Best trails to hang late winter-spring

**NWNomad** · 12-09-2015, 19:40

Well, I have an issue that I'm trying to figure out and am looking for ideas. I live in the inland Northwest (Coeur d'Alene), and I work a summer job that usually starts sometime early June. Once the summer job starts, I have no time at all for backpacking and hanging. I really want to do a 2 month or more backpacking trip this year. I have the option to start work as late as mid July, but no later since that's when work starts getting busy.

I am trying to find a place to spend 2 months hiking, preferably with my dog. The Colorado trail would be perfect except you can't really start hiking it until mid June, which is too late for me. And that's the real issue here. Any place that I want to hike is no good until I start work. Sure I can hike the desert, but then I can't really expect to hang most nights. There are parts of California, but California hates dogs. I am not against breaking park rules saying no dogs allowed if I am confident I won't get caught, unless the rules are there for reasons beyond owners not cleaning up after their dogs. Of course I'd prefer not to break any rules, but I tend to ignore rules that have nothing to do with safety.

Anyone got any ideas what might fit the bill? I'm willing to put down a multi day drive to do this. I have considered doing the start of the AT, but that's a long long drive for me. I sure want to go backpacking, but it's hard to justify not working just to backpack instead.

**kenbo** · 12-15-2015, 15:45

Originally Posted by NWNomad

I have considered doing the start of the AT

AT is about the best choice for 2mo of hiking in spring. There's also the Ozark Highland Trail in Arkansas, which is closer, but that's only 165 miles long, so that's only a week or two hiking. IMO, the AT would be the best choice for you. Dog friendly, not too cold in spring to be fun, beautiful hiking.

**joanwest** · 01-01-2016, 17:34

In addition to the southern AT, other trails in the southeast for very early spring include the Bartram Trail, Pinhoti Trail, and Benton Mackaye Trail- all would likely have good water (which is good if you hike with a dog).

**NWNomad** · 01-02-2016, 19:01

I live on the west coast but I really want to do a thru hike. I work summers but I'm considering living on my savings this summer and doing a substantial thru hike. The catch is my dog, and from everything I read, the PCT is not good for dogs unless they are bred for hiking trail dogs (mine is not but we hike a lot). I would need to get my dog in shape but the AT sounds like my only real choice. Ticks really concern me, and my dog doesn't do many tick medications because it burns her skin or something.

If I lived closer, I'd love to just go out on the trails posted above. It's just so darn expensive travelling from coast to coast with a dog. I guess I'm a lucky guy that this is one of my biggest problems in life.