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November 22, 2017 by Terran 1 Comment

Take a Hike: Oak Canyon Trail at Mission Trails

After photographing 19 dogs and their families over the course of two days, I knew I was going to be mentally and physically exhausted. I also knew that there’s no better cure for it than to get outside, take a hike, and breathe in the fresh air. I put out a call for adventure dogs who wanted to take me on their favorite hikes and these two incredible Belgian Mailnois pups, Trigger and Ammo, answered the call. Well, their mom did. 

Trigger, Ammo, and their parents love hiking all around Mission Trails in Santee. They really love the N. Fortuna Trail for its incredible views but it’s a big one so we decided for the sake of time to try the shorter Oak Canyon Trail (two miles round-trip). It was a nice and easy trail, although it did have a lot of rocks to maneuver around. When we get some good rain, there is a creek and a waterfall! 

To get to the trail, park by the Old Mission Dam. Follow the path from the parking lot past the dam and over the bridge. Head straight and follow the fence-line. (See our exact hike)

Was mom’s shirt perfect or what?

These two working-breed brothers are right around a year old and absolutely full of energy and personality. They’ve already had a ton of training and are extremely well-behaved.

Oh, and they really like to climb trees! Yes, you heard that right: they climb trees. Their dad climbs them and they bounce right up after him. It’s pretty incredible!

   
   

Don’t forget to bring plenty of water with you. Even in cooler temperatures, this trail has a lot of sun; you and your pups will want to stay hydrated! These two love to drink out of dad’s Camelback. 

I’m fairly certain Trigger and Ammo think they’re just part of one giant rock cairn.

   

The color along our walk was spectacular! Around every bend there was something new to see and new colors to enjoy.

When we got far enough down the trail that there was no one else around, the dogs were allowed to run. And run, they did! Holy macaroni, you guys, these two are fast. You can understand why this breed is often chosen for law enforcement work. They waited patiently until dad gave the command to go and as soon as he called them, they spun on a dime and raced back. Yeah, Roxy doesn’t do that.

Also, can I just comment on the light right here? Because I’m telling you, this is the light of my dreams!

The sun was setting and we made it as far as this little bridge before we decided to turn around and head back. Dad sat down and the two pups came over to shower him with adoration. 

Trigger and Ammo are always alert. They are always watching their mom, dad, each other, and their surroundings.

And they are happy, happy, happy dogs. Look at that face!

The Oak Canyon Trail was quite beautiful and I’d love to go back again.

Thank you, Trigger and Ammo, for taking me to Mission Trails and introducing me to a new hike! I had a blast!

Invite me on your favorite hike!


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Filed Under: all pet portraits, field notes, take a hike

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Comments

  1. Jasmine says

    February 22, 2018 at 12:05 pm

    What a beautiful hike. Their pups are gorgeous, and this will be a session to treasure. So many great wall art opportunities!

    Reply

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Home » Take a Hike: Oak Canyon Trail at Mission Trails

