Hiking with Dogs is Great Fun, but be Prepared

Like any self-respecting Labrador Retriever, one-year-old Bear is happiest playing fetch in a natural body of water. Lucky for Bear, his partner in crime, Gary Harr, is also at his best on a river or lake.

Harr, who leads dog-friendly hikes for the social networking group Meetin Portland (MIPL), frequently takes Bear for five-mile jaunts in the Columbia River Gorge, and on the Clackamas, Sandy and Willamette Rivers. Last spring he led MIPL hikes at Triple Falls in the Gorge and at Oaks Bottom/Sellwood Park. His weekend haunts also include the Sandy River Delta (exit 18 off I-84), where Bear can roam off leash and splash in the river, always in sight.