[pct-l] Go Dogs Go

[Carl Mears <carl@remss.com>]

>Related to this question...have any of you thru-hiked with a dog??? I know
>they are not allowed in certain parks..so where do you keep them, and how
>do they meet back up with you?
>
>On Wed, 21 Oct 1998, Becca DuBose wrote:
>>
>> Anyone who has hiked with a dog, I have a question: how much can I
>> expect my 60-lb dog to carry?

My partner and I thru-hiked California with a dog in '97.  We went slightly
slower than real thru-hiker pace averaging 15 to 22 miles per day.  The dog
did fine,except for the desert.

I think it is possible to do a significant part of the trail with a dog,
but completing the whole thing might not happen.  We had to stop and take
days off several times to let the dog's
paws recover in the early part of the hike.  These days are likely to be
different days that you might need for blisters to heel, etc.  Also, a dog
can't hike in the middle of the day in the desert -- we usually stopped for
3-4 hours on hot days and hiked into the night. These things together might
slow you down too much, unless you start much earlier than the Jardine
schedule.  Later in the hike, the dog could outhike use 3 to 1, as she ran
about chasing things.

Our  30 lb dog had her own pack, and carried all her food, and maybe half
of her water.  She drank a significant amount -- maybe as much as a small
human -- 1.5 liters per hiking day.  I'd expect a large dog to drink much
more.  You want to have a special dog water bottle to store the water that
the dog doesn't drink.

We got some booties made from "fuzzy" material.  These are essential.  She
didn't like them at first, but eventually would growl and bite if we took
them off her.  They tend to come off by themselves, so one of us usually
walked behind on "booty patrol".

Parks forbidding dogs, and what we did:

1.  Anza-Borrego	Dogs forbidden in back country

Hiked right on through.  We saw a trail crew with a couple Rangers that
were very thru- hiker friendly.  They made some jokes about the dog.

2.  San Jacinto	Dogs forbidden in back country

Hiked into Idlywild  -- Nazi Ranger at camp hassled us and made us promise
to hike around San Jancinto.  We ignored her.  (She also threw hikers out
of camp that had serious foot and leg injuries that needed to rest.  She
said to go see a doctor.  My partner said "I am a Doctor, they need to rest
another couple days".  They were still thrown out ---grrrrrrrrr)  Got
caught by a back country ranger on the way to Fuller ridge.  Ranger didn't
do anything when we explained what we were doing and that we were leaving
the park very soon.

3.  Sequoia and Kings Canyon and Yosemite.  Dogs forbidden in back country

Dog sabbatical.  We had to take a week off ourselves so my partner could
take medical boards.  Friends met us at Sonora Pass to hike with us and
brought the dog back after we had hiked these parks.  We did these in July
with the back country rangers in place.  On a real through hiker schedule,
you go through these much earlier, before the back contry rangers arrive.
On the other hand, I'm not sure how doggie paws will like all the ice and
snow of the early season.

4.  Lassen	Dogs forbidden in back country

Hiked through the park in one day.  Got accosted at the campground in the
middle ( I forgot the name) by a volunteer camp host.  She just wanted to
give us PCT stickers.

Hope this helps.  Feel free to ask me any other questions regarding digs --
I have lots of opinions.

-Carl




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Carl Mears

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