Early spring is a great time to hike with your Elkhounds. The weather is much warmer, yet still cool enough they can work hard. The snow has been reduced that you can get to the high country with little trouble. This particular hike I had Tora, Takoda, Mia and GAEDA. These are mountain Elkhounds, serious working dogs. They love this style of terrain and work.

I have harnesses on them, however, once I leave the truck they are not on a leash unless for some strange reason, they normally are roaming around me. They would all come when I called, but the role of an Elkhound is to range around you and watch out for you while you are trekking along. I took this adventure quite a few years back, I still get out with all these four every day still.

When your looking at wilderness adventure hikes, the Elkhound is the premier breed of dog for this type of hiking. These are air scent dogs, meaning they catch scents airborne, are not track following dogs, they work much better at alerting you to things around you. They instinctively circle you, always checking for anything that they consider dangerous, and would alert you.

Tremendous companion dogs in spring bear country, for sure. These dogs are the old bear hunting lineages so they would let you know well in advance of danger, and provide you time to get out of danger.
Hikes of this type are awesome, the air is so fresh, there is virtually NEVER anyone else out so you have basically what feels like the whole world to yourself and your dogs. A neat time for sure.