A friend, Clare (who is not yet in her 40s), recently visited me with her dog, Phoebe. Clare and Phoebe live in Chicago, so Clare was excited to get out and do some hiking in the North Carolina mountains. I was excited too, but I was concerned that she wanted Phoebe to come with us. I’m a worrier by nature, so I had visions of snake bites, paw lacerations, and Phoebe getting a little too close to the edge of a rocky cliff. But my biggest concern was Phoebe’s stamina. Phoebe is an 11 year old Westie. She is active, but I had serious doubts about her ability to maneuver in the rugged terrain and to keep up on the 6-8 mile hike that we had planned.