Taking my dog Kelso's Ridge??

Dogs, dogs and even some cats
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mountainjock
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Taking my dog Kelso's Ridge??

Post by mountainjock »

Hi ya'll! I did a search on this, but I am curious of your opinions. I take my dog rock climbing and hiking, and he can scramble quite well! I love my dog, and his safety is first and foremost. I have no problem keeping him on a leash (kind of like being on belay I guess) Do you think is doable? Or would I be the @^#hat of the day?
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mountaingoat-G
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Re: Taking my dog Kelso's Ridge??

Post by mountaingoat-G »

Not sure if you have done Kelso Ridge before and others may disagree, but IMO: bad idea...
YMMV
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Kent McLemore
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Re: Taking my dog Kelso's Ridge??

Post by Kent McLemore »

Don't take your dog on Kelso Ridge. It could easily dislodge rocks endangering climbers below and the knife edge may pose a problem for a creature with no hands.
mountainjock
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Re: Taking my dog Kelso's Ridge??

Post by mountainjock »

Yeah, I kinda thought I would be leaving him at home. Oh well, another day, and another trail!!!
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Floyd
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Re: Taking my dog Kelso's Ridge??

Post by Floyd »

Either try the route first and then make a decision or do your own research based on the route descripton and trip reports. There was a dog a few years ago (forget his name or I'd find the thread - maybe a thousand replies) that was lost for a few days off of this route and turned up in the river along I-70, got hit by a car trying to get to his rescuer and lost an eye, broken bones. There was a collection to pay for his injuries. Anyways, tough story where the owner was busy getting his partner down the mountain due to AMS and the dog wanted to keep going up. No leash so they got seperated and the owner couldn't find him after heading back up to look.

If you listen to the folks on this site, all dogs should just be chained to a tree in the backyard and never let off your own property. I won't tell you one way or another to try it or not, but the turnoff for the ridge is literally a few yards from the main trail. Why not head up there, give it a look and if you don't like it, hike the standard trail?
"Athletes express themselves physically, this is their art. As an athlete, exhausting oneself on the field or or on the track or on the trail or on the mountain brings calm and satisfaction. Thrashing about… our expression." - Steve Gleason
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gdthomas
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Re: Taking my dog Kelso's Ridge??

Post by gdthomas »

In the six or so times I've climbed Kelso Ridge, I've never seen a dog on the route. My gut reaction is to say bad idea but dogs can do amazing things and, in fact, a few have climbed all the 14ers. The several class 3 pitches and knife edge can probably all be circumvented if you and your dog don't mind wading through scree. Keeping him on a leash the entire route may be difficult. Pick a good weather day and leave early. KR is not a place you want to be in a thunderstorm, with or without a dog.
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Rich H
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Re: Taking my dog Kelso's Ridge??

Post by Rich H »

gives new meaning to Dead Dog Couloir.
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bpko
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Re: Taking my dog Kelso's Ridge??

Post by bpko »

Rich H wrote:gives new meaning to Dead Dog Couloir.
:lol: It was only a matter of time :lol:
Maybe, just once, someone will call me "Sir," without adding, "you're making a scene."
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gdthomas
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Re: Taking my dog Kelso's Ridge??

Post by gdthomas »

Rich H wrote:gives new meaning to Dead Dog Couloir.
You didn't lose a rat on Grays did you?
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TCUTED
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Re: Taking my dog Kelso's Ridge??

Post by TCUTED »

gdthomas wrote:a few have climbed all the 14ers.
How did anyone get a dog up Longs peak? Were the NPS rangers on vacation that day?

On a second note, I just did Kelso's last week and I'm going to second everyone else here and advise against taking a dog up there. Also, I met a couple of people my first time up Grays who said they took a dog up there, and they mentioned it was the worst/scariest experience they have ever had in the mountains, so if that is any indication...
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brech
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Re: Taking my dog Kelso's Ridge??

Post by brech »

My daughter and I did Kelso's on Sunday, there was another group with a Border Collie on the ridge. Quite a bit of loose stuff and few narrow places, a class 3 wall about 20' high and then the knife edge, looked like there was a way to go around the knife edge if you wanted to.
I'm sure there are some dogs who would enjoy this route, but most probably wouldn't
Torreys-Kelso-Ridge-Jul1-2012 KnifeEdge-small.jpg
Torreys-Kelso-Ridge-Jul1-2012 KnifeEdge-small.jpg (268.14 KiB) Viewed 3594 times
Last edited by brech on Mon Jul 02, 2012 4:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Vinegaroon
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Re: Taking my dog Kelso's Ridge??

Post by Vinegaroon »

I'll beat a dead horse on this questions too... I did Kelso last year, and I take my dog on many hikes, and she has no problems on most 3rd and even 4th calss scrambles. There is a the knife egde section on the Kelso Ridge that is a bit too risky for MY dog, and no real alternate way around it (which my dog always finds)... So, again, no.
It doesn't have to be fun to be fun...
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