As much as I love my dogs (and that was my Bernese enjoying the recent snow that started this kerfuffle), I always keep them on leash when I take them out. You never know who you'll encounter on the trails and how they might react, so I prefer to keep them on lease and under my control. Even at Dog Mountain, where dogs are welcome to roam free. Most people here seem to love dogs, but I din't want to be responsible for an incident if someone doesn't appreciate a 90 lb goofy furball jumping up to give them a big wet kiss.