Winter outing info- click here
Mushing 101 info: click here

Each fall and winter DSA plans weekend outings for the purpose of getting together with our dogs and dog friends and having fun.  Usually a hike is planned, so that campers can enjoy the woods, and so their dogs can earn credit towards their Packdog titles.  Northern lower Michigan is a beautiful place in the fall, and the campouts have always been in state forests with campgrounds.  The head office for DSA now happens to be in the middle of the forest with state land all around.  The 1999 fall outing was at the new DSA camp, and it was a lot of fun.

The 1999 Fall Outing

Ten campers and 17 dogs came to the 1999 fall outing in St. Helen, Michigan.  Some came in just for the daytime activities, but most camped on site.  People brought their own rigs, rented some of our RV's, or stayed in the camp store (the bunkhouse not being completed at the time).
 

Because there is an abundance of beautiful, level hiking trails, two campers took their dogs a the few extra miles and qualified for their Packdog 5-mile Checkout Hike.  Now, when they complete the rest of their mileage requirement, they will be all checked out for their certificate.

Saturday morning, we did the hike through the woods here at the camp and surrounding state land trails.  We also walked down to the end of the dead-end road and walked back to see the beaver lodge that is on state land.  We didn't get to see any beaver, though.  Hikers did get to see several deer on the road.

   



Saturday afternoon we carved pumpkins and had a contest for pumpkin carving.  Joanne Weber won best overall design, with a puppy head (her original design).  Kat Vogtmann won most original.  She did a cat and carved out the back so that the word, "Hiss" shone on the wall behind the cat.  Carol McMahon got the scariest, by dressing her pumpkin up as a ghost.  Everyone liked the howling wolf done by Nancy Rusher, but since she donated the prize for first place, she declined to take the award.

Saturday evening we ate pasties (official food of the great white north) for dinner, had a costume contest and doggie games.  Indy, companion of Sheila Stewart, won the bob for apples game, and Mindy, companion of Carol McMahon won the treat catching game. 

Winner of the individual dog costume contest was Willie, companion of Joanne Weber, who went as a clown with big sunglasses.  The winner of the team (handler and dog) costume contest was Kat Vogtmann and Chelsea, who went as a magician (Chelsea) and a giant rabbit coming out of a hat (Kat).

Saturday night we went on a moonlight walk through the woods.  At the end of the walk it was starting to snow!  Then we had a campfire next to the pond, and we all collapsed in bed, exhausted.

Sunday morning we went out for breakfast at a local restaurant which makes yummy potato pancakes. Then, some of the campers departed, and others of us went for an off-leash run in the woods.  We explored some of the newly cut trails, and the dogs were very excited about the sand pit maze.  They jumped in the cold pond for a swim at the end of their walk.

      


I had a great time, and I hope everyone else did, too!  I know the dogs did!

Above right is a photo of DSA director, Lonnie Olson, with her dog scout, Wile E.  Below is a photo of Carol McMahon and her dog scout, Lilly, posing inside the stump of a burned out tree.  This tree was so huge when it died (about 100 years ago), that the previous property owners put a roof on it, carpeted it, sawed some windows in the sides of it, and made it into a deer blind, complete with it's own swivel chair.