On the third day of our trip, the sun came out and the weather warmed up (a little). Phil and I decided to pack a lunch (and some warm clothing) and take a day hike up the Alpine Gulch trail. Cuzco was in his element. He LOVES to pack! Cuzco usually lags any time he’s walking with us sans gear, but when he’s wearing a saddle he marches right on my heels. The hackles stay down and the growling and bad temper evaporate. He’s all business and he’s ready to tackle anything.

I’m hoping some of Cuzco’s good manners can rub off on Pac-Man. As a packing prospect, Pac-Man is mostly living up to his 3/4 Nubian reputation for being loud and lazy. He’s inclined to turn back and take himself home if he thinks an obstacle is too difficult, and he complains regularly and loudly. But he’s come a long way. Just this past spring, a log such as this one would have proved impassible for Pac-Man. But we crossed lots of water on this hike, and Pac-Man walked over every log without coaxing or coercion.

Cuzco fell off a log and went bobbing down the river once when he was about six months old. He’s never trusted them since and prefers to wade. He’s quite a good creek navigator.

It’s crossings like this one that confirm Cuzco’s worse suspicions about log bridges. I almost slipped off this one myself! Pac-Man crossed admirably in my footsteps. I’m getting pretty proud of this guy!

Meanwhile, Cuzco doesn’t care if the water is up to his neck–he’s not walking on that dangerous ice-covered spit of wood!

“You guys comin’?” I think Pac-Man is finally getting the hang of this hiking thing!

I found a glass paw-print on a golden tile. I wonder if a crystal cat walked here?