shore at Island Beach State Park on this past ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof,
      Dad and I took another trip to the Jersey shore at Island Beach State Park on this past Tues,Apr 26. It was warmer than on our last visit here and Dad and I both enjoyed some wading in the ocean although the Atlantic is still a tad chilly. I`ve posted a few new pix from that visit on my page.

    GO DOGSTER---WIN A WEBBY!!!

                                                                         Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Our first raft trip of 2005</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/39810</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 19 Apr 2005 20:24:24 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/39810</guid>
		<description>Woof!!

     This is First Mate Smiley here! The Captain (dad) and I took our first raft trip yest ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof!!

     This is First Mate Smiley here! The Captain (dad) and I took our first raft trip yesterday on the Delaware river.  Dad parked the car and we hiked several miles up the NJ canal towpath. Dad then inflated the raft and we launched into the Delaware`s swift current.

      The river was running fast due to recent flooding and it was COLD. We didn`t try to do any swimming but we had a great time just floating down the river at a fast clip.

     We went ashore on Treasure Island to have lunch. There were high sand dunes present here. The Captain said that they were deposited by the recent floods.  Trees all along the river were knocked asunder by the force of the river when it flooded.

    Our raft floated thru a few sets of moderate rapids. The rapids near Bulls Island were especially thrilling to "shoot".  I`ve had the Capt post a rafting photo from this trip on my page.  Can`t wait till the river warms up later in the season for some swimming.

                                                                                 Ahoy There!

                                                                                     Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>A day at the beach</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/37551</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 10 Apr 2005 12:51:15 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/37551</guid>
		<description>Woof,

        Dad took me to Island Beach State Park in New Jersey yesterday. I had fun running o ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof,

        Dad took me to Island Beach State Park in New Jersey yesterday. I had fun running on the beach and chasing those seagulls.  The ocean was a bit chilly though, so I only wet my paws in it. Island Beach is dog friendly and I saw several other dogs here. We hiked the length of the island all the way to Barnegat Inlet and back. According to Dad`s GPS,it was an 11 mile hike in all. I was tired at the end,but the salt air and cool ocean breeze was invigorating!

    The bottom 2 pix on my page show our hike yesterday.

     Can`t wait to go back  later in the season for some real swimming here.

                                                                                             Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>A Last Taste of Winter</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/32082</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 16 Mar 2005 13:17:47 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/32082</guid>
		<description>Dad and I decided to squeeze in one last winter camping trip for the season since the snow will soon ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Dad and I decided to squeeze in one last winter camping trip for the season since the snow will soon be  a memory in these parts.

         On Mon March 14 we arrived at the Delaware Water Gap and began our hike. It was windy but the March sun was warm and the white snowy trail contrasted vividly with the intense blue sky--an altogether perfect day for hiking!

          I was doing my usual sniffing as we hiked back the trail towards the Yards Creek Resevoir when a powerful scent caught my attention. Coyote! Sure enough, there were coyote tracks in the snow. Dad told me that once several years ago, he actually saw 2 coyotes in this area. I like to think of them as my wild brethern!

           We hiked the rockcores trail down to the Delaware river. The snow had drifted deep in spots here,but mindful of my duties as a good trail dog, I forged resolutely ahead.

            The Delaware river was pretty in the late afternoon sunlight as we hiked along Old Mine Rd for a few miles to reach the Kaiser Trail. It made me long for summer when I`ll be able to don my doggie lifevest and swim out to Tocks Island with Dad. He promised to bring me back in June or July and we`ll do a good bit of swimming here!

             The Kaiser trail had deep wind drifted snow in its upper sections but finally we reached the Appalacian Trail ridgetop late in the day as darkness was comming on. Dad put on my flashing doglight as well as his headlamp, and we made our way along till we spotted a nice clearing free of snow to camp for the night. Strong winds buffeted the tent all throughout the night and I was sure glad to be inside the cozy tent!  Dad spent some time outside after dark enjoying the view of the stars which (he claimed---I didn`t budge from the WARM tent to see for myself) shone like little diamonds in the inky black sky.

