[pct-l] Will I miss scenery while hiking with my dog?

Devon Taig devon.taig at gmail.com
Fri Sep 7 12:50:33 CDT 2012


>
> The major reasons why it's very difficult:
> * Dogs don't handle extreme heat well at all (they don't sweat for cooling
> purposes).  A lot of the PCT can be very hot, and it's even hotter close to
> the ground where a dog's body is.  A dog can easily die in those kinds of
> conditions. *True. Know the weather forecast and be ready to not hike
> during the heat of the day.  Because I typically hike with dogs, I will
> often find I hike from 6:00 AM to 12:00 and then pick up again and hike
> from 5:00 to 8:00. That's nine hours, and I can almost always get in 20
> miles (my cap).  I always take the five hour break somewhere near water /
> shade. So the miles are cooler and shadier, and it keeps the mileage down
> to what is reasonable for a fit dog (and me). With a head-lamp, you can
> also hike at night.  Make sure you linger at water sources long enough for
> you dog to actually drink.  Often, they will play first and then after a
> couple of minutes drink a ton.  Remember, your dog doesn't understand how
> far it is to the next water source, so bring lots, stop often and have a
> collapsible bowl for it, and don't let it over-exert (e.g. run like crazy)
> if it's a long way to the next water hole. *
> * A lot of the trail is composed of abrasive rock and sand which will
> quickly wear out a dog's pads. *Certainly bring booties (and backups) and
> ointment for your dogs pads and check them every day.  But a well
> conditioned dog won't have problems on the bulk of the PCT.  This comes
> from years of experience hiking with dogs over hundreds of miles on
> multi-month trips.  Avoid lava sections (e.g. McKenzie Pass) with or
> without boots.*
> * It's more difficult to hitch rides out to resupply points with a dog. *Actually,
> I have found the opposite to be the case; I get rides more quickly with
> dogs than without.  I can't tell you how many people have picked me up and
> said, your dog is soooo cute I just had to stop.  Sadly, not many (ok,
> none) have stopped and said you are soooo cute I just had to stop. I
> think a hiker with a dog doesn't fit the hollywood serial killer
> stereotype.  Of course, there's a space issue often with a larger dog, but
> it's really common to get picked up by a pick-up with plenty of room to
> spare. *
> * Large sections of the PCT are closed to dogs, most notably (but not
> exclusively) in the Sierra section. You'd have to have some plan for
> shuttling and boarding your dog while you do those sections, or just skip
> them yourself. *True. Some National Parks are now allowing dogs on the
> PCT (notably Ranier and North Cascades).  You will likely want to re-route
> on side trails that have more water as the PCT tends to be dry in many
> places.  A good example is the Oregon Skyline alternative to the PCT. *
> * Dogs are usually very loyal and will follow you until it drops from
> exhaustion, but it can't talk and can't tell you, "I'm not having fun,
> let's
> go home."  Is it fair to put your dog in that position? *Is it really
> fair to not take your dog on an experience that will likely be
> the highlight of their lives? *Walking 20+ miles a
> day every day for five months is a lot different than a quick weekend
> jaunt.
> No, seriously, it's not the same thing *at all*.  A lot of dogs enjoy
> hiking
> for a few days at a time.  Not many enjoy the same thing for month after
> month. *I just don't find that to be true at all...It's humans
> that typically don't like the same thing month after month.  Dogs...well,
> they kinda dig it actually.* Domestic dogs aren't built for that. *If you
> are an attuned dog owner, you will know how to read your dog's behavior and
> body language.  They can and will tell you how they are feeling.  Pay
> attention to your dog...you may have to remove its pack and carry it
> yourself (keep the pack weight at under 15% body weight not the 25% some
> will claim).  I would cap mileage at 20 per day and take a rest day once
> per week.  Young and fit domestic dogs like a lab retriever most certainly
> are built for hard work everyday. *
> * Thru-hiking is hard enough when it's just yourself you have to worry
> about.  Less than half of the people who start manage to finish in one
> season. Adding a dog to the mix drastically lowers those already low odds.
> *It doubtless will reduce your odds...and if you love your dog, it will
> doubtless increase your appreciation and amplify your adventure too.*
>
> Look at it this way - you need to decide what is your number one goal here.
> If you're passionate about doing a complete one-season thru-hike then you
> really should leave your dog at home.  You don't need the added
> complication
> and responsibility and it's probably not fair to your dog to grind it like
> that.  On the other hand if your number one goal is to spend a lot of
> quality time in the mountains with your dog, then by all means do that -
> just put aside the idea of a thru-hike.  There are lots of ways to arrange
> a
> long-distance hiking trip so that both you and your dog have a good time.
>  A
> thru-hike is probably not one of those ways.
>
> Eric
>
>
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