Hanalei, Utah

I went up into the mountains this past weekend with the dogs. I don't ever remember it being this wet and green in all my years of living here in Utah. I went up Sunday during a rainstorm and it was so wet and muddy and the foliage was so thick and green it was like hiking through a rain forest. The closest experience I've had to this kind of soaking wet habitat was hiking in Hawaii. We found salamanders and giant slugs on the trails. It's Crazy! I felt like I should of brought a machete and a pith helmet. Seriously, it is just nuts how wet and green it is here this year. In this mountain range precipitation is 211% above average according the latest stat I read. It is beautiful though. Lush and green and flowers are everywhere. But if you go be sure to wear your mosquito repellent. When the sun came out the mosquitos were thick.

I hope the baby grouse are somehow surviving all this moisture. It was a tough long wet winter. Time will tell how they fared. I'm betting the chukars out west are thriving with all the moisture and green grass.

It was still fun. At least for me and Hazel. Chief was wet to the bone and freezing in about 10 minutes. Poor little guy would run out into the woods and then turn around and run back to the trail and just shiver. He ran hard though. He's fearless. There's just no body fat on the little guy so he got cold fast. For his sakes we didn't stay out too long.
He is doing awesome though. I love this dog. Cannot wait to see what he can do this season. This pup is so birdy and has such a pretty point. Him and Hazel should be quite a team. Can't wait!!!

I apologize for the terrible photography but you get the point. It was wet and cold and Chief wasn't happy about it.