Dog on Caps Ridge

[sierra]

I've done the Caps ridge maybe a half dozen times, but now I hike with my Aussie Buddy. He can scramble like mad and I use our leash system to " belay" him on some steep stuff to be safe. My question is, does anyone who hikes with a dog have experience with those ledges and the dogs pads? I know he can climb them, I just dont want to tear up his pads. If the answer is yes, I'll take the Jewell. Thanks.

 

[Hillwalker]

There is one pretty high ledge close to the start and not long after leaving the Potholes where my big Labs needed a boost. After that, no problems. Seems like on the north and northeast facing rocks and rock faces the environment has eroded something off the surface so that rock feels like razor blades to the hand. Pretty sure that it would be hard on the old pads. After discovering that, I generally kept my dogs on the smoother south and west facing sides of the Presis during the several years of hiking with them in the 80s and 90s. .

 

[sierra]

There is one pretty high ledge close to the start and not long after leaving the Potholes where my big Labs needed a boost. After that, no problems. Seems like on the north and northeast facing rocks and rock faces the environment has eroded something off the surface so that rock feels like razor blades to the hand. Pretty sure that it would be hard on the old pads. After discovering that, I generally kept my dogs on the smoother south and west facing sides of the Presis during the several years of hiking with them in the 80s and 90s. .

Hey thanks, thats great info and I know the ledge you are talking about. I too sometimes pick up my dog and push him up the high steps if needed.

 

[Driver8]

You might considering going up Caps, Sierra, and coming down Jewell. Some ppl use those dog booties to protect their paws - I don't have a dog, but others might chime in on that.

 

[sierra]

You might considering going up Caps, Sierra, and coming down Jewell. Some ppl use those dog booties to protect their paws - I don't have a dog, but others might chime in on that.

The Jewell would mean to much elevation lost. As far as booties go, yes for some dogs they work quite well. As for my dog, his feet are his greatest asset, to cover them would only hurt him. His feet are big and his nails are incredible for climbing. As a herding dog his feet are basically made to perform outside.

 

[TJsName]

A buddy of mine used to take his standard poodles up and down it. There is that one section where the might need a boost going up, but a lot of good scrambling dogs can find their own ways up and down, so I am willing to bet you'll be fine.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

So... on this very subject...

What trails, in the experience of dog owners (specifically), are you unwilling to take your dog up? Huntington? Great Gulf? Tripyramid Slides?

Gryffin has done Flume Slide, albeit with bypasses, and Owl's Head (twice, and yesterday he did much better than last summer.)

Tim

 

[sierra]

Tim, thats a great question and I would love to hear other responses to this. My criteria to this point is any spot where my dog could take a fall. The only trail so far, that I have turned around on with my dog, believe it or not is the Hi-Cannon trail. At the time we reached the ladder, it was early winter with a minimal snowpack and the ladders rungs were covered in ice as was the exit ledge at the top of the ladder. I left my dog at the bottem to "scout out" the ladder and deamed it to dangerous, a fall from either the ladder or the exit ledge would have been bad as there is a bad gully to the left of the ladder. We ran into the same conditions on the Willey ladders, but those are really steps, not rungs. On that climb I fixed my dog to me with webbing and we climbed the ladders together so he could not fall.The Great Gulf? he could do it, the Tri slides he has done, Huntington, nah thats not for us, he could climb the slab, but the class three above it, I wouldnt try. I will never put him in fall danger on any route.

 

[HIGHKN]

I took my dog up the Cap Ridge last year and she was fine. There were 2 spots where she need me to lift her on the way up, but she was fine all by herself on the way down.

 

[yogi]

Tucker (my Aussie, 45-50lbs) also had no issues on Caps, although there was one spot where he needed to get his courage up and made a couple runs at it. We went up Caps to Jefferson, over Clay, down Jewell and then Boundary and Jefferson Notch road walk. His pads were fine but we were both a little stiff the next morning.

 

[Snowflea]

While I do not have a dog companion now, my previous dogs Sam and Jackson were seasoned, though nonwinter, peakbaggers. Generally I shied away from doing slide trails, scrambles, and endless rough rock with them. We climbed each of the northern Presies individually, for example.

I have witnessed dogs in distress in Mahoosuc Notch, on North Tri Slide, Flume Slide, Hi-Cannon, Caps Ridge, and thru hiking the AT (in fact, I never saw a thru-hiking dog that didn't appear utterly exhausted).

Key is knowing your own dog and his/her abilities. Even still, to quote a wise friend "Even though you CAN doesn't mean you SHOULD."

