Happy Trails to Fido

On a dusty trail in Altadena overlooking Jet Propulsion Laboratory, hikers are gearing up for a morning canyon trek. Club members have traveled from all over Los Angeles and Orange counties to meet here at Gabrielino Canyon to enjoy the great outdoors, get a little exercise and make new friends.

According to their owners, Luke, a Labrador mix, and Maggie, a German shepherd, have been scratching at their doors to get outside all week long. The Saturday hike gave them a chance to mingle with the other friendly dogs of the California Canine Hikers, a group of dog-lovers that is devoted solely to providing hiking adventures for owners and beasts.

The 4-year-old club boasts more than 200 members--and that’s not counting a like number of Rovers, Spots and Fidos. The club, which schedules about 50 hikes a year, welcomes blue-ribbon show dogs, run-of-the-mill mutts and every kind of pedigree in between.

On the recent Gabrielino hike, there were about 15 hikers and a fine mix of dogs that included a miniature pinscher, English mastiff and standard poodle, not to mention several Heinz 57 mixed breeds.

“I’ve been hiking with my dogs for years by myself, and I was thrilled to find out that a group like this existed,” said Anne Goldsmith from Temple City, who hikes with Luke, a Lab mix. “People who join the club run the gamut: different ages, different professions, different dogs.”

Dave Musikoff of Pasadena, who edits the club’s newsletter, Paws on the Trail, said the group has a simple formula: “The camaraderie of people and dogs getting together and doing something they love: hiking outdoors.”

It’s a club without regular meetings, fund-raising activities or elected officials. The Canine Hikers offer group hikes, and that’s about it. Club members learn about the upcoming hikes from Paws on the Trail, which is sent out quarterly (dues of $7 a year--$10 for couples--finance the newsletter). Volunteers arrange hikes, plot out courses and make sure any permits are obtained.

The club regularly hikes in the Los Angeles forest areas and Orange County parks--anywhere where dogs are allowed. Most members search out the Canine Hikers after they learn that many wilderness areas won’t accept dogs.

“State and national parks do not permit dogs on their trails,” said Musikoff, “and there are increasing restrictions on where dogs are allowed nowadays.”

But the club knows where to go, and it has often introduced members to new territories.

“I’ve seen scenery and places I never knew existed,” said Lauraine Day of Los Alamitos, who hikes with Maggie, a shepherd collie mix. Day said a big reason she keeps attending the hikes is the information she learns from the other hikers. “When we’re walking, I find out about grooming, dog behavior and things like herding classes,” she said. It was through a fellow Canine Hiker that Day discovered how pets are used therapeutically to help children at Orangewood, Orange County’s home for abandoned or neglected children. Now, she and Maggie volunteer at Orangewood monthly.

Some hikes are short morning walks; others can be longer and more strenuous afternoon hikes. Although hikers don’t have to be Olympic athletes, Musikoff stresses that folks who consider joining the club should be in at least good physical condition. “This isn’t some stroll in the dog park,” he said. “We want to attract people who enjoy being active with their dogs.”

The only other rule of the club is that dogs must be on a leash at all times. “It’s for the dog’s protection,” said Goldsmith, whose dog Luke was bitten by a rattlesnake years ago before he discovered the Canine Hikers. Luke survived, but that incident changed Goldsmith’s attitude about letting dogs run free in the wild.

“Besides, if you are hiking with your dog, wouldn’t you want him near you instead of 30 feet up the trail?” Goldsmith asked.

Goldsmith has led overnight hikes at Calico ghost town and at high mountain areas, including Tahquitz Peak in the San Bernardino National Forest. “These are hikes I would go on by myself, and now with a group, I have someone to talk to instead of just Luke,” she said.

Club member Jenny Mask of Brea has made more than friends through the Canine Hikers. “I want to train animals for film,” she said, adding that with the contacts she made from the club, she has secured a volunteer position with a trainer who works in the entertainment industry.

As for finding the special someone, Musikoff reminds single people that the best way to meet other singles is to “introduce yourself with your dog.” He adds that, yes, some romantic relationships have blossomed along the trail.

With hundreds of hikes under its belt, the California Canine Hikers have another impressive track record: “We’ve never had a dog injured, except for some sore paws at the end of a hike,” said Musikoff.

But if something more serious does happen, one can imagine the cry from the crowd, “Is there a St. Bernard on the trail?”

BE THERE

For more information about joining the club, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to California Canine Hikers, 2154 Woodlyn Road, Pasadena, CA 91104.