Dog Packing on Mt Adams

[peakbagger]

I was up on Adams today and a couple of folks came up to the summit with backpacks and a live dog on the back of one of the backpacks.They had a folded up ridgerest attached to the bottom of the pack acting as a shelf with the dog sitting on the ridge rest laying against the backpack. They also had a strap behind the lower back of the dog. The dog seemed quite happy on a hot day to be riding along. I think I heard them say it was a five year old Samoyed pekinese mix.They had driven 14 hours to get here from where ever they came from and the trails were too rough for the dog so the choice was rig up something to take the dog along or go home. Definitely a initial doubletake as it looked like a stuffed dog.

 

[BISCUT]

Sounds like a kinda look for sure. Musta been a heck of a feeling with that load on your pack.

 

[banjolady]

I was up on Adams today and a couple of folks came up to the summit with backpacks and a live dog on the back of one of the backpacks.They had a folded up ridgerest attached to the bottom of the pack acting as a shelf with the dog sitting on the ridge rest laying against the backpack. They also had a strap behind the lower back of the dog. The dog seemed quite happy on a hot day to be riding along. I think I heard them say it was a five year old Samoyed pekinese mix.They had driven 14 hours to get here from where ever they came from and the trails were too rough for the dog so the choice was rig up something to take the dog along or go home. Definitely a initial doubletake as it looked like a stuffed dog.

how large was the dog? i used to carry a puppy but now. impossible

 

[NHClimber]

Dean Potter used to wing suit fly with his dog. Just sayin'.

 

[peakbagger]

how large was the dog? i used to carry a puppy but now. impossible

I am not great judge of dogs size but its rump was sitting on a ridgerest attached low on the back of the internal frame pack with the end of the dogs snout just behind the owners head. Sort of the size of 10 pound sack of flour, but it was a fluffy dog so how much is fluff and how much is body is a guess. Its front paws were partially wrapped around the sides of the pack on either side. I expect its a rare dog that would be calm enough to stay in this position especially when the owner is rockhopping.

Given the reputation of dogs abrading their pads off on the northern presidentials and the small size of the dog that could easily disappear in a crevice, I expect that they would have been carrying it down with its paws wrapped up if they did not rig this system up. There have been numerous incidents of dogs even thru hiker dogs tearing their pads up on this section (and the eastern side of the Mahoosucs). I think Unadogger (a long term VFTT member) equipped her Aussies with booties when hiking in this area. I saw another large dog coming up that seemed to be favoring its paws. I have encountered blood trails in the past left by dogs with bleeding pads, inevitably catching up with an owner that insists that this has never happened before.

An observation is many dog owners are not aware of potentially severe pad abrasion in the rocky areas of the northern presidentials. They assume that if they have an active hiking dog that the dog will not have issues. Given that thru hiking dogs that have been on the trail since Georgia have had to be carried off the trail in this area on occasion and I have met thruhikers in Gorham that have to take a couple of days of zeros for their dog to recover, it can happen to some dogs despite their conditioning.

 

[JoshandBaron]

An observation is many dog owners are not aware of potentially severe pad abrasion in the rocky areas of the northern presidentials. They assume that if they have an active hiking dog that the dog will not have issues. Given that thru hiking dogs that have been on the trail since Georgia have had to be carried off the trail in this area on occasion and I have met thruhikers in Gorham that have to take a couple of days of zeros for their dog to recover, it can happen to some dogs despite their conditioning.

Truth. Baron didn't technically "finish" his 48 because I had to carry him down Buttress/Great Gulf in the rain after we had summited our final peak. Those talus fields on Buttress were not fun. He has odd-shaped feet so boots don't stay on properly and we had to abandon that idea. He has about $500 worth of them sitting useless in his gear tote.

 

[peakbagger]

I thought at one point the 4K committee either stopped awarding certificates or was considering stopping recognizing canine finishers due to the potential for injuries?. I think it coincided or was after the move out of Joy street for the awards. As an aside I was at a Joy street ceremony where the owner had trained to dog to independently go to the podium to receive his scroll and return to their seat.

I think the school they subsequently used for the award ceremony did not allow pets inside and thus canine awards were handed out after the indoor ceremony out on the steps afterwards so that may have been the source for the no certificates for dogs rumor.

I do agree the Buttress would not be particularly dog friendly as its rare to ever touch soil for the entire length of it. Its just one long rock hop. As I commented in my trail report the Cornice is probably not a paw friendly trail.

 

[NHClimber]

Cornice. Yikes. Agree not dog friendly! Not really people friendly either.

 

[JB]

peakbagger - Were you on Adams at around 1 PM Saturday? I think I saw the same dog, she was so cute. We saw her again as we were leaving the Madison hut but she was walking down the trail at that point.

 

[peakbagger]

Yup, I was part of the large some what spread out crowd along with that annoying drone near the summit. I got up in the morning and picked Jefferson at the last minute and then in the parking lot heard my name and it was some people who I had not seen in a year who invited me on ridge traverse. Hard to beat the weather.

Definitely cute but not a great fit for backpacking the northern presidentials. Hopefully the owners figured out an alternative itinerary.

 

[JB]

The drone was very annoying and flew for much too long.

 

[peakbagger]

No doubt the drone pilot will post a video complaining about the annoying crowds taken from their annoying drone

I was hoping it would swing over Great Gulf and have a malfunction.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

I think (my $0.02) the committee has the dog thing all backwards. The Whites are much more paw friendly in winter. Gryffin's paws would likely not survive a PT in summer but he's done it in winter without the slightest mark on any of his pads.

Tim

 

[dug]

I think (my $0.02) the committee has the dog thing all backwards. The Whites are much more paw friendly in winter. Gryffin's paws would likely not survive a PT in summer but he's done it in winter without the slightest mark on any of his pads.

Tim

Definitely agree with that. While the lost-bootie potential his higher in the winter, the trails are much easier IMO.

I'll never forget the day my dog paid for my forgetfulness around Jefferson....

 

[rbi99]

Reminds me of a hike in the Adirondacks I took years ago. As I was hiking in this guy was wheel barrowing his dog out. I thought maybe the dog had gotten injured and this was his way of getting him out. Instead, it turned out his dog was very old and was his hiking companion for many years. His dog could no longer make the hike on its own, so he did this in order to get one more hike together. I have never forgotten that and was so touched.

 

[Summerset]

The 4K committee still recognizes canine finishers of the 48, but not winter 48 canine finishers. Tim, I believe, takes care of awarding those hardy winter 48 canines.

The Exeter school system does not allow dogs inside their facilities except for service dogs. In recent years at the Exeter High School facility, the canines have been given their awards at a small ceremony outdoors in the courtyard before the regulars awards ceremony indoors.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

The 4K committee still recognizes canine finishers of the 48, but not winter 48 canine finishers. Tim, I believe, takes care of awarding those hardy winter 48 canines.

They will award an any-season patch even if your dog only does them in winter. Their argument is that they are concerned about people taking risks with dogs in winter, whereas my (counter) argument is that for many dogs, winter is far less dangerous. It depends on your dog, breed, etc., but I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that Gryffin prefers winter over summer.

+ kinder to the paws
+ rolling in snow is enormous fun
+ all hydration, all the time
+ can run around to stay warm

- snowballing, but that's on me since I know what weather will cause them


Tim

 

[NHClimber]

Well, funny that this thread is timely. Carry your 150lb St. Bernard out?

https://www.conwaydailysun.com/news...cle_a9bd3f1c-d1ca-11ea-8bd4-5f9b76d56907.html

And that’s the fact, Jack.