I caught the spring ski bug bad during a spring break in Banff in the Canadian Rockies last week. Sunshine. Fresh powder. And dogs! Not mine, but still, everywhere I went I saw Shep-Husky mountain-town mutts that looked like they could log 50 backcountry miles without a limp.

Now, I'm trying to engineer one more ski outing -- this time with my pups and closer to home at Whistler (which, at last report, still has a 104-inch base). You see, next weekend (April 19 and 20), the resort wraps up a weeklong party, the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival, and the Whistler Mountain ski season with something called Dog Fest.

With the motto "free love four paws," the festival crams agility and dancing dog presentations, a 200-dog parade and competitions for best-dressed, best dog-and-owner look-alike, longest tail, shortest tail and loudest bark into two days -- all to benefit Whistler Animals Galore (WAG), a local no-kill animal shelter.

If it sounds like your sort of thing, here are a few things to keep in mind. While Whistler is pretty dog-friendly, with luxury hotels accommodating four-footed furballs (last summer, we had a great experience with our pooch at the Delta Whistler Village Suites), not all the walking trails are so accommodating. On that same trip, we discovered that while dogs were allowed on most hiking paths in the valley, they were prohibited from many of the best mountain trails.

Also, along with your passport, pack a certificate from your veterinarian to prove your dog has been vaccinated for rabies in the past six months. I hope I'll see you there.

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