This 14-Year-Old Dog Hiked the 48 4,000-Footers of New Hampshire

Climbing all 48 4,000 footers in New Hampshire is no easy feat. Heck, climbing one of them isn't easy. I've only done one and I am still bragging to people about it. Climbing a 4,000 footer takes a ton of planning, energy both physical and mental, and time. But once you hit the summit and gaze out at that gorgeous view it all feels worth while. Until you realize then you have to hike down the damn thing.

Even though I'm admittedly a poser when it comes to hiking, I love being a member of the The 4,000 Footer Club-Climbing and Hiking in New Hampshire. The bad assery of people in this group is second to none. I can only hope a small fraction of it rubs off on me and inspires me to get on a mountain again soon. I shouldn't limit my compliments to humans because there are some impressive animals featured in this group as well.

Let us not forget Floki, the infamous New Hampshire hiking cat!

More recently a woman named Alanna Grondine posted that she and her 14-year-old dog named "Bear" completed all 48 of the 4,000 footers in New Hampshire. Isn't that unbelievable?

·Alanna gushes about her boy Bear in the post saying

"Most people don’t even get the chance to watch their dog see 14 years old, never mind HIKE the NH 48 4000 footer MOUNTAINS with them!"

 

Want to know the most amazing part? All of these hikes were done in his SENIOR years from ages 10-14 with the vast majority from 12-14. You're a good boy, Bear!

For those keeping track at home, here are the mountains that Bear summited with his little legs and what ages he climbed them at:

- Mount Moosilauke
@ 10 YEARS OLD
- Mount Pierce
- Mount Jackson
- Mount Tecumseh
- Mount Jefferson
- Mount Adams
- Mount Carrigain
@ 11 YEARS OLD
- Mount Madison
- Mount Moriah
- Mount Osceola
- East Osceola
- Mount Tom
- Mount Field
- Mount Willey
- Mount Galehead
- SouthTwin
- North Twin
- North Tripyrimad
- Middle Tripyrimad
- Mount Hancock
- South Hancock
- Mount Passaconaway
- Mount Whiteface
- Mount Cabot
- Mount Waumbek
- Mount Hale
- North Kinsman
- Cannon Mountain
@ 12 YEARS OLD
- Mount Eisenhower
- Mount Garfield
- Carter Dome
- South Carter Mountain
- Middle Carter Mountain
- Wildcat D
- Wildcat Mountain
- South Kinsman
@ 13 YEARS OLD
- Zealand
- Flume
- Liberty
- Lincoln
- Lafayette
- Owl’s Head
- Bond
- West Bond
- Bondcliff
- Mount Isolation
- Mount Washington
- Mount Monroe
@ 14 YEARS OLD

Because the internet can be kind of a judgy place (that's the understatement of the century), Alanna added a disclaimer at the bottom informing folks that Bear was properly trained for this. Alanna is aware of what he is capable of and hiking is truly a huge part of why she believes he is so successful at his age. At no point would she ever put her dog in danger. She closes with a really important tip:

"However, no matter the age, do not take your pet into the wilderness without proper knowledge of what you are getting into."

I would say that statement applies to people even if they aren't hiking with pets. These hikes should not be taken lightly and if you choose to embark on one make sure you are wearing the appropriate clothing, have packed plenty of provisions, and have left yourself ample time to get up and down the mountain in daylight. (unless you are intentionally doing a night hike in which case, WOW!)

A big ole congrats going out to Alanna and her sweet boy Bear, you guys are awesome both deserve lots of treats and belly rubs.