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Two Speed
08-13-2008, 08:37
Looking at the thread about Ed loosing his dog made me think about my mutt, and what stands out in my memory about the little furball.

One of the funnier episodes was the first time I took Barney backpacking. I decided to do a quick overnighter on the Pinhoti Trail around Cheaha State Park, and decided to bring a nice steak for dinner.

Get into camp, get set up, start the fire and throw a piece of an old grill I keep on the fire. Break the steak out, start grilling, roll up a nice log to lean on and sit there with the mutt admiring that beef coming to perfection.

I decided to forgo the formalities and started cutting pieces off of the steak. Big ol' piece for me, decent chunk for the Barnster, big ol' piece for me, decent chunk for the Barnster, . . . things are working out pretty smoothly, and mighty sociable, too.

The next morning I do my usual thing of putting some breakfast junk in a pocket where I can get to it when I get moving and put some dog food out for Barney. Strike camp, and the mutt ain't touched his dog food. Bring him to his bowl and tell him to eat. He just sits there. Tell him to eat. He just sits there. Tell him to eat.

I swear that dog got an expression on his face like "ain't I the little dickens" and reaches out with his right paw and flips the bowl over.

A brief interlude followed that included language that is not intended for mixed company.

Regained my composure, sat down and carefully picked up all the dog food and put it back in his bowl. The dog just sits there and looks at me.

I decided I knew how to work up an appetite.

Put the dog food up, put on our packs, and took off. Made darn good and sure I turned around and looked at him every time I got a mouthful of trail mix or a peanut butter cracker out. This kinda hurt his feelings because he was used to me sharing.

We hiked for about 4 hours, and made it to McDill Point for lunch. Broke out the dog food, and lo and behold, suddenly dog food was good enough.

Decided I'd been hard enough on him and shared the last of my lunch with the little bonehead, so we were friends and hiking buddies once again. Barney has gotten picky about eating dog food once in a while, but I gotta say he's never flipped a bowl of dog food over again.

Good times. :)

pittmad
08-13-2008, 10:24
Playing fetch with my dog Presley on top of Max Patch

cowboy nichols
08-13-2008, 10:34
Was hiking in Pa. with my dog Kelly. She always slept at the foot of my sleeping bag.I guess it got cold in the nite--about 4ins. of snow, I woke with Kelly headfirst in my sleeping bag,She of course ,couldn't turn around. Lucky my bag had a full zipper. I've got to say I never got cold. I lost her many years ago. I still miss her.

Blissful
08-13-2008, 13:52
My beagle Lady snatching a piece of jerky I was eating right out of my hand. It was her first and only time on the trail, she loved it all.

SteveJ
08-13-2008, 17:54
Honestly, many.....

One of my favorite is hiking up to Shining Rock 3 January's ago, with rain changing to snow. Scott and I slept in a Betamid, with Phoebe tied to my sleeping mat. She had the option of sleeping with us, or outside. The next morning, Scott was laughing about the 3 non-frozen shapes: our 2 sleeping pads, and the round spot Phoebe made under the tree outside. Of course, by the time we made breakfast the next morning, she wanted to join us!

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=10051&catid=newimages&cutoffdate=1

We don't often get the opportunity to hike in snow in the Atlanta area!

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=10052&catid=newimages&cutoffdate=1

ed bell
08-13-2008, 19:27
I always get a kick out of going in winter. The colder the better. Bittle was always undersized and her fur was not exactly an arctic coat. She alway did fine while we were on the move, but needed a bit of protection when it was time to turn in. I have a Mountain Hardware down vest that I would bring along for her sleeping bag. She would curl up in it in between me and the wife. If my hands were cold I could just reach inside that jacket for a sec. It was like a furnace. She would lay in there while we did our cooking. She was always calm and content in there. Great times and memories. Thanks Two Speed.

clicker
08-13-2008, 19:39
I have a memory of my old dog having a cold night and crawling into my sleeping bag with me. 3 in the morning, about 15 degrees out, and stinky mutt shivering and desperately trying to wiggle into my bag head first. I unzipped, pulled him into my bag, and awoke 45 min later sweating from the addition of that little furnace in my sleeping arrangement. He was sleeping delighted to share the bed.

Old Hillwalker
08-13-2008, 20:48
This self photo taken in the Quachita says it all for me. I had to have him put down on July 9th after fifteen years of love.

http://thumb7.webshots.net/t/16/16/1/91/67/2455191670063988367VSwcQf_th.jpg (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2455191670063988367VSwcQf)

Gray Blazer
08-13-2008, 20:56
To my chagrin, my dog flipped her food in the dirt before I had a chance to doctor it up with ramen au jus (or as spell check says...amen tau juts). I hadn't brought a lot for her on this particular overnight at Frozen Lick Knob but I managed to salvage most.

