Disneyland

I itched with energy this morning. After a week of short runs on our neighborhood trails, I wanted to really move. We headed to the Flats. Right out of the car, Kona went to work sniffing a wall of flowers. I think she felt excited about the change of scenery too.
After a quick stretch of fireroad, we pealed onto a singletrack to start our climb. I couldn't keep pace with Kona. She stopped when she reached the end of her line. On climbs like this, I remember that Kona is running with resistance up these hills. I try to imagine someone pulling me backwards and telling me to run. She's one super athlete.
We pushed through the steepest section of trail to rejoin the fireroad. I was surprised to see several people on their way down the trail. It wasn't yet 7AM. I learned later that they had the right idea.

The extra activity on the trail served as a good distraction. Before I knew it, we reached the Flats. Kona went right to work. This must be a hotbed of animal activity as Kona always goes on a sniffing rampage.
After a few minutes, I sat down to take in the city below us. I was happy to see kona slow her pace and willingly stay close to me. She took advantage of the break to try to quench her thirst. She still hasn't learned that the grass has started to turn to foxtails. Foxtails are good for choking, but aren't much of a water source.
Kona acted so much more relaxed compared to the first few times we hiked to the Flats. She happily sat for treats, but still kept one ear on alert.
I laughed out loud during our descent. Kona held her tail high. I felt relaxed with endorphins. This was a morning with my dog.

Then came Disneyland.

The further we ran downhill, the more people we passed. Kona took everything well until we past a group of 20 hikers. They stood off the trail, swinging their arms in the air to warm up for their hike.

Then came the little girl. She sprawled sideways, on top of her dad's shoulders.

Back on the fireroad, the line continued. It seemed like no one came to hike with a group smaller than six. When we finally made it to the parking lot, a group of 30 middle school boys charged towards us.

Yeah, Kona's not too into Disneyland. I should have known better. The trails in the forest get swamped on the weekends. I forgot the only forest trail I've taken Kona to on a Saturday is the Peak. That trail gets crazy also, but the thing we have going for us there is that trail goes straight up. It's not family friendly. Our route today intersected one of the only flat trails on public land in our area.

So we made a mad dash to the car. Yikes. No more amusement parks for us.

A Shout Out to Marge
Congratulations to Marge! She just rocked her first AKC agility trial. Marge and her human Sam are on their own journey to overcome fears. They always inspire us! Way to go!