Daks Q on doggable trail

[una_dogger]

Hey All,
I'm interested in hiking Basin and Saddleback Mntns in the Daks. Can anyone tell me if the trail is doggable?? Any big ladders? If so, are they in exposed areas or could an agile dog make their way around them?
Thanks,
Sabrina

 

[Doc McPeak]

There's one ladder on the Haystack side of Basin. Most trail dogs can work around it, but it is straight up a cliff face. If doing Saddleback second, work your way around the cliffs toward the south and the dog should be able to scurry through the scrub to the top. That loop can be a tough one for dogs, but my friend's Karelian BD breezed through it. We went S to B on that one.

 

[una_dogger]

Thanks, Doc

Great detail, thanks Doc. She's easy to lift at a lithe 45 pounds so the outcrops should be OK.
This sounds like a trip that I shouldn't plan on solo, eh?

We did about 17 miles or so thursday and she fared well. Slept all day today between chewing breaks on a marrow bone.

 

[Doc McPeak]

From your pics, she looks game for it.

I did this last year for my solo round and saw two people at Slant Rock and never saw another soul until I returned to JBL. The rain the day before was supposed to blow out, but Basin has a way of keeping clouds around for company. Nice views of Haystack from Shorey, then climbed the steep ledges into the Basin cloudbank, and drizzle zone. Very cool in that atmosphere but kept me on my toes the whole trip. Visibilty dropped very low at times with slippery footing. Heard voices on the backside of Basin from atop Saddleback, from people who left a note in the register: "looked down at those slippery cliffs and turned around." I went to the right (south) of the cliffs and had a very sketchy haul up the last pitch. I wouldn't advise solo in the rain...

 

[Rivet]

I just did this loop today with my beagle. He did not want to go up the ladder on Basin so I had to hold him with one arm and climb with the other.
I had to lift him to start the climb on Saddleback (the first two ledges). But then we bushwacked South around the steep/near vertical part (there is a distinct herd path that skirts around). He needed one more boost before we reached the top. Wew!
I would imagine this would be more difficult with a heavier dog. I've heard of people using a harness and rope to hoist the dog up.

 

[una_dogger]

I just did this loop today with my beagle. He did not want to go up the ladder on Basin so I had to hold him with one arm and climb with the other.
I had to lift him to start the climb on Saddleback (the first two ledges). But then we bushwacked South around the steep/near vertical part (there is a distinct herd path that skirts around). He needed one more boost before we reached the top. Wew!
I would imagine this would be more difficult with a heavier dog. I've heard of people using a harness and rope to hoist the dog up.

Hey Rivet:
Thanks for the advice. I've seen people use a peice of canvas with handles to hoist a small dog, such as a beagle; they look like those fabric firewood carriers. My dog wieghs in at 45 pounds but is very still when lifted so that makes my life alot easier!
Sounds like you had a great hike!

 

[wayward son]

Years ago in the early '90's, me and my little buddy Alex, hiked Saddleback and Basin and then returned back over Saddleback on our return to the garden. Alex, like your dog, weighed about 43-45 pounds. He was a very lively and adventuresome Siberian husky/Border collie mix,with energy to spare. He handled Saddleback's cliffs with no problem, but he was also a very experienced and confident hiker. Of course, this was before high peak leash regulations, when dogs could hike freely. I can't imagine descending those peaks with a leashed dog. In any event, have fun! P.S. thanks for bringing back a lot of great memories I shared with my good friend!

 

[una_dogger]

I can't imagine descending those peaks with a leashed dog. In any event, have fun! P.S. thanks for bringing back a lot of great memories I shared with my good friend!

Its actually not to difficult in most situation; I use skiijoring gear with internal bungee and quick release (never had to use it) and if we need more space I'll attach a 16 ft flexi to her harness. I also trained her to stay behind me and wait when I ask using verbal commands and occasionally my hiking staff as a gentle body block. I was determined not to have my little buddy shut out of leash restricted areas so we've worked it out. But I have owned much larger dogs in the past where this would have been a real challenge.