             On Tues,March 15, we hiked back to the summit of Mt Tammany where there is a splendid view of the Delaware Water Gap. We were last here on our Christmas hike and Dad took some photos of me at this spot. I  had him change my primary photo to a shot of me at this point. The view from here today was identical.

           Warm sun,glistening snow,and exotic smells----who could ask for more from a late winter hike!

                                                                                 Woofs till our next  trip,

                                                                                              Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>The Iditarod</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/29749</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 6 Mar 2005 11:47:30 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/29749</guid>
		<description>Woof,Woof!!

              Dad told me that there was a dog named Smiley running to Nome in this y ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof,Woof!!

              Dad told me that there was a dog named Smiley running to Nome in this year`s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The dog is one of musher Melanie Gould`s leaders. Dad and I are big fans of the Iditarod and dog mushing in general,so it`s really exciting that a dog with my name is running in the race. Best wishes to you,Smiley!!  Hope you make it all the way to Nome.

                Dad`s taking me back to Alaska in Sept and we plan to hike the Kesugi Ridge trail in Denali State Park near Talkeetna. When I`m out on the trail with my dogpack I get a sense of the adventure that sled dogs experience on a regular basis!

                                                                              Dreaming of Alaska,
                                                                                         Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>More snow!!</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/28868</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 2 Mar 2005 06:59:43 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/28868</guid>
		<description>Woof,
      We`ve had a couple of nice snowfalls here recently in Philly. I just love to hike in th ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof,
      We`ve had a couple of nice snowfalls here recently in Philly. I just love to hike in the snow with Dad. It feels really good to roll on my back in it and all the nice smells seem to linger better in the snow. Dad walks me thru Pennypack Park every nite after work and I really get a chance to enjoy the snowy trails. Dad`s off today and is going to give me an all day walk thru the entire park.  We`ll be leaving shortly.

    I`m enjoying the snow while it lasts. April will soon be here and then we can think about the raft!!

                                                                       woofs,
                                                                  Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Camping in the snow</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/24666</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 8 Feb 2005 16:57:56 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/24666</guid>
		<description>I`m so excited. We finally got a decent snowfall a few weeks ago. The hiking trails in the Pennsylva ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I`m so excited. We finally got a decent snowfall a few weeks ago. The hiking trails in the Pennsylvania mountains all have a nice coating of snow on them.

   Dad decided to take me on a 3 day hike along the Appalacian trail. We went to the Stoney Valley area near Ft Indiantown Gap. The weather was sunny and warm all 3 days and we had a  relaxing hike.

   On Sat Feb 5th we began our hike from Swatara Gap. The warm weather(temps in the 40`s) had reduced the snowpack,so Dad didn`t need his snowshoes and I was able to get along just fine without booties. 

   We hiked the Appalacian Trail about 4 miles over the crest of Second Mountain to reach the old railroad bed at Rausch Gap. Dad read a sign to me that was posted here by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. It explained that Rausch Gap was a 19th century  coal mining town and the railroad supplied it`s needs as well as transporting away the coal. The mines eventually became unproductive and the railroad ceased operations. The town "died" around 1910 and the tracks were eventually torn up. Today it`s a nice level hiking trail for people and dogs. Thankfully we NEVER see any cats here!

  We spent the afternoon hiking the railroad trail in warm sunshine. I rolled in the snow on rest stops after Dad would take off my dogpack. That feels sooo nice!   We both enjoyed the hiking this afternoon back to Rattling run trail where we camped for the nite. Dad looked at the stars which shone vividly in the clear winter sky. As we were camped here tonite, an Army chopper flew overhead. Dad told me that the Army has made life so much better for all the doggies in Iraq. It makes me proud to be an American K-9!

            On Sunday,feb 6th we hiked on to the crest of Third Mountain. There were wonderful views from here, not to mention smells in the snow. Funny how I can`t  get dad interested in the smells, He`s more interested in that GPS.

          On Sun morning I ran out of the tent door as soon as Dad unzipped it. I love to bark like mad and hear my voice echo thru the silent woods. Surprise! I got some barks in reply. Dad and I think they were from coyotes.

          We had lunch by Stony creek just off the old railroad trail. The creek was very pretty with sparkling white ice floes in it. I took a cold drink here.

