[pct-l] Siberian Husky on PCT

[Jo]

Hi Oz--

I am catching your inquiry at the end of a long string of advice that you have already received, but may have a slightly different perspective from those who have not actually walked with a dog.

I sectioned hiked the PCT over 6 years with my husband and dog, and the 3 of us are now section hiking the CDT. Our dog has hiked about 3000 miles between those 2 trails. Although not through hikers-- a 400 mile section hike is nothing to sneeze at, and a good indicator of what a dog can do. What I have learned is that dogs, perhaps even more than people learn from their experiences and become better hikers over time-- ours at 9, certainly has. The most important thing is to remember to be in tune with what is going on with your dog-- as others have pointed out they can't tell you if something is wrong. On a long distance hike, the dog needs to come first and if you need to leave the trail because he is having a problem or even just likely to have a problem, then you shouldn't think twice about doing so. Just this last summer, with temperatures above 100 degrees in the great Divide Basin in WY, we boarded our dog for that 130 miles. The hike was hard enough for us, at 2 feet off the ground, it would have been even hotter and truly miserable for the dog.

That said--in general-- our dog is an excellent hiker, better than a lot of people, less physical problems, helpful warning us about animals and even an excellent path finder when there is no trail (as is frequently the case on the CDT). Some dogs make excellent long distance hiking companions and others don't. You probably won't know until you try it. If you have specific questions, I would be happy to respond. I also have a fairly detailed journal on Postholer.

Jo
PCT 2008, CDT ongoing

Sent from my iPad


Sent from my iPad