Ok, we are doing this! Yahoo!!! 

 We (My dog Piper and I) are going to hike the California Coastal Trail this summer. It’s about 1200 miles give or take. We are going to try and hike as close as possible to the true trail, but upon a little research into the CCT there are places that dogs may not be able to travel. We will take it day by day and see where our journey leads us. We do have 3 goals: 1. Have fun!!! 2. Live the Journey (It’s the journey not the destination). and 3. Be open to the wonders and miracles of life. 

First things first…

The first thing we had to decide was which way to hike. At first, we were going to hike from Mexico to the Oregon border. One of the first obstacles is the Tijuana river. I wasn’t quite sure how we could cross it. So my dog and I drove down to the border near San Diego and attempted to cross the river. I walked in the river and the water ended up going to my waist. I made it across. On the way back I tried another spot but again it went up to my waist. The biggest issue I had was that it smelled horrible.  It is definitely contaminated with who knows what.  (Yuk, Yuk, Yuk….)

My dog was waiting for me and I am so glad she didn’t follow me in. I had to go to the store and buy a gallon of water to wash off and change clothes. It was so gross. If you are thinking of taking this hike I would really think through how to get across. I will probably walk around when I get to the finish of the hike. However, later I looked at a tide chart and it was high tide when I went, so I am not sure if it would be shallower if it was low tide. You might then be able to walk more in the ocean to get across. To tell you the truth, I really would not like to walk in that water again and I certainly do not want my dog to go in that water. I don’t really think it is safe. I kind of wish I didn’t go in when I did. It was really, really gross!!!

Secondly,

I did some reading and I saw that walking from Oregon to Mexico you have the wind to your back. This and the fact that I have never hiked up near Oregon was a big factor in choosing to go from Oregon to Mexico. I also thought if we don’t finish the hike due to time we could always finish up the hike on the weekends or when I have extended time off.

Thirdly,

I live in Southern California, so the next thing I had to figure out is how to get to Oregon with a dog. At first, I thought I could just rent a car one way. It turns out I can only rent a car to Eureka. Then what? Ahhh!!! Because I have my dog I didn’t think I could take a bus, train or fly….. I think I will be able to take a Pet Uber the rest of the way from Eureka. That is what I am hoping to do. Fingers crossed!!!

Next step!!!

I hike all the time with my dog in the desert. She loves running and hiking with me. She loves chasing rabbits and lizards. Our next step is a trip to Lake Perris to see how she does on longer hikes and how I can keep her feet healthy. Stay tuned!!!