           Dad put my dog light on as well as his headlamp and we hiked for a couple of hours after sunset.  Dad followed an old trail towards Rausch Gap shelter. After he stamped out a flat spot in the snow, we camped for nite 2.

          On Mon feb 7, I did my usual barking routine and had a nice roll in the snow beside the tent. Dad showed me an old cemetary just off the Appalacian trail where a few of the residents of the old village of Rausch Gap are buried. One of the tombstones belongs to Andrew Allen. It reads thus: A Native of England. He met his death by accident at Gold Mine Gap. If there`s another world, He lives in bliss. If there`s none, he made the best of this.

        It was a wonderful trip.  Hoping for more snow soon!

                                                                    Woofs,

                                                                 Smiley--K-9 hiker]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Snow and Booties  Tues Jan 18 2005</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/21065</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 21 Jan 2005 20:25:52 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/21065</guid>
		<description>Woof woof!

          Dad was getting fed up with the snowless winter we`ve been having thus far i ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof woof!

          Dad was getting fed up with the snowless winter we`ve been having thus far in Philadelphia so he decided to take me to the pocono mts for a nice day hike in the snow. We went to Big Pocono State Park near Tannersville and had a fun time hiking in the snow there.  They only had about an inch, but it was better than nothing.

           A little ways into the hike, my paws felt funny. They were COLD! I  held one of them up in the air and Dad removed an iceball from my pad. He then put on my nice warm dog booties and my feet were fine for the rest of the day. I`ve posted a photo taken last year of me wearing my booties. It`s the last photo on my page.  I was wearing them today as well,but without the dogpack.

               I barked a hello to all the skiers at the Camelback Ski Area as we passed by at the end of our hike. Philadelphia`s snowless winter is about to end in a big way tommorrow with a foot of the white stuff. I`m so excited. We just LOVE to hike in the snow!

                                                                           Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>St. Anthony Wilderness Jan 9-11 2005</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/19162</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 12 Jan 2005 13:58:38 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/19162</guid>
		<description>Woof Woof Woof!!!

         This rates 3 woofs. Dad took me for ANOTHER backpacking trip only a we ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof Woof Woof!!!

         This rates 3 woofs. Dad took me for ANOTHER backpacking trip only a week after the last one! We went to the section of the Appalacian Trail that runs thru an area known as the St. Anthony Wildnerness. It`s near Ft Indiantown Gap in central PA.

        On Sunday the 9th, we began our trek up second mountain along the AT. We soon came to a rain swollen stream. Can you believe that those silly humans at ATC didn`t put a wooden span across it? I do hate to get my paws wet especially in icy water! Anyway I had to partially swim across the stream and poor Dad had to strip down to his underwear to ferry both our packs across while remaining dry. Brrr!  Nearing the top of second mountain, both of us noticed that the trees were coated in ice. There had apparently been freezing rain the previous day and it sheathed everything in an icy coat. We had to duck under some bent over trees and all the while,small ice pellets crunched under my paws. I told Dad that he should`ve brought my booties along.  Luckily the ice was present only in the highest elevations and most of the trails were fine.  

     We hiked the AT back to Yellow Springs village.  Only the stone ruins of a once thriving 19th century mining community remain here now. ( although I swear on my favourite chew bone that I saw 1 or 2 doggie ghosts here .)  We then hiked down to the old railroad bed,now just a hiking/biking trail. It was really tough carrying my dogpack down the trail to the rail bed as a large portion of it was washed out. Dad told me that there had been extensive flooding back in Sept due to the remains of Hurricane Ivan and that was probably the cause of the washout. Even an entire section of the rail bed was washed out as well, creating a wide trench.

   As we hiked along the rail bed, darkness came on and Dad put his headlamp on to light the way. I helped out by wearing my doglight on my pack.  We made our way back to the Rattling Run trail where we camped for the night. Dad used his GPS to mark a few waypoints in the area today. ( I of course did some marking of my own!)

       Next day, monday, we hiked the Rattling Run trail back to the communication towers. Dad`s GPS told him that it was about a 5 mile hike along this trail. The trail was again covered with ice pellets in it`s higher elevations. Some trees were bent over across the trail requiring some acrobatics to get around them. I`m sure glad that my dogpack is lighter than Dad`s pack!

