Fred gives it another shot

 Well, It's not been the greatest year for Fred (excluding fun with the elk) .....What with foreign bodies becoming lodged in his intestines, Lyme Disease, recovering from the problems caused by the cure for Lyme Disease, and that gimpy knee... there's just not a lot of fun a dog can have.
So why did his mom choose his most hated sport ever--SWIMMING????
Because everyone should love swimming. C'mon, Fred. The water's 92 degrees, you have a nice lady throwing the ball nonstop for 30 minutes, and you even get a complimentary blow-dry when it's all over.
Yes, you know you're gonna learn to love it.

Park City

It's always a crap shoot when traveling with a dog. You never know what you're going to get. Especially when you are booking through a VRBO or some such.
In this case, we lucked out!

The place turned out, thankfully, to be about as nice as the online photos.

Nice kitchen. Too bad all we cooked was dog food.

Back at Sea Level

Park City Utah elev 7000 and some

So Long Sun Valley,

Hello Park City

Bye Bye Elk

Hello caged in spaces

Fred's dad's last hike.

Straight up a mountain to Gladiator Mine

They didn't pack it out

This hole went really far back

But Fred's intrepid dad only went 30 or 40 feet in, else he was feared he might have to grin down a bear

How did they even find this?

Looks like a disaster ready to happen to me

Me, I would have taken my supplies in with me

They forgot a rail

Yikes

SPOOOKY

Incredible Elk bugling and whistling and grunting and so on Turn up the volume!

So then, into the house I went....

Baby is peeking into the bedroom,

Baby and older sister peeking into the living room,

The dining room,

Look at those ears!

Fred is keeping watch.

Is there a dog in there?

Just too cute!

I was still sitting in the hot tub, not realizing  that the new boys in town were on the scene.
Fred went after them, and one look at those antlers, and I was mighty scared. Thankfully, he came back. I think he did a double take after he got to me, because he licked my face for about 5 minutes, probably thankful that he hadn't been gored by the elk!

Again, minding my own business in the hot tub... if looks could kill

She notices me in the hot tub

Notice the lawn in her mouth

Why are you here?

I'm a lot bigger than you

I can be mad and eat at the same time

Needless to say, I took my towel, wine and flip flops and skedaddled!

Sawtooth Lake. Fred's dad gets to the snow.

Fred's dad drives an hour to get to Stanley, and THEN does this crazy hike.

This is the town of Stanley, pop. 100. It's a really rough and tumble 4 block town.

That thar is snow.

Practically the top of the world

Snow!

Wow!

Yep. Really here

Beaver dam?

Truly, the top of the world

These crazy hikers stack rocks to show they have been here. These are called Cairns

The long way down.

The end.