On my last coastal hike before I got my first dog, I felt thrilled. My partner prefers to cover ground on two wheels rather than two legs, so if we’re away together I often solo hike from the van while he bikes. I enjoy the quiet time, but how much more fun was it going to be to have a happy, waggy companion by my side, one whose excitement about the great outdoors matched mine?
Rounding a corner at the top of a descent, I saw an unlikely group ascending the trail: a man carrying a baby, both wearing flat caps, with a dachshund and a Yorkshire terrier, both dressed in red bowties.
