Today’s episode is with Gretchen and her pittie Scout @offroadrunning_dog, who breaks down the non-running pitbull myth while having amazing trail adventures on the Oregon coast.
Gretchen and her husband live, along with their two pups Scout and Dawg, near Lincoln City right on the coast and within immediate access to hundreds of miles of dog friendly trails in state forests, national forests, and even beaches! Gretchen has been trail running and competing in races and triathlons for many years. After having adopted her German shepherd Dawg from the local shelter, she decided to put her active lifestyle to use to benefit the shelter by volunteering to take the high energy dogs out for trail runs. Over the years, she’s found how amazing it is for helping some dogs at the shelter that have anxiety, and other issues. Scout was one of those pups in the shelter that was extremely timid and anti social, until her paws hit the trails for her first runs.
Since then, Gretchen and Scout have run many, many miles together and competed in several races. One of their favorites is the Peterson Ridge Rumble, which has quite a history. The laid back race offers a 40 mile and 20 mile option through beautiful Deschutes National Forest near Sisters, Oregon, though dogs are not allowed in the 40 mile option. Another is the Siuslaw Dunes 50k and 25k through the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, near Florence Oregon. In this race, both the 50k and the 30k are dog friendly and travels through some amazing and varied coastal and old growth ecosystems in the Siuslaw National Forest.
Coming up at the end of October is the Oakridge Triple Summit, a three day trail running and camping adventure that covers 65k and three peaks: Westfir, Larison Rock, and Dead Mountain in Willamette National Forest. While the race is dog friendly, there is a limit to how many tails they allow for each day. Lastly, Gretchen mentioned her preparations for the C2C, or Corvalis to the Sea, trail. The trail which just recently opened to the public is approximately 60 miles and of course, dog friendly.
Gretchen’s shout out go to Kate & Hank @all.about.hank, Malibu @malibusmama and @malibusadventureclub, Amanda and Leilani @adventurepittieand3kitties, pitbull advocacy group @blockheadbrigade, and Cooper @thedelectabledane.
With the increased threat of wild fires, floods, and other natural disasters, having a “go bag” for your animals is extremely important. It’s also easy! Check out the Multnomah County Animal Services website for emergency preparedness info and additional resources.
Thanks for listening!
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