Post by ike on Nov 12, 2009 21:29:54 GMT -5
I made a mistake and took the hounds out for a walk into the high country last Saturday. Well, those hounds struck a track only a couple miles up the trailhead and so I decided to let them run. They took the track up the canyon and I quit them about twelve or thirteen miles in and way past the wilderness sign. The dogs were beeping on long range and I didn't have enough daylight or leg power to reach them.
Sunday morning they were still off the radio at the trailhead, so I returned to town and had coffee with a few friends that own horses (and hoiunds) hoping they would offer to take me in to get those hounds and see the bear, but none did so I went home to heal up from the beating I took on Saturday.
Those hounds still weren't out yet on Monday morning, so I tied my boots tight and headed in. At the five mile point I climbed out of the canyon a short distnace and the dogs still radioed in the high country. That drainage runs over thirty miles before reaching the summit of the mountains, and has side canyons and a high line Trail that runs east/west for several hundred miles, all of which is roadless, wilderness country.
As luck would have it, I met all five dogs coming down the trail about four more miles up the trail, or just after 10:00 AM. I got down on one knee and gave them all a hug, and they all bawled and chopped and were happy to see the old man. Several of those hounds were hoarse from the two day adventure and somewhat dehydrated which told me they gave that bear a hard weekend.
Life is good and the body heals--kinda?
ike