Spring Break for Dogs

“Will the dogs think that the sand is snow?” I asked my husband Dave.

We were on our spring break at White Sands National Monument in southern New Mexico. Years before, our Labrador Retriever Taz tried to eat the sand at the Great Sand Dunes National Park in our home state of Colorado. That sand was brown. This was so white that it could be easily mistaken for snow. And Ranger and Auntie Layla love snow.

“We’ll soon find out,” Dave responded.

We planned to hike a five-mile loop trail marked by about four-foot high, red posts. The visitor center’s ranger cautioned us to make sure that we saw the next post before leaving one behind. “There are lots of ups and downs,” she said.

An hour later, our thighs told us that she was absolutely correct!

This was our final day of our week-long vacation. The four of us, including Auntie Layla and Ranger, had never been to the White Sands National Monument located about fifty miles northeast of Las Cruces. It’s quite the sight: rolling white dunes dotted with an occasional green bush.

According to the monument’s literature, the Permian Sea retreated millions of years ago, and left behind deep layers of gypsum. Mountains formed and glacial melting waters dissolved the mineral, carrying it back to the basin. Now wind and rains breaks down the mineral until it turns to sand. Strong southwest winds create the dunes.

We knew that dogs were allowed on the White Sands’ trails. In forty-degree temperatures under drizzly skies, we set out on the Alkali Flat Trail. Just as the ranger had warned, we hiked up and down dunes, with the south-facing slopes giving us a workout as we trudged up very loose sand to the crest of dunes. From there, we looked for another red post, sometimes spotting several on the horizon. Off we went, glissading down the dunes, ranging from forty to a hundred feet, to the bottom where a wide gully of hard-packed sand led to another dune. Then, we’d climb up again, towards the next post, often following the footprints of another human and dog.

Ranger darted up and down the dunes while Auntie Layla took more time descending but soon seemed to enjoyed glissading. Fortunately, they never tried to roll or eat the sand. Both drank plenty of water carried by their human servants and chomped down biscuits as Dave and I ate lunch. Soon after, we met a group of three persons, the only other humans we encountered on our hike.

The skies cleared and temperatures rose into the fifties and then peaked in the mid-sixties. But, fortunately, the sand remained cool to our canines’ paws as we hiked across the Alkali Flats, and then ascended the harder packed north-facing dunes.

Humans and dogs appeared as we approached the trailhead. Several adults and children sledded on saucers down the dunes before climbing up again for another run.

The hike was the highlight of our trip. That said, southern New Mexico offers varied hikes for humans and dogs.

For our vacation, I packed standard dog supplies in our travel trailer to prepare for both the expected and unexpected. Here’s our checklist:

• Dog food (kibble, canned meat and assortment of biscuits) as well as canned pumpkin, yogurt and canned meat, all part of our dogs’ standard diet;
• vitamins and other supplements such as Cosequin DS, salmon oil etc.;
• dog dishes, including one for water inside the trailer;

  

• lots of dog towels;
• shampoo;
• dry shampoo;
• eye and ear medications;
• other medications including metronidazole (antibiotic tablets) ;
• a few cans of ID (Invalid Diet);
• a brush;
• toys;
• dog beds;
• emergency kit: cotton balls and swabs, bandages, scissors, tape, antibiotic cream, and socks to protect a bandaged foot;
• collapsible hiking bowl for hiking; and
• booties to take hiking in case of an emergency.

We also applied Frontline Plus to both dogs before we left because our vet had cautioned us that bubonic plague, transmitted by fleas, could be an issue in southern New Mexico.

The day prior to the White Sands excursion, we hiked among ponderosa pines in the Lincoln National Forest outside of Ruidoso. High winds with gusts of fifty miles an hour had been predicted, so we decided against visiting the White Sands that day and instead, searched for a more protected hiking area. We chose a five-mile loop hike up a stream to a ridge which we followed until we descended to the trailhead. The stream turned into mostly a muddy hole which Ranger relished, and the ridge offered some views of dust laden valleys. But we didn’t see another creature – human or otherwise on the trail.

The dogs’ favorite hike was in the Gila National Forest, on the western side of the Rio Grande River and west of Truth or Consequences. We’d planned to hike the Black Range Crest Trail, located partially in a huge burn area, but strong winds and temperatures in the low forties persuaded us to find a lower elevation hike, a bit closer to Silver City.

What a treat for the dogs! They splashed and stayed cool in the stream along the trail. Although they never tired of the creek crossings along the Railroad Canyon trail, their human servants did. After about three miles, we turned around and counted the stream crossings as we returned to the trailhead. Thirty-seven, one way! No wonder us humans were tired of working on balance issues each time we crossed the creek- a total of seventy-four times! Other animals frequented the trail too, and the dogs loved the goodies that they left behind. Fortunately, I’d packed metronidazole which both had that night.

An hour-plus after returning to the trailhead, we were back at our trailer in the Elephant Butte State Park, just north of Truth and Consequences. The park offered several camping areas including some with spots overlooking its vast reservoir but far enough away that our Labradors wouldn’t dash down to its shores. Dunes rose up behind us providing an excellent location to exercise the dogs.

It’s a great campground for humans and canines: very clean, inexpensive ($14 for an electrical hookup and that sum included an entrance fee) and plenty of space to walk or run dogs. Layla and Ranger loved galloping along the beach and swimming in the reservoir. Fortunately, our trailer has an outside shower attachment, so both dogs had baths to rinse off plenty of sandy grime.

The trip was perfect for humans and canines. We all enjoy exploring new areas.

Next year, consider a winter-early spring trip to southern New Mexico with your furry friends to enjoy diverse and beautiful landscapes as well as peace and solitude. Happy travels!