After the memorable drive into the desolate Utah desert landscapes, the Ruffwear team continued to impress by pulling off another great show. Meanwhile, they maintained a steady stream of emails to those of us back in Bend filled with quirky quotes, photos, and everything else that makes this team click, laugh, and repeat.

Nice sunglasses team! Ruffwear see, Ruffwear do?

Another great part of Outdoor Retailer is connecting with some of our Ambassadors like Dean Potter and the ever-adorable Whisper.

As the hours of Outdoor retailer roll by, hundreds of enthusiastic fans sift in and out of the Ruffwear booth. From the familiar tails of RW Ambassadors stopping in, to Frisbee-loving pups showing off their ‘old’ and ‘new’ Hovercrafts, the Ruffwear history rides strong.

In the end, we left Salt Lake City with full smiles ready for the next leg of our journey at the  Wasatch Backcountry Rescue School training.

Look for more on the avalanche and helicopter rescue training from our team as the week goes on!

Here at Ruffwear, we’ve filled our two-story office space with 20+ of the finest outdoor-savvy dog lovers this side of HWY 97. With that said, none of us here are exempt from unwelcome surprises along the way. From the weekend that Ruffwearian Will Blount grimly watched his tent float down the lower Deschutes River (Cinder at his side) to my inept ability to pull together any snow sport tenacity while skijoring:

These are the moments when life’s deck does not seem stacked in our favor. Yet, they always seem to be the ones we remember with a smile on our faces.

So, with all of our seasoned tales and trails, our staff has put together some tips to help YOU along the way.

1. Kaya tends to collect plenty of dirt, mud, moisture, or snow on our outings, depending on the time of year. I’m no neat freak, but I like to have all her funk contained on a dog bed and not on our floor. So I’ll towel her off, then have her lay on a bed with a water-resistant bottom like the Mt. Bachelor Pad. She dries, the funk falls on the bed, I shake off the bed outside, and my floors stay pretty clean! – Lindsey Clark

2. Using our Roamer Leash and Bivy Bowl allows us to have the dogs leashed, but also be hands free! With most of our adventures, having your hands free is crucial to being able to keep our dogs hydrated when needed and quickly! – Debbie Manies

3. I believe the activities that lead to the most enjoyable outings are inclusion as often as possible. That is by including our dogs in and on as many trips, travels and excursions, Mavis and Gordo are always prepared for whatever comes their way. With a few basic gear items, (food and water bowls, leashes, toys and beds, a towel or two, we also travel with a pet first aid kit and vaccine documents when heading across the border) we have set expectations and a familiar routine associated with our activities and gear whether we are heading on a month long road trip, camping out of tents and sleeping in the dirt or heading into the city and staying on the 9th floor of a hotel, the dogs just roll with the flow and fit into the natural rhythms of our shared and inclusive adventures. From riding elevators in downtown Portland to bombing down the Dread and Terror Mt. Bike Trail on the North Umpqua, it is all just a part of our shared existence. I will say that the time that Gordo rolled in a decomposing sea lion while two humans and two dogs were camping out of the van for a week up in the San Juan Islands required more then a little composure. That said, Gordo was about as proud of that moment as we were horrified. What is it they say? Every dog has his day. – Patrick Kruse

4. Using the Flat Out Leash waist-worn makes all my outings better. I can run, walk, and hike hands-free! – Susan Strible

5. Joanna and I ski with Baker a lot. Sometimes we are out all day so there are a couple of things we have learned to do while keep Baker comfortable and happy: Snacks: She needs snacks along the way to keep her energy up just like we do. We have found that carrots work very well.  I usually put a bunch of carrot chunks in my pocket that I can give to her on the go.  Carrots work great because we can all eat them and they are easy to grab with a gloved hand.  Also bringing something for her to sit on, off the snow at rest stops helps keep her warm and makes her rest rather than running around.   The highlands bed works well or I use a piece of a ridge rest pad when weight is important. –Ian McWilliams

In the end, although we prepare ourselves for the unknown, it’s the moments when we weren’t prepared that we remember forever. As they say, the adventure begins when things go wrong.

What do you do to prepare for your outings?

Goodbye Oregon! Hello Utah!

Although the Ruffwear pack has been traveling to the OR show every year since 1994, Patrick, Greg, and Colin decided it was time to once again rely on a more unconventional form of travel – the van. This being the first van-powered journey since 2008, the true form of Ruffwear’s colors were represented along the way.

Ruffwear's original van

Often, the adventure is all about the journey rather than the destination.

Wait...you guys made it in 11 hours AND hit hot springs?!

Wait...What's happening here?

Day One in Salt Lake City was definitely of note as we charge forth with the Outdoor Retailer All Mountain Demo. Here, testing the newest gear  before it hits the market is the norm. Naturally, the Omnijore™ Joring System is front and center.

The calculated chaos of Outdoor Retailer

The Omnijore™ in ACTION!

Stay tuned for more updates as we follow our team on this very special journey.

To start, last week we took a special sneak peek into the lives of our local Mt. Bachelor Avalanche Rescue Team. It turns out that working like a dog transcends casual water cooler banter as these four-legged powder hounds start and end their day with a singular mission – to save lives.

A short ride from town to Mt. Bachelor’s Pine Martin Lodge will bring you to where it all begins. Four enthusiastic labs, and a group of passionate handlers form a super team of Avalanche Rescue.  Here at Mt. Bachelor, Kenai, Makita, Riggins, and Wyatt are only the first in a long list of international teams that work hard to keep the chaos of the mountains at bay.

As we follow our team, we watch Riggins; the youngest of Mt. Bachelor’s pack, dive nose first into the snow to dig out one of the handlers during a drill. What Mt. Bachelor is doing well, aside from endless hours of precise training through scent and repetition, is building a loyal pack of dogs who ensure the everyday safety of skiers and snowboarders who visit the Bachelor butte.

Our day with the Mt. Bachelor avalanche dogs came to an end with a fun visit to the newly unveiled off-leash dog park sponsored by Ruffwear. It was here that the Avi dogs punched their time cards, and let loose to RUN, PLAY, and JUMP. Tug of war was the name of the game until slobber covered Hydro Planes were finally retired for the evening and the dogs loaded up, ready to eagerly return tomorrow.

As we continue with our productive start to 2012, we’re sending off part of the Ruffwear pack to the Outdoor Retailer show this week in Utah. With an early morning exit, the Ruffwear van drove into the sunrise and away from Bend. Fifteen hours of quality road time left with a lot of fun to come.

Stay tuned all week for updates from our team at one of the biggest gear shows in the country.

During a visit to Mt. Bachelor yesterday, we shot a couple photos of the park open and IN ACTION!

Mt. Bachelor Ski Resort guests are encouraged to take advantage of the Ruffwear Dog Park and let their four-legged friends run free!

About Mt. Bachelor

Mt. Bachelor is the largest ski resort in the Cascade Range, offering 3,683 acres of lift-accessible terrain. The mountain features 10 lifts, seven of which are Express Quads, plus two tubing lifts and two beginner carpets and an average annual snowfall of 370 inches. Mt. Bachelor also features 5 terrain parks, 2 half pipes, 56K of groomed and tracked cross country trails, snowshoeing, tubing, sled dog rides and summer attractions. For weather conditions, news and events visit www.mtbachelor.com.