Codorus State Park

Saturday was a big driving day for me.  I did a foster-foster transport for Castway Critters.  I met up with Vito's new family way down south in another state.  My normal routine when I drive far from home is to pair all that driving up with a cool far from home hiking spot.

Codorus State Park in southern PA has been nagging at me for a while, and it was "on the way home" at a mere 20-minute detour.  Sold!

We started out in one of the many day use areas.  This particular one was full of frisbee golfers and picnickers.  There was a nice overlook (helpfully indicated by a little camera symbol on the map!)  The dogs had been long in the car since we had been driving all morning, so I got them out to stretch their legs and to Overlook the lake.

Fancy Pavilion

We piled back into the car and drove to the Laho Trail trailhead.  The trail was a 1.5 mile, undemanding loop hike that spanned around "Wildasin Flats", whatever that means.  There were boaters out, families walking with their kids and dogs.  The weather was gorgeous.  It was a great day to be alive and out on a walk.

"Who's that tripping over my bridge?!"

I found a semi-secluded riverbank for fetch and off lead play purposes.  I was hoping that Perri might be lured into some swimming, but she instead leapt up and down on the river bank, screamed and did other strange poodle things.  Oh well, we have all summer.  I will make a water dog out of her yet!

Shameful stick fetch.  I had nothing else, and on-the-water stick fetch is much safer than on land.

What?  Don't all dogs sit this way?

Ein endures the presence of this lower life form.

Mmmm, drying off in the sun baked grasses.

RUN!

After all that we drove to an entirely DIFFERENT day use area (this park was HUGE, with plenty of fun activities.)  I set up my Obedience practice with Perri, and Ein hid under the table.  Yes, he got to practice his rally-o as well.
A WHOLE LOT OF GOOD IT DID US!  Kidding.  A good Obedience dog is not made overnight.
Looking back, Perri's heeling was very nice.  Although there were people around and things for Perri to look at, it was not enough of a high pressure situation to work with.  I believe that we need to work outside of a dog park, or at Petsmart to achieve the type of distraction level equivalent to a trial.

But I digress...

Can we go home yet?