Sounds like a great trip down memory lane!

Sabrina

 

[wayward son]

Please excuse my ignorance, but could you explain what "skiijoring gear with internal bungee and quick release) actually is? I took my 18 month old puppy(90lbs. of EXTREMELY energetic rott/english mastiff mix) on a hike up Goodnow mt. in July. Due to the leash regulations there I used a flexi leash. Going uphill presented no problem, as she goes at a casual pace (more interested in sniffing all the smells). Coming down was quite different, as she pulled like a bat out of hell. Goodnow's steepness is very moderate, especially when compared to the high peaks. This is the major reason I haven't taken her up there with me yet. Maybe your set-up just might be the ticket. And yes, she did have a course of obidience training. Perhaps I'm the one who needs a refresher session.

 

[wolftone]

skijor

Please excuse my ignorance, but could you explain what "skiijoring gear with internal bungee and quick release) actually is?

It's like dogsledding on cross-country skis. A harness for you, a harness for your dog, and a partially elastic line between. I hear it was developed by ski-crazy norwegians who went to alaska to prospect for gold.

http://www.blackicedogsledding.com/page10.html

I use the same rig for my dog in leash-required areas. It works pretty well and leaves your hands free unlike a retractable leash.

Unfortunately, I've been unable to train my dog to actually PULL me along on the harness. I guess she's not a natural sled dog. (But she does heel pretty well.)

-k

 

[wayward son]

Thanks Una dogger and Wolftone. Lots of useful information. Your insightful and knowledgeable responses are typical of the help attainable on this site. It's fantastic to see other members enthusiastically share and provide info, along with their own outdoor experiences. In fact, these are the major reasons I joined VFTT. Perhaps someday I'll see some of you folks on the trail. In the meantime, everyone have a wonderful day! 1

 

[una_dogger]

Hey Now!
I use a musher's belt, guard harness, eight foot tug line all from www.howlingdogalaska.com. I love having my hands free, and Terra is so much happier to be connected by a harness than by a neck collar. I used to use a jogging set up but then my friends in Colorado turned me onto skijjoring gear. I love it! The bungee is awesome because it eliminates any jolts. The quick release where the tug line attaches to my belt, whcih is padded but no so thickly so it fits under my backpack hipbelt comfortably. In the high peaks I'll use a 16 ft flexi for crazy ascents/descents; but in other areas where there aren't leash restrictions, I'll let her off so we aren't shortroping in tricky spots, and put her back on when the grade/terrain eases. I actually really like this set up, my last dog died from a rattlesnake bite 1 mile into my Long Trail backpack just outside of Jonesville. What a horrible way to start a 100 mile backpack, which I finished, crying for about the first fifty miles. After that experience, I feel this is a much safer way to backpack/hike with a dog.

I trained a "hike" command for forward and a "wait" command for stopping. She learned pretty quickly to be out in front of me and she keeps a bit of slack at all times. I have seen the line go in between her legs and then a step later she actually skips out of it. Smart dog! Also, pretty much Terra will now stop at every downhill and wait for me to come along side and she'll stay behind me as I negotiate over rocks, etc. Its amazing how a good working dog will learn the job and her awareness of her space and her politeness is really nice. She's a nice dog, and she loves this job. I also like that she's protective, but will turn it off if I say "that'll do".
Sometimes I use my hiking staff to keep her back, especially when we are getting ready to pass someone who's apprehensive about dogs, which nearly always causes her to let out a bark or two.

Wayward Son,I'd get a handle on that pulling first. For a tethered dog you need control, especially with a big dog where you could potentially get hurt if you were tethered and he bolted. Have you tried a halti or other training collar?? Also, I use our flexi pretty sparingly. I have personally gotten some REALLY nasty whip burn rubs on the backs of my knees from a dog who was wild on a flexi. Flexis are great, but they take some finesse to use when you are hiking with more than one person.