Adventures on Wheels
By Ruth Nielsen, part-time Mazama resident, outdoor recreation lawyer and dog trainer 
My favorite part of enjoying the North Cascades is to share them with our dogs. Our oldest dog, Winter, has a degenerative disease that has paralyzed his rear end and I was afraid that was the end of our backcountry trips together. However, I found wheels that made it possible for Winter to get around on just two legs with the wheels to support his rear end. I decided to give the wheels a try on a short spring backpacking trip to one of our favorite spots in the North Cascades.
We hiked to Cutthroat Lake where the trail was wide enough and gradual enough for a dog on wheels. No one else was camping overnight since there was still snow on the ground near the lake, but there were other people on the trail. Everyone wanted to stop and pet Winter and ask about his wheels. At one point a huge downed tree blocked the trail, and while our other dogs jumped over the tree, my husband and I lifted Winter -- wheels and all – and carried him over the log.
The last part of the trail was covered in snow, and my husband had to help Winter as the wheels got stuck in the snow. Winter successfully made it to the spot we planned to camp – near the still-frozen lake with snow all around us. I took Winter out of the wheels and harness and he collapsed on the snow to sleep soundly while we put up our tent, cooked dinner under the stars and watched our other dogs play in the snow. When it was time to go to sleep, I helped Winter into the tent and he curled up in his accustomed spot - asleep at my feet.
I was awakened by the sound of avalanches crashing off nearby Cutthroat Peak in the night, but Winter slept soundly, assured that all was right with the world. The next morning we broke camp after breakfast and headed back to the trail head. Winter was just as tough hiking back to the car as he had been on the hike to the lake. Everyone who passed us on the trail smiled and ooohhed and ahhhed at Winter and his red wheels. Winter smiled back, his tail wagging and his heart full of the happiness that comes with experiencing wild places in the North Cascades.