     We enjoyed the fine mountain vistas from the communication towers. The sun FINALLY came out making the views even nicer. I was more interested in the yummies that I knew dad was going to give me for lunch shortly. Dad and I both saw coyote scat in the area today and I even smelled the critters, but neither of us actually saw one. There were a few loud bursts of gunfire in the woods this afternoon. Dad told me that it was muzzleloading season. We even met a hunter carrying a muzzleloader gun. I ALWAYS wag my tail when meeting a human carrying a gun. You do NOT want to make a man carrying a gun angry! We camped beside Stony Creek tonite. The sound of the gurgling stream soothed us asleep.

    On tues, we had some light snow. It made the mountain scenery so much more beautiful with the snow. Dad and I arrived at the Rausch Gap shelter on the Appalacian Trail and had our lunch in it`s cozy confines safely out of the snow.  A cold rain began to mix in with the snow as we made our way back over second mountain to our car. Dad thoughtfully put on my warm dog jacket. But we still had to wade that icy stream at the very end! Woof ,Brrr ,Woof!


                                                                           Awaiting our next adventure,

                                                                                   Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>The raccoon</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/18418</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 8 Jan 2005 12:01:31 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/18418</guid>
		<description>Woof,

             This will be a short entry but it was such an unusual occurrance that I just H ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof,

             This will be a short entry but it was such an unusual occurrance that I just HAD to bark about it!  Dad was giving me my usual walk thru Pennypack park today. The cold rain had just recently ended,and we were comming to the end of our walk when I suddennly spied a raccoon on the ground just in front of a tree. I really tried to resist the urge,but in the end I gave chase. The poor critter shot up the tree and was making frightened squeaks. Dad came running up and told me to leave the poor guy alone. After we had gotten a short distance away, Mr Raccoon scampered down the tree and fled off into the woods. That was more exciting than chasing deer!

                                                                              Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Another Backpacking Trip Jan 2--5  2005</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/18290</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 7 Jan 2005 13:58:49 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/18290</guid>
		<description>I got really lucky as Dad got some unexpected time off from work and was able to take me for a 4 day ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I got really lucky as Dad got some unexpected time off from work and was able to take me for a 4 day trip to the Delaware Water Gap area. There was more rain than we would have liked but it came mostly at night when both of us were snug inside the tent.

         On day 1 we were hiking back the Mt Tammany fire road when I heard a loud WOOSH. I thought "That`s mighty strange, is it a bird,a plane,or maybe superdog himself!" This large, silent winged object glided majestically past us just above the treetops. Dad informed me that it was a glider. It made a few low passes as we hiked back this trail.

          As we continued along ,down in the valley fire sirens went off. I became very excited as I began to hear the melodic howls of wolves. A hiker on a previous trip had told my Dad that there was a wolf preserve in the area. Being a dignified Golden Retriever, I was able to restrain myself from howling back at the fire siren,unlike by wolfish brothers!

           Dad put on his headlamp as it grew dark and I wore my flashing red doglight on my dogpack. I felt a bit like a dogteam mushing at night on the Iditarod Trail!

            Hiking up a side trail to reach the Appalacian Trail,both of us saw 3 pairs of eyes in the brush at the side of the trail looking back at us . Dad`s headlamp made them shine in the dark. Both of us wondered if they  were deer,coyotes,or what?

             A light rain began to fall on our cozy North Face tent and it lulled me into a snug doggie sleep.

             On day 2, Dad and I hiked thru rugged Van Campen`s Glen.  Van Campen`s brook, swollen from all the recent rains, thundered thru this rocky gorge and in spots sheets of ice hung from the cliffs. Dad took a few pictures here and I took advantage of the photo stops to rest my tired paws.

              Late in the afternoon, a heavier rain began. Dad put my warm velcro raincoat on as it grew dark and began to grow colder. I was sure glad when he got the tent up as it had become very foggy and the rain was really comming down.  In my humble doggie opinion, there`s nothing like being inside a warm tent during a mountain rainstorm. It was SO cozy and I snuggled up to Dad as he read and had supper. Later, exiting the tent (both of us had to mark our territory after all),we again saw a solitary pair of eyes watching us from off in the woods. I barked and the owner of the eyes darted off. Let him find his own campsite!


