Big Bear Day 2

Our first full day in Big Bear.  We got up and made the plan for a hike. ffluffy wanted to hike where there was water, and requested the Gunsite Trail.  We looked it up to remind ourselves how to get there (it is off of the Champion Lodgepole Pine Trail.)  Off we went!

What I didn't remember was the dirt road being so long.  I had some concerns about driving the minivan on it, but I put it in first and we got in and out fine, with the alignment probably only a little bit out of whack.

I love this hike because usually there are places for the dogs to water themselves along the way (not so much this time) and because of the changing terrain. First you start out in a lodge-pole pine (mostly, at least) forest, and the ground is covered in ferns.  There is even a lush, green, mountain meadow!  I went to a Girl Scout Camp called Mountain Meadows, so it is always exciting for me to see a real mountain meadow.  I don't recall there being one at the camp.

After you leave the ferns the trail descends into a more typical and therefore dry California type forest.  After that it descents further and the trees go away and you are left with big views and some bushes.  Eventually you come to some rocks that you have to step carefully over and on and from there the trail keeps going down with great views and some shade and some sunny spots.  We eventually turned around so we didn't end up in San Bernadino.  My only wish is that it was a loop.  Loop Trails are always more satisfying than hiking in, deciding when to turn around, then hiking back out.

I bought a new Camel Back for this trip and it worked out great!  I think I might have to get a bigger bladder though.  On the Pine Knot trail I drank it dry!  2 liters, gulp, gone!

Pictures from the hike below!

One of our favorite posting spots. Top- L to R: Dottie, Fancy, Peep, Pie  Bottom: Pickle, Hunda

Most of  the usual water places had dried up, but this lovely mud hole was still moist.

Dottie muddy up to her chest.  And you may notice her mask is extra dark.  That is all mud also!

Mud Pie.

Hiking through the ferns.

Trying to get a good picture with flowers.

Since we were here 2 years ago they improved the bridges quite a bit.

Going down in elevation and navigating some rocks.

During our break.

Still going down, but we got some shade here.

Looks like the mnt. collapsed.

Getting hotter!

Dottie finds some shade.

The dogs wait for us ahead in the shade.

Big rocky section.  Can you spot Pie? She's looking right at you.

I (pretend) to climb a rock while Dottie supervises.

Cool tree growing around a rock.

Back at the mud hole, ffluffy gets mudized by one of her dogs.

Ferns again, on the way back.

I love the tall trees!

A picturesque spot, but I guess I cropped that out.

The best effort using the timer, too bad I'm too tall.

Dottie attacks the stick I threw to get them all to look at the camera.

Timer use on the stump.

I think the Buick did better on the dirt road to get to this hike.  I was only a little worried about getting stuck.

Very dirty car!

After the hike ended up being longer than originally planned, it was time for lunch.  The tired dogs stayed home and Muffin got to come.  He approved.

Muffin at lunch.

After lunch, which was also dinner, it was lake time!  Pie almost always gets the ball, unless I make her wait.

ffluffy and 2 of her border collies.

Typical swimming scene.

Dottie charges out to annoy Fancy.

Fancy is mad.

Pie, the scourge of Big Bear Lake.  (Can you hear the Jaws music?)

Fancy makes use of the towel.  She is obsessed about drying off after being wet.

The old ones hang out together.

View from our deck.  So peaceful!

Muddy Dogs. Happy Dogs.

I still have several days in Big Bear to blog about, but first, an intermission.

Pictures taken while playing with the ball after back yard agility practice today.

Pie is in front to intercept the ball, Fancy is in back to get a head start, and Dottie is shadowing Fancy.

The line up.

The dirty tongue.

The annoying Dottie, always stalking Fancy.

The huge Pie tongue.

The disappointment that fun is done and the slimy and muddy toys.

Happy Birthday Fancy!!!

