Advice for 1000 Island hike

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rlown
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Re: Advice for 1000 Island hike

Post by rlown »

so, just curious. What pack does she have?
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hikerduane
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Re: Advice for 1000 Island hike

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If your dog isn't responsive to calls, a good idea to keep her on leash. Not all wilderness areas require a dog to be leashed. You will enjoy the scenery from the High Trail, you'll be looking all the time. Garnet Lake is gorgeous. I wait until Oct . for trips, you'll average a person a day for a week long trip, most may be all in one day. Have fun. Don't trust the bears at Thousand Island. An alternative to staying in a motel, camp out along the Mammoth Scenic highway, beyond the no camping signs, but by Sept. it will be getting cool again with shorter days, so a motel is a good way to stay warm and get an early start. Check to see which restaurants open early for breakfast.
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rlown
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Re: Advice for 1000 Island hike

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hikerduane wrote:If your dog isn't responsive to calls, a good idea to keep her on leash.
um, dogs are dogs. they're actually happier off leash. critters are, yes, a problem, but not for other hikers. For me, i keep the dog on leash until it's "safe." that's my choice based on my dog. Leash just makes the dog crazy, and you won't have any fun.
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Jedi5150
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Re: Advice for 1000 Island hike

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rlown wrote:so, just curious. What pack does she have?
None yet actually, but I do have one picked out. I'll order it next payday. It is a MOLLE style nylon harness from Signature K9. Here is a link to it:

http://www.signaturek9.com/Store/Nylon- ... ty-Harness" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The advantage of MOLLE systems (I've been using them on my tactical vests and backpacks for years) is that you can pick the right sized and shaped pouches for the mission. This harness is not too heavy, and doesn't cover a large surface area or have too much padding (all of which can make her hotter). My wife has a big, thickly padded harness for her with big pouches on it. She doesn't care for it. I have a tracking harness that is very similar in size and fit to this Signature K9 harness and she doesn't pay any attention to it...she's very comfortable with it and used to the feel. So this new harness will be basically the same thing but with removable pouches.

Duane, thanks for the tips. I think I am going to try for a hotel the night before I start just to get a good shower and sleep and start off freash for day 1.
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maverick
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Re: Advice for 1000 Island hike

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Iceberg Lake is pretty when it has iceberg's floating in it though by September who
knows, but then again it is a mid to high snow year.
To me the prettiest lakes in the region are 1000 Is, Ediza, Minaret Lakes, and Ashley Lake.

1000 Is Lake: http://maverick.zenfolio.com/img/s1/v0/p668504855-5.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Lake Ediza: http://maverick.zenfolio.com/img/s4/v3/p70134455-5.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Minaret Lakes: http://maverick.zenfolio.com/img/s1/v0/p837364968-5.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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hikerduane
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Re: Advice for 1000 Island hike

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My dogs have been great on bp trips while I had them, I have bped a few times with folks whose dogs were uncontrollable, those dogs are the ones that should never be out there or off leash, enjoy your dog, I have lost alot of interest the last few years without a dog along. Dogs being dogs is nice up to a point.
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rlown
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Re: Advice for 1000 Island hike

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hikerduane wrote:My dogs have been great on bp trips while I had them, I have bped a few times with folks whose dogs were uncontrollable, those dogs are the ones that should never be out there or off leash, enjoy your dog, I have lost alot of interest the last few years without a dog along. Dogs being dogs is nice up to a point.
Yeah. It's pretty true. Samantha is always better off leash. I would take her on a BP trip in a minute, other than the overhead of keeping her away from a thrashing trout. Bubba, a jack russell, we would never see again after taken off leash. He doesn't listen, hence he doesn't go.. Sam does.

So, from this discussion, It's probably best to keep your dog in your tent so it can't react to everything that happens outside at night. During the day, the dog will have to stay under voice command, as it would be really tough to keep a dog on leash when hiking. I only compare this to my first time taking Sam out on a duck hunt in the north central valley, and her desire to bolt while i pushed the decoy cart.

I hate constant barking, hence i employ a discretionary dog bark collar. I generally just carry it.. If she sees me take it out, she calms down.

Dogs are very cool on the trail if they're nice and under control. I agree, totally, Duane. Still, they're gonna chase the squirrel, pika, or marmot. just be ready for it.
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hikerduane
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Re: Advice for 1000 Island hike

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Yeah, I try to minimize behavior others would not understand, dogs doing what they naturally do. Most places I go to are not crowded or see a rare sole now and then. That's N CA. The Desolation's, Shasta's, Yosemite's are popular because they have something to offer, I go there if able, then go where few others go and can be freer.
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Jedi5150
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Re: Advice for 1000 Island hike

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She'll definitely be staying inside my tent with me. I don't mean to make it sound like Vixen is uncontrollable, she's actually a very highly trained dog (dual certified in both patrol and narcotics detection), and her obedience is pretty good as well. But the same thing that makes her so trainable (high play and prey drives), also make her take off after small wildlife like a heat seaking missile. :D

I ordered her harness today and will get her started on it as soon as possible to get her accustomed to it. I also ordered a set of booties for emergency use but I plan on working her on rough ground to strengthen the pads as much as possible before the trip.

Incidentally, the guy who I spoke with at Signature K9 told me a great trick for emergency use if dogs develop a cut pad in a remote area. He said you carry a small tube of superglue and a small piece of 500 or 1000 denier cordura nylon (like a pack is made of). If they get a torn pad you hold the pad closed, put superglue on the outside of it, and cut a small section of nylon to "patch" on top of the pad. He said this trick was invented by guys running dogs in the Iditarod.
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Re: Advice for 1000 Island hike

Post by kpeter »

I'm not a dog owner, but was looking into superglue for human cuts and abrasions, and found this interesting information:

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/rea ... in-vietnam" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I would buy the first aid version rather than superglue--since it is closely related but less irritating to the skin. But it sounds like an ingenious solution for dogs with cut pads.
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