She is the best trail dog ever (at least to me).

The funny thing that happened with my dog is I had decided to cowboy on Wesser tower. She made it almost all the way to the top and when she happened to look down on the last few rungs, she froze and clung to the steps. The boy scouts were laughing when I had to carry her precariously the last few feet. The other cowboys laughed at me when she pouted the rest of the evening. She finally ate her doctored food, but, only when she thought no one was looking.

I knew she would still be pouting the next morning and I would prolly have to carry her (75 lbs of muscle) down and thinking it would be very hard. One of the other cowboys she had befriended was ready to head down and I asked him if he would try to get her to follow him and darn if he didn't coax her off that tower in about a minute and a half. She followed him right down.

Pics of her cowboying on Wesser Tower and camping at Frozen Lick and various others of her on the FL Trail are posted in my WB gallery.

ct1974rlw
08-19-2008, 16:22
The first time my male shepherd, Junior, ever saw a bear....

We were hiking along the AT and were coming down the mountain and rounded the bend and there was a full sixed adult bear looking at us-about 300 ft away. I thought for sure Junior would start barking. Nope instead he stopped and ran behind me and peeked his head out from behind me. After the bear went into the woods and was long gone-I practically had to drag Junior past the spot the bear was. For a couple of hours after that he was very jumpy! There was two other hikers with me and they were in hysterics.
And whoever said that shepherds are tough and protective never met Junior!

CrumbSnatcher
08-19-2008, 17:55
EVERY SINGLE MINUTE! OF EVERY SINGLE DAY! HIKING OVER 6,000 MILES ON THE A.T. WITH MY BEST FRIEND BETWEEN 1998-2004 BEARdog... i miss you boo boo BEAR

chknfngrs
08-19-2008, 18:09
So far, best memory is running in to two black bear cubs with my hound-mix, Ed. We were hiking down Buck Hollow in Shenandoah about a month ago, and two cubs were hard at play in the woods to our right. Ed did not know what to make of it!

sasquatch2014
08-19-2008, 21:04
Just starting. I have had dogs growing up but our last one passed 4 years ago. The kids have been after me to get a new one and after waiting for a while we just got a new pup on Saturday. Today was the first time taking him out on the trail and i think he enjoys it as much as I enjoy having him out there with me.

ed bell
08-20-2008, 23:30
Well, here is another photo of me and the B.:) We had some great times.
4659

Valentine
08-21-2008, 12:17
When she (Valentine) first learned to sleep in my Hennessy hammock.
Getting her in was hilarious, trying to lean over and squeeze her in through the velcro slit of the hammock. She just moaned but stayed motionless until I got her comfortably in there.

One trip I had to sleep with my head away from her as she stunk SO bad. I am sure I stunk to her as well.

She waits for me to descend narrow washouts instead of crowding me. She loves hiking, runs ahead on the trail, turns towards me and whines until I catch up.

superman
08-21-2008, 12:29
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/3/9/6/7/pic103.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=24327&original=1&c=member&orderby=views&direction=DESC&imageuser=3967&cutoffdate=-1)

This was Winter on her last hike. It was on the Long Trail. It was a perfect four day hike. Now she just goes for walks on the rail/trail near our house. The aging process takes it's toll on all of us.

SteveJ
08-21-2008, 22:59
Great pics, guys.....

nice beard, Ed!

ed bell
08-28-2008, 00:26
Here is the original picture my avatar was taken from:
4714

Thanks again to everyone who provided the kind words.

sasquatch2014
08-28-2008, 08:35
Here is a better pic of Hank this was taken up at the Telephone Pioneer Shelter. I should call him Second wind because the moment we take the turn to head back to the car and he catches his own scent he is a pure ball of energy. I guess that is what I get when I have a dog that is a scent dog mixed with a Border Collie.

sofaking
08-28-2008, 14:55
dogs may taste as good as spruce grouse in a pinch, don't you think 'squatch?

RiverWarriorPJ
08-28-2008, 15:41
..i may appear 2 be a strong hiker 2 most, when in in reality, it's Zeus pulling me up them there hills....since i make him heel when nearing other people, it gives gives the appearance that we were stride 4 stride ll along....lol..

you'd be tired too if you had to carry 30 & pull 150 all day..

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/1/1/1/7/ZSleep.jpg (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=18180&original=1&c=member&imageuser=11117)

RiverWarriorPJ
08-28-2008, 17:03
oooopz....sry 'bout the size of that pic guyz...

CrumbSnatcher
08-28-2008, 18:57
..i may appear 2 be a strong hiker 2 most, when in in reality, it's Zeus pulling me up them there hills....since i make him heel when nearing other people, it gives gives the appearance that we were stride 4 stride ll along....lol..

you'd be tired too if you had to carry 30 & pull 150 all day..

