[pct-l] Hiking with my dog

Mon Nov 1 12:21:32 CDT 2010

Yeah, I understand... Plus, if I left my dog at home, I could use her as motivation to cover more miles. My boyfriend just asked me to leave the dog so he won't be so lonely. I'll think about it. I don't know why I get scared. I don't think it has anything to do with me being a girl... more so because I feel so alone. I also feel much better when my dog is there, but with her growling, my fear is hard to ignore. I read something cool the other day that gave me a new perspective. It's from some Kabbalah book I'm reading for my mysticism class in college... goes something like this, "[after praying for help] My fear dropped away. The woods became friendly. It was no longer dangerous because, for some reason, I no longer felt alone." Anyway... I'm coming to terms with it. It's good for me to feel a bit uncomfortable anyway. 

--- On Sun, 10/31/10, Kevin Cook <hikelite at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Kevin Cook <hikelite at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Hiking with my dog
To: "Whitnee Goode" <whitneegoode at yahoo.com>
Date: Sunday, October 31, 2010, 10:47 PM

I have 3 dogs total. The oldest does not hike with me at all. Even when he was younger, he was a little lazy hehe The middle one is Doc. He's a Flat Coated Retriever (think black golden retriever). He's the one that has hiked with me a lot. He's been to the Sierras several times and the Rockies twice. He amazes me in the backcountry. You can see the joy he has being out there. :)  The youngest is Serra. She is 20 months now. She went with us to the Weminuche Wilderness lass month. She did great! She is a lot smaller though. Doc is ~90 lbs or so. Sierra is only ~25-30.

Doc can be a little protective of a camp, but Sierra is much worse. She's a little skittish in general, but she barked a lot last month. I'm trying to help her with it. She's getting better, but I'm not sure I would bring her. I hate the thought she might spoil someone's wilderness experience.

I'm surprised by your concerns as "a girl alone". Having my dog(s) with me has always made me feel much safer. I know they will alert me of anything threatening. That's the one downside to hiking with them, less wildlife. :(

I think Doc will be able to handle 15ish miles, but most people are doing 25-30+ days by the time they hit WA. I'm not sure yet what I will do. Right now, I'm leaning more towards leaving him at home. It breaks my heart not to include him on this adventure, but having him along could jeopardize my ability to finish on time.

There is a solution to the morning kisses btw. Sleep in a hammock! ;)

On Sun, Oct 31, 2010 at 10:25 PM, Whitnee Goode <whitneegoode at yahoo.com> wrote:

I was worried about that too! I mean, my dog loves to walk, but 20-30 miles? That will absolutely take her some getting used to. If I decide to take her through Washington, I will have to take it a bit easier. I'll let you know when I decide... You too, if you decide before I do.
My dog is 1/2 Pitbull and 1/2 Standard Poodle (weird, I know). I have been going backpacking with her all summer long and she loves it! She starts tripping out when it gets dark, though. Does your dog do ever that? I'm scared enough as a girl alone in the woods at night, but then my dog sits up and growls low for a really long time. Makes for a long night. Other than that terrifying part of our adventure, I love hiking with my dog! I love how she gets protective of me when I get close to edges, I love how she steals my sleeping pad, I love how she kisses me awake in the morning and shares my breakfast with me, and I also really love when she pulls me up hills!!

--- On Sun, 10/31/10, Kevin Cook <hikelite at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Kevin Cook <hikelite at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Hiking with my dog
To: "Whitnee Goode" <whitneegoode at yahoo.com>
Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
Date: Sunday, October 31, 2010, 8:31 PM

I'm in the same boat as you. I've been struggling with the decision to leave my dogs at home as well. As you know, there are a lot of issues for them along the way. Washington seems to be the most accommodating for dogs though. Southern California has the desert, where they can't cool off. There are tons of parks throughout the rest of CA. Oregon has the infamous sharp lava. So that just leaves Washington. I came to the same conclusion you did. What if I have someone bring the dog(s) to me. I'll be curious to know what you decide.

My older dog has hiked with me a lot. Other than trips into The Canyon, he has been on every backpacking trip, including climbing King's Peak @ 13,500 ft! The newest edition, at 20 months old, went on her first trip this Fall to the Rockies. I know they could both do the trip, but I still have my reservations as well. My biggest concern is having them join me after I've hiked everyday for 4-5 months. Most of the time they can out hike me, but I think in this situation, I might be able to walk too far for them. Are you worried about this at all?

Please let us, or at least me, know what you decide. I've still not made mine.

On Sun, Oct 31, 2010 at 2:11 PM, Whitnee Goode <whitneegoode at yahoo.com> wrote:

Hello!

I am planning a 2011 thru hike and am having trouble with the idea of not seeing my dog for 5 or 6 months. I wouldn't ever take her through the desert or the lava flows, so bringing her really isn't an option... I am, however, entertaining the thought of picking her up at Cascade Locks (nearest to my home in Portland) and taking her along through Washington. I'd like to hear some opinions about it. Also, if anyone knows of places in Wash. that don't allow dogs, I would love to know that as well. Like I said, I am only entertaining this thought. I realize how much of a pain in the ass it would be to hike with a dog (hitchhiking would be nearly impossible, worrying about her feet/food/hydration/etc. would slow me down, not to mention if anything happened to her I would have to leave the trail). I am VERY close to my dog and I doubt I'm the only one having difficulty with this aspect of long distance hiking.

Whit 

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