Cowboy Trail Forum

Michelle from Clemson on 6/16/2017 5:58:10 PM:

I see a lot about biking. I'm thinking about a hike of about half this trail with my dog. I'll camp but every once in awhile I need a bed and shower. Does anyone walk? Do you know any dog friendly bnb's and is there anything or anyone I need to be cautious of walking alone?

Dustin from Kearney, NE on 6/20/2017 2:28:59 PM:

I took my two oldest boys 12 & 8 on a one day hike of the trail last summer. We camped at the park in Inman and hiked to O'Neill and back. Can only speak to that small sample of the trail but we spent nearly the whole day hiking and only encountered one couple of locals utilizing the trail the entire day. I would want to make sure I had more than a cellphone as means of calling for assistance if an emergency was encountered. Service may not always be reliable through out. Hopefully someone can give you more info on B&B or other accommodations.

Anonymous on 6/20/2017 2:37:38 PM:

The Sand Hill inn in Atkinson is dog friendly , and I suspect some of the chain hotels in O'neil are dog friendly that is a 20 mile leg between the two towns and a good days walk. The only people you are going to come across outside of the towns are ranchers if anybody. So the western half of the trail is going to be spooky deserted, not sure if that makes more a less safe for a Woman and dog walking alone as compared to a more traveled trail.

Michelle from Clemson on 7/12/2017 10:45:45 AM:

Thank you for your comments. Planning now and looking forward to the experience. I assume that locals can advise me day to day about weather conditions. Late spring or early fall? A friend from Lincoln says beware of early snow??? This southerner does not know snow.

CJ from Reno, NV on 8/21/2017 11:08:01 PM:

I am also interested in hiking this trail, though it'll have to wait until next year. Would like to hear about your experience.

Marna from Belle Fourche, SD on 8/26/2017 10:00:35 AM:

Hello!

Your trip sounds like such fun. I hope when you return from the trip you will do a 'full write up' for us here on this Forum!

I am a dog trainer and have had working dogs all my life. I have backpacked 1000's of miles with dogs also in packs.

One thing I would warn is about the Thorns we hear so much about on this Trail and your dog's paws.

BUY HUNTING DOG BOOTIES made for Briars, Yes, they are expensive, they are made well and will protect your dog's feet.

The correct Dog Booties can make all the difference. This is an excerpt from my working dog website.

The booties need to be simple with few stitches, that might aggravate the dog's foot. The bootie needs to fit just up to the ankle and no higher. Any lower, it would not close correctly, any higher can hurt the dog's ankle and or movement. Impeding the movement of the ankle can irritate the dog's leg and even stretch the muscles and or tendons at that joint.

If you boot one foot, front or back, boot the other foot opposite from the injured foot. This way the dog will continue to move, walk or run, evenly on it's body. If you only put on booty on a dog, it will walk differently, much like a limp. This twists the dog's body as well as puts more weight on the unbootied foot than the other. Use the same type, same age (not one worn down and the other new), on the dog at the same time. This way, again, the dog will not throw it's weight to one side or the other.

Walking with my dog