Tuesday, January 30, 2007

And Now for a Contribution from the Mutts

Here's a photo of my dog Junior, relaxing at the Nantahela Outdoor Center in Tennessee after a long day's walk on the Appalachian Trail.

3 comments:

a bone to pick said...

Excellent photo! Do you find many dogs hiking with their owners on the AT? Are there rules and restrictions about bringing dogs or is it just up to the owner to be responsible and considerate?

Jim said...

Dogs are allowed on the A.T. everywhere except Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the south and Baxter State Park in Maine. Some other parks, like Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, require that dogs be leashed.

I hiked the A.T. in 1998, and that year I can remember perhaps a half dozen other dogs on the trail.

It's a good idea to be considerate of other users of the A.T., because even people who like dogs don't particularly want a wet, muddy dog on top of their sleeping bag.

Angus Vannoy said...

If hiking with a Husky one must be aware of 2 things:
1) Penchant for (and ability) to catch and kill fawns in Shenandoah National Park and
2) Ability to 'catch' porcupines in Vermont.

The above lessons were learned by Mighty Wind in 1998.