Made it thru oregon dunes 40 mile stretch to the bay bridge outside N bend. Dunes as high as 500ft
A Gathering of Pyrs Is?
We call a group of geese a gaggle. Of turkeys a rafter. Quite appropriately enough, vultures are a committee. And beavers are a lodge. These things I thought of during Walk 1.
So when Hudson Indy and I were met on border crossing day by a gathering of Pyrenees from the local club, I wondered what to call them.*
Thanks to the Columbia Cascade club for coming out last Saturday and cheering us across into our second state. The ‘Interstate’ or I-5 bridge into Portland looked intimidating at first since it’s a vertical lift draw bridge and the two that were impassable on our first walk were of similar construct. The steel grating of those in Baltimore and Philadelphia scared the hell outta the boys but this footbridge was all concrete so we crossed over the Columbia River into Oregon and it was a good day.
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The Garden of 10,000 Roses
The following day one of our supporters in the area took us to one of the most stunning and spectacular places I’ve ever been. Portland’s International Rose Test Garden.
It’s a testing ground for new varieties and part of the much larger more expansive Washington Park that spans over 400 acres. What’s noteworthy here, aside from the sheer beauty of this place and that it should be a destination point for all, is that my father has had a lifelong passion for roses and on Father’s Day I would find myself here.
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Washington in The Rearview
Our first full day of walking in Oregon, from the Delta East Park to south of the Ross Island Bridge, we had two complete strangers came up to us and asked what we were walking for and if the dogs needed any food or water. And that was two more than the entire state of Washington.
I must admit I’m bumfuzzled at that reality especially since, well, that’s never happened to the fuzzybutts in any state ever. Granted, the Evergreen State has countless homeless and our best guess is that, unfortunately, we were just being bunched up in the fungible forsaken even though I carried a banner that said, ‘#PuppyUp’. In an area that’s home to such tech giants as Microsoft and Amazon, the sign would be clear that it’s a cause. So in Tacoma we decided to amend the sign nearby. But the folks got the dimensions wrong and I had to use my sports tape to make it fit in my backpack.**
Surprisingly, still bupkis.
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We Walk On
Washington is a state of inestimable beauty and memorable but in our short time in Oregon we’ve made so many new friends and thus far it’s been a great experience.
At present, we’ve made it to Salem and about 37 miles from Corvallis at which point, we’ll pickup Highway 20 and head over the Coast Mountains to the PCH for the remaining 4.5 months of the walk.
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*YBD’s Notes: A Gathering of Pyrenees should be called a Preponderance I think.
**YBD’s Notes: This was no small feat but we’ve since had the sign cut down and re-grommetted (is that even a word?). Going forward, this is OUR sign.
You cannot move forward by looking behind*
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One of the funniest things we continually encounter thus far is walking to a hotel and after sharing our story they still ask for the make, model, and license plate of our car. Irony is often scarce out here and you take it when you can get it.
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I’m holed up in a hotel in Longview WA feeling pretty lousy so it’s an opportunity for me to reflect on our one month anniversary on the road.
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Urban Sprawl
It may come as a bit of surprise but city miles are much harder on us than the country and the stretch between Everett to way south of Tacoma was tough. Elevated ambient temperatures, street detritus, miles and miles of monotonous strip malls, car lots, box stores, and blaring street sounds require a higher degree of focus. Plus, it’s boring for the boys and part of my job is keeping them engaged.
I must admit a prior unfamiliarty with the precise use of the word ‘sprawl’ until now and I have a greater appreciation for it. So from Roy to Longview WA we’ve enjoyed the rural setting, though at the expense of cell service which is why posting has been sporadic. One bar. No bar. Two bars Go.
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Tom Sawyer
Centralia WA was a weird kinda stretch that I still haven’t really processed yet. It was like my past life converged in this previously unknown and unchartered part of the world in two ways. (1) A high school band mates lives up here that I had lunch with and (2) A host home we stayed at reintroduced me to the band, Rush.
It’s been years since I’ve listened to them and Tom Sawyer was exactly what I needed to hear. The River.
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The Columbia
Speaking of… If you’re in the area, come out and join us in crossing the Columbia River into Oregon, our second state. Saturday the 10th. High noon. At the intersection of West 6th and Columbia near Esther Short Park. Hope the instructions are correct but go to the Puppy Up Foundation page to be sure.
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*YBD’s Notes: Kinda depends on your behind though.
Last week I noticed a blister on Hudson’s paw and he’s been sidelined since. Just as in people it’s not an uncommon occurrence but in all of the miles we’ve logged together, not one we’ve ever encountered before.
Perhaps it was a jagged stone, or a thorn from the wild strawberry bushes that abut the backroads we travel, or a shard from a discarded bottle that caused it but it’s healed now and tomorrow Hudson will rejoin the ranks and our pack is back again.
