Anyway, here we are at the start (first two photos by KH). There were 20 humans and 12 dogs:
About half a mile in, I realized that Autumn was no longer with me. I figured that she was up ahead playing with the other dogs, so I picked up my pace to catch up to them, calling her name. At that point, the trail "sweeper" radioed ahead to the trail "leader" that a really concerned-looking husky had come running back. She had caught the dog by its collar and attempted to steer it ahead, but the dog twisted free, clearly determined to go back to the trail head. I guess she thought that Linden and I were there, and hadn't realized that we were up ahead! I cannot imagine what that conversation, limited by interspecies communication problems, must have gone like.
"Hey dog, where are you going? Your human is up ahead! Go THAT way!"
Let me go! My human is out at the car and I need to get back to her!
"Dog! I said, go THAT way!"
Please let me go! You must understand, I have an especial responsibility for my human; she's quite stupid, you see. She's all alone with my equally stupid sister, and I need to get back to them!
When Linden and I backtracked to the car, sure enough, she was there, and ran out to us, her relief obvious. Neither she nor Linden left a 3-meter radius of me for the remainder of the hike.
I heard that that's a common line of thinking with dogs--if they lose you on the trail, they'll go back to the car. It's like they say of humans in a crowd; you should establish a meeting place beforehand and go there, not wander around looking for each other, which makes it too easy to miss each other. The same logic applies in wilderness survival; if anyone knows where you are (which they should, because you never go anywhere without filing a trip plan with someone who remains in town, right???), then you are much more likely to survive if you find yourself a safe place to stay, build a fire and shelter, and stay there, instead of wandering around trying to find your way out yourself. Now that I think about it, almost every story I have heard of a "near-miss" or failed survival situation has the person dying when they try to walk out alone, or being rescued in place. I cannot recall often hearing of rescuers finding a corpse at a camp.
So dogs, they really are smart. Somewhere in the recesses of their doggy brains, which have co-evolved to cooperate with ours, they think, "If I can't find my human, I shall meet him at the car!" And that's what they do.
It was a really beautiful day, neither too hot nor too cold. Still a bit too warm for Autumn and Linden, though, who have baaaaaarely begun to shed their thick winter coats.
Cranberry flowers!
And blueberry flowers!
And dogwood!
Remains from mining are everywhere, from rusted equipment to piles of tailings:
We had a big group!
There was a HUGE fire in 2004 (over 1 million acres burned), and the aftermath is still visible:
YUMMY CHUMMY TIME!!!
Active dogs are the most well-behaved! It's ironic and sad that people who have dogs with temperament problems keep them tied in the yard, which only makes things worse! Doggies need exercise and love!
Labrador tea:
I have tons of this on my property, but this is more picturesque!
We arrive at the FE Gold Camp, which used to operate the old gold dredge. Until just a few years ago, it was a tourist spot, with a nice restaurant and gold mining tours, but now it's shut down, meeting the same fate as my neighborhood's Ester Gold Camp, which shut down its tours around the same time.
E goes beyond Leave No Trace and picks up trash as she goes, even when she has to stash it under her rain poncho!
Round II of snackies!!!
Phew! Are we pooped!
2 comments:
So many more women than men, no wonder women live longer because they watch their health more.
So you had to run back alone to the car for Autumn? Watch the dogs careful next time when you are out, avoid hiking alone if not in your neighborhood.
The dog in the 2nd to the last picture is a reincarnated Cinnemon.
Post a Comment