Happy Ending
From today's Union Leader
A week after slipping his leash on the summit of Mount Chocorua, Shadow the Schnauzer is back home in Hudson with his people, none the worse for wear.
"I really wish he could talk," said Hilary Spirdione, who has had him since he was a puppy. "I'd like to hear what he has to say."
In the end, it was Hilary Spirdione's father-in-law, who does not want to be identified, who found Shadow late Saturday morning on Mount Chocorua.
"My father-in-law likes to hike and he was up there early Saturday morning," Spirdione said. "He made it to the top and he saw Shadow, on the rock where I pooped out last week."
Spirdione and her husband, William, had planned to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary with a climb up Mount Chocorua, along with Shadow. But Hilary Spirdione did not go as far as the summit and when her husband and Shadow reached the top, Shadow slipped his leash and ran off.
After a week of dreadful uncertainty, the couple had left their Hudson home bound for the Mount Washington Valley when they got word that Shadow had been found.
"We met up with them after hiking about 40 minutes," Spirdione said. "He was just so happy, he was full of energy and happy."
Shadow does not appear to have any ill effects from his week in the wilderness. Spirdione said he lost a little weight and had a "little doggie smell," but other than that, he was the same old Shadow.
It was a happy ending that the couple was not quite sure they would experience. Although they had put up posters all around the trail heads leading up the mountain, there were no calls from anyone all week reporting that they had seen him.
"We had hoped that this would happen," she said. "But we didn't know. I didn't know what my dog would do. My husband had called to Shadow to wait (last Saturday) and that's what he ended up doing. He's a really good dog and he listened."
The Spirdiones didn't immediately go home after their reunion with Shadow. They went around to all the places they had put up fliers and took them down.
"The whole time in the car, every trail head we pulled into, it was like he was ready to go, he was ready for another hike," she said.
Sunday morning was filled with a quiet elation for the couple and their dog.
"It was just a horrible week, it was pretty empty without him," she said. "Things are back to normal now and we are so very grateful."
