[pct-l] dogs on the trail (Long)

[Stephen]

One thing I like about my axe,  there is something very medieval about it, 
and I rig mine with a quick release snap.  I can hand it by simply reaching 
back and unclipping the snap and pulling it down.  Igot this idea frommy 
Mountian Light pack which came this way.  You just cut the axe loop and sew 
in a nylon quick release snap like on most packs.  The catch gets sewn in 
close to the pack and the quick release squeeze buckle gets sewn into the 
end of the web.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Thatcher Koch" <ironlegs at pacbell.net>
To: "Bob Bankhead" <wandering_bob at comcast.net>
Cc: <pct-l at mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Monday, February 16, 2009 3:21 AM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] dogs on the trail (Long)


> you got that right! i carry an ice ax and i will use it.
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Bob Bankhead <wandering_bob at comcast.net>
> To: Marion Davison <mardav at charter.net>; Pacific Crest Trail List 
> <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 7:08:03 PM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] dogs on the trail  (Long)
>
> Short reply: any dog that attacks me (or anyone with me) on the trail is a 
> DEAD dog.
>
>
>
> --- Original Message ----- 
>  From: Marion Davison
>  To: Pacific Crest Trail List
>  Sent: Friday, February 13, 2009 6:52 PM
>  Subject: Re: [pct-l] dogs on the trail (Long)
>
>
>  I hike with llamas, so I really hate to meet unfriendly and unmonitored
>  dogs on the trail.  They constitute an extreme hazard to my stock.Many
>  dogs don't know what a llama is, so their first reaction is to bark
>  angrily.
>  Too many people let their dogs run loose way ahead and sometimes out of
>  sight and don't know what the dogs are doing.  When I see loose dogs and
>  no people in sight, I start hollering for the people to collect their
>  dog.  If people see us coming and don't immediately get their loose dog
>  under control, I politely ask them to do so.
>
>  In 2003 we did two long section hikes in Yosemite and SeKi totalling 40
>  nights.  On 8 of those nights we had a bear in our camp.  Since some of
>  these bears looked on my llamas as a tasty snack, and a bear killed
>  someone else's llama while we were in SeKi, we were very uncomfortable
>  with the bears.  So, since then, we have hiked outside the parks on
>  other sections of PCT and adjoining trails, and we have brought a medium
>  or large dog with us as a herd guard.  We have not seen a single bear
>  for the last 5 years, so I agree that, outside the parks, a dog is a
>  great bear deterrent.  Bear hunters  sometimes use dogs, so bears
>  outside the parks associate dogs with mortal danger.
>  On the other hand, coyotes are attracted to our dog in camp.  They will
>  come right into camp as soon as it is fully dark, calling loudly, trying
>  to attract our dog out into the open away from camp.  We have been told
>  that the coyotes want to jump the dog and have her for dinner.  So when
>  we hear coyotes howl we immediately bring our dog into our tent.  The
>  coyotes give up and leave eventually.
>
>  When I am allowed to let my dog walk loose, I do, and I have trained her
>  to ignore other hikers and stock.  This took time and patient training
>  when she was young.  I won't allow her to bark at or approach other
>  hikers and she has to stay by my stock as we walk.
>  When I am in an area where I have to have her on a leash, I do, but I am
>  constantly aware that this puts me in danger.  On rough trails I have
>  fallen a few times because of the actions of my leashed dog, and got
>  pretty badly bruised/scraped up a couple of times.  It is annoying when
>  hiking through leash required areas when we meet so many people who
>  aren't obeying the law, and their loose dog rushes up to my leashed dog.
>
>  One day as I hiked past someone's camp on the Tahoe section of the PCT,
>  his loose dog rushed out and bit me on the leg.  I was not thrilled by
>  that experience either.
>
>  I took my  medium size short haired dog on a section hike of Section D
>  in late March.  She was doing fine on the cooler days at the higher
>  elevations, but on the last day hiking from North Fork to Soledad canyon
>  the temperature was 100 degrees, and she was totally suffering.  She
>  also picked up dozens of ticks in the chapparal which took about a week
>  to remove.  The ticks didn't get us, just her.  I often take my big dog
>  on Section C hikes in the Spring and she hasn't found any ticks yet,
>  thank goodness.  But I check her very carefully after every trip.
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