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To Booty or Not to Booty
… is the question. There are many many mitigating factors for an answer but for me, it’s three. (1) Breed. Some do better with footwear than others and some are better suited than others. With double hind dew claws – Pyrs aren’t. Plus, dogs in general just don’t like them.
(2) Trail conditions. Some situations necessitate them, surely, as Hudson and Murphy wore them many many miles on our first walk. And (3) Temperature. The weather has been favorable for us since we first left the border May 10th barely reaching above 70 during the day but it’s on the rise which is why we try to reach our daily goals before noon time before the ambient temperature of the sun has yet to heat up the pavement significantly.
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Hudson has always had ‘soft paws’. It’s part of his charm. Can’t wait to have him rejoin us on the trail tomorrow as we have 10 miles to Tacoma.
Friday we made it to Edison WA wrapping up week 1 of 25 of our journey. By my estimates we logged about 55-60 and given the week we had, I’m pleased with our progress.
The Launch
Our sendoff Saturday the 10th at the Peace Arch Park was great. Folks from five states were there including two of our PUPS (Chris & Hope & Lori & thanks to Valerie for helping plan and coordinate), Erick with TAGG, and Sarah Charney the veterinarian oncologist from Boundary Bay Specialty Hospital in Vancouver.
Iliopsoas
Unless you’re an extreme backpacker you’re prob unfamiliar with this anatomical reference. It puts the G in grind and the work in twerk. It’s a subset of pelvic muscles that are quite possibly impossibly capable of being trained. But after a few days with a fifty plus pound pack they hurt.
But for me, the term is also a metaphor for what the onset of a massive undertaking is like. There are things that just can’t be planned for or anticipated. Like Hudson throwing up in our tent.
Yep, just two nights into it, I had drifted off into the good sleep only to be abruptly awakened to the sound of retching. Hudson had vomited earlier that Mother’s Day morning and I didn’t give it much thought since he occasionally has a heave and a hurl and seemed fine from then on. But after five more times in the tent Sunday night, I made the decision to pull him from the road for a few days rest.
Google v Reality
Only in my world would our first great technical challenge be a mountain named Chuckanut.
Yep, just two nights into it, I had drifted off into the good sleep only to be abruptly awakened to the sound of retching. Hudson had vomited earlier that Mother’s Day morning and I didn’t give it much thought since he occasionally has a heave and a hurl and seemed fine from then on. But after five more times in the tent Sunday night, I made the decision to pull him from the road for a few days rest.
Google v Reality
Planning our route from Memphis is a whole lot different than getting up here and scouting out the terrain. I had planned on a more direct path but road conditions sometimes dictate otherwise.
To be sure, the options are kinda limited since I-5 is the only direct highway from border to border so I anticipated zigging and zagging until we got to Southern Oregon at which point we’ll pick up 1/101 the rest of the way. But I’ve made the decision to stick the shoreline as much as possible because they be mountains up here. Speaking of….
Chuckanut
Only in my world would our first great technical challenge be a mountain named Chuckanut. And though it did try to toss us a few times, its native name means long beach and even on the occasionally treacherous stretches, we bore witness to some of the most stunning bay side vistas. As well, the mountainside is lined with cascading waterfalls pictured nearby.
It’s also home to Larrabee State Park, a destination point for anyone travelling in this area. We took a days rest there and the beach on Sammish Bay was so totally alluring.
The whole area, including our time in Bellingham WA, now known to me as the City of Backpacks, reminded me of the Sirens of Shenandoah in the shadow of the Blue Ridge mountain back on our first walk. I didn’t want to leave.
The people I met here are all so beautiful eclipsed only by the presence of their surroundings. From the Bellwether Hotel to Boulevard Park to the Interurban Trail we picked up for a bit, this is a special place in the universe and I’m surprised I’ve been tempted so early on in the walk. Indeed, Erick my walking companion for a few days remarked many times that this is a place he’d like to relocate to. But the journey must continue…
Testing the Mettle
The first week is always unkinking – adjusting weight load, routes, and all sorts of last minute adjustments physically and spiritually. It’s a curious truism one which I can only suspect because god’s just making sure you’re serious.
We were picked up Friday and transported to Seattle for the Petapalooza and it was great to spend time with Buddy and Ja-Cee, our PUPS up here in the area and their kiddos – Fonto & Sabrina. 
In a few hours, we’ll be back on the road…. Until next time here are a couple of other pics to tide you over…
I wrote sometime ago about still being haunted by Highway 40 out of Baltimore on the first walk. For some it’s like the naked nightmare when you’re in public completely unclothed and exposed or others the one about missing the final exam and failing the semester even years past graduation.
Mine is losing my boys.
It almost happened on that highway. I’d been given collars to test out for a potential sponsor. Slim sleek with a few bells and whistles I outfitted Hudson and Murphy with them and hoped they’d work but at that critical point – they failed and slipped off within 50 feet of 4 lanes of traffic traveling 60 mph.
