Easy 13/12er with dog suggestion

[IHikeLikeAGirl]

Probably asking the impossible, but....
I'm taking my 1 y.o. dog hiking tomorrow and was looking for a relatively short, avy safe, class 1-2 peak to do. Hoping to keep the mileage between 5-8 mi RT.

Are there any peaks you can get close to the TH this time of year? My vet wants me to keep her mileage down until she is 2. Also hoping to keep it down to peaks within 3 hrs of Colorado Springs.

Anyone know if Cordova Pass is open?

[JimR]

Sniktau from Loveland Pass would be pretty easy.

[wildlobo71]

Probably asking the impossible, but....
I'm taking my 1 y.o. dog hiking tomorrow and was looking for a relatively short, avy safe, class 1-2 peak to do. Hoping to keep the mileage between 5-8 mi RT.

Are there any peaks you can get close to the TH this time of year? My vet wants me to keep her mileage down until she is 2. Also hoping to keep it down to peaks within 3 hrs of Colorado Springs.

Anyone know if Cordova Pass is open?

Another relatively easy 13er is Square Top, from Guanella Pass. Once summer rolls around, Mt. Edwards, Argentine Peak, and Wilcox are all very doable from the Waldorf basin.

[Jim Davies]

Peak X (12.4K') from Long Gulch TH is 5 miles, 2350' according to Roach's Lost Creek book. I'm pretty sure you can get to the trailhead (which is right at 10K') this time of year, but the road might be a little snowy; it's about an 80 mile drive from the Springs via Tarryall road, and all paved until the last few miles. The route itself shouldn't have any avalanche problems, but there could be a bit of snow wallowing in the willows around timberline; you also have to be comfortable bushwacking, since although there's a trail I have yet to find the lower part in two visits there. However, the general route is pretty easy to figure out, since you're following a wide drainage up to a ridge. Sniktau definitely is simpler and has fewer snow issues.

[IHikeLikeAGirl]

Thanks everyone, these are great suggestions and all are peaks I haven't done before so, should be a new adventure.

Am I comfortable bushwacking? Is anyone?
I've done my share, but can't always say I enjoy it...especially with snowshoes. :D

[Derek]

I'm pretty sure you can get to the trailhead (which is right at 10K') this time of year

Excellent suggestion for X, however you may have problems with access. Greenhouseguy and I were in the area a while back heading for North Tarryall and Topaz (their trailhead is just beyond the Long Gulch TH for Peak X) and we were stopped MANY miles short of Long Gulch. We were both shocked, as usually that area is quite passable. The road conditions weren't the "maybe we can make it through" type, they were the "No way ANYONE is making it through" type, if you know what I mean.

We had to turn back (an adventure in itself) and ended up with some peaks closer to Tarryall Road.

Conditions may be different now, maybe someone who has been there in the last week or so will chime in...but just thought I'd give a heads up.

--Derek

[IHikeLikeAGirl]

You better take the advice of your veterinarian for your 1 year old dog. Your veterinarian could give you some more information about keeping the mileage between 5-8 mi RT.

100% Agreed.

Sorry. In my quest for brevity, I misrepresented my goals. This year's goals are not necessarily to summit (unless I could find a short enough route, like Sniktau). I wanted info on short, easy, routes to partially test out this year (work out logistics, test dog gear, difficulty for the dog, familiarize myself with the area, etc.) and maybe summit the next. Also wanted some new areas for me and that my partner(s) could go on towards the summit without us having to worry too much or wait around for too many hours. I was going to turn around with the dog after ~2 mi or earlier, depending on difficulty.

Her vet said to keep her daily mileage to 1.5-2 mi, until she's 2, but that an occasional longer hike was ok. She's 15-17 months old now.

I will admit, keeping this dog's mileage down is hard. She has a TON of energy and starts bouncing off the walls if she doesn't feel that she's been exercised enough.... I can't wait until she's 2, she's going to be a great hiking buddy! :D

[Inky6900]

IHikeLikeAGirl,

I don't know what kind of dog you have but the bigger concern might be as your dog gets older. My golden retriever Sawyer is almost 10 years old and I've climbed nearly all the peaks with him. Capitol is the only one we haven't tried although the Little Bear, Mt. Wilson and Snowmass summits were only a stones throw before weather and other issues forced us down. We started climbing 14ers when Soy turned a year old. At 8 though he started to show signs that age was becoming an issue. We still climb but it's not at the mad rush we used to in his hay days. Enjoy the time with your dog and use preventative measures now (as you are doing) to help ensure joint preservation in your dog. It may not be bad to ask your vet about gluco/chond tablets now. Sawyer has many miles on his legs and he takes daily doses of gluco/chond along with a supplement called Ligaplex II for tendons and ligaments. He's on two other supplements but they are not specifically for joints and ligaments.

Also, if you are going to climb with your dog a lot it might not be bad to invest in a memory foam pad now (for home). You can buy them at Walmart or Target for regular human beds and just fold them up into squares on the floor for your dog. It will help your dog as time goes on and offer comfort when or if the dog starts to become a bit arthritic. For camping, don't buy the standard dog bed/pads. Buy an inflatable camping pad (same kind you probably have for yourself). The pad keeps your dog off the cold ground, making it easier on the joints over night and also easier for you to deflate and carry in your pack on the hike in and out.

Josh

[IHikeLikeAGirl]

Thanks for all the great info and tips.

Awesome looking dog, btw!

P.S. My dog is a Chow mix (purple tongue). Up in the air what the other half is, most say German Shepherd. Comes up to my knee at the shoulders and weighs 35-40 lbs. Great dog, very smart, but needs work on the listening aspect.

[sevenvii]

Yeah, I just lost my German Shepherd climbing/hiking buddy last year and now have a 3 mo old Aussy that is going to be my new partner. So I have a long waiting game before he can accompany me on anything more than a short trail hike. I probably took my GSD when he was too young, but I didnt know better and he didnt seem to be bothered with it. This time around I will do what the books say and wait till he is close to that 2 year old mark before taking him on the long/hard hikes. I might test him out at the 18 mo mark, but I think its too hard to tell with their enthusiasm and willingness to please if they are hurting too much.

I like the ideas of using a foam pad, my German never did like it much in the tent, and even in a down pour outside I had to all but shove him in there to stay dry. I upgraded my solo tent with a larger vestibule in case my new dog is the same, but at least he would be sheltered and somewhat comfy with a decent pad on the ground. Are you going to be using any type of pack for dog, or any shoes yet, what other types of gear?

I also would love to hear which ones you find in proximity to the Co Springs or Buena vista area that are good for dogs first timers. There are lots of steady trails on the Colorado trail that would fit the bill, just have to make parking arrangements to either do segments with short spans, or hike in and double back to avoid long distance while dog is young.