 

[dug]

We didn't find the Caps difficult, but the only time we had pad problems was on the summit rocks in and around Jefferson. They got tore up pretty bad...damn dog never complained and I felt awful about it. I would do booties in the Presi's, and slacked that day.

I never went up Huntington's, but I can't think of any other trail that she didn't find a way to get by. A few times (like near the top of Whiteface, and Bondcliff) I would spend the 2-hour approach thinking about how I was going to get her up, and then when I'd get there, she'd be standing on it. I found she'd circle around as far as she needed to, and then come back. Obviously, that doesn't work everywhere. Coming down via the ladders on Hi-Cannon we had to harness her and lower her down. One person on the top, passed her to me in the middle, who tried to pass her down to someone at the bottom. Basically, it ended up being a fall where I slowed her pace down in the middle. That was the only touchy spot we encountered. Flume, Owl's Head, and North Trypyramid she was able to basically run up.

Flooded streams worried me more than the steeps overall.

 

[John in NH]

Sticking with Sierra's original question, I would say the concern would definitely be for the dogs pads. One time hiking the Caps Ridge Trail I saw bloody dog footprints the whole way down from the summit area over all the rocks until the trail got back to treeline. Every step that dog took left a full sized, full coverage bloody print. I felt bad just seeing it, and I am not a dog owner or lover. The rocks above the big scramble to the summit seem especially sharp.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

For the record, I am exceptionally cautious with Gryffin. I made the mistake (once, and only once) of not checking pads every mile or so, and learned that the ledges on a well-publicized "easy hike", Welch-Dickey, are very rough, especially when a dog goes out and runs back and stops short. I, too, have seen bloody prints in the presidential range. He's done Adams+Madison together and Monroe+Washington+Clay+Jefferson and been perfectly fine. Like dug's experience above, he was waiting for all of us atop the ledges on Whiteface (as he does on many other trails.) Willey's stairs - no problem, Twinway near Zealand - no problem. He's never attempted a true ladder like Six Husbands or Hi Cannon, and I don't know that I'd ever ask him to try. He is known to whine when he's unhappy, or pick up his paws when they are irritated (ala road salt in winter). His tail is always up/out and wagging.

Tim

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

Lauky went up and down Caps Ridge at least four times before we moved from the area. He never had any problems either going up or down. I always carry his booties in my pack but have never had to put them on him. I never took Lauky up Huntington Ravine, but did do it with my Airedale Duffy. The only difficult part was the chimney near the top. He did need help getting up through there. It took some pushing and pulling. It would have been much easier with Lauky as he is much smaller. I would suggest always having the booties handy in case they are needed. If a dog risks wearing down his pads in rough terrain by running and stopping, putting him on a leash while while in those areas is perhaps another way of protecting the pads.

 

[sierra]

Sticking with Sierra's original question, I would say the concern would definitely be for the dogs pads. One time hiking the Caps Ridge Trail I saw bloody dog footprints the whole way down from the summit area over all the rocks until the trail got back to treeline. Every step that dog took left a full sized, full coverage bloody print. I felt bad just seeing it, and I am not a dog owner or lover. The rocks above the big scramble to the summit seem especially sharp.

Correct, that is my concern. I think I'm going to look into booties, only to use in the event he tears a pad. Technically, I know he can climb the Caps.

 

[Lost Dad]

Take a look at Pawz brand. They are a simple rubber boot, biodegradable if lost. They are sold in pks of 12. They are the thinnest version of a boot and our dog is happiest in these as there is still some "feel" of the ground underneath. Further, on long days, I think that there is a good chance for the upper part of the heavier boots to cause irritation on the dogs leg if not careful. We pack both the Pawz brand and a heavier boot just in case.
BTW, we have never had a problem with pads and I believe that a part of the reason that we do not have trouble is that we walk about an hour each day on pavement and I am sure that the pavement helps toughen up the pads. I also like Ed's thought, that off leash dogs that are excitable might benefit from a leash to possibly minimize some of the harsh starts & stops.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

My Golden shreds Pawz. They are "OK" in deep powder if there is no contact with rock or ice, but once the claws go to work, they are history. I want to like them. I really do, but in reality, they aren't helpful for any length of time.

Tim

 

[sierra]

My Golden shreds Pawz. They are "OK" in deep powder if there is no contact with rock or ice, but once the claws go to work, they are history. I want to like them. I really do, but in reality, they aren't helpful for any length of time.

Tim

I suspect, I would have the same result. We do 20+ road miles weekly and Buds nails are like razors.

 

[peakbagger]

I am not sure if every dog will ever develop hard enough pads to avoid abrading them off in sharp rocks. Having met thruhikers with dogs who started in GA who had no problem until the North Presis I guess some dogs are just more prone to this issue than others.