Re: [pct-l] Non-Canine Buddy

["Joanne Lennox" <goforth@cio.net>]

Well, I meet a goat and dog pair on the Hanagan pass trail (major North
Cascades Park entrance trail), and this goat was not as well behaved.  The
goat was named "oreo", it was black and white, as was the dog, which is why
I mention them as a pair. The goat was in front going up trail as I as
coming down.  I paused pondering the incongruity of a goat, and of a goat
and dog that were so closely colored.  the owner and I started up a
conversation, and the goat past by me.  AND THEN, it stood straight up on
its hind legs uphill from me, cocked its head, and at the moment that it
dawned on me what was to happen next, I was knocked over by the owner
grabbing for the goat and saying "no, NO Oreo".  we both laughed nervously,
and I picked myself up, and he let go of the goat, and looked back at me. 
And the Goat trotted past him, stood up on its hind legs, cocked its head
again,and I retreated FAST.  Maybe it was the ice ax or whatever.  But as
much as I like goats, I decided that I would just as soon that they are not
on the trail.

I feel the same about dogs.

My niece worked in a park where dogs were charged an entrance fee (Excuse
me little dog, do you have your purse?).  if people and horses have to be
permitted, why not dogs.  Dogs do not read, they do not know about Leave No
Trace, in fact they leave a lot of trace around. 

Peace
Goforth

----------
> From: Kevin Corcoran <kevin@hughes.net>
> To: pct-l@backcountry.net
> Subject: [pct-l] Non-Canine Buddy
> Date: Saturday, January 30, 1999 6:35 PM
> 
> 	PCTA members probably saw in the Nov/Dec PCTA Communicator the
> story of Sandra Johnson, who hikes with a goat.  (No, I'm not making this
> up)
> 	A 1991 PCT thruhiker herself, she got it from a guy in WY that
> raises, trains, 'rents' and sells them just for packing.  It carries up
to
> 20 lbs of gear, doesn't need to take its food along (they can eat and
> process anything, kind of like thruhikers ;-), it needs no trailer to get
> to TH's,  is well-behaved, and can negotiate blowdowns with ease.  It
even
> has its own little tent to sleep in at night. As far as access is
> concerned, I expect that a goat could be allowed anywhere a horse is
> allowed, and that's the entire PCT. They need to be led by a leash in
some
> areas to abide by rules, NP's I'd expect....
> 	I ran into the pair on the PCT last July and paused to find out
> about this woman hiking with a goat.  She was writing some trailguides
and
> the goat helped carry the journals.  The goat was sure a cute little
> thing....Sandra told how that with the extra capacity, resupplying can be
> less frequent. While we talked the goat was very well-mannered.  When
they
> headed down the trail it hopped a big blown-down tree and made it look
> easy, then climbed up and over some big dumb El Nino snowdrifts.
> 
> Kevin Corcoran
> 
> 
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