         Day 3 was partly sunny and warm. We had the woods all to ourselves and the warm sun brought out all the good smells.

            Late in the day, Dad marked a few spots as waypoints with his GPS. Personally I think it`s more fun marking rocks and trees!

         On this third night of our trip, a mix of rain,sleet and snow fell. I was glad that it was Dad and not me that had the nasty job of rolling up the wet tent in the morning!

           We had some light snow this morning (day 4) as we hiked the Appalacian Trail back to the Delaware Water Gap. Both of us love being alone in the snowy woods!    

                                              Woofs, I can`t wait for our next trip!

                                                                   Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Christmas Trip</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/16609</link>

				<pubdate>Tue, 28 Dec 2004 14:15:49 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/16609</guid>
		<description>Woof!

         I`ve been so busy playing with my Christmas toys that I just found time to write a ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof!

         I`ve been so busy playing with my Christmas toys that I just found time to write about our Christmas hike.

         Dad and I went to the section of the Appalacian Trail that runs thru the Delaware Water Gap. Upon arriving on Dec 24, we immediately had to ford an icy stream. There used to be a nice bridge here, but flooding from the remains of Hurricane Ivan washed it away several weeks ago. BRR! It was a cold crossing. There were icecicles hanging from my chest after it was done. Dad soaked his boots and had to stop to wring out his socks and pour the icy water out of the boots while I chewed away the ice from my fur.

        The rest of the day was pretty nice ,though. We hiked an interesting side trail down to the Delaware River in the vicinity of Tocks Island. Large rock core drillings are scattered along the lower sections of this trail.  Dad tells me that they were taken many years ago when planning of the Tocks island dam was underway.  They`re HUGE. Dad photographed me next to one of them.

    We camped in a secluded wooded spot on Christmas eve. The moon was out and although there was no snow, it was a beautiful setting. Dad gave me a Christmas bone inside our tent. I was glad to be inside the tent tonite as it was about 14 degrees outside.

          As soon as Dad unzipped the tent door on Christmas morning, I went tearing off into the woods howling at the top of my voice.  I`d heard some critter scampering around during the nite and was on a quest to find him. From the scent that I picked up, I suspect that it was Mr. Coyote.

     Christmas day was sunny and pleasantly warm (20`s). We hiked  past partially frozen Sunfish Pond and on back to the summit of Mt. Tammany. Dad took a photo of me here. He doesn`t yet have a digital camera, so to illustrate what the view was like from up here, he`s posted an old photo on Lady`s page. (Lady is in the family section of my page.) It`s the 3rd photo below the primary photo on Lady`s page. We had fun and I hope Dad takes me camping again soon.

                                                                         Woofs,

                                                                   Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Christmas Camping</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/15738</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 22 Dec 2004 21:23:22 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/15738</guid>
		<description>Woof Woof!
     
        I`m so excited! Dad is taking me on a Christmas eve camping trip to the D ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof Woof!
     
        I`m so excited! Dad is taking me on a Christmas eve camping trip to the Delaware Water Gap on the Appalacian trail. We`re going to celebrate Christmas in this magnificent mountain wonderland. Hope there`s snow for us to enjoy. Dad`s going to give me my present inside our tent on Christmas eve.

         MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL WHO DROP BY MY SITE HERE ON DOGSTER AND TO ALL MY PUP PALS!!

                                                                             Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Hiking in Denali Park Alaska</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/13650</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 10 Dec 2004 21:22:27 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/13650</guid>
		<description>Woofs,
           My dad just got a scanner for his computer. He`s letting me use it as I am pretty ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woofs,
           My dad just got a scanner for his computer. He`s letting me use it as I am pretty computer literate for a dog! From time to time I`ve decided to post pictures of our past  adventures. In Sept 2002 we went to Alaska and hiked the Kesugi Ridge trail in Denali State Park. The views over the 3 days that we spent hiking here were awesome,but I was more interested in the pikas that I was able to chase all over the tundra!

               The photo from this trip is the 3rd from the bottom. The mountain behind the cairn(which I marked after posing for the picture) is Denali otherwise known as Mt. Mckinley.

