Take A Hike

It’s summer time in Northern New Hampshire. Majestic is the word Mom likes when she describes New Hampshire’s mountains.  I know, the Rocky Mountains are nice, but, being New Englanders we think we live in the most beautiful part of the world.

Every summer people from all over the place come to hike our mountains.  And every Monday morning our newspapers are filled with reports of people who have gotten themselves lost.

I usually don’t pay much attention to such reports but this weekend a lady was rescued after she got herself lost when her dog bolted off the trail and she went looking for her.  The lady used her cell phone to get help and her dog found some other hikers who took her to safety.  Luckily it was a happy ending for all but when you realize that New Hampshire has something like 4.8 million acres of forest land, getting lost is very serious.

We do a little hiking, mostly at a place called Cherry Pond Reserve because it is close to home.  It’s only about 125 acres and has really well marked trails but Mom and Dad are very careful when we go there.  I can go off leash for most of the walk but DixieLee is NEVER off leash.  She’s a hound and if she gets on a scent, she could end up in Canada.  I worry because she doesn’t have a passport so she won’t be able to get back into the USA!

We follow trail regulations and practice good etiquette.  Well, most of us do.  DixieLee thinks everyone is her best friend and, even though she is on leash, tries to run at people and other dogs.

We always give non-dog hikers the right of way.  We step off of the trail and wait for them to pass by.

Even though we are in the woods, Mom still brings poop bags and cleans up after us.

Our hikes are only a couple of hours long but we still bring bottled water and a small bowl to drink from.  And we are not allowed to drink from the pond or any of the water we find along the way.

Cuz our hikes are short we don’t need a lot of equipment but I know some dogs who have their own backpacks and have to carry food and water and even a first aid kit with them.

We don’t hike on very hot days either.  Dogs need to be in top physical condition to go on hikes so older or sickly dogs might enjoy a day at a dog park more than a hike up a steep mountain trail.

I hope you get to spend some time out of doors with your humans this summer and if you are vacationing in Northern New Hampshire, we know you will have a great time!

Happy Trails

,

Your friend,

Zeva

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