Dogs are said to be man’s best friends. It is most definitely true with Archie, the Priske Family’s very own Labrador Retriever. These are Archie’s adventures.

Devil’s Canyon is a prominent hiking area in Fruita, Colorado. It is filled with iconic trails that house amazing views of the Monument. It has also become Archie’s stomping grounds. At this point, his paw prints are more likely to be etched in the sandstone than that of the dinosaurs’. He thoroughly enjoys running around the trail, being in the front of the pack, and unfortunately “busting the crust”. He, however, does not enjoy tall, scary men who carry long poles. He believes that deepening his bark and shaking his fur will protect his pack, it doesn’t. 

Archie’s owner enjoys climbing. To Archie it seems as though she’s conquering giant slabs of stone, she’s really just bouldering. Sometimes she brings him with her, especially to Dynamite Shacks (an area by Lunch Loops). When she does, he enjoys taking long naps in the sun, against the pad, while simultaneously chewing on sticks. 

Archie loves the San Juan Mountain Range, especially the American Basin in the Alpine Loop near Lake City, Colorado. American Basin is considered to be alpine tundra terrain, with the bases of the peaks standing at 12,000ft. Considering the elevation and its alpine tundra environment, American Basin is insanely cold-so when Archie’s family was shivering in their sleeping bags at night, Archie was resting peacefully in his warm fur. 

Ouray, Colorado is home to the amazing Blue Lakes trail system. Archie went with his family on this gorgeous hike. The neverending, unbelievably slow and somewhat steep trail would be enough to cause some hikers to turn around, but not Archie. On the way to the lakes, Archie encountered a nice cool stream with slick, wet rocks, which Archie pranced around on. Finally they reached the destination, the Blue Lakes, where Archie was able to enjoy some apples and swim in the freezing cold water. 

It is somewhat of a tradition for Archie and his family to camp in Ridgway during the summer. He enjoys sitting around the picnic table begging for food, chewing sticks in the fire pit, barking at intimidating men, and swimming in the lake. This was also Archie’s first time on a boat. Although Archie is a waterdog at heart, he did not like the boat, leaving him to cower beneath his mom’s feet. 

Archie has been to Telluride, Colorado many times. Telluride is the town of skiing, and dogs, so Archie has met many friends. During their time in Telluride, Archie’s family enjoys hiking (or snowshoeing depending on the weather) Bridal Veil Falls. During the summertime, when they reach the waterfall, Archie enjoys feeling the mist of the water against his warm coat. During the winter, when the trails are filled with snow, Archie’s family often go snowshoeing. They’re working on buying little boots for his paws, but for now they have to carry him whenever he gets too cold. 

Yellow labs, such as Archie, are built for the water. They have webbed-like toes, an otter-like tail, and double-layered water-repellent coat that keeps their skin dry and warm in cold water. So, it’s safe to say that Archie enjoys swimming:, he can’t help but dive into any body of water no matter how cold it is. During the summer, Archie’s family spends a lot of time at Highline Lake in Loma, Colorado, where Archie enjoys playing fetch with his toys that symbolize ducks or sticks. 

Archie’s family are avid hikers and have conquered lots of 14ers. During their trip to American Basin they hiked Handies Peak (a 14er located near Lake City). Although not entirely technical, Handies Peak is a long, drawn out, adventure that requires endurance and preparation. Archie handled it very well! Archie’s owner, Emma, decided to hike alone for the majority of this trip (because she was so hangry), when they reached the summit, Archie greeted Emma with lots of tail wags and puppy dog eyes and Emma therefore gave him pieces of her apple (Archie’s favorite treat!). Archie was slumped on the way home, passing out for hours on end.