                                                           Woofs,
                                                    Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Lost in the Park</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/12348</link>

				<pubdate>Fri, 3 Dec 2004 20:51:40 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/12348</guid>
		<description>I had quite a scare last nite! My dad took me on our usual evening walk thru pennypack park. He usua ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I had quite a scare last nite! My dad took me on our usual evening walk thru pennypack park. He usually lets me run loose on the side opposite the bike path. Well last nite as I was  running merrily along I caught the scent of a deer!  I tried to control myself but I swear that Mr. Deer laughed at me. Well that  was an affront to my doggie dignity!! I took off in hot pursuit. He ran out onto the street and across Rhawn st. I followed when my nerves were shatttered by the screech of car brakes. Terrified, I ran back down into the park only to hear Dad calling me from what seemed like a great distance. I ran about here and there but couldn`t decide which way to go! Then I saw Dad`s headlamp and ran towards him. We were both glad to be reunited. I promised Dad that I`d be more careful in the future. (But that darn deer DID laugh at me after all!)]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>My hikes in the Poconos</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/11461</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 28 Nov 2004 07:53:03 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/11461</guid>
		<description>Woof Woof!!

               Dad took me to the pocono mountains for 2 nice hikes recently. On than ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof Woof!!

               Dad took me to the pocono mountains for 2 nice hikes recently. On thanksgiving and again yesterday we went to Big Pocono State Park. It`s fun to hike here as there are miles of trails and the adjoining state game lands. Dad was careful to watch out for me as there were hunters in the area. I had my bright dogpack on, so I wasn`t really scared that anybody would shoot me by mistake. 
               On thanksgiving, we had some light rain, a bit of lightning and thunder,limited sun,and HIGH winds in the afternoon that turned the light rain to snow showers. A very exciting day!

              Yesterday my dad used his gps (I don`t see what he likes about that thing since it doesn`t smell good or dispense any treats!) to navigate in some trackless areas near Wolf Swamp.  We hiked in a pretty,secluded area near Wolf Swamp Run and found our way out to Deep Lake using the gps. Dad promises to take me camping here overnite in the near future. Can`t wait as I love winter camping trips and snow! I envy those dogs who do the Iditarod in Alaska. 

                                       Woofs,
                                  Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Our walk thru Pennypack</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/10748</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 22 Nov 2004 21:27:56 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/10748</guid>
		<description>Tonite after work,my dad walked me on our usual 4 mile circuit thru Pennypack Park. It was raining l ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Tonite after work,my dad walked me on our usual 4 mile circuit thru Pennypack Park. It was raining lightly and all the good smells were out! I had a great time. Both of us heard a few owls hooting in the trees and the eyes of a deer resting beside the trail were reflected in Dad`s headlamp before I chased the deer away. Had a good run after him!

                                                             Woofs,

                                                                Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>My Backpacking trip at the Delaware Water Gap</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/10047</link>

				<pubdate>Wed, 17 Nov 2004 19:27:10 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/10047</guid>
		<description>Woof!

      My dad and I got back from our 4 day hike in the Delaware Water Gap a few days ago. M ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ Woof!

      My dad and I got back from our 4 day hike in the Delaware Water Gap a few days ago. My paws were a bit sore from 4 days of carrying my dogpack so I delayed this entry tilll  now.
              We began our hike on fri Nov 12 in a cold rain but I had my doggie jacket on so I was snug and warm!  My dad enjoyed the solitude of hiking along the fog shrouded Mt Tammany trail and I was thrilled by all the new smells. I surprised a few deer as we hiked along. Dad popped his tent up for us to have lunch out of the rain and after wolfing down some biscuits,I enjoyed a mid-day doze.

           I was really tired when we stopped to camp near Mohican rd along the Appalacian Trail for the night. The cold rain beating against the tent lulled us both into a sound sleep.

                Dad unzipped the tent door during the night (it seems that he wanted to mark a tree like I always do) and to our mutual surprise there was the white stuff coating the ground!