Happy TENTH birthday Fancy! I missed it when we were in Big Bear, but if I was going to miss it, Big Bear was the place to do it. Pach Mach 4 M's Fanciful Endeavour UD RE XF MAD BH TR2 NDD... 2nd Place Finisher 2013 16P AKC Nat Agility Champ, 4th Place Finisher 2012 16P AKC Nat Agility Champ, 5 time Invitee AKC Agility Invitational, 2 Time Finalist AKC Invitational. The only TT with a MACH and a UD and probably the only TT with a draft title. But the best part is Fancy has not aged a day since I got her at two. As a younger dog she got some USDAA Qs at 26 inches and just today she popped over some 26 inch jumps in the back yard, easily. She's gotten faster in agility in the last 2 years, has only ever been lame with a ripped pad, and should be with me another 10 years! Happy Birthday to my Fancy; co-pilot, counter surfer extraordinaire, snuggly bed warmer, English speaking, sometimes grumpy, Pants.

 

Big Bear 2013!

After having to skip Big Bear last year, we are in Big Bear now!!  Once again ffluffy and I rented a cabin.  Sadly, our usual cabin has been sold and was not available. I found another one that looked promising.  The only downside is it was a bit more expensive.  Check in is not until 3, so I took the opportunity to sleep in a little on Monday.  After packing, (and taking Dottie to the vet) we left the house around 12, and arrived in Big Bear just after 3.  Check in went well and we drove up to the cabin to inspect.  It is a good cabin!  Nice and close to the lake, with a nice deck and ample bedrooms.  The downside is the living room only had 1 light!  Once the sun went down it was too dark to even work the TV and I had to get out a flashlight.  Later, I found a floor lamp in an upstairs bedroom and brought it down.  Much better.

It isn't a trip unless the car is loaded to the top!

At the cabin!  Looking through the screen at Dottie with cobwebs on her head.

Dottie investigates the view from the back porch.

3 dogs on  swing.

Muffin added.

The kitchen has good wallpaper.

After arriving and unpacking, my dogs and I headed to the lake while ffluffy had a snack.  I left Dottie at the cabin in case her injury wasn't fully healed.  Besides, Fancy has so much more fun when Dottie isn't there bothering her.  I took the lake pictures with my old-school flip phone, so I imagine the quality suffered.

Swimming for the ball.

And bringing it back.

Pie waits.

Silly Fancy waits in a down.

More swimming.  I was throwing the ball from in the water and it was not cold.

2 satisfied customers walking home.

ffluffy and Dottie Do USDAA

Since I knew ffluffy was going to be here, and I knew I was going to be at work, I had ffluffy run Dottie at the USDAA trial over the weekend.  I entered her in Gambler's as a warm up, and Standard because she needs legs for her MAD, and Snooker because she needs Super Qs for her ADCH. 

ffluffy reports Dottie was crazy in Gambler's but didn't try to run out of the ring or anything.  She said the Standard course was super difficult and although Dottie was good, she had an off course and didn't qualify.  For Snooker, I arrived in time to watch.  Dottie qualified with a third place, but no Super Q because she took something ffluffy didn't expect her to take, and she couldn't stick with the plan.  She looked good, but a little slow.  ffluffy said she thought her back hurt. 

As the evening wore on, it became apparent that whatever had happened to her last time she couldn't run at agility had happened again.  She was more sore the next day so we pulled her from all her runs.  She felt better on Monday, but I took her to the vet to see if they could figure it out.  He couldn't find any pain, but sent us away with some pain meds and advised us to not overdo it in Big Bear.  I think it is either her lower back, or possibly a groin type muscle injury.  The vet thinks a muscle injury since she felt better on Monday and a back injury wouldn't heal that quickly.

Poor Dottie.  I hope this isn't a recurring injury, but with 2 instances already, it seems to be heading that way.

