Best trails for wagging tails
Sadie is part Malamute and all trail dog at Green Lakes in the Three Sisters Wilderness in Oregon. By Mark FurmanCASCADE LAKES HIGHWAY, Ore. -- The little boy cowered behind his grandfather's leg as we approached them on the trail. "That dawg wooks wike a woof," he said. Close: Sadie is part Malamute.
"Is that dog part bear?" she asked. Close: Rosie is part Chow. Correction: Part shaved Chow. The girls go backpacking with us, coming to their own canine conclusions about what to do with snowfields and huckleberries and clear-running mountain streams. Their conclusions and mine are eerily similar, but that's besides the point.
The U.S. Forest Service agrees, after a fashion: in parts of the Three Sisters Wilderness, you face a $200 fine for not having your dog on a leash AND under your control. Nevermind taking a backcountry stroll in any of the Northwest's National Parks: I have yet to encounter backcountry managed by the Park Service where dogs are allowed. Which begs the question: What Northwest hikes are best suited for dogs? And how can you make the trail a positive experience for your dog -- and for other hikers? Share your favorite trails and tips.
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Earlier, walking through Bend's Drake Park, a young woman called to me and motioned at Sadie's "sister."
Having the girls along for the hike is invaluable -- to them for a sense of purpose, to us for a sense of security.
Ellen Morris Bishop and her own dogs, Meesha and Dundee, hiked more than 750 miles in their research for "Best Hikes with Dogs: Oregon." Her 
KVAL, 4575 Blanton Road,