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/1/1/1/7/ZSleep.jpg (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=18180&original=1&c=member&imageuser=11117)beautiful dog

CrumbSnatcher
08-28-2008, 19:04
..i may appear 2 be a strong hiker 2 most, when in in reality, it's Zeus pulling me up them there hills....since i make him heel when nearing other people, it gives gives the appearance that we were stride 4 stride ll along....lol..

you'd be tired too if you had to carry 30 & pull 150 all day..

http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/1/1/1/7/ZSleep.jpg (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=18180&original=1&c=member&imageuser=11117)
i bet that dogs loves pulling cars too,big and strong looking. BEAUTIFUL DOG

sasquatch2014
08-28-2008, 19:57
dogs may taste as good as spruce grouse in a pinch, don't you think 'squatch?

I think they taste best when cooked in clay pots like the Aztec did. You know if we feed the pup to your python and then cook them both at once it will be like a Turduckin, we will call it pupython, mmmmm, tasty.

SteveJ
08-28-2008, 21:17
I think they taste best when cooked in clay pots like the Aztec did. You know if we feed the pup to your python and then cook them both at once it will be like a Turduckin, we will call it pupython, mmmmm, tasty.

hmmm....I know you guys are kidding...and you know you're kidding...but some might not!

more pics?

I agree with Crumbsnatcher - beautiful dog!

Crumbsnatcher - was just thinking about you - I think you said you lost your dog not long ago - have you gotten another? pics?

CrumbSnatcher
08-28-2008, 21:22
hmmm....I know you guys are kidding...and you know you're kidding...but some might not!

more pics?

I agree with Crumbsnatcher - beautiful dog!

Crumbsnatcher - was just thinking about you - I think you said you lost your dog not long ago - have you gotten another? pics?
STEVEJ, i lost my BEARdog a little over 4 months ago. i have not gotten another friend yet. maybe after my hike next year. i still feel so empty without her. i think of you every time i see you on line, give that big ole' dog of yours a hug for me!!!

SteveJ
08-28-2008, 22:11
STEVEJ, i lost my BEARdog a little over 4 months ago. i have not gotten another friend yet. maybe after my hike next year. i still feel so empty without her. i think of you every time i see you on line, give that big ole' dog of yours a hug for me!!!

Will do - and that will be a big fuzzy hug - she's in the middle of her annual shed! If you'd like a little fuzz yourself, I'd be happy to mail you some!

Two Speed
08-29-2008, 11:02
hmmm....I know you guys are kidding...and you know you're kidding...but some might not!I'm going to reinforce what Steve said.

I know. Ya'll were kidding. Trust me, when Barney flipped that bowl of dogfood over I did consider Korean BBQ, but please take a break, will ya?

sasquatch2014
08-29-2008, 16:45
hmmm....I know you guys are kidding...and you know you're kidding...but some might not!

more pics?

I agree with Crumbsnatcher - beautiful dog!

Crumbsnatcher - was just thinking about you - I think you said you lost your dog not long ago - have you gotten another? pics?

What gave it up as a joke the Turduckin comment? Speaking of food and dogs. Smell your dogs paw and think of Fritos. I swear to god they do smell like Fritos when they are dry otherwise they just smell like wet dog paw. If you do this you will never eat Fritos again with out thinking of your dogs paws.

SteveJ
08-29-2008, 17:34
chuckle...

Given that my wife has put me on yet another diet (10 lbs in 4 weeks!), and Fritos are definitely NOT on the diet, I may have to give this a try!

Wise Old Owl
09-06-2008, 23:01
Going back to the original question - every day I hike with Rugby and yes that is a beautiful dog.

Gaiter
09-06-2008, 23:12
my fav memory, my worst day hiking, its was my 7th day of my first long section, and if i had cell phone reception, i probably would have quit, i ran in to a family, they asked where the trail went, i told them ga, which gave me a chuckle but didn't improve my mood that much, anyways i finally get to the top of roan mtn, raising both middle fingers, i shared a few choice words with the mtn at the top of my lungs... and then my coco starts walking over to the side like she had seen something, i look at what she was looking at and it was a group of very elderly couples who had just watched my umm, venting.... i was embarrassed at the moment, as i walked over to the view, they said 'nice dog' and walked as fast as they could away, i wouldn't have noticed them if it wasn't for coco, but i finally started laughing about it, and it turned things around for me, and she helped me realize that i would be okay

mts4602
09-07-2008, 22:52
Hiking with my families Austrailian Shepherd after a big snow came through. She' s not the best behaved dog at home, but on the trail she's great. Stays on the trail, constantly running ahead but then stopping to turn around as if to say "hurry up".

I'm getting ready to adopt my first dog soon. I can't wait. Hopefully it will like hiking. Sure beats being in a cage at a shelter...or being put to sleep.

mts4602
09-07-2008, 22:58
my dog being free.