Last summer we went for a hike up the Upper Upper Big Quilcene Trail with Chester. Our plan was to set up camp just below Marmot Pass and hike up and over the pass the next day to the Tubal Cain Mine, and the old plane wreck, and back.
At almost 15 miles, this was the longest hike Chester had ever been on. We wanted to see how far he could go. We were ready to turn back if he couldn’t make it.
We woke up in the morning to beautiful, sunny weather. We made breakfast, fed Chester and headed out. The temperature was in the high 50s in the morning and climbed to the 70’s in the afternoon.
Above our camp was tree line so, except for the occasional bush, there was no shade on the trail. In the Olympic Mountains, above tree line, the trail is dusty and covered in a lot of places with fine shale.
Chester was go-go-go most of the way. For the first 10 miles there was no problem but we started to see signs of fatigue in the last few miles. In the heat of the afternoon he was panting a lot and near the end of our hike he would lay down every time we would stop.
We made it back to camp tired from the long day but happy. Or so we thought.
By the time we were going to bed Chester was just lying on the sleeping bag in the tent and wouldn’t budge. When we were able to get him up and walking he was limping around. In the morning it was worse. We had to actually carry him to the food dish (and as much as we know Chester likes food, that is a problem)
I was worried so I checked him out pretty thoroughly. His back didn’t seem to be causing him any discomfort and his legs seemed to be fine. I thought maybe he was just exhausted but during my last check I noticed that the area between his pads was red and raw. All of the dust and sharp shale pieces had gotten caught between his pads and practically acted like sandpaper rubbing his pads raw as he walked.
Anyway, we had 6 miles to hike out and there was no way he was going to make it. I used my REI Flash Pack as a sling, or baby carrier, by putting it on backward so the pouch was in the front. I put a few towels in the bottom, put Chester in it. I put on my 45 lb pack and off we headed down the trail.
Since that hike we have done several other backpacking trips of about the same length. We learned a few lessons on this one that we will always remember.
Lessons learned:
- Be sure to bring enough water and let your dog drink regularly. We didn’t bring the right amount of water so we ran out. For the last half of the hike there wasn’t any water for Chester to drink. If there had been some stream crossings it wouldn’t have been such a big deal but there weren’t.
- Remember that Dachshunds are short to the ground. This means their bodies are directly above the heat-radiating ground. They will get way hotter than we will. When you find a patch of shade, take advantage of it and let your dog lay around for a bit to cool off.
- Protect your dog’s paws. In this case, the trail surface caused a major issue for him but we didn’t know that. Even in dirt and pine needles stiff can get stuck between their pads and cause a problem. Next time we will pay more attention to that.
- Make the boyfriend carry Chester out next time
The bottom line is think ahead and be prepared. YOU might not have a problem with the planned hike but it could pose several problems for your dog. If you aren’t proactive about the potential problems, it could cause some real issues for your dog…..and you might have to carry them out.
And now for a few obligatory photos of the scenery because this is too beautiful to not share………..
According to Gus says
Dogger bjorn! My sister always jokingly suggests we take one with during our travels in case Gus gets tuckered out.
I am so impressed that Chester made it that far. Have you found a solution for his paws? Musher’s Secret, maybe?
The photos are gorgeous…even the metal junk looks stunning with that background!
adventureweiner says
That metal junk is a B-17 plane crash from the mid 50’s.
I wouldn’t say we have found a solution for his paws because we haven’t had any problems since then….but wealso haven’t hiked that far in those kind of conditions since then. We heard about Musher’s Secret and bought some to try. The real test will be this summer.
jme says
hehe poor guy. i am glad you figured out he had a problem with his paw…it is awesome to see your adventures and pics 🙂
adventureweiner says
Yeah, we were so happy it wasn’t his back.
Kristen says
Absolutely gorgeous photos and scenery! Great tips when hiking with your dog. I loved #4 😉 Chester looks less than amused being carried in the sling but I’m sure he was happy not having to continue the rest of the way on his feet.
adventureweiner says
He didn’t struggle or anything. I think he kind of liked it, especially considering he was so sore.
2browndawgs says
Beautiful pictures! That is a lot of walking for a little dawg. What a trooper! But poor Chester’s paws. Chessies rip up their paws all of the time because they run so hard. We put that tuf-foot stuff on the 2 brown dawgs sometimes if they will be on rough terrain. It helps a bit, but wouldn’t keep stuff from going in between the pads. I know some who use boots (like the ones the dogs who do search and rescue use). I don’t think we could keep those on our dawgs.
adventureweiner says
When Chester was a youngin’ I tried boots but they didn’t fit right because of the Dachshunds knarled legs. I bought Musher’s Secret to try. It actually claims to help with stuff going in between their paws. We will see. If it doesn’t work maybe we will try tuf-foot.
Elizabeth says
Oh wow, your post was kinda like watching one of those survival shows on Animal Planet. Poor Chester! He looks so sweet in that sling, too.
I’ve heard wonderful things about Mushers Secret from Corgi people – I hope it works for you (if you need it to).
Kas says
Wow! What a beautiful place and looks like a great place to hike with dogs. We love taking our guys hiking. Great tip about bringing enough water … we have run out before on long-hikes and it’s always better to bring more than less. And we use Mushers Secret when we take the dogs biking on rocky mountain trails – it works like a charm!
adventureweiner says
For the Mushers Secret – do you put just a thin film on or do you slather it on? I never know how much to use.
Carrie says
I’m usually fairly generous with Musher’s secret and lather it all over my own fingers in order to get it in between Mochi’s little paws. A bonus is that after you wipe off the excess, your hands feel extremely moisturized. 🙂
Just wanted to let you know I absolutely LOVE this post and the great points you make. I was also actually thinking of picking up that REI pack for our own adventures so I’m pretty convinced now!
Clara says
I have been looking for a bag or backpack that we could carry our 20 lb, 12 year old dachshund in. We have a young pup (also a dachshund) who has the energy of a Jack Russel Terrier, and could go for miles, but Ms. Bailey can only go for maybe 2. I have not found anything that 1. Is big enough to hold 20lbs and 2. Is large enough for a long bodied dachshund. Since we would prefer to not leave Bailey at home while we hike, would this REI bag be a viable solution?
Jessica Rhae says
Hi Clara. No, I suggested this bag for emergencies only. It’s not very supportive for a Dachshund (safe for their spine). It’s not really comfortable to carry a dog for long distances either… but it IS more comfortable than carrying them in your arms. I understand what you mean about not being able to find bags that meet your requirements. I’ve been searching for the perfect solution for, literally, years with no success. I wrote this article about what I thought was the best solutions but they are still not ideal: https://youdidwhatwithyourweiner.com/backpacks-carrying-dachshund-dog/. I HAVE heard good things about the K9 Sport Sack. Not for hiking specifically but I have a friend that uses it when she takes her Dachshund on her bike and around town. I do plan to try it. Good luck and please let me know if you find a solution.