A sign acknowledges the sled dog history of the Barkerville Trail system near Galway.

So far, our dog Cooper has not really enjoyed the wild, adventurous life of some of those who came before him.

Hooch, my first dog as a grown-up, bridged my life between bachelorhood and marriage. He accompanied me on many of my trips into the Adirondacks to climb the 46 High Peaks, and then escorted my wife Gillian on her own pursuit of the 46. He loved to hike and did it often.

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Rocky was the dog of our marriage. He came into our lives as we explored backpacking. He completed both the Cranberry Lake 50 and the Northville Placid Trails. In his golden years, he escorted our daughter in climbing the fire tower peaks of the Catskills and Adirondacks, and helped her get a fire tower finishers patch.

Cooper, the floppy-eared, electric-eyed mixed breed, has........

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