Lost 4 legged family member

[Kevin Rooney]

While we're sharing lost dog stories - Brutus is little distracted by wild animals and if we meet them on the trail, he's mildly curious, but just watches them as they watch him. So, it was with much surprise when he started running up the trail, in part because Newfs rarely run - they roll along at a canter. We'd just done the Hancocks one winter counterclockwise, and were approaching the trail junction where the trails join. As we clambered up the bank, he suddenly took off, uphill. I yelled after him, but he just gained speed at a dead run. I had little option but to run after him, uphill. After a few minutes I dropped my pack (really dumb, but ...) and made it to the summit for the second time that day about 30 minutes later. Just as I started toward the other peak, he appeared, looking sheepish. I was so relieved, and a bit angry with him. Why he did it I'll never know for sure. About the only thing that makes sense is a female dog, perhaps in season, had passed up that hill.

We made it out OK that day, but we were both pretty tired from running up that third peak. Fortunately I was with friends, so they did the navigation and Brutus and I could just plod along like automatons.

It's pretty scary when something like that happens, and you feel completely helpless watching it unfold.

 

[Waumbek]

I had that happen with me on the Mt. Kinsman Trail. My buddy and I got out of our car, with our dog one November and two dogs appeared from across the street. One was an older German Shepard/Husky mix, and the other looked like his son or much younger sibling. We spent the entire trip with three dogs. The older one staying on the trail and moving along, the other (with mine) playing in the snow all day. We got back to the trailhead, my dog hopped in the car, and the other two walked across the street and scratched at the front door and soon after were let in. They were out with us for about 8 hours. "What a life!" I thought.

That would be Blue (older shepherd/husky with blue eyes) and Simone (white shepherd). I saw Blue on the lawn the other day; he's looking gimpy so I don't know how many more trips over the mountain he'll be making. Simone still heads up with me.

The famous local self-appointed "guide" dog, now deceased, was Rowdy, a golden-lab mix, who lived at Tamarack Tennis Club near the Mt. Kinsman Trailhead. He regularly accompanied hikers over the mountain into Franconia Notch and then hitched a ride home or came back over the mountain himself.

As some VFTT'ers are wont to say, do a search for prior discussions of these pooches, if you care about prior discussions. But it's more fun to "discover" and report these trail dogs on your own, I think.

 

[Peakbagr]

Since I've so thoroughly contributed to the thread drift (sorry and also grateful at the lost dog outcome), can I ask Kevin what you do with Brutus during the hunting season?
Haven't seen him in person, but your avatar and photos seem that he looks like a (not so) small bear. Bookah wears a blaze orange gun dog vest during firearms season, but then she's a 50 lb Lab and doesn't look like a potential quarry.

 

[audrey]

Long ago we hiked several peaks with unfamiliar dogs:

Owls Head with a pretty mutt who was hanging out in the (then) Wilderness Trail parking lot. I worried about her owners and would have taken her to the police station if she'd have run after us, but she just flopped on the side of the parking lot and watched us drive away;

Cardigan with a yellow Lab whose tags told us he lived nearby. He was a perfect companion and the reason that we have had Labs since;

A Kelley Trail/Mt Wonalancet loop with a huge something or other (a Ferncroft local) who benignly bullied our poor Clio the whole day, till she stood up to him.

They are surely all in heaven.

 

[Tobit]

They are surely all in heaven.

Well, all dogs DO go to heaven.

 

[Peakbagr]

And a big 'AMEN' to that.

 

[una_dogger]

It's pretty scary when something like that happens, and you feel completely helpless watching it unfold.

Definately --- those are such scary moments, its amazing how many terrible outcomes the mind can conjure up when we lose track of our furkids.

 

[Stan]

Not only do dogs go to heaven, there is a special place for cats, too.

We've had three cats over the years who had a similar tale ... ...

One disappeared on a hike but we knew exactly where she was ... curled up taking a nap in the culvert of a forest road. Our debate was whether and how long to wait for her. We waited.

Another outing and another cat disappeared on an outing near Wachusett. Having an infant son with us made the decision to leave more compelling, but we returned that night and picked her up at the same place we'd last seen her.

Both of these cats were indoor cats but very attached to us and taking them on such outings was not unusual. Both lived close to or more than 20 years.

Our adopted stray ... who adopted whom is a matter of some conjecture ... could not be restrained from his outdoor wanderings for many years ... he's such an outdoorsman that he subscribes to the Maine Sporting Journal. Well, on one kitty walk he disappeared from home. We were convinced that a fox we'd seen passing through the yard had gotten the better of him.

Lo and behold, 5 weeks later he returned home ... dehydrated, dirty and hungry. People, warn your cats about curiosity ... it didn't kill this cat for somehow he survived in someone's shed or garage for 5 weeks.