Ok ok I should have posted these pics soon after the camping trip in October 2022 but I procrastinate. "Why do today what you can put off till tomorrow" has been a lifelong motto that I still embrace.
This was a first campout for our new pup Orley and we were more excited than usual to go. Here's a little backstory I'd like to tell about him.
We love him more and more every day, he brings nothing but joy to our home. We wondered when we picked him up at 8 weeks old from the breeder why there had been only two pups in the littler, him and a little female. The breeder told us something about dogs that we already knew having dealt with our other little dog Bailey, that dogs can get Covid. Bailey got it when Lynn got it November of 2020 while on a camping trip.
So Orley's mother, the dam, had gotten Covid while pregnant with the liter Orley came from. Out of 8 puppies 6 of them had serious physical deformities, so bad that the breeder had them all put to sleep. He was going to do the same with Orley and his sister but their vet told them to hold off, to wait and see. It was our most fortunate day when they didn't put Orley down with the others. Today at 10 months old he is a wonder of a dog to us. He's a Pudelpointer gun dog, a breed from Germany started in 1881 and a cross between German hunting poodles and English pointers. Bred to be an exceptional hunting dog I wanted a partner in hunting chukar, a nice sized partridge and one of the hardest birds to hunt. In this trip report I hope his personality shows a little thru these pictures...
Bailey doesn't get to go this time, but she helps me pack!
A truck and camper, TC, is a great platform to camp and backpack out of.
Six Months old in the mountains of Idaho, what a great place to go for your first time camping.
His first point was a butterfly. He then discovered the joy of chasing them, all hundreds of them, all day.
He never did catch a butterfly, but did need to catch his breath back at camp.
We tow a Jeep sometimes to make exploring backroads a bit easier than having to break camp in the truck camper every time we want to go for a drive.
We day hiked to a lake before deciding it would be a great backpack destination.
First lake swim, he is my new fish finder.
"They're not overhere Dad."
Moving on to backpacking the higher mountains
Old legs no longer enjoy the fight with gravity and extra weight in the pack I carried, where's my hoover board?
A margarita with dinner was pretty nice.
After dinner we play Uno. I have yet to win, me thinks the lady doth cheat.
Bear country means hanging your food and anything that has an odor incl toothpaste and deodorant. Sometimes I hang from the trees too, there you have it, no pictures.
He's a rock hound as well as fish finder.
Look close to see Lynn and Orley pick their way across the rock slide.
We'll be packing up to relocate down to that lake tomorrow.
And another beautiful little lake it was. This particular camping spot had a plague to it, stay tuned...
Beautiful skies came up to make for a nice dinner.
Very cold at night, we discovered Orley enjoyed being covered. He's the first dog to sleep in a tent with us.
"Nice cast Dad, I think you'll hook one here."
Orley was right, he's not only a bird dog but fish dog too I think.
Another cutbow, a hybrid cross between a cutthroat and a rainbow trout, this will go with dinner.
Hard to see but the tent is now right of camp in the center of the picture under the pines, darn deer.
Back at camp everyone helped collect for the fire, wood you believe that?
It was another nice evening in the land of huge trout, mountain cows and zombie deer.
"Psst, Dad, can I have some trout to please?"
I didn't think this image was too bad for an iPhone, they have sure come a long way.
Cool night shot of the tent don't you think?
Ok ready to finally get a good nights sleep, we need it.
All-in-all it was still a great trip and Orley got his first taste of outdoor life with us. He passed with flying colors and helped me immensely with my fishing. He now knows the difference between a Mepps spinner and a cast master.
A quick breakfast, dehydrated food is so good these days, and coffee...good to go.
Top of the pass
Stopping for a last look
Back at the truck, Orley was the first to pass out, being only 6 months old and all. I was next but no pictures were taken, surely you've seen an old man napping before, it ain't pretty.
Then some exploring before dinner.
Orley is our 8th dog and as handsome as any, his personality and temperament is a joy to have around us. He'll go to a trainer for a month maybe two, we'll die without him but his hunting skills will put him in line to be a top gun dog, exactly what he was bred to be.
Another first for Orley, he's never seen a hot dog on a grill!
Hey thanks for reading. Dave, Lynn and...
Orley the Wonder Dog say Adios...
Extra pics of Orley as a pup
