The Pacific Crest Trail is a daunting adventure, stretching 2,650 miles (4,265km) from Mexico to Canada. While my partner Seth plans to complete its entirety; I plan to hike the longest dog friendly stretch that spans half the country. We will walk 1300 miles with the great company of my dog, Chloe Rue. While this hike will begin next summer in 2023, Chloe and I have begun to take strides (literally) to improve our strength and endurance for the undertaking! Do you want to learn more about our planning? Keep an eye out on our Pacific Crest Trail series as we dive into our physical, mental, and dog-knowledge training program to help prepare us for this grand adventure.
Who on earth ever thought that even your dogs PAWS need to build up some oomph before thru hike backpacking adventures? Well, mushers doing the Iditarod know this. I do believe they are the only ones. Except for now, as Chloe and I pawprare for our grand adventure waiting for us this next summer!
It’s funny because my intro reads “960” miles which is definitely how I began this journey. Then I began to reconsider how close that was to 1000- and who DOESN’T want to walk 1000 miles singing the grand tune “and I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more…” (those wise words sung by the Proclaimers). I mean, and if I am going to walk 1000 miles from northern California to Canada, maybe I should just see exactly how far I CAN go in a dog friendly manner. And folks, I can legally hike HALF the PCT with my good girl Chloe Rue at my side, with only 1 alternate route needed to pass crater lake. That’s 1300 miles! So that’s what I’m preparing for now. 3 months on the trail, 1300 miles and building up some strong feet that can carry us through.
Chloe and I have been backpacking every month since we committed to the trail. This fall season we hiked along the Mckenzie River trail solo, and wow, it was stunning.
30 miles in 3 days, and Chloes paws handled the more intense lava rock areas just fine. But how? How does a dog grow their paw resistance without injury?
If you looked at my human paws, it would be very obvious my hiking boots needed replacing… like a WHILE ago. I had blisters all over my feet, and they were PAINFUL. My last day I used second skin and limped my last miles out of the trail using all my oomph. At least Chloe’s paws were fine! And she walked those 10 mile days with a great smile on her face. But what else can I do to protect Chloe’s paws (so they don’t end up looking like mine)?
Our Pawsome Plan
When I began researching about folks on the trail, some of the stories related to not making it, were due to their dogs paws. Injuries are surprisingly common for dog paws, and they can take some time to recover.
WALKING and HIKING is obviously the number one way to build up the toughness of any dogs paws. It’s also the best way to train for a thru hike! Cross training is also great. Practicing pavement, gravel, sand, grass, and rocky terrain with frequent paw checks to ensure it is being tolerated well (remember, slow building is the best building) definitely helps those dog paws get ready for the big hikes.
Therefore, that’s exactly what Chloe and I are training for. We practice hiking, walking, and biking, on as many variety of surfaces as we can to build up those strong feet. No more blisters for us!
On the Trail
When training for the PCT or another thru hike, you should be backpacking a LOT. Just get out there on those weekends and get some miles under your belt! But a couple important things to think about:
1. Check Dog Paws DAILY
I am serious about daily. Your dog will follow you no matter what, even if they’re growing big nasty blisters under their feet. And if you’ve ever worn hiking boots too long (like me) you know exactly how painful that can be. Look for blisters, thinning areas, and any signs of pain. You can see some dirt in Chloe’s paw below, dirt on the paws while hiking a trail is definitely normal.
2. Wear Boots When Needed!
My partner Seth and I recently hiked up through Eagle Creek trail. It was UTTERLY gorgeous, and most of the trail was fine for dog paws. But there were a few old land slide sections that got quite hot as the day progressed, where dog booties were necessary. I could tell, when Chloe started hopping from one paw to the next. That’s a good sign that dog booties will help!
3. Paw Wax is GOLD
There are times, when dogs get too hot to wear boots. Dogs have cooling mechanisms in their feet, and those hot days can make it extra hard to wear boots. And wearing boots too often can also cause blisters. This is when something like paw wax (for example, mushers secret) is a great solution. Many thru hikers will apply every morning, or evening, so their dogs’ paws can walk across any and all surfaces without injury. I, for one, 120% plan to use it daily on the thru hike!
4. If nothing is needed, nothing is needed
It’s really common to be a little bit anxious about something like your pup’s paws. But if you hiked across a half mile of lava rock in the morning and you check your dog’s paws and they’re fine- that’s GOOD. That is always the goal! Embrace it. Don’t add anything where it isn’t needed.
A Pawsitive Plan
Chloe and I are SO excited for the big hike that is ahead of us. We have this constant urge for adventure, and though Chloe mostly sleeps or digs with joy; my mind never stops flowing with ideas and new directions and grand plans. We are SO excited for our only new direction to be NORTH.
If you ran across this post and want to read more about our PCT trail planning, check out these posts! Don’t forget to subscribe for more info!
I hope you all are staying happy and healthy! If you’re traveling with your good doggo this fall, let us know where you are headed or where you are based! I hope you all had a very happy Halloween! Stay Pawsome, and as always, happy trails and happy tails to you all.
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