Great Traverse - Dog Friendly?

[fluffy]

We're planning a great traverse this coming weekend (weather looks good so far!). We had planned to bring our dog, who has done alot of hiking in the Whites - including a Prezi traverse, and 3 Pemi Loops, and the Grafton trail loop up in Maine. Is there anything on the Great Traverse that he'll not be able to negotiate? Vertical ladders with no doggy go around or anything like that?
He's too big to haul up, so he has to do it himself. He's good on tough terrain, but a truly vertical ladder would be a deal killer for him if there were no way for him to scramble up bushes around it or something.
So, anybody know? Can we bring him?

thanks!

 

[una_dogger]

If you mean the Great Range Traverse in the Adirondacks there are several areas that I have ruled out as hikable for any dog I own or hike with -- I personally would never intentionally attemp any of these peaks with my dog, who's done the Grafton Loop, Mahoosuc Notch twice, most everything else in the Daks, Whites, Maine, Vermont, has backpacked most of the Long Trail, backpacked the Cape Chignecto Trail in NS, etc etc....

Basin: steep ladder
Saddleback: steep cliffs, high exposure, limited areas for human assist
Gothics: steep incline/exposure up cable route
Armstrong: another very long, steep ladder.

UWJ, LWJ and Haystack are all doggable. Saddleback is doggable as an out and back up Orebed Brook Trail.

Its all up to your comfort level...but since you ask, my honest opinion is that a GRT puts dogs at a too great a risk to be worth it. Its a LONG way to carry a dog out.

 

[fluffy]

thanks

Yep, was just doing a bit more googling on some of the trails, and I was wondering about ME, not to mention the dog (I am not a big fan of exposure)
The ladders I saw would probably not be an issue for him, and the cabled section - I can't tell from photos but I think he could do that. However,
those steep scrambles up Saddleback might prove pretty worrisome.
I guess I'll have to find a kennel. Poor guy.. he'll hate that..

 

[una_dogger]

. Poor guy.. he'll hate that..

Well, to be honest, it will be easier on your dog if you chose to kennel on any weekend other than a major holiday weekend.

We have had to make the tough choice to board Terra (we call it Puppy Camp) on many occasions over the years to protect her best interest. We have a wonderful, small family run kennel that we use and she is very comfortable there. When I consider the risks we avoid by making that choice, I have no guilt.

The ladders are an issue on both peaks, I know folks who have taken dogs on them and they carry the dogs...there are no real go-rounds on those two ladders.

 

[fluffy]

well, appreciate the info for sure

you may have saved our weekend. I hope I can find him a spot somewhere here. He's been blackballed from more than one kennel because of his
ability to escape and damage caused by doing so. ie, pulled tethers out of concrete walls, broken down kennel doors, jumped through windows, broken locks, etc, etc. Our local place here often suddenly becomes "full" when I mention Tucker's name!

 

[una_dogger]

there are a ton of great hikes in the adirondacks, that are dog friendly...and outside of the high peaks regions where technically dogs are required to be on leash..

the santanoni range, the seward range, the dix range --GREAT hikes, amazing peaks, no leash laws, and no ladders...check them out instead!!

 

[Peakbagr]

I agree with Sabrina in general about the Great Range in the ADKs.
However, depending on the size of your dog, you can probably(with effort and care) handle almost any place with one of these:
http://www.backcountryk9.com/104/Products.aspx?gclid=CNve9dbi0ZwCFaVC5god63MEJw

That is if your pooch is small enough( my Lab, Bookah is 49 lbs) and trusting enough being carried or handled like a briefcase.
Lots of those ladders might work. The Saddleback cliff is a series of ledges and drops, taken piece by piece, the harness would work, but I'd rather go up with her than down there.