Golden Horn (attempt 3) - North Cascades, WA
July 27, 2013 |
This was my third attempt at Golden Horn. Several years ago I started out in iffy weather and made it as far as Granite Pass before black skies and an approaching storm turned me back. My second attempt was last weekend in excellent weather. My climbing partner accidentally brought the wrong sleeping bag and froze to death while car camping at the Rainy Pass TH. Shut down before getting started. The Hello Kitty slumber bag jokes will be relentless.
On this trip, Teri and I brought Mortimer along. Our energetic little Aussie-Poo loves to hike and has unlimited energy. He was sporting a new shave to help cope with all of the recent heat we've been experiencing in Spokane.
We spent a sleepless night at the Rainy Pass trailhead. The little trailhead tent is inadequate for two people and a dog. We headed up the trail at 6am in cool air and with a desire to make it to Cutthroat Pass before the sun warmed up too much. Even with a relaxed pace and a few stops to water, we made the pass in short time. I had forgotten how well graded the trail was. At Cutthroat Pass, we plopped down on the big rock and enjoyed a snack and some water. Mortimer was doing very well and was excited with everything around him.
The gentle trail traversing from Cutthroat Pass to just above Granite Pass was the most scenic part of the hike to that point. There were two very short sections with snow but nothing that caused any issues. Mortimer seemed to lose his footing at one point and walked off the edge above a steep section. He was on a leash and Teri caught him before he actually went over but it was weird. I kept watch on him and within another hundred feet, I saw him walk from the left side of the trail directly to the right and off the edge again. In just a matter of minutes, he went from energetic to being unable to control his legs. He was shaking, wobbly and drooling - it was really scary. Teri carried him for a few minutes to a shady spot above Granite Pass where we rested for an hour to see if he would recover. It was obvious that we needed to turn around so while letting Mortimer rest, we shifted gear around enough to make room for him at the top of one of the packs. Within the hour he was a bit more responsive so we loaded him up and headed back to the trailhead.
Mortminer slept all the way home and this morning seems normal. Not sure if he had a siezure or a stroke but we'll be scheduling him for an vet appointment. At least for now he's back to his normal spunky self.
We'll be trying again in a few more weeks. Things will go well. |
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