Hiking With Dogs in the Colorado Mountains

Before every summer hiking season, I think back to that beautiful, cloudless blue sky July day when my husband Dave and I decided to climb Humboldt Peak, an easy 14,000-foot mountain in the Sangre de Cristo Range in Southern Colorado. The climb was our first hike of the year.

At about 13,000 feet, Dave turned to me and asked how I was doing.

“Okay,” I replied. “And you?”

“The same. Are you absolutely sure you don’t want to turn around?” I thought for a second as we stood on tundra and sipped some water.

“Yes,” but I didn’t add my reason. I assumed that if we didn’t summit that he’d want to try again the next day. That I wasn’t going to do! So we plodded on until we reached the summit. Hours later, we limped into camp on wobbly legs and very sore, blistered feet, and fell into our tent that we’d pitched earlier that day.

Fortunately, we’d left our Labradors at home with our house sitter so they hadn’t also suffered from being out of shape. But we wasted the next day by just limping around and soaking our feet in the nearby creek. Not a good way to start a dream hiking vacation.

With that experience forever ingrained in our brains, we now always condition ourselves and our dogs gradually, especially if we didn’t exercise much over the winter. It’s one matter to abuse our own bodies but another to hurt our furry friends.

How much conditioning do canines need before a high altitude hike? That depends of course on where you live, Fido’s condition, and your planned adventure. Although we hike with Layla and Ranger during the winter in Arizona, that’s no substitute for hiking with us as we snowshoe at elevation in Colorado. Even if your dog jogs with you or plays ball at sea level, he needs conditioning and acclimation to higher altitudes before mountain hikes.

Ask yourself a few questions before setting out with Fido to hike in the Colorado mountains:

• Is your furry friend a couch potato? If so, condition Fido before taking him on an eight-mile hike or expect some repercussions: sore or even cut feet and aching muscles. High altitude takes its toll on lungs, legs and feet, so gradually work up to longer and higher elevation hikes.
• Is your dog in the proper weight? A slimmer dog means more energy and less weight on his joints and feet.
• Is Fido current on his vaccinations, including leptospirosis which many Colorado veterinarians now recommend? Is he on heartworm preventative medication? The wet spring has brought out mosquitoes, known heartworm carriers, in force, even at higher elevations.
• Is the hike suitable for your furry friend? The terrain may be too rocky with sheer drop offs or the trail too hard on canine feet which also need conditioning, especially if they are only accustomed to grass and carpet. Humans wear boots for a reason!
• Is the length of the hike appropriate for Fido? Shorter ones are better for puppies and probably for most older dogs. For additional considerations on whether to take a puppy up a 14er, read my post: https://www.caryunkelbach.com/climbing-colorados-14ers-with-dogs/

Once Fido (and hopefully you) are in shape, make sure you pack a few essentials:

• Plenty of water for Fido (and you);
• a collapsible water dish for canines;
• plenty of dog snacks;
• a goo called Mushers Secret to apply before or during the hike, as necessary, to protect paws from harsh footing including rocks (Mushers Secret really seems to help Layla’s aging paws on any hard packed surfaces);
• booties in case Fido cuts or otherwise hurts his paws; and
• a leash.

Then pick an appropriate hike: For summer hikes, look for water sources, such as creeks and lakes, for Fido to cool off in as well as shade for the afternoon trip back to the trailhead.

A couple other considerations:

• If Fido carries a pack, practice with him carrying it in the backyard or neighborhood to assure the fit is comfortable and won’t rub off in the brush. That practice session may leave your rations intact. Years ago, my Lab Whiskey emerged from dense thickets along a creek without his pack which contained his and another canine’s dinner and breakfast. We never found the pack, so shared our human food in smaller than anticipated portions!

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  It can be tricky to hike with  a dog on a leash if you use trekking poles. Again, practice in the backyard or around the neighborhood to make sure that sure you can walk with trekking poles while controlling Fido on a leash. Keeping in sync is essential unless you enjoy face plants. I hike with two trekking poles and Layla on a ten-foot cotton leash. Six-feet seems too short but the slightly longer leash length allows her to trot as I walk. I taught her a couple of handy commands: “easy,” to slow her down, and “halt” or “wait” to stop her as necessary when we maneuver over rocks or down steep slopes. She runs free when we cross streams so that I avoid an unexpected dip!

Two final thoughts. Don’t let your canine chase wildlife and respect fellow hikers. That means keeping your dog on a leash or under strict voice control. Remember that not all people like dogs and some are afraid. Have fun hiking in Colorado’s beautiful high country!