[pct-l] PCT with a dog?

[weir at turbonet.com (Tom)]

I have hiked thousands of miles with my various dogs.  They all have seemed
to enjoy hiking.  I even took my Lab on my attempted PCT hike in 1982.  That
being said, I would not recommend taking a dog on a thru-hike.  Even if the
dog is in great shape and experiences no health problems, the logistics of
hiking with a dog will slow you down and cause you to skip parts of the
trail.

Thru-hiking and regular backpacking are two different worlds with dogs.
Most backpacking trips begin and end at your car at a trailhead.  No
problems transporting the dog.  If you're thru-hiking you may need to hitch
to town to re-supply.  What do you do with your dog?  Try to hitch with him?
Good luck.  What do you do with him when you are in town and want to go to
the restaurant with the rest of the hikers?  What if you want to stay in a
motel?  Do they allow dogs?  (they should.  The dogs probably smell better
than the thru-hikers.) What about State and National Parks?  Unless you are
a total scofflaw, you will have to somehow shuttle the dog around the parks.
In '82 there were stories about someone being caught in Sequoia NP with a
dog.  The park service supposedly hired a helicopter to carry it out, at the
owners expense.

A thru-hike also puts you in some areas at the wrong time for hiking with a
dog.  I've hiked in the canyon country of Utah with my dogs, but only in the
late fall.  The deserts of SoCal in late spring and early summer would be
rough on most dogs feet.  Steep icy slopes are also a problem.  Your dog may
have four-wheel-drive, but can he use an ice ax?  I have been turned back by
steep snow slopes that I could easily cross with an ice ax, but my dog
couldn't.  Same goes for fords.  Thigh deep on you is probably over your
dogs head.  Even a strong swimming Lab would be swept down stream.  I was
turned back at Milk Creek in Glacier Peak Wilderness because the bridge was
out.  I could have forded, but my dog couldn't.  You can bet that that
bridge is out again this year.

Then there is the physical strain of the trip.  My Lab was one of the most
athletic dogs that I have ever seen.  He could run 15 mph for an hour, water
retrieve until I was too tired to throw the stick, and then still have the
energy to jump into the back of my truck, OVER the tail gate.  Maybe that is
why he was the only dog, out of six, in '82 that had not required a visit to
the vet along the trail before Wrightwood.  Minor medical problems can
become exacerbated from daily walking.

Although I have mentioned the difficulties that dogs have navigating certain
terrain at certain times of the year and possible medical problems, the
major reason not to take your dog is one of logistics and legalities.  A dog
that is of the proper breed and in proper physical shape will have no
problem with the trail.  The dog will do great even in the desert, if his
master is cognizant of the needs of the dog.  Most dogs will find great joy
hiking with their master.  The main problem is what to do with the dog while
in town or in areas where he is not allowed.  If you have support during
your hike (someone meeting you at towns with a car) you could probably take
your dog.  They could shuttle him around parks.

Sorry about running on so long about this, but I have been struggling with
this question myself for the last couple of years.  I am planning a
thru-hike in 2005 and have decided that my current canine hiking companions
won't be going with me.  They are a female, 130 pound, Anatolian Shepherd
and a male, 110 pound Anatolian Shepherd/German Shepherd cross.  They will
continue to accompany me on training hikes in the Seven Devils, Eagle Cap,
and elsewhere.  I see nothing wrong with dogs in the wilderness, if they are
properly trained.

Tom


-----Original Message-----
From:	pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net
[mailto:pct-l-bounces@mailman.backcountry.net] On Behalf Of DjgPct@aol.com
Sent:	Monday, November 10, 2003 6:30 PM
To:	pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject:	[pct-l] PCT with a dog?

Hello-

I am planning to begin the PCT next year and wish to bring my dog with me
for
the first couple of months.  I'll be starting in the south, and would like
to
hike with him as far as Kennedy Meadows.  Looking at my maps, I see that
there are some parks along the way, and I'd like to know about their
regulations
regarding dogs.  I am most concerned about the Anza-Borego Park, as I see I
will be well within its borders.

Has anyone hiked the trail with a dog?  Do you know if I can have him with
me
within a park if I keep him leashed, carrying his own pack?

Thanks in advance for your feedback-

Darrell
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