Badge
Four-Legged Hike Leader
The holder of this badge has four legs, a sensitive snout, and has been approved as a hike leader for The Mountaineers.
DESCRIPTION OF SKILLS
The holder of this badge demonstrates proficiency in the following:
- Low Impact Recreation principles (like eating food scraps accidentally left behind and minimizing loud chatter by not speaking human)
- Efficient route finding, maybe by using highly a sensitive snout to discover the best path forward, which may sometimes be backward
- Clear communication - keep in mind that this might not be clear to you human, and may look like incessant meowing, pawing, whining, panting, or falling asleep
- Effective time management, whether that be walking around in circles until discovering the most delectable smell or finding the quickest (albeit most inconvenient) route to the final destination
- Group management, such as herding participants to ensure no one gets left behind or giving participants equal opportunity to receive adequate pets
WHAT DOES THIS BADGE ALLOW ME TO DO?
This badge allows four-legged friends to lead day hike trips for The Mountaineers.
Note: While we are so grateful for our four-legged leaders, please be mindful that they are unable to perform all of the same leadership duties as their human counterparts. Our four-legged hike leaders may also require some extra support. Should you notice your four-legged hike leader getting distracted, consider giving them a good scratch, a tasty treat, or carrying them the rest of the way.