Follow our wild, wild Westway adventures as we travel the U.S. in our Airstream

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Based in San Diego, CA
Traveling the U.S. in 2022
(858) 848-9378
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I want you to close your eyes for a moment. Well, I want you to close your eyes for a moment. Well, maybe don't close them because then you'll stop reading. So, let's just *imagine.* OK, here we go... Imagine you're at the beach with your four-legged best friend just as the sun is coming up over the horizon. A warm summer breeze carries the scent of the salty ocean through the air, the sand is soft between your toes, and things couldn't be more perfect. And then your dog poops. 💩 I mean, that's always a good thing but when you're in this moment, a beach stroll with a bag of poo in your hands isn't exactly the dream. Thankfully, the dooloop exists so you can keep your hands free and keep the moment perfect. ​​​​​​​​
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I've been a fan of @dooloopdogs for years now and am so thrilled to have them as one of our trip sponsors! If you don't have one, you seriously need one. Seriously!
Want to know more about how we are traveling, wher Want to know more about how we are traveling, where we're going, or what it's like living in a small space with your significant other and pup? Where do we stay? Do we have hot showers? What are some of our best memories so far? If you're curious, ask below and your question may be featured in an upcoming post!
SWOOOOON! This gorgeous Florida evening with Jaspe SWOOOOON! This gorgeous Florida evening with Jasper and his mom was absolute magic!!! The sunlight sparkled over the grassy sand dunes alongside the warm Atlantic Ocean as it slowly sunk down into the western sky. Jasper was happy as a little clam as he was rewarded with treats, snuggles, and playtime for being the goodest boy!​​​​​​​​
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A big, huge thank you to @wellnesspetfood for joining us as a trip sponsor of our Great American Road Trip!
Welcome to the wild, wild Westway family, Sibbie!​​​​​​​​
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Named for the American Revolutionary War heroine, Sybil Ludington, we felt like the Airstream who was going to take us on our Great American Road Trip needed to have a very American name. Sybil Ludington and her horse, Star (can you guess the truck's name?), completed a midnight ride farther than Paul Revere's to announce to her father's fellow militia men that the British were coming. She was even thanked by George Washington!​​​​​​​​
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Sibbie is a 30-foot Airstream. She has a full size sofa, dinette with two bench seats, a surprisingly large shower and bathroom, and a great kitchen with a propane stove, oven, and three-in-one microwave + oven + air fryer. She also has an insane number of windows and skylights that make the entire space feel light and bright! 😍 Greg, Roxy, and I fit very well and feel like it's just the right amount of space for the three of us!​​​​​​​​
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Who else out there has an Airstream? Do you love yours? We certainly love ours!​​​​​​​​
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St. Augustine, FL​​​​​​​​
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@airstream_inc #westwaypets #westwaystudio #roadtrip #greatamericanroadtrip #wildwildwestway #airstream #airstreamadventure #airstreamliving #airstreamlife #airstreamlifestyle #nomadphotographer #travelphotographer #travelingdogphotographer
A big, huge, monstrous THANK YOU to my very first A big, huge, monstrous THANK YOU to my very first models of our trip: Julie, Louie, Bella, and Brooklyn! These four totally rocked their photo shoot for our three trip sponsors: @wellnesspetfood, @dooloopdogs, and @petplaysf! ​​​​​​
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Julie and Louie are both incredible photographers so it was extra fun to work with them! I know them from San Diego but when I found out they were in Fort Myers — just 2.5 short hours south of where we were picking up the Airstream — I knew we had to go see them and do a photo shoot!​​​​​​​​
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Isabella and Brooklyn are two of the cutest dogs you'll ever meet. I was warned that Brooklyn would take a minute to warm up, which she did, but once she realized we were there to shower her with attention, we became BFFs.​​​​​​​​
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Thank you, again, Julie & Louie! You guys rock and we had a blast with you!
We are nearly one month in to our big adventure! I We are nearly one month in to our big adventure! It's hard to even believe it! We have seen new places, visited old friends, and photographed a bunch of puppers already! ​​​​​​​​
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The journey began in San Diego, CA and took us to Tampa, FL for about a week. We headed down to Fort Myers and then up to St. Augustine before leaving the sunshine state. After that, we spent a night on a beautiful pecan farm just outside Savannah, GA before making our way to Charleston, Wilmington, and Charlotte (where we spent a few glorious hours floating in Lake Norman). Today, we are headed to a friend's place just outside Asheville!​​​​​​​​
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I promise to introduce you to our new Airstream in some upcoming posts. I will just say here that she is beautiful and everything we hoped she would be!​​​​​​​​
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We'll be in the northeast in a few short weeks & I absolutely can't wait!!!
Nothing says Airstream + Florida quite as much as Nothing says Airstream + Florida quite as much as a pink flamingo... so it's only fitting that we photograph the @petplaysf pink flamingo float toy as we kick off our big six-month road trip adventure in the Sunshine State! Am I right or am I right???​​​​​​​​
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We couldn't be more thrilled that P.L.A.Y. has decided to join us on our journey as a trip sponsor. We are going to have soooo much fun playing with and photographing their amazing products all around the US this year! Thank you, P.L.A.Y.!​​​​​​​​
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Who else's dogs love P.L.A.Y. toys??? 🙋‍♀️
Do you ever find a product that makes you question Do you ever find a product that makes you question how you ever lived without it? For me, that was @dooloopdogs! It's a brilliantly simple leash accessory that holds your pooch's poo bag so you don't have to. We've been using them for years and they're truly something special!​​​​​​​​
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When we began to plan our big road trip, I knew I'd be taking a few dooloops along with me (different leashes call for different dooloops, duh!) and I dreamed of having the company come along as an official trip sponsor. Well, it happened!!! We'll be sharing the dooloop love all around the US, photographing dogs with dooloops, and showing others how a simple tool can improve their daily walks with their pups! Thank you, dooloop! We're so excited to have you along for the journey!
I have some incredibly special clients, let me tel I have some incredibly special clients, let me tell you. They're clients I love working with and who consistently put their trust in me to create photos for their advertising & marketing campaigns around the globe. When I told Wellness Pet about our big adventure, the response was swift and definitive: "count us in!" I'm so, so, so thrilled to have them as a trip sponsor for our journey and to create images for them all along the way. We have used their products for years — Sojos, WHIMZEES, and their WellBites treats — so this partnership couldn't feel more perfect and authentic! Thank you, Wellness!
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