I had like four heart attacks in the time it took me to secure them.
That wasn’t the first time nor the last they got loose and during the 2,300 mile walk and I always imagined, no I hoped for a better solution than microchips which is basically, ‘you lost you’re dog,well maybe he’ll turn up when someone finds him.’
TAGG offers that kind of hope to pet parents and that’s why we’re partnering with them on this walk.
Not only does TAGG have GPS tracking if your dog gets lost but you can also monitor their daily activity and they’re the only company that does that. And while we’re on the road, TAGG plans on having contests for the pups with the most points though expect some stiff competition from the fuzzybutts. We’re averaging around 500 per day!
Also the folks there have a promo called TAGG it forward and if you purchase a pet tracker you’ll get 10% off and they’ll donate $25 towards our cause. Sweet. Just enter 2dogs in the promo code.
Now that the sites are live, you can track the fuzzybutts as they walk the west coast on the awesome micro site TAGG has built for us at www.2dogsagainstcancer.com. This is my first time using an iPad and I haven’t figured out yet how to hyperlink.
Thanks to the folks at TAGG & for loaning us one of their teammates Erick who flew up for our launch to walk with us for a few days. More on that later…
Now that we’re out of the forest and training on the Memphis Greenline, our focus this week has shifted towards pacing. So why is that important?
With my average stride, I can walk 3.5 to 3.75 miles per hour bearing weight, a fairly fast pace for the fuzzybutts… almost a trot for them really. But one of the rules of the road is one must walk their walk. Which basically means, you must abide by nature’s design of you.
So since I cannot quicken nor slow my pace for extended periods, nor they, me, most of our training comes down to figuring out how a Man-Pyr (that’s YBD), a French poet and existentialist (that’s Hudson), and a Moose (that’s, well, Moosey) reach a rhythm on the road.
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The Problem is Pyrs
I always thought it was god’s greatest joke on me that I choose to go on great journeys with one the most notoriously “independent” breeds. That’s how wonderful rescues like the National Great Pyrenees Rescue characterizes them anyway. I have my own sobriquet for Pyrs, crasser and truer to my southern roots, and one that could and should equally apply to me, too.
Such as it is, pacing is a partnership and that’s why it’s of paramount importance at this stage of training.
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A Matter of Metrics
To attain our 25 week West Coast Walk, we must average a little over 12 miles per day. From our work last week and this, I now know that 6 miles per two hours is a comfortable pace for us. That includes a 15-20 minute break halfway and a few ‘stop and sniffs’.
But with a laggard and a leader… I’ll let you guess which is which… the science isn’t always that exact.
A partnership presupposes many things, but what’s most important to its success is fluidity and I feel like Hudson-Indiana-Luke, our little Industrial Puppy Complex is making great strides towards…
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Yer Big Dog’s (YBD’s) Notes 1: I am pleased with our progress and preparation over these past few weeks, although we’ve had a few hiccups throughout… More on that later.
YBD’s Notes 2: This week is gear training and filming the Trailer.
The other day I posted on Facebook about winding things down in New England in preparation for Walk 2 and that moving on isn’t the hardest part for an adventurer, it’s the leaving behind. But that’s only mostly right.
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The Shannon Door
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Ironically enough this was the first restaurant I ate at in North Conway NH with our dear friends Donna & Larry and it was where we ended up Wednesday night.
That’s them with their niece, Christina, and Jim the ball busting bartender that makes the waitstaff at Dick’s Last Resort look like Disney workers. He’s a good kid and infinitely entertaining though he makes girly drinks.
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I had hoped to get some exercise up in the White Mountains and man did my wish come true though not like I anticipated. The accumulation of snow and ice was so steep on their driveway Larry drove his plow into the bank not once but twice and we had to dig it out both times.
Heck I’m just a simple man from Texas and I started to think this is some strange sport up here…. Some folks down south canoodle catfish, some wrestle gators, but up here drive your truck in the ditch then dig it out. I was ready to break out the Foreman Grill and the Brats and beer.
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Sea Glass
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When I spent my first week in Newport this past year, Valerie convinced me to go to Fort Adams for what seemed like picking up trash. I’m all about beautifying the world we live in but it was brutal cold and dowsing wet sand didn’t seem like a productive use of my time. Even after I uncovered a handful or two I still didn’t get it.
Some fellas at a frat party in Australia, say, threw beer bottles in the ocean decades ago and I’m collecting the shards. Still, there was something storied I found in the sea glass and their ill-lustered beauty. I made a bracelet for Valerie in memory of her Max out of them to thank her for hosting the fuzzybutts and I this past year. But it wasn’t easy.
Six drill bits later and two deep puncture wounds to my thumb, I finally figured it out and finished it tonight.
