Another Hiker Rescued on the Long Trail - This One Had Four Legs

"Just like humans, dogs need conditioning before undertaking a big hike – they need to train up to it."

Courtesy of Stow Mountain Rescue

We rescued a dog last night. She and her owner had taken an all-day hike up the Long Trail to Sterling Pond and on the way back down, with a mile and a half still to go, she stopped and refused to move. Her owner tried carrying her on his shoulders for quarter of a mile before calling 911 in desperation.

This dog was wary but had a beautiful disposition. She accepted our bribes of freeze-dried liver treats and allowed us to assess her. She appeared to be uninjured so our guess is she was exhausted and possibly dehydrated. We used a dog sling to carry her out. Our thought was to take turns but our Alex loaded her up and, fueled by memories of ruck marches from his military past, he dug deep and carried her the entire way.

To be clear, there was no lack of love and commitment from the owner. If we hadn’t gone to help, he would have spent the night up there with his dog. Worth noting, he was carrying a headlamp and provisions so wasn’t unprepared - except that he was missing the dog sling.

When hiking with a dog, be aware that your companion is mute so you need to look to their body language for evidence of their condition. They’re loyal and rugged companions and will keep pushing, so the onus is on us to watch carefully for signs that they need to rest and hydrate.

Important to anticipate the return journey – ie, turn around early before your dog tires. And just like humans, dogs need conditioning before undertaking a big hike – they need to train up to it. They won’t whine or complain like a child will – one of the reasons we enjoy them so much – but believe it or not, there’s a downside to this!