A friend of mine recently set out to hike Pikes Peak with his trusty companion, a nine year old Lab named Donald. In his younger days Donald would run circles around the hikers as they huffed and gasped up the hills, but recently although the enthusiasm remained, he seemed to be losing a step or two. The hike started out as always, with a wagging tail and lots of bounding, but by Barr camp Donald was diving over to any pool of shade he could find and flopping down. Eventually it became clear that this dog wasn’t walking anywhere anytime soon. This poses a bit of a problem when you are many miles up the side of a mountain with a ninety pound dog who has lost his go power. The episode ended with an unplanned overnight stay, a trip back down the mountain and back up again with a stretcher for the dog, and a lot of tired, cranky people.
Read more: Hiking in the Heat