[pct-l] Personal experience with dogs

[radpin at gmail.com (Eric)]

For whatever it's worth, the best time I had backpacking with a dog:

Siberian Husky named Kira, January in the Presidential Mountains in
New Hampshire. Out for about a week, climbing Mt Adams and Jefferson.
There was lots of snow, absolutely no one else around, and the
benefits of a husky became evident very quickly. But even then I woke
up in the morning to see that she had chewed through her leash (my
dogs are now on chain leashes, which they carry, at night), and was
gone. I yelled out for her, and a black and white snowdog came running
in from the forest, apparently she was just smelling the scenery. But
maybe if I had slept in for another hour she would have been long
gone, and since she's domesticated, probably dead within a week or so.

When I go with my dog, everything about the trip is related to the
dog, and centers around making sure that aspect of things stays under
control and rolls along smoothly. I wouldn't want that much
responsibility on the PCT, which I'm doing for me.



On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 11:36:18 -0500 (CDT), Tidal Wave
<tidalwavela@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Just wanted to add a little to the dog question from a personal perspective.  I had a terrible experience with the dogs on the PCT trail.  One dog injured herself and we were stuck.  We were miles from nowhere and we couldn't move.  Nobody passed us and there was nothing I could do but leave the dog alone while I went to get help.  It was terrible knowing that the dog could not defend herself should she be approached by coyotes or bears. I was able to get help and via a stretcher we rescued the dog.  Carrying a 100 lb dog was a exhausting. It ruined the hike and still gives me nightmares.
> Except for short day hikes, I will never take my dogs again on such a long and arduous hike.  Although I have more fun and enjoy hiking more when I am with my dogs, I have concluded that the danger is just too much.
> Kizobear
> 
> ---------------------------------
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Todo lo que quieres saber de Estados Unidos, Am?rica Latina y el resto del Mundo.
> Vis?ta Yahoo! Noticias.
> _______________________________________________
> pct-l mailing list
> pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
> unsubscribe or change options:
> http://mailman.hack.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> 


-- 
http://www.radpin.com