I thought I was in shape. I thought I was fit and conditioned. This was until I attempted to climb some mountains with a 40lb back pack strapped to my back. I have a new found respect for avid back country hikers now. That was not easy. For starters there were mechanical issues with my backpack right off the start. I'm not sure how those packs are supposed to work but for the first mile or so the weight of the pack was completely on my shoulders. We pulled over for a minute and made some adjustments. I was told the majority of the weight was supposed to be on my hips. I adjusted it; much better. However it didn't last long. I couldn't tighten the strap around my waist any tighter and it kept slipping down so the weight kept shifting to my shoulders. Fighting with my pack the whole way up 5.5 miles @ 4,000 feet was not fun. Again, I think the lack of strength in my legs came into play as we hiked. My quads and hamstrings burnt like fire. By the time I reached the first campsite they were complete jelly. Day 2 sounded like it was going to be better. It was only 2.6 miles to our half way point. We would rest, get some lunch at Galehead hut and continue on another 3.2 miles to the next campsite. On paper that sounded easy. However the first leg was downhill to a valley. It was a tough downhill. Boulders, rocks and an 80lb dog that's afraid to jump more than 2 feet. I had to stop often and help Fenway at spots.
All the resisting on the rocks, combined with me trying to push her to motivate her in some spots resulted in Fenway tearing her rear pads on her paws. She began limping about 1/2 way to Galehead and we stopped and tried to tape her up. The bandage lasted all of 2 minutes, but the limp went away eventually and we continued up. It took us around 4 hours, maybe more, to go the 2.6 to Galehead. It seemed like forever but we finally had made it. That's when things got a bit scary.
Our friends, Megan and Nathan Staples have two huskies; Ember and Marley. Upon reaching the hut at Galehead we noticed Ember was not acting right. She was twitching uncontrollably, was vomiting had a loss of vision and was very lethargic. It didn't look good. And as an avid dog lover I was scared, probably not nearly as scared as Megan and Nathan must have been. The last thing you want is to lose a dog at 3800 feet, 5 miles away from anything. We didn't know if she was dehydrated or if maybe she ate something she wasn't supposed to. Luckily my wife had cell phone reception at the hut and we were able to call the vet. The vet told us to get her down the mountain as soon as possible, however Ember couldn't move on her own. Now if ever asked if I've ever been a part of or witnessed something heroic this is most likely what I'll refer to.
We emptied and divided most of Nathan's pack between me, my wife and Megan. Nathan found a trail that was 4.6 miles to the trail head and from there about 1.6 miles to the car. Then we started our journey down the mountain. I watched in amazement as Nathan took his husky up over his shoulders and started down the mountain. He had a 50lb husky draped around his shoulders, along with what was probably a 25lb backpack. He hauled that dog down the 4.6 miles in 85 degree weather at a pace that I could barely keep up with. We stopped 3 or 4 times to get water and rest. When Nathan set Ember down when we stopped you could see the fur she left on him, sweat covering every ounce of his body. Just imagine wearing a 50lb fur coat while almost running down a mountain. He didn't complain one word. We eventually reached a creek towards the end of the trail where we stopped. To everyone's relief (especially Megan and Nathan's) Ember was able to stand on her own and drink. That was a great moment:
From there it was about another 1.5 miles to the trail head. We made it. Ember was starting to look more alert, able to hold her head up. It was such a good feeling. Then I saw Nathan do one more heroic thing that should not go unnoticed. It was still another mile or two to the car. Megan was about to go as we GPS'd the best way to get there. Sweaty, tired, sore, beat up... He stood up and told his wife to stay and he'd walk the last leg to the car. I told him I'd go too. There was no way I could let him go the last few steps by himself after what he had just done. We walked. It was an easy walk compared to what we had just been through. No backpacks, no pulling dogs, no steep inclines... flat road. We saw the cars, we pushed the unlock button on the keys to hear that sweet sweet "beep beep" and we raised our hands in victory. This is something I will not soon forget. Thanks Nathan for showing me how deep one can go for the love of their dog... And for all those wondering Ember is doing just fine now. Fenway's paws are a little beat up but she'll be back to herself in no time... And we are all a little sore, but so very happy all the dogs are okay.
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