               The next day was sunny and just great for sniffing and exploring. Ice shrouded all the trees and Dad snapped a few pix of our snowy campsite. We spent the day hiking the Appalacian Trail to an old woods road that went thru Millbrook Village. Dad told me that this was an old 19th century village and I marked the schoolhouse just to let everybody know that we had been there!
We hiked on to Buttermilk Falls--dad says it`s about 100ft high--and ascended that trail to camp for night 2. I had vivid dreams of chasing cats and squirrels all night long.

                   On day 3 as we hiked in the Blue Mountain Lakes area, dad spent time marking a few waypoints (whatever they are) with his GPS. This looks like a small box with buttons all over it and a small TV screen. I thought that GPS might stand for Good Pooch Service,but the darn thing didn`t produce any treats. Must be broken!  The day was sunny and mild though and I had a good hike. There were nice views of the Yards Creek resevoir from our mountaintop campsite on our 3rd nite out. 

                          As we hiked the Appalacian Trail back to our car,Dad remarked on the azure blue green color of Dunnfield Creek. He said that it reminded him of Havasu Falls in Grand Canyon. I was just glad that he bought me a cheeseburger at the Mcdonalds as we were leaving for home! Dad will post a few new pix from our latest trip on my web page. They`ll be just below the primary photo.

                                                              Eagerly awaiting our next adventure,
                                                                                 Smiley

                         P.S.  I put a Dogster pin on my dogpack so that any other K-9 hikers out there will know I`m on Dogster!]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>camping trip</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/9269</link>

				<pubdate>Thu, 11 Nov 2004 20:40:58 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/9269</guid>
		<description>My dad is taking me to the Appalacian Trail in the Delaware Water Gap for a 4 day trip starting tomm ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My dad is taking me to the Appalacian Trail in the Delaware Water Gap for a 4 day trip starting tommorrow. We may get a touch of the white stuff tommorrow but I like snow so I`m excited! Will post a few details of our trip when I return. My dogpack is all packed up!

                                                                            Woofs,
                                                                        Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Photos of my travels</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/8772</link>

				<pubdate>Mon, 8 Nov 2004 15:42:12 PST</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/8772</guid>
		<description>I`m SOO happy! My dad is posting some photos of me online! They can be viewed by going to the site &quot; ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ I`m SOO happy! My dad is posting some photos of me online! They can be viewed by going to the site "Webshots". Click on Community then advanced search. Type in member`s name--jpamusher. Click on any photo that comes up and then back to album to see the entire set. My dad promises to add more pix from time to time. Woof!


                                                                   Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>My visit to the Golden Gate Bridge</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/6391</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 24 Oct 2004 13:31:33 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/6391</guid>
		<description>After the Grand Canyon, my dad took me to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. We had to wait se ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ After the Grand Canyon, my dad took me to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. We had to wait several hours for the fog to clear but when it did, the views were awesome. I had a howling good time there! Stinson Beach which is just north of San Frasncisco is a dog friendly beach. I met lots of nice California doggies there.

                                                                          Woofs,
                                                                         Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>Photos from my vacation</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/6388</link>

				<pubdate>Sun, 24 Oct 2004 13:05:56 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/6388</guid>
		<description>My dad and I just got back from a trip out west a few days ago. I had to stay in the kennel while my ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My dad and I just got back from a trip out west a few days ago. I had to stay in the kennel while my dad was down in the Grand Canyon, but when he finished his hike,he took me hiking along the rim. I carried my food in my dogpack. The photo is now on the site.

                                                                          Woofs,
                                                                            Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

	<item>
		<title>My trip to the Grand Canyon</title>
		<link>http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/2361</link>

				<pubdate>Sat, 25 Sep 2004 13:26:21 PDT</pubdate>
		<author>Smiley  1995-2009 Doggie Angel ~ writing at dogster.com</author>
		<category></category>		
		<guid ispermalink="true">http://www.dogster.com/dogs/57327/diary/The_adventures_of_smiley/2361</guid>
		<description>My Dad is taking me to the Grand Canyon starting tonite. I am so excited and really looking forward  ...</description>

		<content:encoded><![CDATA[ My Dad is taking me to the Grand Canyon starting tonite. I am so excited and really looking forward to the trip! Will add new entrys to my diary upon my return.

                                                     Woofs,
                                                Smiley]]></content:encoded>
	</item>
	

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