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We’ve had a warm and wonderful send off as we start heading down south tomorrow and god willing, the three of us will all be back up here in November. But it’s more than just moving on and leaving behind. It’s that you can’t travel with.
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YBD’s Notes 1: I’ve been inviting a few friends and colleagues to come out to the west coast and walk with us if even for a week. I think it’ll make the experience that much fuller and richer…
YBD’s Notes 2: Andre the Frikkin Giant. Really?
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From Dictionary.com
ab·la·tion [a-bley-shuhn] noun
1. the removal, especially of organs, abnormal growths, or harmful substances, from the body by mechanical means, as by surgery.
2.the reduction in volume of glacial ice, snow, or névé by the combined processes of melting, evaporation, and calving. Compare alimentation
3. Aerospace. erosion of the protective outer surface (ablator) of a spacecraft or missile due to the aerodynamic heating caused by travel at hypersonic speed during reentry through the atmosphere.
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Years ago, my ex HJ – Murphy’s Mum, and I were playing water volleyball in Lake Travis when I cut the hell outta the bottom of my foot – slashed open by a sliver of glass.
Like some bad sci-fi feature, planter’s warts infested and infiltrated that wound, and grew weirdly into a cauliflower type colony that became crippling to the point that I could barely wear sandals.
I went to see a podiatrist in San Antonio and the news was not good.
Two treatments were available. I chose the harsher but surer. Chemical ablation. It took weeks and weeks to burn it down during which was a pain so severe.
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Surprisingly, I only had two foot problems on the first walk: A corn that blistered up occasionally. And a left phalange that when quashed down by the weight of my pack lost a toenail times two.
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YBD’s Notes 1: Still don’t know what the hell a corn is but it’ll travel with me on Walk 2.
YBD’s Notes 2: It was an amateur’s mistake. I carried so much weight on the first walk that my toes grew by a half inch. My 11.5 became a 12.
YBD’s Notes 3: There’s no shelter for love. There are some things that just don’t burn down and love is one of them.
Even though we’re a few months away from the start of our Walk 2, there are already grumblings in the background. Some of the planning and preparation aspects of the excursion are still underway and I can’t respond to them yet but the loudest one I can.
Let me begin by saying thanks to all of those voicing their concern about Hudson’s health. To me, that speaks to your love of my little boy and that you care enough to stand up for his safety. Can’t thank you enough.
In a few weeks time, on our way down south to start phase II of our training in warmer climates, Hudson will have a full evaluation of his health, physical condition, and road readiness by a vet. Muscle strength, joints, tendons, pads, etc. will all be examined.
But that won’t be the last evaluation. As we train together, I’ll be assessing his weight bearing capacity and stamina amongst other things. Keep in mind Murphy, too, was 7 years old when we left Austin and on a much bigger frame than Hudson.
The second concern we’ve received is regarding Hudson’s cancer. We got the best possible prognosis from his two path reports combined with wide margins and there’s a 95% chance of no recurrence within two years.
Everyone is going to have their own opinion about this understandably but getting The DX, diagnosis as I call it, shouldn’t automatically be a death sentence nor life limiting.
My route and start and finish dates have been finalized. We’ll launch from Vancouver the weekend of May 10th and arrive in San Diego the weekend of November 1st. That’s approximately 1,600 miles or roughly 65 miles a week of walking for the fuzzybutts and me.
Lil’ Nana will be fine. Hell, it’ll be hard to get him to stop at 65.
But the question, it seems, is will that be too much and too taxing for Hudzers?
My route and start and finish dates have been finalized. We’ll launch from Vancouver the weekend of May 10th and arrive in San Diego the weekend of November 1st. That’s approximately 1,600 miles or roughly 65 miles a week of walking for the fuzzybutts and me.
Lil’ Nana will be fine. Hell, it’ll be hard to get him to stop at 65.
But the question, it seems, is will that be too much and too taxing for Hudzers?
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My last thoughts for you in the wee hours of Wednesday morning is one of the main reasons Hudson and Murphy and I made it as far and as long on the road was because we weren’t hot dogging it out there. Pun intended.
I didn’t take unnecessary or uncalculated risks and, equally important, I had contingency plans in place. My job was to get the fab fuzzybutts from point A to point B safely. Walk 2 won’t be any different.
Phase II of training entails working with both boys separately and in tandem. Even still, that probably won’t answer the question. Nor will even the most skilled and learned veterinarian be able to say whether Walk 2 will increase the risk for a recurrence of cancer in Hudson.
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I must press ahead with reason, faith, and the love of my boys as my guide.
Phase II of training entails working with both boys separately and in tandem. Even still, that probably won’t answer the question. Nor will even the most skilled and learned veterinarian be able to say whether Walk 2 will increase the risk for a recurrence of cancer in Hudson.
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I must press ahead with reason, faith, and the love of my boys as my guide.