Laci French

14ers with my dogs

24 posts in this topic

 
The weather is so beautiful I am itching to get out and conquer 14ers with my dogs. Looking for recommendations on where to start. 
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Longs Peak is a good place to start. Dogs sometimes can be an issue in Parks.

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Thank you!  Anyone have personal experience with taking dogs?

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1 hour ago, wglide2003 said:

Longs Peak is a good place to start. Dogs sometimes can be an issue in Parks.

Sorry to  disagree but Longs Peak is a SOB even if you are an experienced hiker.

It will be weeks before I would attempt to hike a 14er.

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28 minutes ago, Laci French said:

Thank you!  Anyone have personal experience with taking dogs?

Way back in 2000, I did Blanca and my friend brought his dog. Longs can be pretty challenging. The collegiate peaks are pretty easy. Get yourself the Colorado 14er guide. It rates them all on difficulty, distance etc and has suggestions on dogs.

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I went and it was beautiful!!! I only brought 2 bottles of water. Big Mistake! My hound drank them with in the first 2 hours of our hike and we ended up closing in early as I had  no idea how challenging some of the trails are!! Definetly have a game plan ;) and that 14'r hike guide. I totally went in blind, had fun but it could have been better..  Have fun gorgeous!!!

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1 hour ago, Laci French said:

Thank you!  Anyone have personal experience with taking dogs?

What goes in the park, must come out.💩.  Ha

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My dogs have packs to carry their own water and even hiking sandals😂

And Audrey I swear I will die with dog poo bags in my pocket.😂

I was hoping for more personal experience recommendations, but I will keep everyone posted.

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I climbed six 14er's last Summer. Bierstadt, Quandry, Grays, Torres, Democrat, and Lincoln. On every Mountain, I encountered dogs :-). I climb the easier ones though.  I agree about waiting 2-4 weeks before climbing. You want to Summit and come back down by noon, to avoid the lightening in the afternoons. That makes start time very early morning. The rocks frequently have frost on them even in July.  If you want to start now, get microspikes :-)

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Square top mountain is just on the other side of bierdstadt. It's not quite 14 but 13,800, so close enough. It's very dog friendly and not as crowded. It's a very challenging hike with a couple of lakes along the way. Just a suggestion. And yes, I've taken my dogs too. 

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Longs Peak has lots of snow on it right now- I was up there over the weekend.

As for dogs on 14ers- Pros and Cons.

Here is 1 big con that made me think about leaving my dog home: If your dog gets hurt- can you ...

A: Carry him/her out on your back ?

B: Be willing to stay till help comes or be willing to leave them alone while you seek help ?

I took my dog everywhere hiking with me- But this is where I didn't take them. For me the risk was too high. I had some hikes where I had to abandon my route because my dog could not climb the vertical rocks. Sucks to be almost to the top and have to turn around.

However I have seen plenty of dogs that make the hike with no problem.  So its really up to you and how fit your dog is.

 

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7 hours ago, inkspot said:

Sorry to  disagree but Longs Peak is a SOB even if you are an experienced hiker.

It will be weeks before I would attempt to hike a 14er.

I guess it would depend on your experience, fitness level, etc.  I think Longs is fun, climbed in for the first time in Boy Scouts, have been back several times - compared to other mountains, it's not so bad.

HOWEVER, I would never take a dog along - the scree field alone would freak a dog out, much less the summit.  Also, I think the sharpness of the rocks would be tough on doggie feet.  I think you would want to stick to basic walk-ups with puppies: like Grays and Torres (easy to get two of them in one day).

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12 hours ago, Laci French said:
 
The weather is so beautiful I am itching to get out and conquer 14ers with my dogs. Looking for recommendations on where to start. 

I'm not sure about bringing the dogs but you can climb it twice and we'll call it 14!  :D

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Leaving my boys would never be an option. I will be going in a few weeks and a friend already told me he will come rescue my crew if needed. 

Thanks for all the suggestions and I can't wait to go on these adventures.  

Boink, I'm waiting patiently to climb your mountain.😉

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Laci- Shoot me a PM if you want a hiking partner- No strings just a hiking partner. I need a day off from the office

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3 hours ago, Mr Purple said:

Laci- Shoot me a PM if you want a hiking partner- No strings just a hiking partner. I need a day off from the office

I'm totally in but you must love shepherds and can you hike in lunch?😉

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Lots of 14'ers by me. No issues with dogs. Lots of snow still on most of them. Let me know if you're still looking to hike later this summer.

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When I read the title, I was shocked, .......then I read the responses and realized you were talking about mountains.  :)

 

Edited by mustang
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My dog and I have done long's and the collegiate peaks when she was younger.  she is 8 now and I think I would be too difficult for her even though she is still agile.  This time of year is more dangerous due to the ice and snow that still abounds.  Even though it is very tempting to do the higher peaks,  get them acclimated to doing long hikes.  Like us they need to warm up.  There are plenty of nice longer hikes that aren't as strenous near boulder and nederland.  I live in wyoming and there are great hikes in the mountains around laramie and the snowy range.  Have a nice season!

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On 5/25/2017 at 7:30 AM, Laci French said:
 
The weather is so beautiful I am itching to get out and conquer 14ers with my dogs. Looking for recommendations on where to start. 

I think, start with little doggie booties. They will love to climb, but will wear their little pads out pretty quickly. 

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