Mid-Winter Break in my school district always coincides with President's Day. I had a couple days off from school and decided kind of spur-of-the-moment to celebrate Pongo's birthday on Monday. I wanted to take him on a new trail, and so I sat down at the computer to quickly research a hike somewhere close off of Highway 410. There had been a lot of snow in the mountains over the weekend but the roads at home were only wet. I found what sounded like a nice winter hike - little change in elevation, only five miles long, and not far from Enumclaw. Perfect!
I packed a couple peanut butter sandwiches, an orange, an apple, two water bottles and some dry dog biscuits for Pongo. I put on silk thermals under my hiking pants and several thin layers on top. Pongo circled, following me everywhere I moved about the house, tapping the back of my leg with his nose as I walked - his regular "let's get going" dance.
Finally we were in the car, taking the back road to Buckley. I stopped for a latte at a drive-through coffee stand, then was surprised to see traffic backed up, barely moving as I pulled onto 410. We inched along. Pongo stood over the gear shift with his front feet poised on the console and his back feet on the rear seat, showing his anticipation by whining and panting. Could this be holiday traffic to Crystal Mountain? I wondered. Was it backed up all the way through Enumclaw to the ski resort? That seemed crazy!
As I neared Mud Mountain Road, I could see a trooper stopping cars and talking to each driver. When I reached him, he told me that the road was closed on the other side of Enumclaw and that he was only letting residents or those who worked in Enumclaw through. I told him I wanted to take my dog for a hike and asked him if I could take him to Mud Mountain instead. With his approval, I turned right. The problem was, I had never been to Mud Mountain and had only heard of it. I didn't have directions. Soon I was at a stop sign where I could only go left or right. I chose left. I wound around, seeming to get further from what looked like a mountain. I took another left and before I knew it, we ended up at Mt. Peak! So much for my directional instincts!!
I was disappointed. We have been hiking Mt. Peak for years, sometimes twice a week in the summers. I had wanted Pongo to get to experience something new for his birthday. I didn't feel like doing the steep one mile climb to the summit and I didn't have my hiking poles in the trunk. I had been planning an easy, flat hike. Bummer!
But Pongo was anxious to get out of the car and I was sure he needed to pee. I decided not to hike the main trail as we normally would. I have known there were other trails on Mt. Peak but never had the inclination to explore. Having the day off, I was in no rush. So I decided to take take a smaller trail to the right of the main trailhead and the Carl Magnussen Trail sign. I thought I had been told it was wider and more like a service road. I was surprised then when it started off similarly to the main trail. It got steep quickly. But instead of having switchbacks, the trail wandered up in much the same direction. Pongo bounded off ahead of me, looking back to see if I was coming. It was slow going for me.
Instead of widening out, the trail got narrower and steeper. The ground was wet and I was glad I had worn my hiking boots instead of tennis shoes. Up we went without running across another hiker. I began reaching for tree roots to steady myself and help pull myself up in places. I watched Pongo try to jump up some rocks above me, then turn around and come past me. I called to him, taking a few more steps forward. "Com'mon Pongo!" but he refused and kept up with his descent. He had decided it was too steep - an unprecedented event! But I couldn't get him to go back up. Finally, I realized he was the smarter of us two. It was better to turn around now than to fall and injure ourselves. 
The way down was treacherous and I did lots of sliding in spite of the rugged soles of my boots. When we reached the car, Pongo lay down on the back seat and licked his paws. Although we had set out with something much different in mind, it had still been a glorious adventure. That evening, I made him a special dinner. I made a dish called Canine's Curry, improvising for some of the ingredients that I didn't have. Pongo got excited when he saw me pouring something from the stove into his dish. But waiting for it to cool was tortuous! Sometimes he can be so impatient! At least when it comes to food and going outdoors.
The way down was treacherous and I did lots of sliding in spite of the rugged soles of my boots. When we reached the car, Pongo lay down on the back seat and licked his paws. Although we had set out with something much different in mind, it had still been a glorious adventure. That evening, I made him a special dinner. I made a dish called Canine's Curry, improvising for some of the ingredients that I didn't have. Pongo got excited when he saw me pouring something from the stove into his dish. But waiting for it to cool was tortuous! Sometimes he can be so impatient! At least when it comes to food and going outdoors. 
After dinner I set Pongo's gifts on the table. He got a bag of beef liver and sweet potato treats, as well as a chew stick. Instead of a birthday cake this year, I opted for making "Catty-cakes." I remembered making them a few years ago. It was an easy recipe, I had all of the ingredients at home (no shopping required - always a plus!), and that he liked them. Del, Ashley and I sang happy birthday and his birthday celebration began to wind down to a close. Ashley was rushing off to band practice and Del would be going to bed soon. I would likely fall asleep watching tv on the couch. It was a low key birthday in comparison to other years. I baked less treats than last year, aware that controlling Pongo's weight in his advanced years is crucial to his health. Excess weight aggravates joints and arthritis. He is slowing down and getting less exercise.
Pongo waited patiently for Mommy to take the cupcake wrapper off, then devoured a couple Catty-cakes in a row. It was a good birthday! I am so thankful that Pongo's health has remained steady and that I have been blessed with another year with my sweet boy. After a scare with a malignant tumor on Pongo's belly last year, I am grateful for every day I get to share with him. I hope that there are many more hikes and adventures for us to explore and more years to come. I love you, Pongosaurus!
Pongo's birthday recipes came from Pupsnacks by Stephanie Mehanna.
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