When Puccini passed away last December at the ripe old age of 16, Dota became our one and only pet. She’s a spunky gal, known for hunting squirrels up in Canmore, as well as chasing lizards down here in Phoenix. And, she LOVES to ride in the Jeep—wait, make that any motor vehicle. Happily, Dota’s sense of adventure and love of trails are back to full strength, thanks to numerous hikes of late.

Last weekend, we took her to one of our favorite spots off of Tatum Boulevard. The lot has only a few spaces and is usually full, but one can usually find parking on one of the side streets nearby. The trail is popular with mountain bikers as well as hikers, and is a great starting point to link to other trails within Phoenix Mountain Preserve.

It was one of those rare cloudy overcast days. Nice. Not too hot, no glaring sun. The beginning of the trail resembled a desert botanical garden, full of Paloverde and all kinds of cactus. It felt like we were walking though a neighbor’s backyard desert landscape - which, by the way, we kind of were. A short section of the trail passes through a wash between residences.

Once we got to the top of the initial ridge - Dave and Dota and I took a detour, on a lightly travelled trail that went up a small mountain off to the south. We wove our way to the top, stopping to look at emerging wildflowers, trails and the city below.

By the time we reached the Jeep, we could tell Dota was satisfied. Not a peep out of her on the short ride home. A long nap ensued. For a little dog of nine years, it’s nice for her to know that not every ride in the car means VETERINARIAN.