Shooting the M-4

This weekend at my drill I was signed up to qualify on the M-4.  The M-4 rifle is the replacement for the M-16.  I took this course a few months ago but I failed.  I have never failed qualifying shooting any weapon in the Air Force.  However, the Air Force changed the qualification standards and it is much more difficult now.  In addition to shooting more rounds in more positions, the new rule is instead of an average, you must pass each section.  They also added a long class room section before the shooting part where you take the weapon all the way down to the smallest part and re-assemble it.  You have 4 minutes for each and it is a timed test.  I did fine on that.

The next day was the qualifying day.  Several of the people there had already failed multiple times.  Before you start judging the quality of marksmanship in the Air Force, remember that this is a difficult course, and there is no money for practice ammunition.  You just show up and hope you have enough natural talent to qualify.  Or you fail enough times that the failures become your practice.

There was another female there who gave me some tips on using the red dot sight.  I don't remember the official name of this thingy, but in the past it gave me trouble.  I also asked the instructors more questions about the best way to hold the weapon when your flak vest is getting in the way.  One mistake I was making was thinking the M-4 was like some of the big guns I shoot with my dad and if I don't hold on really tight it is going to knock me over.  Or dislocate my shoulder.  I ended up holding the M-4 looser and keeping my face farther away from the red dot sight thingy and it went better.

My grouping during the zeroing phase was very good.  Then we went to the qualification phase.  There are 6 targets on the same target and you shoot 3, reload, then shoot the other 3.  You are wearing your helmet, webgear and flack vest.  You are timed, and I think my problem is the timing part messes with my head.  During the zeroing phase you can take as long as you want to, and I did well.  But once there is a time limit (including a reload) I start to panic, even though I am aware I need to not panic.  Before the timing starts the targets are facing away from you and the weapon is not charged.  They say "contact front" flip the target, and you have to charge the weapon, find the target, shoot 3 times, reload, shoot 3 more times, all before the 40 seconds is up.  Not very easy!  You do this in the prone supported position, prone unsupported, kneeling, and sitting positions.  I failed the first time, missing by 2 hits.  However, instead of sending me away (as they did the last time) they gave us another chance.  I failed again, having again just 2 less hits than needed.  We (about 4 other people also failed) were giving one more chance, and this time I passed.  Phew!  The other four failures did not improve, and spent the rest of the day waiting for us to finish.

Next was shooting in the gas mask, which I passed.  Then shooting the man sized target (with a head circle and 2 body circles) standing up from behind a barricade.  They would tell us to step out from the left or right, shoot, then step back.  I found this easy because the target was so big.  I think I only missed (outside the circle) twice.

The final step was shooting on bust.  As warned the weapon on burst rocked me back and the muzzle went up.  They had us stand square on the target because that was supposed to keep us from rocking back.  However, I think it would have been better if I could have kept one foot back.  But I followed the directions.  To qualify on this portion the shots had to just land anywhere on the target.  Not very accurate!  I passed this section as well.

I'm very happy I passed because now I am officially qualified.  Also, I don't have to do it for at least another year!  It was very hot in the sun at the range in our flack vest and webgear and Kevlar helmet.  Apparently a helmet is not very good protection from the sun because I ended up with a raccoon sunburn on my face.  The shooting glasses protected around my eyes but my nose and cheeks got burnt.

The days were long and on Sunday afternoon we also had to clean the weapons.  Lots of carbon caked on that thing!  I was using a certain brush on a barrel cleaning rod on the bolt carrier and just as the instructor said, "Don't force it,"  it got stuck.  Oops.  He was able to pull it out but as it came free it hit his face and scratched his glasses and left a mark on his face.  I felt really bad.  He said his glasses were still under warranty, but still.  Sigh.  I wanted to do a good job cleaning so I was one of the last to finish.

When I went back to the squadron I had some work to catch up on since I was at the range all weekend and was going to be gone all next week on vacation in Big Bear!  My email was acting up and wouldn't let me leave an out of office auto reply and as I became more and more frustrated, I reflected that sometimes going on vacation causes more frustration than it relives.  However, I knew once I got to Big Bear I'd forget all about the stupid out of office reply.

It was a busy weekend!