fiasco

Billy and I decided to go backpacking last week. He can't really talk so its more like I told him that we were going backpacking and he wagged his tail because he had no idea what I was saying.

So we (meaning I) drove up to the Whites and parked at the trailhead for the Crawford path. We set up the trail, making it to our tentsite by early afternoon. Terrified of bonking or dying at the summit of Mount Wahington, I packed my bag with lots of extra food. I also had in there my 3 person tent, warm clothes, a sleeping bag and pad, etc.



We set up our tent (meaning I set up my tent while Billy, tied to a tree, chewed on woodsy things he found) and we chilled out for a while. That night it was clear so I left the rainfly off the tent and watched the stars. It got chilly in the tent and, after I went to sleep, Billy pestered me until I let him join me under my sleeping bag and on the pad. He also barfed up something yucky in the middle of the night, in the tent, so neither of us got a lot of sleep.

The next morning, we had an early start as we had a long hike ahead of us-- 11 steep miles until the next tentsite, including five or six peaks (one of them being Mount Washington). We had a fine start and enjoyed Mounts Pierce and Jackson through the early clouds and light wind. The views were spectacular. Billy started to slow down, laying down for a nap at one point in the grass. I felt pretty tired as well.




By the time we reached Lake in the Clouds hut, on the col before Mount Washington, Billy was growling at other hikers and I was moving slow. I realized that taking him to the top of Mount Washington (a major NH tourist attraction) on a Saturday when he was grouchy was not a good plan. Also, we were only halfway through our hike and had another long day ahead after that. So I decided to abort the hike.




We headed down a side trail--the Ammonoosuc Ravine trail-- (3.1 miles and 2500 foot descent took us 5 hours with the heavy pack, grouchy dog and crazy traffic) and hiked back to the car (five or six miles on paved roads). I could barely walk the next day and Billy was narcoleptic. But on Monday we had a very nice hike on the Wild River and Highwater Trails-- six flat miles along streams and rivers in the woods.

We hung out in NH for a few days, chilling out-- I read and Billy napped and killed a few tennis balls I bought him at the grocery store. Starvation for human company and only one set of clothes eventually drove me to return to civilization. But not for long...