Fun at Fort Funston

We decided to take Charlie to Fort Funston today for a little hike and a good romp on a leash-less beach.   The trek down the "Sand Ladder Trail" was quite pleasant, ...

... we stopped for pictures ...

... and even made some new friends along the way.  This little guy named Murphy stopped to partake in an impromptu dig-fest about half way down the trail. (Tim found this all very, very amusing.)

Once we arrived at the bottom of the trail it was time for some pure unadulterated and un-leashed dog fun.  Charlie got to run with the wind and found loads of other happy dogs chasing waves, digging holes, and retrieving driftwood logs.   

Of course no trip to the beach is complete without a full on game of "Chase Tim" which seems to delight both of the boys.

As the tide rose it became time to make our way back up the trail that seemed so harmless on the way down.  

Make no mistake, the "Sand Ladder Trail" is a short but heart pumping climb up the side of what looks like a sheer cliff.  We stopped about half-way up just to snap another picture of the magnificent scenery.

Then, right at the end of our ascent we spotted this sign:  

We'd seen the hang gliders at Fort Funston before but we weren't sure we'd see them today, a rather windy and overcast day.   We opted to head to the top, get a drink and check it out.  (One thing I've noticed in CA is that almost all water fountains are equipped with dog fountains at the bottom.  Tim was happy to help his buddy quench the thirst he'd worked up after his aerobic workout on the beach.)

Next we found some seats on the hang glider viewing platform (yes, they actually have one of these ... it is California after all!) and we waited.

Sure enough, within about 15 minutes the hang gliders were soaring.  This always thrills Tim and not surprisingly, Charlie seemed to relish the experience too.  All in all, another great outing with Charlie.