In February this year, the Outback Hound team set off to Canada with the intention of meeting new retailers, existing ambassadors and of course, to explore some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world.
How incredibly fortunate we are to live in a world where connectivity with others is at the touch of a keypad. One of the wonderful things about starting a brand is being able to share your vision and passion with other people. The Outback Hound brand ambassadors are what we embody in our company and we were fortunate to meet up with two of them on this trip. These two individuals and their beautiful pups have been with Outback Hound since it's conception.
Jade and her bubbly golden Moose were the leaders of our first pack hike. They are serial weekend adventurers and knew of the perfect spot that wouldn't be too difficult considering the conditions were still snowy. We chose to go to Banff National Park, because well, its Banff. You couldn't find a more picturesque place if you tried. It is home to some of the most breathtaking views and mountain tops in the world. Seeing these landscapes under a blanket of snow was something else.
We stayed dog friendly accommodation at the Banff Rocky Mountain Resort. The rooms were new, spacious and had all the amenities needed for a comfy stay. I highly recommend staying (see link below for more information).
Pictured: The CREW!
With a crew of 8 fellow hikers and eager wiggly pups, we set off to hike Sulphur Mountain. The trail is an approximately 10km round trip and the track switchbacks its way up the summit ridge. It is quite a steep and fast climb. The views throughout the hike were lovely, either looking up at old fur pine trees or peering through at the mountains parallel.
From memory, it took approximately 2 hours to summit. The top of the mountain was breathtaking. 360 degree views of surrounding mountains. We stopped for snacks, a few laughs and much needed water break/ rest for the pups. This is not a strenuous hike and the conditions were nice and cool which eliminated the risk of overheating. There is a gondola that actually takes you up to the summit if you're not into hiking and a cafe to rest at on top of the mountain.
All on all, our first pack hike was a great success. New friendships were made as well as memories. Our vision is to make this a regular thing throughout North America in a post COVID-19 world. It is such a great way to connect with people, share insight and passion. A thought for the future is to work with local rescues in the chosen area to turn these events into adoption events where people can come along and hike with a potential dog they are interested in adopting.
Pictured (left to right): Danika and Red dog, Lauren (Founder of Outback Hound), Jade and Moose.
Thanks for reading,
Lauren
Founder of Outback Hound
Links:
Information on Banff: https://banff.ca/
Information on Sulphur Mountain https://www.banfflakelouise.com/sulphur-mountain
Dog friendly Accommodation: https://rockymountainresort.com/