Posted on 08/18/2012 5:45:57 PM PDT by AlmaKing
Yes, 14er refers to both the mountains in Colorado that are over 14,000 feet in elevation and also refers to a loosely-affiliated group of people that hike them often. There is no direct correlation of 14er to difficulty (unless you are not used to the altitude) - this link - http://www.14ers.com/routes_2.php - sorts them by difficulty of climbing them. The most difficult ones may require some technical climbing with ropes. Also, there can be different routes - Longs Peak the easy way is still a long, strenouus hike, but if you climb the sheer east face known as the Diamond, you have some bigwall climbing to do at altitude.
Missy probably had previously been on Class 2 14er climbs that were all trail, there are many of those. But that might have been when she was younger as well. 10 years old is starting to get up there for a dog, and from the report from the rescuer that someone posted, her pads were not toughened up. A dog is like a human - if you don’t exercise it, it gets out of shape, and you just can’t drag it across Sawtooth without conditioning it first - and especially an older dog. The guy was probably just a self-centered idiot who was more driven to hike the route he wanted instead of noticing that the dog was not up to it.
Thank you again for sharing your knowledge.
This story has disturbed me so deeply that I am trying to put it to rest in my feeble little mind. You have helped me a lot. My initial impression of this guy was that he wasn’t too bright. Not only should he not have taken his dog, but it seems to me he shouldn’t have been there either. He probably didn’t know what the heck he was doing. Maybe fear of another climb added to his ignorance about going back. That really makes no excuse for his poor judgement on all fronts. He really doesn’t need to have a pet at all. After all, he’s not 12...he’s 30.
The dog is ok thanks to a lot of brave climbers and I will try to quit wrestling with the why. Thanks for letting me get a glimpse into the mind of a climber. (as well as a dog lover) I will now let you enjoy the rest of your Sunday without incessant questions. :)
BTW, The Diamond looks really lethal. Be careful, it’s a jungle out there. :)
Thank you for the link!
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But the Catch-22 is that he was delayed because he was having so much trouble getting his dog across the Sawtooth. If he was smart, he would have realized pretty quickly that it wasn't going well and retreated back to Bierstadt and back down the good trail. Instead, he went all the way to the low point of the Sawtooth, where he faced a climb back up to either Bierstadt or Mt. Evans, or a scramble down steep rocky terrain with an already-injured dog.
I agree and if he took any classes; he didn’t listen.
I don’t see how this guy is being prosecuted. I also don’t understand how they can take his dog away.
Hindsight is 20/20. He made a heartbreaking decision, but he had no way of knowing that a rescue team would be willing to spend nine hours to rescue his dog.
I don’t see how this guy is being prosecuted. I also don’t understand how they can take his dog away.
Hindsight is 20/20. He made a heartbreaking decision, but he had no way of knowing that a rescue team would be willing to spend nine hours to rescue his dog.
http://www.bullwrinkle.com/Assets/animallaws/coloradolaw.htm
Certain parts of 1(a) and 1 (b).
The original decision was both probably heartbreaking and necessary to save human life. The mistake he made, IMHO, was not going back to help her. By himself or with a hired party if he didn’t feel he could get her off of the mountain himself. (well, actually the first mistake was to take her there in the first place, as he admitted in the OP.)
If you haven’t done so already, you may want to read the whole thread. There is some really good info about this situation, especially from the “climbers” on the thread.
I read the thread.
I’m not a climber, but I am a dog lover. It sounds like this guy overestimated the dog’s and his own abilities. The rescue was a nine hour ordeal was it not? Was he afraid to go back given the difficulty he encountered the first time?
Was he a hero? No. Maybe even a coward. Maybe too passive and resigned. Maybe he gave up too easily.
But in the real world of animal neglect, terrible neglect, abuse and abandonment for no reason, neglect that is never pursued by the law. this guy is a saint. And if people, these hikers, are so dying to help a neglected dog I can give them a thousand needier ones.
Your initial post to which I responded asked how/why this guy was being prosecuted. My intent was only to share the laws in Colorado with you.
We could debate the animal neglect issue, and the severity of same, till the cows come home. I’m not sure what state you live in, but around here if animal abuse is reported the law does get involved. The animals are seized and fines imposed. In extreme cases (deliberate mutilation, etc.) there are usually rewards offered to catch perp. If caught and tried, they usually spend prison time if found guilty. It’s pretty serious business. Of course not all abuse is reported and willing individuals or no kill shelters are involved. And, since I don’t live in a bubble, I know that many slip thru the cracks and die.
“If these hikers are so dying to help a neglected dog...”
Actually, these guys are more than “hikers”. There is a post on this thread that YouTubes where the dog was found. Also, somewhere upthread someone posted a reply from one of the rescuers from the 14ers thread. He stated that he does dog rescue. I don’t think that he meant just rescuing dogs close to death on the top of a mountain. That is a pretty rare event. I guess that is why it made national news.
I don’t know any of these folks personally but it could be they all do animal rescue work in their everyday lives in everyday situations. Which would make them one of us. :)
Thanks for your response.
If they do animal rescue they should know how bad it is out there. What is the euthanasia rate in Colorado?
I found this statistic for 2009 —
11,354 of rescued dogs euthanized.
http://www.colovma.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=49
There is no evidence that this man was a bad owner other than this traumatic and unusual event. This is a waste of resources that would be better spent pursuing, for example, dog fighting.
I think anyone could make the argument that taking a dog on any climb involving ropes is unfair and foolish and borders on abuse in the first instance. That the dogs may “love it” means nothing. There are dogs who love dog fighting and roaming the streets free.
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