Page 22 - Oasis in the Sky

Three quarters of the way up, I had to abandon the snowshoes, my pack, and
my dogs as well. It was far too steep and the snow too deep for the dogs to con-
tinue. It was also too steep to safely carry a heavy pack. I continued alone with
just my day pack.
The snow was so deep and the slope so steep that I had to stop walking and
begin to literally climb, arms first. As I pulled and grunted my way up to the
peak, I remember thinking what a foolhardy thing I was doing. One slip, one fall,
and it would be over for me. They would not find my frozen body
until the spring thaw. This was proof, if anyone needed it, that I was not the
sharpest knife in the drawer.
Finally, after three hours of exhausting effort, I stood atop the peak of
Floyd’s Mountain. I couldn’t see anything but gray haze and falling snow, but I
had accomplished my goal. My concern, now, was if I had enough energy for
the return trip. After taking a few pictures of nothing except heavily falling snow,
I knew I needed to get off the mountain, out of the punishing wind, and into
shelter. It was obvious that a severe winter storm had blown in, and whether or
not I would survive my ordeal was now a real issue.
Getting back to the dogs was foremost in my mind. I had left them un-
leashed with my pack. They are well-trained, but I hoped their training had pre-
vailed and that they had not left the location where I had left them and my pack.
To my great relief, they had remained exactly where I left them, only now they
were partially covered in snow and my pack was an undefined lump in the snow.
I was proud of my “girls” for being obedient and waiting for me in spite of the
conditions. Most dogs would have wandered away under these circumstances.
All my training with these amazing dogs had paid off.
Now Shadow, Silk, and I began the return trip. The easiest way back was
to follow the deep tracks I had left in the snow. The blizzard was still howling,
and the wind whipped the falling snow into a frenzy. At times, visibility was re-
duced to a few yards, and snow was quickly filling the tracks I was following.
Several times, I almost lost my way. When I came to an open glen that was
about fifty yards from side to side, to my dismay, my tracks had been obliter-
ated by the blowing snow. I stood there for several minutes wondering what to
do. By divine inspiration, I bent down and pulled Silk close to me. With her
head between my gloved hands, I looked into her face and spoke to her. Then I
stood and gave her the command to “track.” Without hesitation, she loped ahead,
nose to the deep, snow-covered ground. She casted left, then right, as she pressed
ahead. Without wavering, she led me across the glen. When I entered the trees
again, there were my tracks in the drifted snow. I knew Silk had worked a
miracle. I called her to me and gave her the loving rub of her life. I also
whispered a prayer of thanks. Without God giving Silk an amazing gift, I would
have been lost.

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Oasis in the Sky
Oasis in the Sky